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New Zealander, Volume 11, Issue 960, 27 June 1855, Page 3

By the Ocean, arrived from Melbourne, we have received our customary files of ihe Argus extending from the Kith ult., to the Ist insl. ; and we are indebted to private courtesy for a continuation of the same Journal to the 6th. Intelligence from Europe, nominally lo the 13th of March, had been received by a

I Dutch ship arrived at Melbourne front Hong j Kong. The details, which are exceedingly j meagre, will be found in another page. The young Czar, it will be seen, had been ! proclaimed under the style of Alexander j the 11. His brother Constantino had taken I the oaths of allegiance. The Army had hailed the accession of their now Sovereign I with delight. And the policy, of the late ruler was to be enforced to the utmost resources of the Empire. England and Austria had in vain endeaj voured to avert the departure of Napolpon I for the Crimea. Incapacity of French I Generals if not so loudly blazoned as that of the English is beginning to bo as pointedly insinuated ; and from the nolo of prostration that is sounding on every side, it does not look as if the Vienna Conferences of IBJSS would accomplish any greater pacificatory results than the diplomatic and Imperial (riflings of IBD3. Her Majesty's Birth day was celebrated in Melbourne with the customary demonstration") of loyalty. The city, as the Argus expresses it, having descended into the streets to keep holiday; ten thousand persons at least having been present at the Military Review. The hospitalities of the Vice-Regal Rail seem to have produced an extraordinary acidity in the temperaments of some of the guests who were afflicted with small and sour beer, instead of revelling in sparkling hock and champagne The Argus is studded with many a bitter episile; and much indignant ink is expended upon SirC. Hothatn for restricting the golden colonists of Victoria lo that homely but wholesome beverage,— draught beer ! So sensitive do the Victorians appear to be on this important Colonial question, that the Argus devotes a column and a half of leading matter, in ironical examination of the probable motives of his Excellency—whether they were based on niggardliness, or whether they were adopted in practical censure of the reckless extravagance of Melbourne expenditure. The funeral of the late Sir Robert Nickle, K. H., Commander of the Forces in Australia, took place on lhe2Blh tilt. It was conducted with every available Military ceremonial. The troops in attendance, consisted of the 12th and 40lh Regiments and a parlyof the Volunteer Rifle brigade. Thousands of the citizens followed the remains of the gallant veteran to their final resting place. A most destructive fire took place in Collin's street, on the 291h of May, on the premises of Messrs. Palmer, ball, and Co., warehousemen. The fire broke out in a four-story iron store, and when the iron became red hot, the water failed to have any effect upon it. Several houses in ihe neighboui hood fell a prey to the flames, and a loss of property, estimated at 40,000/ , ensued. The greater part of the goods and buildings were insured. Large arrivals of Chinamen continue to take place at Melbourne. It is estimated that there are at least -20,000 of that nation already there; and so strong and universal has become the alarm ai the continued irruptions of these celestials, that the Legislative Council were devising stringent means to modify or put an end to it.

The following exlract from the Regimental ! Orders, issued on Ihe 30lh ull., is highly credi- | (able to the4oth Regiment:—"The subscripj lions to the Patriotic Fund, by the service I companies of Ihe 40lh regiment, is (his day closed, and published for the information of Ihe '• regiment, viz. : "Non-Commissioned officers £ .«. d. and privates 549 12 0 "Officers 110 11 0 Total 463 6 0 " T.iettf.-Colonel Valiant, in publishing the | list of subscriptions to (he patriotic fund, feels it incumbent on him lo express his marked gralficalion at the very liberal manner in which Ihe officers, non-commissioned ollicers, and privates of Ihe corps have testified their appreciation of the distinguished services of those gallant soldiers who are taking pari in Ihe Russian War ; i and the Lieut.-Colonel resls convinced, thai all I ranks join him in Ihe satisfaction derived from ' the assurance that their comrades in the Crimea I will believe by this expression of sympathy, the 40th Regiment, although unavoidably deprived I of (he honor of sharing the dangers and glory of ! their distinguished comrades, are fully sensible ' of (he splendid reputations which Ihe heroes at I the Crimea have allached lo Ihe character of (he : British soldier, under circumstances of extraordinary peril, privations, and hardships." Accounts of the storms along every part of the Australian and Tasmanian coasts are rife. Protracted and difficult passages are everywhere being made; and every little nook and inlet has been sought as harbours of refuge by steamers and sailing crafl. The oldest coasters declare they never before experienced such gales as those that raged during the lalier end of lasl month. A Portugese barque, the Tremclga, after receiving I a pilot "it hoard, had been blown oIT Port I Phillip Heads, and had been absent many days. 11. M. ship Kleclra had been sent in i search of and to assist her. The buna Hurra, j writes the Argus of the 6th insl., bad not I been heard of since the26th May. She was ! on her passage from Melbourne lo Adelaide with Sir U. McDonell, the new Governor of South Australia, his lady, and suite. Capt. Lowrie, of the steamer Havilah, describes the wind on his last trip to Adelaide as blowing a coinpleiejhurricane. The wharf at William's Town had hern flooded from the effects of the continued gales, and passengers had lo be conveyed lo Ihe steamers by drays In Van Dienien's Land, the weather bad been equally tempestuous. A rapid and powerful flood has occurred at the Ouse, by which ureal damage has been caused : trees have been torn up by the roots in large numbers, as high up as the New Country, and carried down the river as far as (he Bridge, where they lie in huge masses ; numerous sheep and cattle, also, have been washed away and drowned. According lo the account which has reached us, six months, at least, will elapse before the accumulated masses are removed from the bed of the river. A correspondent of the ' Launceston Examiner' writes, under dale 21st May :—" Mr. Johnson has again succeeded in finding coal on the river Mersey in a most favorable position, within a short distance of i water carriage, and over an almost level tract of J country, along Ihe river's bank ; the depth from the surface is bill trilling, and, from Ihe I slight dip, it may be readily and profitably ! worked. This new discovery promises lo j eclipse all others hitherto known in the neighbourhood. Limestone in great abundance and of superior quality has also been discovered near Ihe same spot. Messrs. Johnson and | Dawson are Ihe fortunate holders of (he land I where these discoveries have been made." Gold has been discovered within " half-

a-day's march of Adelaide." The discoverer had claimed the reward, and the evidence offered by him, in support of his announcement, had induced the Government to withdraw from sale those sections in which the discovery had been made. | According to the Commercial Circular of the 2nd inst., the imports of flour and wheal into Melbourne had considerably j fallen away, and stocks on hand were gelling 'very limited. An advance of M. per ton i on the former, and of from Is. l<> "2s. per ' bushel on the latter is quoted. Oats are ! steady. And cracked maize and barley in demand. Wheat is quoted at 18s. to 10s. Flou'*, Adelaide ATd. to 10/. Sydney and Van Diemen's Land 41/. lo Ail. per ion. Mai/.e Bs. (id. to 9s. Gd. Potatoes 28/. to 30/. per ton. The Argyle had arrived from Valparaiso wilh a cargo of fl Mir. From a General Government Gazelle Issued yesterday, we make Ifie following analysis :—- Proclamation is made of the establishment of a Branch of (lie Royal Mint at Sydney ; and a description is given of Ihe sovereigns and halfsovereigns there lo he coined, these coins aro by further Proclamation of his Excellency the Officer administering Ihe Government declared In be current and lawful money of the Colony of New Zealand. Henry lacy Kemp, and Robert Bailie Lusk, Esqrs., have been added lo the Commission of Ihe Peace for Ihe Province of Auckland. Peter Proudfool, Esq., has been appointed lo the Commission of Ihe P«ace for Ihe Province of Olago. The same gentleman has also been appointed a Commissioner of Crown Lands during Ihe absence of Mr: Mantel Frederick Morris Esquire has been appointed lo Ihe Commission of tlie Peace for the Province of New Plymouth. A Return of Birth's, Deaths, and Marriages, in the following districts, fluting the quarter ended 31 St March List, shows !>U males and M females lo have been born ; 3(» males and 19 females lo have died : and 28 marriages to have taken place at Auckland At Ihe Pay of Mauds, there were two birlhs. AI Kavhia. one marriage look place. At Wellington 2(> males ami 27 females were born. 2,~> niides and 0 females died. At Whanganui, H births ami "2 deaths occurred. At Kaiapoi. S birlhs and 1 accidental death look place. AI Akaron,s births and 1 marriage occurred. AI I.y Helton, 11 birlhs and 5* deaths are recorded; Andot Olago 8 marriages were solemnized The Begislrar of Ihe Supreme Court warns creditors lo prove Ibeir claims in Ihe intestate estate of Alexander Glcnnie of Auckland deceased, on or before the 22nd September next.

By the arrival of the Overland Mail we have received a file of the Wellington Spectator from the 9th to the 20th May inclusive, and of the Independent from the 10th to the 26th. There is little of local interest to be gleaned from either journal; the most important items will be found among our extracts. The rendering the New Zealand Flax an available export continues to engage the attention of men of practical skill; and we learn from a correspondence in the Spectator, that a young Scotchman, a Mr. Dunn, had arrived at Melbourne en route for Wellington, where he purposes introducing a couple of machines, manufactured by himself, and which he confidently maintains will he successful in cleansing the native flax, and rendering it lamely available for the purposes of commerce. Mr. Duin has been the Working Manager of Flax estahlishments in Great Britain, and has had a practical acquaintance of the trade from boyhood. A Fancy Fair, in aid of the " Hospital Fund," had been held at Wellington ; the receipts were 508/. las. The total amount collected was 967 . Bs. lid. The amount collected in the Wellington Province in aid of the Patriotic Fund, on the 20th ult., amounted to 17021. 10s. 2d. A correspondent .of the Spectator says—"lt seems to be generally understood that an arrangement for securing the services of the Nelson, Steamer, for three months longer, that is, until our new Governor shall arrive, has been made by the General Government." We have the Tarcmaki Herald of the 23rd and 30th ult. They contain nothing of importance. WELLINGTON Markets—Retail Phicks, May 20, 1855. First Hour, 40£. per ton ; bread, 21bs. loaf, 10d.; beef, 7d. to 9d. per lb.; mutton, 7d. to 9d. per lh ; pork, Bd. to 9d. per lb. ; fowls, per pair, 4s. od.; ducks, per pair, 65.; geese, 7s. each ; turkeys, Bs. each ; fresh butter, 2s. 9d. per lb. ; salt butter, 2s. per lb.; potatoes, 12/. per ton ; eggs, ;3s. per doz.; cheese, New Zealand, Is. 4d. per lb., Rat hurst, Is. per lh.; maize, 12s. per bushel ; Ale, 2s. 4s. per gallon ; ham and bacon, Is. to Is. 2d. per lb.; firewood, per load, 1/.