TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 431, 30 October 1875, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(Per Press Agency.') LATEST FROM AUSTRALIA. * [Per Otago.] Melbourne, October 23. Ministers having been only sworn in and announced in Parliament, both Houses have adjourned to November 17th, for the election. Opposition is promised to all the Ministers, but at present it is not of a very formidable description. Dr Madden, the Solicitor-General, is to be opposed by Mr L. King, and the Minister of Railways at Ballarat, by a man named Linchane. A difficulty has been experienced in finding other candidates. The Great Britain has arrived after a good passage of 52 days. The first direct ship is laid on for Antwerp with wool and produce. A mock marriage having been performed by a Registrar in Collingwood, he has been called to account by the Registrar-General, and will probably be proceeded against. Scarlet fever is increasing rather than abating, but the City Council is adopting the most stringent sanitary measures. The Government will impose a property tax, and will be a] remission of duties on articles used generally, and more especially by the working classes. The Exhibition closes on the 15th of November. The attendance continues good. The exhibitors dinnerf took place on Thursday night. Sir Charles McMahon was president. Sir John! O’Shannassy and Sir Redmond Barry were also present. Mr McPherson, Chief Secretary, responded for the Ministry, The Cable Company will adopt the word to word system from the beginning of the year. Arrived—2oth, Sea Bird, from Lyttelton ; 21st, Rodney, from Wellington; 22nd, Frances Gertrude, from Westport. Sugars show a slight improvement. Flour has advanced to £l3; wheat, 6s sd; New Zealand milling oats, 3s lOd.

Sydney, . Burgess has been sentenced to death for the Berriwa murder.

Measles are very prevalent among the Kanakas on the sugar plantations in Queensland, and thirty have died. Government are likely to engage the services of an English engineer to carry out a new system of Native supply. The sugar plantations in Queensland are suffering from drought. It is believed that the crop this season will not exceed 3000 tons.

In Adelaide, meetings have endorsed the Government policy with regard to the Stamp Duties.

The weather in all the colonies is most unseasonable, close heat succeeded by piercing cold. The new commodore, Hoskins, will arrive by the next mail. The nominations for the Ministerial elections will take place on November 2nd, the polling on November 6th and November Bth. Two men were smothered by a fall of earth in a drive in Malmesbury yesterday. Only one body is yet recovered. The burnt ship seen at sea on 17th August, proves to be the Foundling previously reported. INTBRPROVINCIAL. Auckland, October 29. Arrived—German war steamer Gazelle. Captain Logan writes a long reply to the Commissioner of Customs regarding the fine on the steamship Hero. He asks why, now that the Customs officer and surveyor admit error in the measurement, in consequence of which the fine was imposed, the Government do not also acknowledge the wrong done him ond restore the amount. Wellington, October 29. There was sold by auction to-day 6000 bushels Timaru oats, middling quality, at 2s lOd, cash. Wholesale produce prices—Flour, £lO 12s 6d to £ll ss; wheat, no sale; oats, 2s 9d to 3s Id ; maize, 4s lOd to 5s ; bran, la ; pollard, 6s ; potatoes, 60s ; cheese, lOd to lid ; hams and bacon, lOd to ll£d. Nelson, October 30. The Otago left Melbourne on October 23rd, and arrived here this morning. The bar was too rough for her to be tendered at Hokitika or Greymouth. Passengers for Lyttelton, Messrs Peache, Thomson, Gabites, Maumer, Brooks, Green, and Stephens. She has eighteen saloon and eighty-one steerage passengers for all ports. She brings no later cable news. She sailed for Wellington at 10 a.m. Hokitika, October 30. Sailed —Mary Bannatyne and Ringarooma for Melbourne. Spray, for Lyttelton. Greymouth, October 30. Arrived Ringarooma, from Nelson; Gleaner, from Melbourne. Sailed—Ringarooma, for Melbourne ; 6t Kilda, for Melbourne, at 11 a.m. Dunedin, October 29. The fourth half-yearly report of the National Insurance Company shows that the total receipts for the half year, including two thousand pounds from the previous balance, amount to £42,738. The expenditure for the same period is £23,576, leaving for distribution £19,161, which it is proposed to appropriate as follows:—Reserve fund, £SOOO (which will then make the reserve £35,000) ; a dividend of 15 per cent per annum, £3750; carried forward to next half year, £10,411. The company is interested in the Strathmore to the extent of £4BOO, which is not provided for in the present balance sheet. In the drainage machine competition at Milton yesterday Messrs Reid and Gray took the first prize of £IOO. No second prize was awarded. The four Superintendents were present at the luncheon after the competition. Sir George Grey spoke at length against abolition. He paid a high tribute of praise to Mr Murray, M.H. R. Sir George speaks at Clutha to-night at Thomson’s banquet. Messrs Sheehan, Bunny, and J. 0. Brown went on to Lawrence from Milton. Sir George delivers a lecture on Tuesday next in one of our large halls in aid of the All Saints Church fund. He does not leave here till Wednesday on that account. According to the Bruce Herald Mr A. Stewart, who recently unsuccessfully contested the Balclctha mayoralty, will, if he meets with any encouragement, oppose Mr Thomson, M.H.R., for the Clutha district. A special train left town at 3 30 p.m. today with the Superintendent, Sir G. Grey, Mr Fitzherbert and other gentlemen, who proceed to Balclutha to attend the Thomson banquet. Produce quotations—Wheat, 4s 6d ; oats, 2s 4d for good feed ; barley, fair malting, ss; brewers are full in stock ; fiour unchanged.