INTERCOLONIAL.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 142, 17 November 1874, Page 4

INTERCOLONIAL.

QUEENSLAND. “ We are in a position to state, on the best authority ” (says the Brisbane Courier') “ that the Government have fully determined their course of action with respect to Messrs Collier and Co.’s offer to construct a trans-continental railway. It has been intimated to that firm that their offer in its present form is not such as can be accepted, but they have been advised that, should they think fit to embody certain modifications, and consent to certain conditions, their amended offer will be provisionally accepted by the Government, subject, of course, to the approval of Parliament, as provided in the Railway Amendment Act of 1872. We are not able to state in full the modifications which have been suggested, but an important one consists in a condition that, although certain lands along the side of the line will be made over as the construction progresses, no part of the actual strip forming the railway track will be granted to the constructors till such time as the whole undertaking has leen completed. The effect of this will be, of course, to withhold from the contractors any title to the railway R-aelf unless they carry out their contract in its [entirety, and removes at once the objection that they may think proper to carry on their work through the best country, taking their payment in land as they go, and on reaching the less valuable tracts quietly say they are satisfied, and decline to carry the works any further,” NEW SOUTH WALES. The correspondent of the Argus telegraphs on the 3rd Parliament was opened to-day at noon by His Excellency Sir Hercules Robinson. There was a large attendance both of visitors and members, and most of the new members of Council were present. His Excellency’s speech indicates that but little business is intended until after the gencial election. The Government will proceed with the measures postponed from last session, particularly the Upper House Reform Bill, the Criminal Law Consolidation, and the Electoral Bills, and pass the estimates, leaving the new Parliament to deal with the Amending Land Bill, the Education and Municipalities Acts. The revenue was stated to be satisfactory, and the Government proposes to ask Parliament to set apart a portion of the revenue annually to rtduce the public debt. The speech expresses satisfaction that Fiji has been annexed to Great Britain, and that the Californian mail service has been re-arranged with New Zealand. Upon the address in reply being moved, Mr Robertson moved an amendment expressing a vote of want of confidence in the Ministry. He condemned the Government for not having called Parliament together earlier, for having accepted Mr Hall as a contractor for the Californian mail service, and for its vague proposal to amend the land laws. Contrary to expectation, the debate lias been brought to a close. Mr Robertson’s amendment was negatived by 27 to 11. The Upper House has passed the address in reply. The Sydney correspondent of the Argus writes, with reference to the San Francisco service Just as Mr Russell had left for Now Zealand, a public meeting was called to advocate a direct through line to San Francisco irrespective of New Zealand, Notwithsland ing the influential character of the meeting, it must be admitted that it was ill-timed. It was too late to affect the negotiations with Mr Russell, and it was too early as a criticism on the as yet unavowed result of that negotiation. At the meeting a deputation was appointed to wait on ihe Government, and it had its audience yesterday. Mr Samuel, however, maintained that the forked line was a direct route, as much so as it could be, and certainly as much so as the Suez route. He contended that it was not less a direct route because every other month the passengers had to change boats, for that was what they had to do every month by the P. and 0. line. Mr Parkes took a different line of argument, and said that the Government had to consider not merely the views of the influential classes, but the general interest of the whole colony. He evidently thinks that it is quite possible to pay too dear for our whistle, and that in grabbing at too much we may lose all. It is not our interest to have competition, and it may therefore be better worth our while to have an alliance with New Zealand, and to pay the price of it, than to have to pay the heavier cost of competing. Nothing was said by either Minister as to the exact nature of the agreement come to with Mr Russell, nor will the details be fully disclosed till Parliament meets; but it is understood that substantially the arrangement is a renewal of that made in London, viz. that the two colonies are to share equally in the expense and in the en joyment of the trunk service. Meanwhile the A.S.N. Company, having secured the use of three of Mr Hall’s boats, is able to keep the service going for the present. It is certainly fortunate that Mr Hall's boats are thus available, for, in their absence, it would have been almost impossible to have kept up any service worth having. A great change, however, has taken place in the amount of the passenger traffic, especially so far as relates to the return voyage. People in England seem to have felt too uncertain about finding a boat at San Francisco to venture on the route, and Hall’s victimisation of his too-confiding passengers has done infinite mischief. Unfortunately, at this time the English agency of the colony cannot display any great energy. Sir Charles Cowper is again reported to be seriously ill, and coupling the latest telegram with previous news, it is apprehended that he is suffering from a second paralytic attack. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. The following telegram appears in the Argus :—“ The reception of Mr Forrest, the explorer, to-day was a great success. Most of 1 the houses closed at midday, and the streets were gay with bunting. Numerous addresses were presented to Mr Forrest, who was quite overpowered with the reception accorded to him. Mr Forrest and his brother propose visiting Melbourne by the mail, steamer. At the dinner given to Mr Forrast this evening 500 persons were present. The Hon Arthur Blyth, Chief Secretary, occupied the chair, and proposed “Australian Exploration,” ciupled with the name of Mr Forrest, who replied in an excellent speech, saying that as long as he lived he would remember the reception given to him that day. Sir Henry Ayers proposed “ Early Explorers,” coupled with the name of John Chambers, who acknowledged the toast. Billiatt, one of Stewart’s party, also replied. Mr Everard proposed, “ The Government and People of Western Australia,” to which Mr Alexander Forrest

replied. Mr Gosse and Mr Giles also spoke. The last toast, that of “The Australian Colonies,” was proposed by Sir John Morphett. The Adelaide correspondent of the Argus writes:—The Adelaide University scheme, which has been in abeyance for more than a twelvemonth, has once more come to the front, A Bill has been laid before Parliament by the Minister of Education to provide for the incorporation and endowment of the institution, and there is a reasonable prospect of its passing. In the majority of its clauses the measure is a verbatim copy of the Melbourne Act, but the munificent donation of Captain Hughes has to be set out, and the endowment provisions are also original. What the Government propose to do is to grant 50,000 acres of the waste lands of the province for the use of the University, and also a block of land on North terrace, Adelaide, as a site for the buildings. They likewise undertake to pay annually 5 per cent upon all donations that have been or that may be paid in to the credit of the institution, yearly subscriptions not excepted. The endowment of land has been objected to as inadequate, and it is not unlikely that the area will be enlarged. The second reading of the Bill came on in the Assembly last week, and was carried, as the local papers say, with acclamation. Only two members opposed it, the ground they took being that there was nothing to show that the degrees granted would be ad eundnm gradrm with those of the chief seats of learning at home. Of course the only way to meet such an allegation was to point out that until the institution had been duly established, it was bootless to hope for the badge of fellowship with the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford in the shape of letters patent, such as have been conferred upon the University of Melbourne. There is one thing that stands stubbornly in the way of the thorough success of the Adelaide University, and that is the condition attached to Captain Hughes’ £20,000 gift. The captain has taken his stand upon his right to appoint two professors, one having under his charge natural philosophy, the other philology. The gentlemen he has selected are officiating ministers of the city, who, to say the least of it, have grown rather rusty for the work confided to them. Of course they will not give up their £GOO a year apiece, and small blame to them, but the reputation of the young institution must suffer through their appointment. TASMANIA. A real salmon, according to the Eohart Town Mercury, has at last been taken in Tasmania:—“ On Monday night there was taken in the lower Derwent a fish which is undoubtedly the sraolt of a true salmon on its first journey seaward, and is a very fine specimen, weighing nearly one pound. It is almost a counterpart of the fish sent to Dr Gunther, in the early part of 1870, and which he pronounced to present all the usual characters by which the true salmon (salmo salar ) is distinguished from its nearest allies. The recurrence each spring of specimens of smolt on their downward journey proves that the parent fish must have visited the upper waters and deposited ova year after year, and nothing but patience is wanting to demonstrate the success of the experiment; and notaing should be better calculated to induce that patience than the recurrence, if even at long intervals, of such specimens as that just added to the evidences of successful acclimatisation.”