VICTORIA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 272, 3 November 1862, Page 5

VICTORIA.

(from oub own correspondent.)

Melbourne, Oct. 25.

The near approach of the openihg of Parliament is awakening a little political ;]ife amongst us. The laud bill has been very freely discussed by the Press, and great efforts are being made by Mr Duffy, to put as many facts before the public as possible, in order that a proper judgment may be formed on the working of the measure. Without these facts, it would be impossible to form a correct-judgment. Mr Ligar has furnished his second batch of statistics, which show that the total amount of land available for selection, was 2,537,219 acres, of which amount nearly one million has been selected, and nearly one fourth has been selected without any competition whatever. The ministerialists argue from this that no one can complain O f monopoly, when so much has been taken up without competition, and that a million and a-half still remains open to the first comer. On the other hand, there can be no question that some of the choicest spots have fallen m large blocks into the hands of speculators and that for these lots many bona fide settlers have been unsuccessful applicants As however, there is so much land open for which there is no application as yet, and much of it is known to be first-class soil, there does not appear to be much reasonable ground for complaint on the part ot any intending settler As by Act of Parliament, a fourth of the money leahsed from the lands, goes to the immigration fund, there will be a large amount to be devoted to this purpose, and we may look forward in a few months to a large infiux of persons from the United Kingdom,. The amount to be devoted to roads and bridges will next year be also large, and the internal improvements of the colony will be largely bencfittel.

The railways being now all but completed, the question has arisen-wilJ they pay? and Mr Mitchell the Commissioner of Railways, has volunteered several statements, one, that they would pay the interest and the working expenses, another, that they will pay £4 per cent ou th l capital invested ; and if this latter statement is correct, it will take £150,000 from the seneral revenue, to keep the railways goinrr. This will be a great stnmbling-bloclc in the way of the rrensurer, m preparing his new budget for next mouth, and it is generally conceded he will have a grea, difficulty in so framing his estimates as to meet with general approval. "The opposition are tolerably strong, and it is rumored they wiil muster a formidable division list on the assembling of parliament.

Mr Wilson Gray has resigned his seat for Rodney, winch is an intimation of his intention to remain with you, probably permanently. You will, lam snre, find him a valuable colonist. As yet, it is not certain who will contest the seat. Ihe Ministerialists are most alive to their interests; and Edgar Ray,* the gentleman who formerly contested the seat, has announced his intention of coining forward. He says, he comes forward on independent principles ; but he is well known to be a Ministerialist. Mr Casey, formerly member for Sandhurst, is also spoken of as partly a Heaios' man, and he is known to have written several letters on the subject, but whether Mr Heales and he understood one another or not it hap not transpired. Rumor says, that Mr F Coster, a Solicitor of this city, 'and formerly of Kilmore, is likely to be the candidate for the Heales party. If so, the contest between Ray and Coster will not be a very animated affair. A new evening paper will appear on Monday next the 3rd November. Considering the plethora of daily and weekly papers, it is almost a wonder that Melbourne has been so long without an evening journal. The present paper is started to supply this long felt want, and its founders are sparing no efforts to render this one of the leading papers of the colon es. There will be one or two novel features in it—one will be the large spice devoted to telegraphic intelligence, nearly two columns of which are to appear every night Another will be the reduction in the price of advertisements; single ones for servants, &c, being inserted for sixpence. It will be printed at the Herald office. A gentleman lately sub-aditor of the Age.vnW haie the principal management and it will be published at the office of Messrs Gordon and Gotch.

The series of graphic and interesting articles which have appeared in the Argus from the pen of Mr Paterson, their special reporter, have just been brought to a close. I understand that they will be shortly published in a separate form. As containing the latest and generally speaking most reliable information of the Victorian gold fields they well deserve to be rescued from the comparative oblivion that would be their fate, if entombed in the columns of that journal. The lawyers will soon have a nice little affair in hand. The editor of the Weekly Review and the gentleman that " does" the theatrical criticism for the. Argus have fallen foul of each other. Mr D. Blair, in a recent number of his journal accused Mr James Smith of having accepted a bribe of £100 from an enterprising manager of this city, to puff up a star that was about to appear in the Victorian firmament. Such an insinuation as this could hardly be passed over in silence, and Mr Smith has taken proceedings against Mr Blair for the alleged libel. Damages have been laid at £3000. Mr Michie will conduct Mr Smith's case, while Mr Blair will manage his owq. It is rumoured that Mr Smith has been superseded in the position he has so long held. • The unfortunate depositors in the Provident Institute, are much to be pitied. Since the affairs have got into the hands of the lawyers, there is no telling when matters will be wound up, and the only thing that appears certain is the fact, that the dividend will be far smaller than it otherwise would have been, if it could have been kept out of the clutches of these gentlemen. At present, the debts are being proved in the Insolvent Court, and over Ll 50,000 have already been admitted. Meanwhile fresh cases come to light daily, of parties who have been sufferers in this " crash " and some of the cases are very distressing. It has been decided by the Judge at the Insolvent Court, that shareholders who are also depositors, cannot prove on their deposits, but can only be admitted as claimants, —should there be moro than 20s in the £, a thing problematical in the extreme, then they come in for a share of the surplus; on the other hand, if there is a deficiency they will be compelled to make it up, so far as they are able. Messrs Foxton and Porter, two of the leading men, have voluntarily sequestrated their estates.

The trial of Josiah Grimshaw for the murder of a man named Mitchell, a painter, at Greensboro, mentioned -in. a previous letter, took place last week. After a long and carefully conducted trial, the Jury returned a verdict of Manslaughter against the prisoner, and he was senteuced to three years on the roads. ' Erom the evidence, it appeared questionable whether the prisoner intended killing his unfortunate victim; and the rather favorable summing-up of the Judge, doubtless led the Jury to take the lenient yiew of the case they did. The charge of manslaughter against the mate of the Runnymede resolved itself into one of assault, and the prisoner was sentenced to threemonth's imprisonment.

A case of sending a threatening letter '.to the Honorable J. Highett, has been before the Police Court. The writer and sender of this letter—a man of the name of Barrett—in it brings some serious charges against Mr Higbett; and also implicates several other gentlemen in not very creditable transactions, and unless he was paid a certain sum of money within a given time, threatened to publish the whole particulars It is doubtful whether there be a word of truth lahis statements, but as. the matter will shortly be decided—the truth or falsehoood of them will then be elicited.

The genial weather we have had lately, has in some measure dispelled the fears that were beginning to be entertained, regarding the approaching harvest, and though it is almost premature to speak positively now, yet there are reasons for expecting an average one. From personal observation of the crops in the neighborhood of 2£yne* toa, Castlemaine, and other places, I can speak favorably of them, and should propitious weather continue, the yield of grain will not be below the ordinary. .It is only in the more southerly and wetter portions of the country that a deficiency may be expected, The market gardeners are now

pushing on their operations with vigor, having from the long continued winter to crowd a considerable amount of work into a small space of time. A large* breadth'of vegetables has been sown,.and on, the whole the various plants are looking well, with tjie exception of sbme of the i*>oc crops—the turnip crop being damaged by its old enemy the fly to a considerable extent, Of fruit there will be a bountiful supply, judging from the present appearance of the trees. The ■oat crop will probably be a small one, on account of causes before mentioned ; from the scarcity of this article prices are advancing rapidly—they are now quoted as high as 9s, and there is little hope of a change for some six weeks or two months to come. Owners of horses are casting about for some substitute forhorse feed, as many are unable to give, this ruinous price. Some are trying wheat,and one ingenious individual has suggested the use of1 ship biscuit. The Ballaarat Agricultural Show was held last week, and proved very successfulexhibitors in all cases being more numerous, and the public attendance larger, than on any previous occasion.

Melbourne has happily been free of late from those serious conflagrations that in the early days of the city were so prevalent, but i" have to record an interruption to this pleasant state of affairs. Last Thursday a serious fire took place on the premises known as CasheW Family Hotel, situated at the junction of Queen and Bourke streets, involving a great loss of property, and subsequently resulting in the death of one of the inmates. The alarm pealed from the Town Hall Tower about four a.m., and the members of the Fire Brigade were promptly on the spot, when they found the whole buildingwrapped in flames. The inmates were all asleep at the time of the outbreak, and it was only by dint of great exertions that that they were able to make their escape. One man in hits haste and terror, leaping out of the window and injuring himself as it afterwards proved, fatally. The firemen were unable to obtain the mastery of the flames, till the greater portion of the building had been destroyed. Mr Cashel is a great sufferer by this disaster, as he was totally uninsured. The building, itself, was insured to its value. Of all the way marks that denote the progress of the colony, there are none more important than the opening days of successive lines of railways. But a few short years ago, and the iron horse and his metalled road were unthought of save as carrying the mind back to scenes in a distant land, and long after the whistle of the locomotive had been heard in the metropolis, the miles of railway could have been counted on the fingers, and now, thanks to the talismanic agency of Messrs Cornish and Bruce and their numerous assistants they can be reckoned by hundreds. All the leading townships are now united with Melbourne, and it is but fair to suppose that all the money, time, and labor expended in the construction of these lines will be amply returned by an increased commerce and lead to a more thorough development of the internal resources of the country. What took but very recently the whole day to accomplish, can now be done in four hours, and the storekeeper and tradesman of Sandhurst can come to Melbourne, transact his business, and return very comfortably within the day.

Last Monday was a memorable day foorfhe colony, being the opening of the Melbourne and Sandhurst line. Fully aware of the importance of the occurrence, the authorities of Sandhurst determined to celebrate it in a manner worthy of the occasion, and issued invitations far and wide to a grand banquet and ball. From an early hour the western portion of Collins-street presented a busy appearance, an almost uninterrupted stream of vehicles hastening to the station. Long before nine—the time appointed for the starting of the first train—the station was crowded by visitors. Shortly after nine the first train, drawn by two engines, and consisting of sixteen carriages, left the station. This little diminished the number on the platform. Another train, equally as long, took the place of the other, and was as quickly filled and sent off; but still the passengers were not. disposed of, and a third monster train had to be put on to convey the remainder of the excursionists. Upwards of 2,000 people were then being whirled along to Bendigo. On reaching Sandhurst, several evergreen arches spanned the line, and crowds of well-dressed persons appeared on either side, enthusiastically cheering each train as it passed. Arrived at the station, some 20,000 persons had assembled to welcome the trains, and such a scene of bustle and animation Sandhurst has

never before witnessed. All Bendigo was apparently keeping holiday—the principal buildings were decorated with flags and evergreens, and arches had been erected in the principal streets ; and if ever Sandhurst looked gay, it was surely on that morning. After the Governor had de"clared the line opened, a grand procession was formed, and, accompanied by crowds of people, and followed by a miscellaneous tag-rag and bobtail of vehicles, horsemen, and pedestrians, passed through the principal streets. The Go vernor was most warmly 'received, and the greatest enthusiasm was displayed. Soon after, the bauquet (at which upwards of a thousand sat down) took place, after which the usual congratulatory and complimentary speeches, proper on such occasions, were delivered. A few hours afterwards the ball was opened, and some hundreds of couples might have been seen whirling away in the giddy mazes of the dance, and not till many of the small hours had passed away did the company break up. Up to the time of returning home, all had passed off successfully; but then the desagremens of excursion travelling began. Through an accident to a water-pipe, the engines were unable to gefc a proper supply of water, and consequently could not go on, so that the unfortunate excursionists had to remain all night in the carriages, not reaching Melbourne till seventeen hours after the proper time. It is to be regretted that this should have occurred, as it altogether spoiled, what otherwise would have been, one of the pleasantest days that many have spent here! The Jockey Club Spring Meeting, as was;expected, proved rather a dull affair. Since the exposure of the Flying Buck and Buzzard case, about the time of the first Champion • Race, the public seem to have lost confidence in the racing fraternity, and very sparsely attend the different meetings, except they be, like the Champion Race at Geelong, of more than ordinary interest. The attendance on the first day was very limited, j though the racing on the whole was good. The Grand Stand Stakes were carried off by Flatcatcher. Amina won the Spring Sapling Stakes, beating five others ; and the Jockey Club Handicap, after an exciting race, was won by Falcon. ; The public mustered rather more strongly on the second day, but still nothing like what has frequently been witnessed on former occasions^ The first race, the Maiden Plate, was won by Josephine ; and a filly named Modesty, much to everybody's surprise, carried off the Spring Handicap Stakes. General won the Hurdle Race, and Barwon very easily the Derby, The half holiday on Saturday brought rather more on the course, and those who were present witnessed a fine day's sport. The Town Plate fell to the lot (f Mormon, and the Oak Stakes were awarded to Modesty, the winner of the Spring Handicap. Donovan Brown, after a well-contested race, won the steeplechase,; and Paul Pry'proved the winner of the Consolation Stakes, which affair wound up the. sports of the day. Ballarat will be the scene of. the next Champion Race. There is little of importance to chronicle concerning amusements. The Opera company are still successfully occupying the Theatre Royal. The Lyceum has been, or is about to be closed. A sensation drama is being rehearsed at Coppin's Theatre, and the Court Minstrels, lately at the Apollo Music Hall, have gone to the Princess's. An important rush has taken place at Dunolly to a place called Smuggler's Glen, where several shafts have been bottomed, the yield being loz 18dwts to the tub. Some parties have been more successful. From other fields there is little of interest to report, The cricketing season is now beginning, arid some important matches are on the tapis. ' latest advices from Adelaide mention that M'Kinlay is to have £I,QGO, and his companions six months' pay, for their services in the cause of exploration. ;■ •. . ... The parliament has been dissolved, and South Australia is busy electioneering. t- '' • • From Sydney there is a report thatr the übiquitous Gardiner has again turned up, ' -- i

The members of the boating clubs intend having a regatta shortly. >„ B-? Ug mf it dliy ' every one is busy preparing for it.. The Bombay takes the m ; 'uV^ s i oatl f