NEWS IN BRIEF

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1812, 15 July 1891, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF

For nearly eighty years the House of Commons has, says the * Weekly Register,' been accustomed to vote a pension of LlO a year to a person who appears in the Estimates as the "Daughter of a Toulonese emigrant." What her name is, and why her father's emigration established a daim on the British taxpayer, are questions frequently asked in the House of Commons, but never answered. The general, vague impression is that the unknown father of this anonymous daughter emigrated at the time tbat Napoleon was a captain in the French artillery and began to distinguish himself at Toulon, and is nearly a hundred years ago. The Treasury recently discovered that the lady is dead, and this year, for the first time witbin the memory of living man, this sum of LlO will not be asked for in Committee of Supply. There is considerable friction over the charges for using the Trades Hall in Melbourne. Mr Tremayne, secretary of the Laborers' Union, writes to the • Age ' that from his body a rental of sixpence per member was demanded, and as they are 20,000 strong their contribution would be at the rate of L 2.000 a year, or L 75 a fortnight for two hours per sitting, or nearly JL4O an hour. If the reßt of the ball could be let to solvent societies at the same rate a rental of L 74 000 a year would be obtained. The New South Wales Government the other day called for the supply of 175,000 tons of Bteel rails to be made in tbe colony, but not a single tender was received. Nine years ago four younger brothers were charged at Alfreton with a brutal assanit upon their brother in his own library at Alfreton Hall. They were arrested and admitted to bail in the sum of L 4,000. They absconded, and the bail was paid. One brother died abroad, a second is ill in America, and the other two recently returned to England and surrendered themselves to the police. They were taken before the Alfreton magistrates, but as no prosecutor was present they were released from custody. In the South Australian Assembly the other day Premier Play ford rather astonished •hon. gentlemen by Baying that bis Government intended to introduce a Bill for the purpose of securing the subdivision of large estates on the death of tbe present owners, and also to provide for the purchase of large estates, with the object of catting them np and reselling to farmers. With regard to companies owning agricultural land, they intended to give to their estates tbe right of purchase of the r holdings ; and to discourage the future accumulation of large estates they' proposed to impose a special tax on Buch estates as comprise more than 5,000 acres in area and L 15.000 in value acquired after a date to be fixed. The late Mr Tapling, M.P. for the Harborongh division, had a collection of stamps valued at from L 50.000 to LIOO.OOO. The 'Statist* asserts that the money markets of Western Europe are greatly improved, and it predicts, that money will be much dearer shortly,