VICTORIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XIII, Issue 753, 25 January 1860, Page 5

VICTORIA.

n Me* are to tho 19th, ult. We take the ■from the monthly summary of the ff' nV,nClSteDecembei-17:-. ... ... •Argu* ' inima ry by this opportunity has to event of tne month; the rerKiu Xwv-t on the 29th November, assem >in'o . const?q uent upon the change •^W 0 111 the.members of Mr. Nicholson's ?•! ?•? 1 .'ye 'been re-elected, with scarcely any 0iT IS-,.u candid exposition of their policy; W'? aS ; c may juihje from all given signs, and so hu a* vvj p- . obllioil 0 f the public. On *! th, M oThiS policy, there is no doubt / 0,, d manr who would otherwise take obwStotheconstitution of the Ministry/are Sposed to offer an opposition which may lead to he entrance into office oi men still less desirable. The Ministerial Laud Bill, the chief features of had been announced previously in the ada -of the Attorney General, was formally brought Card in the Assembly on the 30th ultimo. The p«ure \* a considerable advance, in point of liber3„v uoon any of the schemes hitherto' brought fonnrd by Government, aud comprehends, in a modified form, all the cardinal -principles insisted unon by the radical land reformers. Free selection at i fixed price is conceded as to all surveyed lauds not included within certain special limits; and power is given fo any party of four to select blocks of 320 acres, even of lands not surveyed, under certain"conditions. One portion only of each block is j required to be paid for; and the other three por- j tions may be taken on a lease of 2s. an jicre for ten years, the auction system is retained in the case of all'town and special lands. All other lands are to be sold at a fixed price of £1 an acre, except where two or more purchasers appear for the same lot, when the choice is to be made among themselves by a system of private tender. A penalty of five shillings an acre is imposed upon all lands " not cultivated in accordance with the conditions of the grant." The consideration of the squatting system is reserved for a future bill. The second reading of the Land Bill in the Assembly has been deferred until after the 'Chrsstmas recess, which ends on the 10th proximo. Ifr. M'Cuuoch, the Treasurer, made his financial statement to the House, on the 6th instant. The estimates had previously been in the hands of the public, and are believed to be mainly founded on the scheme left by Mr. M'Culloch's predecessor. They display no remarkable originality, acd are not aimed at any material reform in our existing establishments. The revenue of the coming year is estimated at £'3,150,000, being £92.000 less than the actual expenditure of 1859. The sum asked' for 1860 is £3,230,0-47, showing a reduction in the expendituie of £423,493. The estimated income from the sale of land during the coming year is £500,000, being £250,000 less than the estimated amount for 1859. The principal saving contemplated is in the department of Public Works, in which the expenditure this year has been £600,626, and next year is estimated at only £279,000, being a difference of 228,000. Smaller retrenchments are proposed in the Civil Service, although in this department the report of the Commissioners appointed last year has appeared too late to furnish any assistance to the Government.

One chief feature in the Treasurer's budget is the new mode which is proposed of disposing of the railway debentures in the English market. Instead of the present plan of. retail sales at open limits, which has failed to secure an adequately rapid sale of tlie debentures, it is the intention of the Government to place such an amount of debentures (estimated at £3,000,000) at one time in the market as may be required for the carrying on of the railway works of the whole year. Sealed limits will be sent to the Government agents, to be opened after all the tenders have been made. By this method, the Ministry hope to obtain a larger sale of the debentures, on better terms than heretofore ; and thus not only to provide for the requirements of the Railway Department, but to relieve the contracting banks of the strain to which they have been subjected, and which has operated to the prejudice of the local trade.

A resolution to the effect that Her Majesty shoud be petitioned to establish a branch of the Royal Mint in Melbourne has unanimously been adopted bJ .the Legislative Assembly; and there exists a Universal feeling of the necessity of such a measure, to secure our producers of gold the full value of "»«r production.

. A discussion on the gold export duty has ended w a barren declaration of opinion that such a duty 19 injurious and inequitable, and should be abolished as soon as the state of the revenue shall permit. An Education Bill, of 133 clauses, has been induced into the Upper House by Mr. Fellows, «ie Minister unattached—the chief object of which j. to consolidate the two existing National and enominational Boards into one general scheme, t0 "c supported by a rate upon property., It is proposed to divide the whole country into " school «ections," each to elect its school managers, the W>le and certain religious books to be used in all T 3 R,;hools> and a penalty of £5 a week imposed T evf yparent who shall neglect to send his child mihf v The subJect has ' as >'el" attracted no 1 «oac atujnhon ; and it is one on which there prei s an 3 ,1al amount of apathy and ignorance. of th 1?" made b- y Mr- Duff > r 'f° lhnifc tbe tal{ing J c*t,njates to three months only, though supped by the whole Radical section in the Assem--3i,» rS^'sijfnally defeated, to the great preof Z°- f Mr- I 1) hopes and the disappointment ot certain of hi s K atellite!s. somi le f enomd of the Ministry has undergone aupnf !" ge 'throu; ''h tkft insolvency, and consent retirement from office, of Mr.' J. C. King. • Francis one of the members for Richmond, na a merchant of Melbourne, has taken Mr. £ -Pi v Mlmster of' P«blic Works, cited ;™ ab,e, "Ufpnse and disgust have been exHou.l ll°pu • Il ind b^ a vote which passed the wuae last evening by a majority of 34 to 31, ask-

ing that a sum money bo placed on the Estimates for the remuneration of members. This scandalous appropriation of the public moneys has been most severely, condemned, out of doors, and there is yet a hope that members will be stayed in their unrighteous attempt upon the till, of which they are the appointed guardians. On a motion of Mr. Nicholson, tho Assembly has been adjourned until January 10, for the Christmas recess.