AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12122, 12 August 1895, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

« [BT EIi*CTMO TBIiECUtAPH— COPTBIQ3T.] (Pbb Pbbss Association.), . Stdnet. August 10. Tbe Farmers' Conference has resolved, if Parliament'dooido to impose direct taxation, tbat it should take the form of an Income Tax applied to, all classes without exception. Resolutions were carried in favour of a State Bank and Government assistance to farmers in the export of produce ; also that looa! government be more systematic in the destruction of rabbits. The Government has let a contract for the manofaoture locally of £26,000 worth of iron pipes. This will give employment to 800 men. A sensational conspiracy oaao has been ocoupying the Court. List year Judge Windeyer granted Thos, Riohard Butler a droree nisi for a divorce from his wife on the ground of adultery with George Williams, whose real name has sinoe boan ascertained to be Charles Davis. Subsequent revelations led tho Crown to prefer against Butler, Davis, and a woman named Peako, a oharge of conspiring to falsely accuse Mrs Butler. Evidence was submitted to prove that Davis and Peake had been paid by Butler to lead the wife astray in order that Butler might obtain a divoroo. All three acoused were found guilty, the jury adding a rider that Mrs Butler had commuted no offenoe for whioh a divoroo • oould be granted. Butler and Davis ware sentenced to sevon years, and Peaks to four years' imprisonment. Ro-., who aotel as BoVwilor lor Batter w ihe din>ro» proceedings, was also arrested on a oharge of con spiraoy. The Herald, commenting on tbe Hew Zealand Bank returns, says it i6 noteworthy that while in the other coloniea tbere as beer, a general decrease in advances, in New Zealand an inorease is apparent. This, it says, is all the more noteworthy irom the fact that the Government ha- become a competitor with the Banks in this olass of business. With larger averages ia coin and bullion tb. position qf the Banks is stronger than it was. Melboubnb. August 10. At the half-yearly meeting of the Broken Hill Proprietary Mine, Mr Moßride stated that thb damage by fire in Block 11 would not exceed £20,000. The direotors would not be able to pay monthly dividends during the coiling half vear, but hoped to pay fire of a shilling eaoh. Iu the aotion against the New ZaalandLoan and Mercantile Agenoy, Company defendants claimed that -the Company was domiciled in England,, had been reconstructed under the. English jJ.oint; Stoofy Aot, amHhat plaintiff had oon- ' seated to thesnangement. Plain tiSdeuied that be bad contented to the arrangement,' sad held. that the English Act oould not be. made to apply outside of Great Britain, and that the plea of an English arrangement could not prevail against an aotion brought in the colony; for money deposited in the colony. On law points judgment was given for plaintiff . - Hob.bt, August 10. The Legislative Oounoil has reinstated in the Companies Bill a clause permitting shareholders who aro also depositors in tho Bank of Van Pieman's Land to u?e thoir credit balance in paymont of calls.