AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7179, 2 June 1891, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[from our owir correspondent.] ; (By Telegraph, via the Bluff.) j MELBOURNE, Mat 27. | ' THE QUKEN'S BHiTHDAY. ' ' At the Queen's BirtLiiKy cniebration in Albert Park, five lhoii»&n<'. t liree hundred oilicera and uit-n <>t: tie Vi-jturian defence , forces attended. This is the largest muster that has ever taken place in the Colony. It is estimated that fully fifty thousaiia civilians were present. On the same day, twenty -five thoiu.tud people witnessed tlits football match, Eaeendon against East Melbourne, which resulted in a dniw. TIIE STORAGE OF POWDttU. Cbarlea Kcbne, a Melbourne merchant, has been fined live shillings Joe erery ' pound of powder in excess of the quantity , allowed by the A-;t in hi 9 city premises, '• bringing the penalty, with costs, up to i J2I3S. - i FIRES. By a fire afc Belfast, John See and Co.'a j extensive produce stores were totally < destroyed, with their contents of wool and grain. The damage amounted to .£12,000. '. The property is insured, but the amount is ! , unknown. f A fatal fire occurred at Tattersall's Hotel, Broken Hill, by which a Btation > hand named Nicholas Farley was burnt to ! death, and another wa9 bo injured that it j is probable both his arms will have to be I amputated. I A BRUTAL MURDER. \ A widower named Charles Heeney, ' possessed of a competence, was brutally murdered at Ballarat on Saturday night. The unfortunate mana skull was smashed '■ in, apparently by a tomahawk. The [ victim was gasping when found, but died in a few seconds. The deceased was eccentric, and a few years back urged the Government to appoint a phrenologist to examine the populate, with a view to the detection of criminals. For BOine time ho has asserted that persons unknown to him were seeking his life. As yet there is no trace of the murderer. a husband's crime. On the same day, John Purdue, a stonemason, of Ballarat, attempted to murder his wife, Annie, by cutting her throat with a razor, almost severing the wind-pipe. Purdue had been drinking. He asserts that his wife inflicted the wound, but one of the children saw him commit the deed. The reason is supposed to bo because his wife refused him money. The woman's condition is critical. MR COSMO NEWBERRY's MISBION. Mr Cosmo Newberry has been appointed by the Victorian Government to visit Great Britain and Europe to ascertain the best method of dealing with refractory ores, and the practicability of manufacturing briquettes from Victorian brown coal. MALPRACTICE. The death of a young widow, Mra Nellie Carter, licensee of the Ballan Eailway Hotel, haß caused a sensation. The deceased wa3 popular with the residents, and was one of the leading members of the Church of England choir. Her husband died about two years ago, and left her with a family of four children. About three weeks ago she visited Melbourne and had an illegal operation performed. On returning she was confined to her bed, and gradually succumbed. She at first strenuously denied that there had been any malpractice, but in her dying depositions she admitted having visited Elizabeth Taylor, who has since been arrested, bail being refused. Taylor ia a notorious woman, having been five times before the Court similarly charged. Four time 3 she escaped, but on the fifth was sentenced to two years' imprisonment. THE ELECTRIC LIGHT. Ifc has been decided to light Melbourne by electricity. As the Government declined to share in the cost of an underground Bystem, estimated at .£400,000, the over-head method was adopted at a co3t of £75,000. SIR GEORGE (JRET. In the Sydney Centennial Hall on Tuesday evening, Sir G. Grey addressed a public meeting on the " one-nian-one-vote " question, under the auspices of the Trades and Labour Council. The hall was crowded to excess, fully seven thousand people being inside, while another three or four thousand wore unable to gain admission. Sir George spoke for about two hours, and was only interrupted to receive most tumultuous applause. Hie advocacy of the principle was strong, vigorous and whole-hearted ; but occasionally he drifted away into the ideal. He thought that federation, if worked out on the one-man-one-vote principle would be a great and glorious thing for Australians ; but he upheld the allegiance of the Commonwealth to the Crown. He could see no mental difference between the capitalist and the labourer, and, therefore, thought each should have an equal aay in founding the destinies of the country. Any man in the community, no matter what his nationality, should have it witnin his reach to climb to the utmost heights, and the one prevailing honour should bo the honour due to talent, ability and surpaHeing genius. When Sir George concluded, a beautiful wreath of flowers, the gift of Australian women, was handed to him. A resolution was then carried— "That no system of federation would be agreeable to the people unless it embodied the one-man-one-vote principle." Sir George 'was thanked vociferously. Amongst the audience were hundreds of women, who were most enthusiastic in their • applause. A large number of members of the Opposition were also present. SHOCKING ACCIDENT. A shockingaccident occurred near Maclean. Three youths, James Eoss, Walter M'Laren and George Black, were lotting off fireworks known as jumping jacks in a store, and one of the squiba jumped into a chest containing eeveral pounds of powder. A terrible explosion occurred. The front of the Bhop was blown out, and the young men received such serious injuries that they had to be removed to the Hoapital. Black succumbed soon after his admission, and the others are still in a seriouß condition. The damage to the store is estimated at .£4OO. A BUROLAR SUFFOCATED. An extraordinary accident is reported from the Eandwick racecourse. A man, evidently bent on burglary, attempted to get down the chimney of the caretaker's building, but, becoming jammed, was choked. His body was discovered in the flue next morning, when the attendant went to light the fire, the feet just protruding at the bottom. The corpse remains there, and tho brick chimney will have to be taken down before the body can bo removed. A POOR MAN IN LUCK. George Hewitt, a man with a wife and seven children, living at Bingara, in a half-clothed and half-starved condition, and almost without shelter, has won TattersaH'B £10,000 consultation on the Birthday Cup. They lived in the greatest poverty, i and received clothes aud food from the townspeople. SUICIDE OP A BOY. At Sydney, a youth named George Goldtborpe committed suicide by shooting j himself, because his grandfather accused him of stealing money belonging to him. CONSULTATIONS. An attempt is being made in the Sydney Legislature to put down consultations, and a motion is before the House to diemiss any civil servant found gambling in any form.