Colonial News. SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XV, Issue 80, 3 January 1857, Page 3

Colonial News. SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

[From the Sydney Empire, Dec. 12.]

We hare received papers from Adelaide to the 4th instant. In the Legislative Council, on the 3rd instant, a motion for a sum sufficient to defray the expense of making surveys of Lake Alexandrina and the River Murray, with a view of facilitating the navigation of the Murray, was lost by the casting vote of the Chairman. — On the same day, Mr. Forster brought in a bill to legalize marriage with a deceased wife's sister in the colony of South Australia, which was read a first time. The second reading was fixed for Wednesday, the 10th instant, without any opposition being offered to the principle of the bill. With regard to the ocean-mail subsidy, the Register of the 4th has the following remarks : — " The Chief Secretary yesterday carried, with some difficulty, the first reading of a bill authorizing the Government to contribute towards the subsidy payable by the colonies to the new steam-postal association. It will be remembered that a measure was passed in the last session authorizing the payment of £\ 2,000 per annum on condition that the ocean steamers touched at some port of South Australia. But as the new postal scheme does not include South Australia en route, of course no part of the subsidy is payable by authority of the act in question. Under these circumstances the Government, fearing that our mails would be sent by private vessels coming direct to Adelaide, and not by the ocean steamers, and that we should have to pay the whole postage of our letters from England, introduced the Bill to which we have referred. The feeling of honourable members was, however, so strongly against the Imperial contract, that Ministers had evidently made up their minds to a defeat. But, on a division, a small majority was obtained by the Government. That we have been cavalierly treated in connexion with the recently-completed contract is patent to all ; but we think it unreasonable to suppose that the Imperial Government will so far acknowledge the commission of an error as to pay our portion of the annual subsidy unless they consider the present postage receipts as an equivalent for our share. And if neither South Australia nor her Majesty's Government will pay the share of expense chargeable upon this colony, we may be certain that the other colonies will not pay it." In compliance with a requisition, numerously

■ signed, the Bishop of Adelaide had convened a meeting of the Synod of South Australia, for Tuesday, the 9th instant, to take into consideration some resolutions arising out of the late proceedings in the case of Mr. Pollitt, who had been censured for solemnizing an incestuous marriage. A gentleman who has just been through the whole of the important agricultural district of Munno Para East, states that the harvest is being rapidly gathered in, that the produce is very satisfactory, and the wheat in fine condition. Most of the large farmers, some of whom have from 300 to 500 acres in crop, anticipate 20 and 25 bushels to the acre. The Register of the 3rd instant says — " We are informed that the high winds during the last few days have done a good deal of damage among the corn upon the Adelaide plains. Much of the grain is shaken out. Many heads are broken off, and a considerable quantity of standing wheat is beaten down. The loss, we understand, will be considerable."

A curious advertisement has appeared at Paris. It offers for sale, by private contract, "the historical manuscripts, autograph and unpublished, of the late King Louis Philippe 1., forming three volumes in folio, with arms and escutcheons," and it declares that " all explanations and guarantees will be given to the purchaser as to the legal and legitimate possession of these manuscripts, as well as to the authenticity of them." It adds that they do not form part of those which were stolen from the palace of the Tuilleries when it was invaded by the mob in the revolution of February, 1848.