Australian.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1960, 16 April 1875, Page 2

Australian.

Sydney. * A fire destroyed nine' houses. The loss is estimated at £20,000. - Melbourne. There is a great fallling off in the Customs, Excise, and Territorial duties .for the year. Arrangements have been made by the Government with a literary man to write the history of Australia. Brisbane. The blacks cruelly murdered - Conn, a settler, forty miles j from Card well, stpd carried his wife offio the bush.^ „. ;c-

, • . Nelson, .This day. The ]Waimea steeplechase yesterday, was won. by Tommy Dodd, Sultan being second. Ten horses started, and the race was an excellent one. The hurdle face was also won easily by Tommy Dodd. Hokitika; This day. The long pending tramway claims, against the Provincial Government have been decided by the Council, recommend' ing the Assembly to grant 800 acret of land per mile to the companies. Only a bare quorum was present. . A second resolution, adding,that, the land shall be selected in such districts as shall be determined on by..the -Provincial Council, was carried by ten to four.,,, The Council are expected to close to-day. Cheistchuech, Thursday.. Sir Cracroft Wilson has formed "the Provincial Executive as follows:—Himself as President of , Executive ; G. Buckley, without office; Wynn Williams, Provincial Soliciter; W. M. Maskell, Provincial Secretary; Hon. J. T. Peacock, Secretary for Public, Works. The House will adjourn to-night for a fortnight to enable the new Government to look into financial affairs. Dunedin, This day. In the case of John Walters, charged with the murder of. Amos Holmes at the North East Valley, the Jury, after an. absence of ten minutes, found a verdict of manslaughter. Sentence was deferred till Monday. The case lasted till 7 o'clock last night. Mr W. D. Stewart, assisted by Mr W. Taylor, voluntarily conducted the defence. Mr Stewart made an able speech, in prisoner's behalf; lasting over lan hour and-a-half. . •*' I , Poet Chalmebs, This day. Arrived : Yacht Jessie Niccol, from a cruise in search of the Euphrosyne. She saw nothing of the missing vessel.