AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Waikato Times, Volume XLI, Issue 3346, 7 December 1893, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

;'■" (BY KLKOTRip TELEGRAPH-COPYRIGHT). '.--.'' t ..:; !,';. Melbourne, December 5. The revenue for November a decrease of, £'9Boo ; as compared with the same month last year. ; .There was :a slight increase in customs, excise, and in land revenue. \ , i! r A great sensation: was caused at Pentridge prison to-day by an attempt bvl the part of five desperate criminals to scale the -walls and effect .their escape., They'succeeded "in'getting over one .barrier before the sentry raised the alarm. Ah armed guard immediately turned out, and after a> desparate struggle the prisoners were secured. It appears that while work - ing they broke off their leg-irons with stone-breaking; hammers, and armed themselves with pieces, of: metal tied in handkerchiefs. v j The Metropolitan Board of Works will immediately place on the market £200,000, being the balance of the half million 5 per cent, loan..' The mimimum 'is fixed at 88, and tendersclose on the 18th inst. , The trustees in the estate of the lateJudge Kerferd invested the sum; of £8500: in stocks of certain banks which have undergone reconstruction and s the estate is liable for £SOOO in calk An action has been brought to com"'' pel the trustees to pay the capital and amount of calls, it being alleged'that they had hot exercised proper discretion ... in investing. ; The Judge ;held that the trustees had acted honestly and therefore were not liable. '.,.;? The liquidators of the, Freehold Investment and Banking Company haveapplied to the court for pernris* sion to accept a compromise in the action brought against the Hon.* Jas. Balfour, ex-director, to recover'theamounts* of dividends and bonuses alleged to have been wrongfully paid, Balfour, while denying his liability, offered to pay a sum of £SOOO in settlement "of claim. A member of the Commitliee of Advice opposed the application, and complained -that the directors had ; advanced the firm of Balfour, Elliott and Co.; a firm,which were the principal shareholders of the bank, £50,000 on property vrhich the company had purchased for £25,000, enabling them to receive a profit of £5,000 each; and further, that nopart of the; capital or' interest'' had been repaid. ~ ; v >, December 6. At a meeting; of influential jpastoralists and grazers, to consider the question/ of legislation in connection with' the frozen meat trade, a resold tion against the adoption of .the Queensland system -of compulsory taxing of i stock' herds was carried, it being proved that the conditions prevailing in this Colony were entirely - r -' "" :v "" '.'>'■ '-'"-"'^ r ' ' J;; Sydney,December6. Mr Kidd has reintroduced the Local. Option Billi and it has been decided by 47. to 35: to retain the compensation. 'OlaUSe. : '-;;-':: : r'r.:^. i; ; '.":.■:./ : -'j>.; : . At a special meeting of the Sydney Presbyteryj it was "decided 'that all. ministers should preach to ;their jcon'gregations specially, with the view of securing the return of Godrfearing' men to Parliament. :