AUSTRALIA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5488, 13 February 1896, Page 3

AUSTRALIA.

[Special to Press Association.] MURDER.' > PEETH, Feb. 12. Another murder is reported in the northern district, where a native murdered his young wife by beating her and subsequently setting fire to the body. Jealousy was the cause. The murderer was ar. rested. DEATHS FEOM THIEST. Three men have been found dead from thirst in the northern district. FATAL' EIOT. In a riot between Malays and Manilla ' men at Cossack one man was shot dead. THE EFFECTS OF DEOUGHT. , SYDNEY, Feb. 12. -As evidence of the severity tof the drought the stock returns for the colony for the year ended Dec.3l, showa decrease qi 9,500,000 sheep, 302;000head of ? cattle, and 19,500 horses compared > with '.the previous year. The" decrease of sheep is equal to 16*7 of the whole flocks. TheSydney Morning Herald says that the decrease represents a shortage in the wool clip of from 150,000 to 200,000 bales. THE PACIFIC CABLE. SYDNEY, Feb. 13. With the exception of Western Australia all the Australian Governments have expressed concurrence with the proposals of the Pacific Cable Conference. As soon as a reply has been received from Western Australia Mr Cook, the Postmaster-General, will communicate with the Imperial authorities. EPISCOPAL. The Eev Anderson, the new Bishop of Eiverina, was installed at Hay with imposing ceremony. POPULATION OF QUEENSLAND. BEISBANE, Feb. 13. The population of the colony at the end of December was 460,580.