Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/416

 408] FOEEIGN HISTORY. [1899.

true, while affirming their good-will to England and their English fellow-colonists.

The colony finally decided not to be represented at the coming Paris Exhibition.

An observatory was for the first time established on Mount Kosciusko, the highest peak of the Australian Alps, under the superintendence of Mr. Newth, which promised to be of great scientific interest. In June a mean temperature was recorded of 23°, with a maximum of cold of 12° below zero.

The estate of the late Mr. Tyson, the pastoralist millionaire, was proved of the value of 560,000/., besides 1,850,000/. in the other colonies.

The population of the colony at the end of June was 1,357,050.

The parliamentary session closed on December 22.

Victoria. — The war in South Africa engrossed the attention of the Victorian people, even to the exclusion of home politics, though these were of unusual interest, involving a change of Ministry and a reconstitution of parties. On federation the feeling was one of calm and settled confidence. The colony is more in earnest on this question than any of its sisters, the popular opinion being strongly in its favour, in fact, practically unanimous. When the Federal Bill was submitted to the vote, there were 152,544 for union, and only 9,525 against. A few of the Labour party signalised themselves by their opposition to the vote, but they lost credit even among their own political supporters by their attitude on this question.

The movement, in accordance with the imperial sentiment, began by a public meeting held at Melbourne on May 16, at which resolutions of sympathy with the Outlander were carried unanimously. Since then, upon the receipt of the news of the Boer ultimatum, two batches of Volunteers were embarked for South Africa, their departure being the occasion of extra- ordinary demonstrations of loyalty.

The Victorian Parliament was opened for the session on June 27 — the principal topic in the Governor's speech being the Federal Bill. A satisfactory announcement was made of the financial condition of the colony. The revenue for the year ending June 30 was 7,378,842/., being an increase of 491,379/. over the returns of last year.

An extraordinary murder case occupied the attention of the public and was the subject of a sensational trial in the criminal court. The body of a young woman, identified as Mabel Ambrose, was found in the river Yarra enclosed in a box, showing signs of violence. At the inquest it was proved that an illegal operation had been performed, after which the body had been cut up and forced into a box before being thrown into the river. Some days afterwards, on the information of a servant girl, belonging to a house of ill fame, Francis Alexander Tod, a clerk in a merchant's firm, and Madame Badolsky, the