VICTORIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 568, 18 October 1862, Page 7

VICTORIA.

(FROM THE DULY TIMES OORnKSI'OSDHXT.) Melbourne. (>ili October. A commission is iinw silting withcl^s 1 "-! doors at Geelonjr, to iuquiie into the alleged malpricticpsin the administrHtiv-n of the Land Act. T'e result of the inquiry tvili not ba known until it is officially announced, 'as tiio press are not admitted to tbe nit uiry. The only p'.iae where any popular opinion has been ixpiesseJ lrisbe j n afc Sainlhivst. A iarj.'O meeting whs Ii -Id there durins last week, and about 800 p<r*>ii<j were present. Tins meftinsr almost upa'iimnu>h condemned the conduct oi tbe Government um\ tin* woikin-j of f'e new 1-iw, an'l a<rr. Ed to peti'i">u t';e Ujv^rnor t > withhold tlie Crow.i frranth n ti! it w is ascertained that fhe land had Wn bought by Itoi'ii fide settlors, it is rather Bincular, however, that of all places in tie colony Bendiso h w! Vw Ita^t c .use for firumhi'ijT or alarm, as out of i-15,000 acres oppn for selection, los tli.in 4,000 acre 1 ? Live 1 e^n «clcclel, leaving 140.000 ac.-ts open at 10s an ncre to tl.e "poor M;ttler." vvho desires to pet a bom? ( br him«elf. There is nnw in thr colony ov.r oi.e irullion if the fine-t agriculturjl 'and open 'for selection at cn c y distances to s^ine of our bast niiukets, snd these is no l nsliinji' fijr the«e, no liesise of ilia •■qivitter to er.i'-p, "r vf feppculntor.s to secni'o n mMH)i,,.iy ; and this boiii',' so, it i-, not easy to see what are tbe arounds for any undue alarm. It would now sesm fiat the «re it ru-h at iir.st mide was for s^me choice lots havinsr spaciil advantucs, or rather wl.ose special advanlase-i, weiv generally known : and that noiv tiie iirst «eleuti in fever h ivinjj subsided, th°rc* h abuudancrof first i-las-s land for all aud sundry win are do c .irous of "-ettlin", thcrcoii , Conbidpriblf anxiety is foit in reference to the oat crop. Unfavorable accoun's have beui received fiom nil parts • f tin colony, r-o c e-pecially fiom tho iii iabbrivboo.l of G-> elonjr. Tiie pbint "oems to tiie oiF in many cases witliont there being any peiccp^ilile cuise. Rnveial reasons hav.^ bet n siven for this prfii'iir bli-rlit, some aftribndnsj it to the wet weather, ot!ifr» to over -crop) •iii'j;, -»"lii!e some fewtliink that jruano has had somcthiiis; to do with it. But theie i.s little doubt that tbe want of a ijooc! .system of undergi-ound (ir.dunae has had more to do with it than anything. It has been bustjested tbnt Government should take some measures to institute an experimental inquiry, but is doubtful whether any trood effect would result.

The rompt'liiion fir the premium offered by the Board of Agiicuhure. for the best- ."-team plough intro I duced into the polony previous to the lat nf August. U fixed (o take place on Hie loth Oct. There are, as before stated, only two <^earu ploughs in tlie colony, one of which belong to Sir Gralinm. tlie oth-n* is Hie property of Mr Sinclair. There is some Iht'e difference respee'ing t! c mode and place of trial, Mr Giaham objecting to transport his ] -lough some liundred o'!d mi'es, v, hen its aerion has already been \vitr.csS"d by those who wi'l be the juibces. Should the 80-rd not take Mr. Graham's view of the cs-e. t'ir> premium will in all probability h" adjiHc*;e"l to Mr Hinchir. The entries fir fiePoit Piiilin Firmer-, Show. have now clos.-d, nnd any anxiety thnr nr'^lit hau 1 I been felt as to its success, ii iv,; b_c*i cfuni.li't 1 h dissipated. In rattle. <he llerefords wijl not be in such force as they have been on previous occasion-*, uv.i-i!i to the it % ar the own pis luve <>f havi'ia their citile driven through districts ii>fect°d witli plcurc-jUieumu- | Bia. But the deficiency in this cla*"A wi'i be quite made up by the shoit horn 1 ?, who will muster ver>strong. Ot horses there wiil be a a*'*o I show. To i poultry, an unusual prominence i\ ill be given, n stimulus nr» doubt bavins been given to the Society by the late show in tb" Exhibition B'lildiim*. Of meii'ios j roatfv of the finest in tho col ny have been enter, d, i and wiil doublle-r- excite mi-eh interest, and give the i judgis some tiouble to decide on their respective i merits. The exhibition of implements will bo about the s.ime as last je.ir, exoept of portable engines, the ' number being nearly doubled. A new thistle destroyer lia s been brmc-hf under the notice of the Society, who howe\er, hive confide* ed j it o' no practical value; the bc?t plan peihapa t^> tir- i rive at irs worth would be to place it in the hands of | some piaelicil men who could &ooji test whether it were efHcacioir or not, for I am sorry to =ay that the thistle nuisance is heeomluL' woise and worse every year, and inilictitig incalculable injury on tb" country. As a proof of the *jio;aes^ tint the colony is making I in mechanical matter-*, it may be mentioned tint, a locomotive has recently been turned out from the factory of Mr 15ii"ch ChamlvTS*. ThoaGrli smull, b in n - ; only of fifty horse power, \et U is finished in the most substantial nixnner rr.-J rellret-* ereat credit upon the maker. It is ime:-de.l foi the Victoiiun Bailwiys. Another example of nntlve iivliv^trv was lwenllv brought under the voriee <.f the Itoyil Foe My. A new mac 1 hie, hnviusj fjv its object (he steering of iialh.ons. j WhtthiT tie hn tutor his really mjlvi d the jneat ' question of {Drill n-uiuation, T run unable to <-'iy, but judsincr from ti.o nuintrou-s fnluiPs. fiat h we la!--cn place in this matter, I «houM a'uio;-t be inclined to think this but another one The pul>! ; c nHetinf to welcome the two su'vc'sful explorers, M<ssrs M'Kin'ay and Landsboroufrh. w-.s a most cHtbusiast'c and feiictvssful aff.iir. Lrn<s \wfore ihe tim* 1 appoirt-d for tins meet*')?, tiie doors o l ' the Exhibition BuiMiug worn be.-rged by numbers of persons, and a verj f nv < nni'iitp-; r.fter Iho doors ha! • b?r'n opened, Ihe h-iiMln^ aps i>o\\ Yd i > c\eiv ]);ut. The chair was t,\ken by the h ;>.i. Matthew Ilervey, who introihu-e.l Messrs M'Kinl.iy nr'l I/s'kVuuiou^li to the citi// ns in uu i'ppi o]>< i it? spec-h ; tbeir apiiearance «as the signal tor sufh a roum: o ( " applause as is rarely heard in the Exhibition I'ui'diiig. Uotli frntlemen fci n rd much move-l hv their warm re> r pt'oi, and cordi.\V.y thankcl the peop'o of Melbourne for their kind vc'conie. It was < xpi'cteil that Mr M'Kinlay v/O'ild have pi\ en pnriicular^ of his recent jourr.ev, lut tbis Ip stated he w,i« uunble to do, till bis journnl liad been published — by th. 1 South Au^t n'ian (jiAV'tninent. Xot, the ltasl intertsjtinjr part if thu pireeylirgs wa-s the app-ai-auco of Xii c. tbe so;e survivor pi the r.nfi-.rtui.utc BiukeaiT? Wil's t.X[>!.>iina ».xpc litioi). He seconitd a motif Ti than! i'.g M'Kin!' y ar.d Lir.dhborough for their zcr.l ?nd cnumqe in prooeeding to tbe assistance of the Yioiorhn exj^e it-lon. Of t : oatiicsil iie«"^ thoie is not muoh to chioniele. Mr Coppin, r.s mentioned in my la^t letter, lias acrain d'-m'ed tbe gr.rb of actor, and nightly iippeai as Tor.y Luu>pkiu in " She stoops to eouqutr " But contwy to txpect \iion, the thentre is not well fiile I. He also %ppra>-.s in the farco of the " Wnnderin.' Minstrel " in which he takes hi ; old p rt of Jem Hnjres, and by his inimil'rbl actinar gpncrally conui!-es his nudionce with l''UijhU;r. 'I lie liiusie hall belong!. io 1 to llic tlicatro is well attended, tiie \auul bill of tare seeminjr to attract a proat numiUT of the floating population of Bomk*'-. t.e> t and e'sew'iPif. The Theatre Koyal isalyut tol c opened v.ith Mr I.ystf-r's Opeia Company. F'om the Miccessful fe. son this company had 3:5., ytar, t'icre is no dotih* that an equal bharo cf patrouatre •vi'd be allotted 'o them this year. They aie en their way here f:om Sydney, vliere trey I.jiv» i just concludfd a very "sncoe-stul engaL'enicpt. Mis« Ailken is her dui'natic readinps i)i tbe pn>v ;wo a , and has drawn lar^e audiences fisTh<' Volunteer Seond A'-embiv Bull took place lart Thursdny niubt. in the Exhibition I uilding, ■which was mo&t I«T.ttfi.lly decorated for the occasion. Upwnr's of 1000 pei-oiiS v.eie pi'esfnt, atid the dandng \\a& continued with great si'iiit till several of the; small hoi. is hnd nass'-d away. As niost of tbo voluntceis nppeircl in fu'l elicss, and ns several of th{ up-country corps vcre icpvr^fnted, their varied uniforms made a plea'inp: coi,tva«t to the £r,y itris?r>. o1 the ladies. '1 ! c prccccels of thi- ball arc to be du\ otei' to the Yieforhn It fi^ Asvoci.ttion. Tlip si cond t''cnn;:tl festival of fhe Philharmonic Society tnkis place on next Tuesday, Thui-sJay, ane Saturday. All the lead in it artistis in Melbourne Liv been eiipp.-d. nnd, to tlie low is, of mu^ic, a rid treat wi«i bj JifTvrdi d. On the fii.-t day, ti.e w}>o!e oi the music met! ;.t ibe opera of ihe Inter-national lix JjiUtion wiil be pel to mcd. It Ins bcea ni'-nliuned t'uihiji the last week, ant there is m-iy re:- son 'o believe that it is correcttlifit the unknown p»er oi tbe thousand poun< ; i ton aids the Exploi'itun fund, is no otlur thai Jfr Amluo^p Kyte. the ChMiinan of the C<i!linpfwor< Gad Com jr. rn, and owner e>f t' c Theatre I?o;,:il in th ; city. For a Icbs timo, tlie y>io|)iictor& of the Argn newspaper have h;<d tli' 1 cirdit of this imimfi ent a i ft The ai.niiid pold cups which have bern | rtsp'itc " thrciiffh tlat j'-urnal, me also the gift of Air Kyte wi.o Ins thus hliown himself to be a w?ini fiiei d t the foiony, an! a worthy supporter of all that tend to the advancempiitof r.rtand seduce. liiiellif-'eiice fiom tin- Gipps J.and gold fields i fomewliat f,i\cia!le. The wtathcr appe-ais to bay cleared up. and. r^ a ccr.se';ueucc, tl.e miners a'"c ab! to set to w oik. Provhioi b me reported V> le hot scarce nnd dear. MrUusl.rs, theo{en<-r up of thene 1 track via Dandenoiig. hiiss-hown a fpecimen of altnus puie coprcr wliicli his ineii found on ti>c route t Bandetmnjr. At the Lar.d'.boronah iu?h it is cs imated thatthci we over 8 (;00 diapers aid businch-. people pre&en' and the acconiit' uie on the wlioie favourable. llei a:i ounce 'o tbe load is stated to be about the avemj yield. The BarmiJppo irpf. i;i t'uo Ovens district, i? \nm np cxtra&uiiri'iiliy i'j h. At a latu ciiirf.iiig'STO oz < gold weie obtaineVi fiom 80 tons df quaitz. ai,d lat( accounts give* a mo-t f..liulo'ib re'unis, as much as £ and CO perceit. beinp obtainrd. it wr.sfiom tb reof that a nupat wpi>?lm;ir IP 1b was obtained a le days since. Oj c d'.y la.st •», tek thei e w as a paragrav in the A ryvs to the efi'tct a wr.rkman had btumbic pn ft nuppetwf k;hing- 07 1b on the Geeloug iiailwa but I have heard nothins niore abou^, it, and ha' little (loul. t that it is t<. tally untiue. The iii&t number of ihe'Weeitly Rrriew- the jou nal that has superseded the Christian Tiim. appeared on Saturday. _ It is well pot up, and ti articles that appear in it ore of more than aveia merit. !j On the fame morning fhe Oir.eo anivtd. T lengthenpd pawajre had caused serious appiehenpio On two different occasions the had been iv bight the Heads, but was compelled to put back to Iwofi Bay from tempestuous weather andscavcity of fu Itv/ould appear tt;at her machinery is hardly po\v( ful enouuh for her size, and b< f»rc prrceedinp; to s ajrajn, tliis defect, as far as ia practicable, will jpfupdied. The election for the mayoralty of Melbourne is n causing some excitemeu Mr J, T. Smith is agai,

gasremept,

candidate, as are Messrs Cohen and Walsh. A warm contesl is expected. At ihe Police Co'irtdaiino;thopist week two cbarc-os of murder on tho hiyh se.i- 1 hive bten i'lvctifjated. One casov/as tbnt of tJi*-"* Ani-.ti-a-i ship the Heibcrt, nnwhingi.i Ilolison's Bty.the liistand second mates of which weie charged wittihavi •{•caused thedeithof a boy named (Jeorc" Spencer, by a lonj; series ot tie most'brutal nets. From the evidence it appeared that the prisoners w e *c in the htbit «'f hf-sitin"* the b^y as m;.nv as t>vehe t'nes a i!av, till he was covered with hl-jol, any i-'istruuunt th.it h:ippenelto be within reach huiiij Hid a> iho indium of puii'sbuient. Th-3-e injiuie-) osei.tualiv ie-uiicl in his death. Con si.leriible lil.imc i> atla -b.=J to Uie Captiin, for though he was not an actor ia any oi tluse i.i scenes, be still -l'l'-u-e'l tbeni to take place without, i'lttrfuinp*. Both prisoners have be n remandid to Ameiica and will leaie her." in tbe chaige of a detective, in the cnur-d of a few days. The other charnti was again«t the first mac of the En»li«h Uii;i Runnymdde, who k i'njilicated in tbe death of a Poitiiiriie&e seaman. lie has been corumittel for tiial on the c'laip-a of n-an-il.iu^hter. A seiious alFrav tint has eude I fatally, took p^ce las!, week at Dayiestorl, lieUveen some Cornish men and liishinoii. It ajipears tint thfy all nie.t t -gother tj have a dimkinp eaiMuse, at tie treemaaons Hc-te) — from drinkiiie; fliey to fi^htinir, which icsuked in the e'eath of one of their number, and the injury of one or two chers Complaint*- are nw'c ih.iD thotrjli the afiair 10 *k pLu'e wijhiu a few jards of the Camp fence., jot the poll, c <ii I net oil r to interfere. At the WillLimslown Police Couit the other day two men weie charge I with endeavoriim to obtain a pasa-ige by the ;lnp (irreyhoinel t) Ot-r^o, without ]iivin ; th«ir paisas^s mo:n'\ As it was their first olTe:ice, they were only fined 10s. each. From a leliirn issued by the Po.-t Ollice. it appears tiiat the number uf leUe-if-, '-'•„ ur--pate*!ied by the Kortbnin. i\,is, as follows :— Ljtters. 52,301 ; Kew.s papers, 08.41 G. Our South Australian fiien If. are cbiefly occupied with the s'lfl-.' loatc'liib t.h.*ic aie to L*ik3 placo to-d.is . Gn at preparations h,'!,\e 1. '--il.i 1 . in I e, and tho Gove.*nor. >-tiii.io Dalv. is to flic the fir^t shot. One of the Ciindi kites will be tlic S[> rXer oi the AsFembly, wlio is leporled to be ouc of the best .shots in the colony. A new paper. The Critic, maJe its first appearance in Adelaide on Ratuid.iy Themaikpfs hete an 1 iepo;tcd to be steidy— -the lato-t qujtiition.-> of fljur being Ll*2 to Ll3, and of wheat 4s 51 to -Is 9d. Fiom Sydney, we learn by tele^iaph tint robberies, and what are commonly called '"stickinu-up c ist--," arc of daily ocMinenoo. tlie stopping; of Iho Hinalon^ mail bfintc the late'-t airair. Mr U.urj Sullivan, the actor is lheetiu^ with indifferent suc^Pr-s, ■Sir V. Pottinger has been chari-e-l at the police court at Batii.ir.st with pi't^entM 11.:*1 .:* a pistol at a man in the str et, but tbe ca-e .va-s itninedi.itely dismissed. Tne next ship f>r Ot'iu-* i"* ilw Blanche Moo/c, which sails on Tiniivliiy, i)ih C)Ltol>er.