AUSTRALIA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 705, 26 August 1870, Page 3

AUSTRALIA.

{From the Argus, ._ Aug. 8 to Aug. 13, inclusive.") The South Australian Legislative Assembly, by a majority of eight, lately affirmed a uniform selection price of 20s over all the surveyed lands of the colony. The police continue to summon Sundaytrading publicans, and Melbourne now presents quite an orderly appearance in this respect on Sundays. Advices from the South Seas, received by the mission schooner Southern Cross, recently arrived at Sydney, report that further outrages have been committed by the crews of vessels seeking labourers amongst the natives of the different islands. We are informed that the Privy Council have granted to Hugo Levinger, convicted some months ago of the manslaughter of one of the South Sea Islanders, and whose conviction was confirmed by the Supreme Court of this country, leave to appeal against the couviction. The appeal will probably not be heard for nearly a year, so that Levinger will have completed a considerable part of his sentence before a decision is given. One of the oldest Melbourne favourites in the world of public amusements — Barlow, of " Blue Tail Ply " celebrity — has returned to his old quartets, after an absence of some years spent, we believe, in cultivating a sugar plantation in Queensland. Mr Barlow proposes to make a tour through Victoria, beginning at Kyneton, with a new " entertainment." If he retains his old form, success may be expected as a matter of course. An important meeting of woolgrowers was held at Cam bell town, Tasmania, on Aug. 6, to take into consideration the best means of preparing wool for the London market. After a long discussion it was decided to obtaia from the Agricultural Society of New South Wale 3 a copy of their report on the comparative merits of hot and cold water in preparing wool for market. . Another resolution was carried that Messrs Mercer, Parramore, John Taylor, and A. Leak be requested to institute experiments on the effects of cleaning wool by vapour. At a recent meeting of the Adelaide Philosophical Society the Governor read an interesting letter received by him from 'Mr Forrest, the overland explorer from Western Australia, who arrived at Fowler's Bay on the 27 ih July last, having left Perth on March 30. He reports passing through many millions of acres of grass country, but he had found no permanent water, excepting in one place which had been previously noted by Eyre. Mr Forrest and his party depended entirely on water in the rock waterholes, and suffered considerable hardships throughout their journey. An important notification on the subject of the San Francisco postal service was issued by the Victorian Postal department on Aug. 12 as follows-. — " In consequence of a communication received this day from the New Zealand Post-office authorities, in which they decline to forward mails from this colony by the contract vessels running between Sydney and San Francisco on the terms proposed by tbia Government, it is intimated that, until further notice, no mails will be made up at this office for despatch by the steamers leaving Sydney for San Francisco under contract with the New Zealand Government. (Signed Thomas T. A'Beckett, Commissioner of Trade and Customs." The corporation of Melbourne were sued in the Supreme Court yesterday by a pawnbroker named Marks, for injuries he sustained in February last whilst the city surveyor was removing a signboard belonging to him. According to the plaintiff, the city officials performed the work in a very careless manner, and the result was that a piece of plaster was detached from the building, and fell on Mr Mark's head. The jury were at first not inclined to agree upon a verdict, but an intimation from the judge, that they would be locked up without refreshment, had a marvellous effect in producing harmony, for they immediately afterwards announced that they had agreed to a verdict for the defendants. Mr Henry Talbot, the tragedian, has been compelled to pay .£SO to the Dramatic Authors' Society, for having represented the works of Sir E. Ly tton Bulwer and others in New Zealand theatres, unlicensed by Mr Coppin, the agent for the Australian colonies, New Zealand, and ladia. It may not be generally known that the interpretation clause of an Act to Amend the Law of Copyright, 5 and 6, of Victoria, cap. 45, states that the words " British dominions " shall be construed to mean and include all parts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the islands of Jersey and Guernsey, all parts of the East and West Indies, and all the colonies, settlements, and possessions of the Crown which now are, or hereafter may be, acquired. It appears to be a not uncommon practice for people in the old country to ship off to Australia any member of the family who may have manifested tendencies not calculated to advance the respectability of his relatives, and tbis perhaps accounts for so many young men here abusing the confidence placed in them by their employers. A worthlets young fellow named John W. Crossman was consigned some time ago to Mr Gowan, of the firm of Lyell and Gowan, [who apparently was expected to look af tor the young man, and keep him in order. The immigrant, however, soon began to annoy Mr Gowan, and a day or two ago went to him in a state of intoxication, and demanded £5. Mr Gowan refused, and Crossman next day returned, and struck Mr Gowan. The young man was given in charge, and yesterday, on being taken before the City Bench, was lectured and sent to gaol for seven days. It was stated that all that was required was that the prisoner should be kept out of harm's way till a ship should be ready to start for i England, when he would be shipped back to I those who sent him oat.

A return showing the number of the nominees sent for from the United Kingdom, under the immigration Regulations, '.from January l to June 30, of the present year; shows the number to be 2,851, viz.:— 1,303 males and 1,548 females. Those from Eng r land and Wales numbered 1,419 ; from Scotland, 22-1 ; and from Ireland, 1,137. The persons who arrived in the colony by seu during the month of June was 2,261, viz.:— 1,539 men, 555 women, and 247 children. The number who left in the same period was 1,346, being 823 men, 329 women, and 194 children. The Registrar-General's report on the vital statistics of Melbourne and suburbs during the month of June shows a total of deaths amounting to 323, of whom 178 were males, and 145 females, or a daily average of 10-76. The deaths under five years were 1 19, over fire years, 204. Estioiating the population at 180,000, the deaths would be in the proportion of 171 deaths to every 1,000 persons. The deaths were fewer by 15 than those in May. In the quarter ending June 30, the deaths numbered 1,049, being 122 more than the average of the corresponding quarter during the previous 10 years. The new session of the New South Wales I Parliament was opened on .Aug. 11, at noon. There was a very large attendance, and the Chamber presented a most animated appearance as His Excellency the Governor entered. Amongst the visitors was M. La Richeric, the new Governor of New Caledonia. The speech was ahort, and rather vagua. It inti mates the appointment of another Royal Commissioner to inquire into the administration of justice ; promises that the Estimates will be immediately submitted to the Legislative Assembly; hints at the depression caused by the floods aa having influenced the revenue receipts, but expresses a hope that the expenditure will be kept within the receipts. It suggests loans for railway extension on a cheap plan, and also for the purpose of extending immigration ; and for the erection of lunatic asylums and other public buildings. It further remarks that the Intercolonial Conference had not settled any point definitely. A resolution for constructing a railway in the south-western district would be early submitted to Parliament. The abolition of ad valorem duties is promised. The Exhibition is regarded with satisfaction, as likely to be of great benefit to the colony. The West Australian correspondent of the Argus writes from Perth as follows : — A gentleman, who is no mean geological scholar, has lately arrived from Brazil, in which country he lived many years, and lias been forcibly struck with the wonderful resemblance in the geological features of this country to those at Brazil, and speaks with great hopes of the same sources of wealth here as there. We read lately of valuable diamonds having been found in Victoria and New South Wale 3, and our mouths watered ; it is by no means improbable that the colony possesses these precious stones over a more extended area than in either of the places just named. Of course this is mere surmise, but it is surmise founded on very good information. .The same gentleman has been impressed with the peculiar facilities for the growth of coffee presented in this soil and climate, and is about to test bis ideas on this head on a somewhat large scale. The pearl-shell fishery on the North-west coast is, I am glad to report, likely to prove successful on a far larger scale than was anticipated. Banks have lately been discovered ranging over a much greater area than has hitherto been known, and the supplies of shells are now said to be inexhaus ible. Means are being adopted to procure divers from Ceylon and elsewhere, and legislation will probably be introduced for protection of the aboriginal natives and others who may be engaged in the prosecution of the pearling trade. I have lately seen some exceedingly fine specimens of pearls from the coast, and some few that have been sent to England are expected to realise as high a price as the first large pearl Bent from hence about two years ago, which, to the great astonishment and delight of its owner, fetched A 260. The despatches from the Agent-General received by the last mail deal with several subjects of interest. The first of these is the new Imperial postal regulation which limits the weight of newspapers coming 1 to Victoria to 4oz each, and to which we owe the restricted size of the Home News, European Mail, and other English periodical publications specially intended for Australian readers. Mr Verdon, acting on behalf of Victoria, asked the Colonial Office why the increased rate was imposed; to which the Post-office authorities responded by stating that the rates of postage were not increased. The only change was that newspapers sent to Australia were brought under the regulation which made 4oz the maximum weight per newspaper. That regulation, which applied to other colonies, had not been enforced as regarded Australia, and in consequence a practice of sending newspapers weighing in some instances Boz had grown up and to such an extent that the Postal authorities felt compelled to make the restriction general. Thus the so-called increased rates were in fact only extra postal fees imposed on papers exceeding the maximum weight. The Imperial Poßtal authorities further declared that the new arrangement was strictly within the powers of the Imperial Government, and could have no reference to the payment of postal subsidies by the Australian colonies. Finally, they informed the Agent-General that no objection — save by one or two newspapers — had been made to the enforcement of the rule, which bad worked satisfactorily ever since let April last. Mr Verdon also announces that the emigrant ship Western Empire will be succeeded by the ship Alumbagh, which he bad chartered to sail from London with emigrants at the rate of £12 5s per adult. He adds that the scheme for parochial pauper immigration, to which he alluded in previous despatches, had proved abortive, and had been definitely abandoned when the extreme dia approval of the colonial authorities became known. Mr Verdon also promises to forward

full particulars respecting me construction, working, and management of pneumatic tubes, which might possibly be adopted as a means of 'communication between the Government offices in Melbourne.