Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Saturday 2 April 1887, page 4


SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 1887.

THE Budget Speech of the Treasurer of New South Wales repeats what we have already heard about the unsatisfac-tory condition of the public accounts of that colony. At the end of 1885 the deficit amounted to £1,207,269, and at the end of 1886 this had increased to £2,568,202. The rate of increase therefore was equal to about £26,171 per week during the whole year, and if it has con-tinued to augment up to the present time at the same rate the deficit would now amount to about £3,000,000 ! The task the Go-vernment bave before thom is to find the

money with which to cover this large over-draft, and so decrease the current expendi-ture as to bring the latter within the limit of tile yearly receipts, aud neither the one nor the other object is to be easily attained.

In order to place the current accounts on a better footing, and possibly with a view to bring the shortcomings of their pre-decessors into bold relief, the deficit will be placed to a special account, and is to be pro-vided for just now by the sale of shortdated debentures, having a currency of eight years. Practically it is a debt contracted without the direct sanction of Parliament, and is to be acknowledged as such. These deben-tures are to bo dated from 1888 and are to be redeemable by yearly instalments. Having thus disposed-after the manner of Mr. Micawber-of this ugly legacy from the past, which he says ought never to have existed, the Treasurer goes on to deal with ways and. means. The Customs Act that was passed last year, which authorises the collection of the ad valorem duties, is to be repealed at once, but the Collector of Customs will continue to receive the present duties until the end of September. In place of the existing Jaw a new Customs Act is to be introduced, and from this ao large a revenue is expected that the loss of the ad valorem, it is thought, will not be felt. All idea of protecting any industry is to be put aside, the sole object of Customs duties is to be taxation for revenue purposes. The new tariff is to comprise twenty-six articles only, amongst which spirits are included with a charge raised to 14s. per gallon. The receipts are to be further assisted by an excise duty of 4d. per gallon on ale, beer, and porter made in the colony. The total revenue for the year is estimated at £.9,180,950, and as the intention is to con-fine the expenditure to £8,276,603, there ought to bo a surplus balance of £910,347 at the end of the year.

So far the scheme looks excellent ; but if the expenditure should exceed the amount that is hoped for, and supplementary estimates have always to be passed, whether they in-terfere with Treasurers' schemes or not, or if the revenue should be less than the sum put down as the probable amount, the balance at the end of the year may be very different to the forecast which looks so en isfactory in a Budget Speech. The pro-babilities are in favour of a smaller surplus than £900,000, for as the Treasurer is situated at present he is peculiarly tempted to make as good an appearance as be dare. He has, however, some justification for tak-ing a hopeful view from the fact that the revenue for January showed an iucrease of £65,559, and for .February of £88,099 over the corresponding months of last year. The provision for disposing of the deficit is an expedient which depends entirely upon the realisation of the revenue and expendi-ture estimates, for no special provision is uindo for the retirement of the debentures, and they and the interest accruing upon them must be met from ordinary surplus revenue. In biiuging forward these pro-posals the Premier has redeemed his pro-mise to the elector's, and it is reported that the new tariff is generally approved by the mercantile community. There is nothing in the proposals that is slai tling, and if the public will assist through thoirPailiamentary lepresentatives iu checking administrative oxlravagances, the result may be as satis-factory as the Treasurer anticipates. Sir Hemy Parkes has not hitherto shone as an économiser of the public funds ; but the gravity of the occasion, involving as it does to so gi'eat an extent the fal« of free-trade iu New South Wales, ought to bave a sobering effect ou him and prevent a repe-tition of the wasteful policy which has brought the colony iuto its present con-

dition.

TIJE Board of Trade îelumu of the imports and exports relatiug to the United Kingdom in the year 1880 are, undoubtedly, unsatis-factory ; but not so uuH.ttijfactory as would at first sight appear. The total imports show a falling ort'in value on tlie ye-irof £21,023,227, equivalent to a decline of 5 7 percent. And the total cxpoits aie less iu value by £680,505, or 0*3 percent, than they were in 1885. The deoivase iu the latter is not relatively heavy, and the great apparent decrease iu the impoits will be mitigated when the low prices current during the year are borne in miud. .Nevertheless, there has been a serious declino in the trade of the

United Kingdom, and, though the returns for the latter six months of the year did much to retrieve the abnormal decrease of the first BÍX months, and though the trade of the world ia undoubtedly mending, Hie figures cannot be regarded with any degree of satisfaction. The falling-olï in Great Britain's trade dining the first half of 1886 compared with the first half of 3885 was, in the imports, equal to 10 per cent, aud in the exports to 2 3 per cent. But in the latter half, compared with the latter half of 1885, the decline in the imports was but l'l per cent, while the exports showed a trifling increase'of 01 per cent. With the exception of the United States, England's trade declined with all foreign countries; and, as regards her colonies, that with India showed a fair ex-pansion, but with . Australasia a heavy and general contraction. It is the trade between Australasia and the mothercountry that is of the more im-mediate interest to us, and these commer-cial dealings have now attained to such vast dimensions that they are a very important factor in England's commercial welfare. The retention by England of Australia's trade is of vital importance to the mothercountry, and the recent pusillanimous com-plaint uttered by English manufacturersthat Australia was purchtising her steam engines in America-is, perhaps, indicative of the fact that home manufacturers are be-coming alive to the absolute necessity of competing with America or any other country for our orders.

The record of the intertrading of the Australasian colonies and the United King-dom in the past year is a melancholy and forcible comment on the depression under which we have suffered. We still furnished the English market with two-thirds of the entire wool supply ; but though England received from us in 1886 a larger quantity by about forty-five million pounds' weight than in 1885, the value was slightly less. In leather-which includes dressed skins and hides of all kinds-we sent England a quan-tity less by about G77,0001b., of a value leas by ,£52,360. In corn and wheat, owing to our deficient harvests and to the excess in the home production, "we exported to Eng-land 738,699cwt. against 5,279,230cwt. in 1885-the respective values being .£289,503 and £2,173,466-au appalling decrease of most serious importance to the corn-growing colonies. Our corn and wheat last year were, so far as tlie United Kingdom was concerned, an itiBigtifiicant item in her trade. In 1885 she received from us about onetwelfth of her entire supply of cereals ; in 1886, one sixty-fourth only. Of gold, too, we sent to England less by over

million sterling, than we sent the previous year, the respective figures being, 1885, £3,737,424 ; 1886, £2,725,870. But this grave discrepancy is due, not to a corresponding diminution in our gold output, but to the fact that we ex-ported to America and India to a larger extent. Only in the following commodities did England receivo larger quantities from us in 1886 : Fresh mutton, copper, wool, and raw hides. And of these, the copper and wool, though of larger quantity, were of less value. On the other hand, England im-ported tin from us, lesa in quantity but more in value than in 1885. The folio iving is a statement of quantities and values of England's imports from Australasia, of the principal trade commodities during the years 1885 and 1886 :

~hp ¡5 R H 5 5 H o ¡5 »3 H

S & c i 81 í . S * A 3

-" _. 3 o- 3- ess

s

S"

I I "3 g "S §

S« 8

3 *

S g § I S S §

The respective total values of Australasia's export- to England-so far as they are differentiated from those of other countiies in the Board of Trade returns-were 1885, £25,509,339 ; 1886, £22,185,037.

Australasia's imports from the United Kingdom last year exhibit also a marked and even more general decline, ¡is compared with those of 1883. In a few commodities there were increases of unimportant amounts. In silk manufactuies, worsted manufactures, railroad iron, oil, and paper, there were imports larger in quantity, but iu the case of oil and paper these larger imports were of less value than the smaller imports of 1885. Of all the other commodi-ties detailed in these returns-except gold, of which it seems England sent us £140,000 last year, and none in 1885-our imports from England were less. .The following

table is instructive :

Quantities. Values.

1SS5. 18SC. 1S85. lSSß. Beer and

Ale, brls. 129,830 122,706 £657,513 £522,051 Spirit», gls. 1,477,717 1,832,551 444,906 -130,422

Cotton

g'ds.yds. 110,471,400 06,750,300 1,997,SS6 l,7OO,4G0

Linen g'ds,

yds. ... 15,717,400 13,469,900 435,902 373,510 Silk goods - - 1S7.79G 147,720

W o o 11 e n

g'ds.yds. 13,8S9,700 11,092,000 990,761 791,767 Paper, et«. 325,626 331,351 593,761 562,172 Worsted,

yds. ... 7,251,400 7,739,100 39S.311 41S,2G6 Carpets,

yds. ... 1,991,800 1,948,300 213,186 200,926 Hardware - - 625,365 590,107 Bur, &c.,

iron, ms. 49,011 43,200 324.S19 265,561

Railroad

iron, tns. . 81,082 10S,23i 518,172 640,143 Tinplatcs,

tns. ... 7,630 8,905 119,832 60,513

Gist and

wrought

¡ion, fus. 109,564 88,245 1,197,418 952,6SS Lead, tua. 6,69S 6,955 79,106 79,49S

Steam en-

gines ... - - C03,79S 303,402

Other ma-

chinery... - - 710,400 654,514

Apparel

and slops - - 2,lfVl,319 1,943,061 H'b'd'th'ry - - 5SÍ.157 484,975

L'ther B'ts

and Sh's,

dor., tiru. 302,011 260,407 856,543 747,134 Cem'nt.cl-s. 1,940,900 1,692,300 220,223 174,233

Earthen-

ware ... - - 300,000 290, Oil, gis. ... 1,072,600 1,093,700 112,170 111,

Hoon and

g'fv'nVd

iron ... 86,942 66,800 1,100,057 768,030 Gold ... .- - - 110,000 Silver ... - - 14S,S01 63,000

Our imports in these commodities were, in 1885, of a total value of £15,431,265 ; and in 1886, of a total value of £13,511,200.

Our total trade with England ie in t

and exports combined, was- ' " ' P0rts

íü ::: .«si«*»

m, j.~ . . 35,600,237

_ The difference in value between «", imports from aud exports to Enelaml 2

ia 1885, £10,078,074; and ?,? £8073,837. The loans raised in Lo£

in the respective ytars will mainly a °*

for the différence. ' «"¡count

Tho Criminal Sittings of the Supreme Cûurt were resumed yesterday, before Mr JUSHT Mehi. James Robinson was convicted of r

ceiving goods, knowing them to be stolen and was sentenced to three, years' iiapr¡50n¿J* dames Partridge Tucker, formerly a clerk iii the Q. ST. Bank, for six charges of torosay wa* sentenced to three years' imprisonment on each, tho sentencos to bo concurrent, iw, . J. Tuke, who had pleaded guilty w tW charges of false pretences, and was brought m> for sentence, was further remanded until Mon-day morning, in order that he might have an opportunity of proving that money which he alleged he expected had arrived. The court

adjourned until Monday, at 10 a.m.

A short time ago a petition was presented to the Minister for Education, signed by parents and guardians of children attending the Sher-wood State school, protesting against the ap" pointaient of Mr. James Shanks as a member of tho school committee in the placo of Mr Kerr, who has left tho district, on the ground that tho meeting at which he was nominated was begun before tho appointed time, and that many of thoso who woro entitled to a voice in the matter were thereby deprived of that right. The petition further asked that tho appoint-ments of all tho members of the school com-mittee, in consequence pi their connection with Mr. Shank's nomination, be cancelled, and a fresh committee appointed. "Wo now'leam that a reply has been given to the petitioners to tho effect that the Minister, after full considera-tion of the circumstances, has decided to grant tho first portion of the petition, and has in-structed the head teacher of the school to call another meeting to nominate a committeeman in place of Mr. Kerr.

Mr. T. M. Tyrrell has shown us three tele-grams, from which wo leam that he has completed arrangements with Messrs. 0. T. Brook and Co., the-celebrated pyroteohnic artists of the Crystal Palace, London, to givo a display of fireworks ni th© Exhibition grounds on Easter Monday. Messrs. Brock and Co.'s representative was to loa vc Melbourne to-day.

The committeo of the Brisbano Musical Union havo induced the following gentlemen to act as judges in the forthcoming jubileo ode competition :-Hon. W. Horatio Wilson, M.L.C. ; Dr. W. S. Byinô, Mus. Bac. ; Mr. W. Graham Wil'inoro, organist of AU Saint» Church; Mr. R.T. Jefferies ; and Mr. S. Kaye. Some exception has been taken to tho iaduslon of words and rausio in one competition. Tho Musical Union have, however, not acted with-out prccodont, and a contemporary example is furnished by the Philharmonic- Society of Bath, England. In tho latest homo papers tohand, that society offers a gold medal foi tiebest original cantata (music and words), for performance at a Jubilee Concert ou 20th. June. Tho only differences between the Bath and Brisbane competitions is, that the work for the former is to occupy thirty minutes and for the latter forty uiinutes, while tho prize offered by tho former is a gold medal, and by tie latter fifty guineas.

Tho Excise Department introduced a new system of measuring spirits in distilleries yes-terday. Hitherto it has been the practice to measure by means of tho gauging rod, but henceforth tho spirit is to bo weighed, and it is behoved that by that procoss the quantities will be moro accurately ascertained. Eegulatious havo been framed and approved by the Executive for carry ing out the new ey stem.. Tho net weight of tho spirits in each cask is divided by tho specific gravity, and the quotient will bo tho number of gallons of spirit whick the cask contains. The specific gravity is tobe ascertained by means of tho hydrometer and Sykes's tables. The now system will only beadopted by the Distilleries Department, the Customs Department still adhering to the gaugiug-rod plan.

Tho local commissioners fee tho late Colonial and Lidian Exhibition havo received a letter

from the honorary secretary to the Queensland Commission in London, stating that ono of the travelling trunks exhibited by Mr. N. Lade, of Brisbano, had boon presented to Sir Philip Cunliffe Owen, secretary to the- Boyal Com-mission, and requesting the comsaissionííS to pay its value to the oxbibitor. j

The representatives of tho Brisbane, Valley J

South Brisbane, and Bed HiU branches of the

Hibernian Australasian Ciitíiolie BsDefifcj, Society, of tho Hibernian Benefit Society, and. j of tho Brisbano Hurling Club, have presented., a very handsome silver dessert set of knives>i and forks to Mr. P. T. P. Keogh, as a mark of; thoir appreciation, of his services as cemrmarii of the combined societies for the- St. Patrick & Day's Bports, and expressed tho hopo that he would long bo spared to tako an activo interest in thoir annual celebration. Mr. Keogi very feelingly thanked the committee for tbeir beautiful prosent, and for the honour they hal conferred on bim, and trusted it would always

bo his lot to bo surrounded by & bond of intelli-j gent and diligent workers euch a* the members-1 of the committee, who had by their indomitable courage mado their last national holiday a( success in every respect, despite tie inclement

weather. The gift is enclosed in an oak case, j on the lid of which is ii silver shield, bearing-j

tho following inscription:-"Presented to-j Francis T. F. Keogh, chairman of the St. j Patrick's Day, celebration, by the com-mittee, March, 1887." On the same occaaoo

a handsome marble clock was given to Mr. 1-1 S. Pratten, who had acted as one of the handicappers for the sports. The présentation wa& made by Mr. Keogh in suitable terms, and the

rccipiout duly responded.

It is announced that the new ri&> range a*

Toowong will be open for rifle nhootins »est week, and as practice may take place at any

time during daylight the publie are cautioned-, by advertisement against putting tUeinseW»lù ?

the way of the bullets. I

Before his Honour Sir Charles Lilley, C.J-r I yesterday, the following were adjudwatett insolvent ¡-Stephen Fay, contractor, of Porn- i tude Valley, on his own petition, first lofj&ng-. 7th April; Isador Bobinson, builder, oi Too-, wong, in formapttuperis, fir.-,t meeting 7th April-,

Regarding tho fight which took place or». Saturday night at Welcome Creek, on toe Cooktown Railway Hue, between twone» named Robert Antcliffo and Benjamin Milton, the Commissioner for Police has received * telegram stating that a ¡mst-morttm f^f^A tion was mado upon the body of Antcliffo, bu| it disclosed nothing suspicion,. Antchife cue* about ten minutes after the fig'-. Hutong now in custody eharged with murder. (

A musical prodigy, the daughter of Mr-Jj Stanley Hall, who m>cd to b3 weü kcowni^

Press circles here, is now iu Brnbano. a» parents of the child, who is only nine and «-«w years old, desire to send her to Europe, wnors her remarkable talent may bo cultivated, xv assist in doing this, it ¡«proposed to give a corree« bero,at which the little lady will perform. Butui the first place it is proposed to »vite ^ musical people to hear the child play at a WUJ private mutai, so that they may judge J^M the high opinion which has been formed or. na talent by the people who have already hoare

her, is justified.

"Z rrihonv Musgrave and family will J

?B T£ Sane on° Wednesday next in the ff£ Sell wiU leave for Southport on

TTÏ___*' of tho parents of the scholar, at ÍTKIW State Schools was held.in tciiauffthevuiij SovcntCeu persons

SSTS¿. Campbell presided.

v , . ^ r.t the meeting wns to noituiiato a

^ffi the School Committee to fill tho mm''"Loa by the rettrement of Mr. Jas. Srr^o names were proposed-Mr Íí'rÍ nchie of Bowen Hills (formerly of

S m-U, and Mr B. Kellett. The

.Tbciuif equal, the chairman gave his voting te>uff{orMr. M«Conachie, who, at a

^"LeUon, had been attie head of the

p"J""(,CS5ful candidates.

The Superintendent of Electric Telegraphs I,«« received the following memorandum from

SCtW morning:-''The crew of the SuineTVinnie, from Cooktown to Mnry

?_mn.'h in ballast, have just arrived in two yl H and report that the vessel is a total wreck on the mainland, duo west of Hope Islands. No »ves wore lost.

Tn connection with the matters of disciplino on . d tae Queensland gunboat Gayundah, and the refusal of Admiral Tryon to order a eourt mnrtial to by tho charge against. -Lieutenant Heskcth wo havo good reason-to believe that representations have been made to tho Admiralty on the subject by the Government. Tlie result of those will probably bo known in

a fow days.

At the Polico Court yesterday, John Cope, , licensed car-driver, appeared before Mr. W. H Day, P-M-, in answer to a summons by the traffic inspector, charging him with having, on Saturday night last, charged Mr. Edwin Talnier, the well-known actor, Gs. for takiiigthree passengers from thcGaiety Theatre to his resideiico in "West Quay-street, tho legal faro fortho joui ney being 2s. 3d. The defeu dant pleaded guilty, and ofterod no excuso. The bench unod Cope -10s., together with 3s. 6d. costs of court ; and also ordered liira. to refund tho as. 9d. overcharge.

A constable was, oarly yesterday morning, the victim of an audacious robbery, the circum-stances of which aro at present mysterious. The guardian of the pence liad boon but two hour» on duty, having turned out for the ö a.m. relief in George-street, when ho walked unsuspiciously into the water-closet at tho railway station and looked at his watch. A few moments Afterwards,. as the policeman heard tho cliimes of tlie Post Office clock when returning to his beat, ho sought for his watch to compare the time. To his amazement it had vanished. A «uddou idea struck him, íind he rushed back to- the closet; tho watch was nowhere to be BOOH. Tho robbery was immediately reported at the proper quarter, but tlie perpetrators of this robbery

are still at large.

Inspector Waters, under the direction of Mr. W. Cr. Chaucellor, .chief inspector of distilleries, made a seizure of a «till on Thursday night, at a vineyard owned by 'Henry Jiiven, at Booval, near Ipswich. Bight bottles of white spirit were also found. The still is one with the latest improvements, and has a distilli-g capacity of IS gallons, with a boiler capacity of 2j gallons. The still had just been cre>cted.

Tho Metropolitan Permanent Freehold Laud aud Building Society is to bo re-formed and it« businebs handed over to a now company to be .called tho Metropolitan Freehold Land and Building Company, Limited. Tho capital will bo enlurjred to £130,000 with power to increase to £200,000. Tlie prospectus will bo issued in a few days.

Tlio Railway Department received the fol lowinij tenders:-Cast-iron caps and steel cross girders for bridge over Coombabah Creek on extension of tho South Coast ¿Eailway : J. W. Sutton and Co.; Smith, JTorroster, and Co.; Evans, Anderson, Phelan, and Co. Two hun-dred and fifty tons of Queensland coal for tho Mackay Hail way : J-ines Campbell and Sous.; Harthill dorman ; ¥m. JIowc_d Smith and Sons, Limited ; Brydon, Jones, and Co.; Briti-li-India and Queensland Agency Com-pany, Limited.

The annual Appeal Court was held yesterday at the Sandgate Police Court before E. B.

Southerden, Esq., and Dr. Girdlestone, JJ.P. There were four appeals against the council's valuations. In the case of J. Swaine (Jetty Company), A. McFarlane, and T. Hannah, the valuations were sustained, as the appellants did not attend. Thomas Allard appealed againt the assessments levied on two houses, £28 each, in Wilson-street ; one valuation was sustained, the other was reduced to £24.

An old and very much respected ronidcjit of iho district of Indooroopilly, Mr. W. &ióson, passed away during this week. Mr. (Gibson was a colonist of many years' standing. For a number of years ho was a .resident of Gympie, hut tlie last si_ years of his life have been parsed at Spriukbrae, Pig-tree Pocket. I"or Mi-etal years he held a seat on the local .divi-sional board, and was a member .at the, time of his death. His funeral, on ^Wednesday, ewan one of the largest that havo been Keen in the di-fnct for a long while, being attended by over a hundred vehicles conveying the numerous

mends who wero anxious to pay a List tribute ?

of respect to the deceused.

The official weather reports for the twenty- ' four hours ended at 9 a.m. yesterday showed that the f olio wing rainfalls hud been recorded : JHuomsuury, 0-7bin.; Bowen, 0-llin.; Cairns, ?1-4Un.; Cardwell, 0-37in.; Charters Towers, 9 l'-iu ; Coen, 1.5,5m,; .Cooktown, 0-I2in.; geraldton, 0-25in. ; Hevdttidlla, O-oOiii. ; Mackay, "'tan. ; Marlborough, 0-37in. ; Musgrave, «-Oin.; Port Doughs, Q-30i_.; Rockhampton, «"Mu.; St. Lawrence, 0-14in.: Townsville, « "Uti ; Brisbane, O.OÏin.; Bundaberg, 0-02i_., liu-tard Hoad, 0-60in.; Hawkwood, 0-llin..; W oodfurd, 0-03in.; and Woody Island, fl-07in. »«moy reported a rainfall of 0-0f>in.- It was »wy there yesterday morning. _nd a light wntlierly wind was blowing. On tie coast of Jew South Wales, the weather was dull, tlie sea »mooth.and the winds variedfromsouth to south ra-t- m die interior of that colony it was

, ,n ,nnd dull. Special reports taken at 3 «dock ¡n the afternoon showed that » was very hot and cloudy at >Tor nunton It was gloomy and threaten T7 m Brisbane, and cloudy at Thargomindah. " was overcast at Cape Moreton, where the nu- was very damp. The Government meteorologist intimates that the current at blaney proves the existence of low pressure on Í! iVw So'>th Wales and Queensland border. T calls special attention to the high shade temperature at normanton-namely. lOOdeg., rr" ?ltert. tlmt indications cannot be termed Te iT *?r looal 6torms "* ihe Gulf country. nfanys observatious over the soutli half fnrl . ment' he sav8> tend to confirm the îr-iVw 1'suod on tho morning of the 30th I_"r for Iuoro unsettled weather within the "<*£ next ensuing.

vfr Robert Wishart addressed the rate TT,",,I'i °- - subdivision of Ithaca on laur-day evening, in the Baptist Church, at £n?, e' on ""Partition and the proposed Shire Su- , i " ii e cuurcu w°s comfortably filled, rl, ,!.'!' 7e"11;'"1«11 were riroposed to occupv tlie .n. I v « C,-iIlnC.a- *&. Wishart experienced CinV i } ulty ,u gottíng a chairman to pre Ùr,,]', t;ïuuîu»uy Mr. Nicholl was proposed, 'n ^dinjrly took the chair. Mr. Wishart muffT'00 * ?"" lie,arin_ with but a few inter ,]" ' imd KP"ke for forty minutes, giving.

,^ow »iTbe *as not in favour of «ndT.i TVch he tho"Snt was premature, «';<- h a not been fairly discussed. The Bev! do-u.Irre.Rad«'^ral other well-known resi

«di A\°^ ^wparation. ft w». murad of In^ i""1 tlm^etUB mectillS was «n fiivrmr th37lt,Qn- Tn?r? being°no amendment, «i- motion was earned unanüuously, wi.U oulv °w di.semie.it, Mr. Wishart. After ,i ,""

SLS *" *T: Wi8hûrt ^dthechai_nuñ

lae meeting terminated.

The mails by tho Orient Company's new steamer Oraya, containing London dates to 25th Fobruary, arrived in Brisbano, and were delivered to owners of private boxes last even-ing. The timo occupied betweou London and Brisbane was thus Üiirty-fivo days. The steamer left London on 17th February, and arrived at Adolaido on 27th March, 6ix days in advance of her duo dato, having accomplished tho voyage iu thirty-eight days.

The attention of tho sanitary inspectors might well bo directed to tho state of tho lane at the sido of tho Theatre Royal. Last evening the effluvia which penetrated tlio dress circlo from this spot was described by somo of tlio audience as " warranted to kill at fifty yards."

Mons, and Madame Thiodon announco

tho opening of a new dancing academy at premises in Adolaido-streot, to be called the " Victoria Assembly Rooms," next to Warwick and Sapsford's. It lias been found necessary to postpone the adult class until Wednesday, 13th instant, in order to have tho floor, light-ing, &c, completed before tho opening night.

The Federal Building, Land, and Invest-ment Society has boen registered with a capital of £100,000. The subscribers who have signed the articles of association are Robert Berkley, Major J. Sanderson Lyster, A. Laug Petrie, Dr. H. C. Purcell, W. C. Smith, J. B. Nicholson, and A. Woodfull. A special feature of this socioty is tho grunting of loans free of interest by ballot amongst one section of its members upon a similar plan to that of tho Starr-Bowkett Building Societies, which aro working so successfully iu England

and tho Southern colonies.

A correspondent writing from Euroongoola on 1st March supplies us with the followitig account of the death of Mr. J. S. Sinclair, son of Mr. John Sinclair, of this city, already re-ported hore:-"On Saturday last Mr. James Swan Siuoliiir, son of Mr. John Sinclair, of Brisbane, was accidentally drowned be-tween 1 and 2 o'clock while attempting to cross a flooded gully. Deceased and another young man went out to rcmovo somo horses out of tlie water on to high ground, which thoy succeeded in doing without any mbjiup ; but on returning, and -when within about 600 yards of tho hotel, there was a small gully to cross with a wire fence running parallel with the road. Sinclair started first to cross by holding on to tho fence, and the other young fellow, Bobert Grève, followed his example. They had nearly reached the opposite side when they carno to a part of tho fenco that had boen washed away and in only about 4ft of water; but the current was so Btroug that it carried both of them off thoir feet. Sinclair, who was a splendid swimmer, directly after leaving tlio fenco went under and lost his hat, in which he had placed threo £1-notes previous to going into tho water. When ho caine up ho mado un effort to regain it but wont under again in the attempt. On rising again ho started for tho bank, and seemed to swim splendidly for about sixteen yards, when ho disappeared a third time, and, I think, must havo taken cramps. His body was recovered yesterday morning by two blackfellows. Grève, a !very poor swimmer, got out on tho samo sido as thoy went in. Both Grove andjdoceased wero travelling out with me with horses."

Tho Great Eastern has again changed owners, and it is probable that before long she will drop anchor in Australian ports. Our (S. M. Herald) Loudon correspondent, writing on 18th February, remarks:-It appears that the Great Eastern, the famous leviathan of tho deop, is to go out to Australia. This vessel has changed hands a grout many times, and none

of her nainorous owners havo boon able to find

any uso for her except as a show* vessel, in which capacity sho has lately been figuring at Liverpool and Dublin. But, of course, pcoplo will not go on paying to soo a floating villago for long, so that some other uso has bad ,to bo found for hor. Tho success which attended hor career as a show vessel, however, has improved her value, for while she sold somo timo ago nt £10,000, hor now owner has had to pay £20,000 for hor. The purchaser of tho Great Eastern is said to bo Mr. Thomas Brown, of London, on agent of the London and Australian Steamship Com-pany. It is said that sho is to be fitted with new engines by Messrs. John Elder and Co., and it is hoped that sho may attain a speod of some twenty knots an hour. Up to tho present, hewover, Messrs. John Elder und Co. say that they have received no request to undertake tho re-engineering of tho Great Eastern. If tho ves«el can bo safely navigated, she might do well as a cargo ship, if not a passonger vessol ; but when one remembers tho many accidents which have happened between Melbourne and Sydney, one trembles to think of tho Great Eastern rounding Capo Howe.

Tlie steamer Kate will moke a trip to Hump/bong on Sunday.

The balance-sheet oi the Eight Hours' Democntratiou Committeo is published in full

ia uuotjkor column.

A baliot meoting of the JohnBoniaii Club will be iheld this evening, to bo preceded by a dirttier a.1 7 p.m.

A special general meeting of members of the Uni©* Club will be held on Thursday, âth May.

The Beeper will make a trip to Redcliffe this afternoon, leaving ¡it 2 and returning by 6

o'cloefc.'

At the Wharf-street Baptist Church to-morrow, taie pastor, tlie Rev. W. Whale, will proach in the morning, and tho Rev. W. Osborne Lilley in the ovening.

'The Great Divorce Case" -will bo repeated at tho Gaieiy Theatre this evening. It is announced tk<*.t East Lynne and PinkDorni eioes aro in preparation.

Tlie Katone will make an excursion to

.Southport .and back on Easter Monday, start Í2g at 7 '«..m.., and returning by moonlight

«liter the races.

Mr. Robert Lea, of the firm of Winter and Lea, of Clermont, returned to Brisbane yes-terday by the Glanworth, after a prolonged tour in Europe.

Ayreliininary notice concerning the Jubileo Exhibition to bo held by the Queensland National Association on 17th August and fol-lowing days, will be found in another column.

Theilsio residence -of Dr. Bell in Adelaide street k to be opened under the stylo of the City Chrb, where luncheon will be supplied daily between 12 and 2p.m., and light refresh-ments at any hour.

The addresses of Mr. J. T. Walker, late manager of the Royal Bank, and Mr. A. J. Riley, mayer of Sydney, who are both candi-dates for Eeate on the board of directors of the Australian Kutual Provident Society, appear

in another cokunn.

On Monday last Mr. Isaac Selby, Freethought lecturer, arrived in Brisbane from Melbourne for the purpose of delivering a course of lectures at the Gaiety Theatre, the first of which is anuounoed for to-morrow night, and is entitled

"Samson, the FoexHunter."

NF.nvoui MALADIES.-In many part« of Queensland tlie eolunists, especially those who are weak and ener-vated bj' mental anxiety or overwork, unffcr severely from same farm or otlier.of nervous diseasrti. Insomnia or sleeplessness is one of the earliest and mort marked symptoms of tliese distressing affections, and so long as ''Nature's sweet restorer" is denied üicin, the malady -whether it be one of the rcany forms of Neuralgin, an overworked brain, Hypochondriasis, gouty pangs or flyn«» pain«-become intcn«ißed to an ajurminir degree, and debilitate the system generally. Since Freeman's Chlorodyue was introduced into Queenstind theca dis-tressing nervous diseases ure regarded as perfectly curable. Certain relief is obtained in every case, and by taking a full dose nt bed-time refreshing sleep is in-sured, and the sufferer wakes in Hie morning lefreshcd and strengthened. Jjrfit upon baring " Freeman's" only. Trade mark, an Elephant. Obtainable from all chemists.-[AÜVT.J

THE great value of SCOTT'S EKT/LSIOV OF PUBE Con LIVEII On. WITH HYPOPHOSI'IIATES in Wasting Diseased is shown hy tlie accompanying statement from D. C. Freeman, Sydney, Aust. : " Having been a great sufferer from pulmonary attacks and gradually wasting away for the past two years, it affords me proa/ pleasure to testify that the above medicine lias given me great relief, nnd cheerfully recommend it to all suffering in a rimilar way to myself. In addition, I would say that it is very pleasant to take."-[ADVT.]

BILIOUS SCPFEBEUS, READ.-Waterloo, No. 25 Botany road (Sydney), July 31, lssö.-I was taken very ill with biliousness and enlargement of the liver. The doctor, together with other remedies, did me no good. I was advised to try "Warner's safe cure, and Warner's safe fills. Tlie first do« gave relief, and now, I thank God,

can say I am entirely cured, and shall always recom-mend Warner's safe cure to like sufferers.-SAMUEL PEAB60XÍ.-[ADVT.J