VICTORIA.

Colonist, Issue 77, 16 July 1858, Page 3

VICTORIA.

We have been favored by the courtesy of Captain Gunn, of the brigantine Ariel, with Melbourne papers to-the 29th June, from which we gather the following items: — The Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company, not caring to be subject any longer to the unpleasantness of having their carriages seized by their workmen for arrears of wages, have determined, upon calling a meeting of their creditors with the view of taking into consideration some -proposition for liquidating their outstanding claims-. . The Melbourne aud Suburban Railway Company^ have obtained from the Government its permission to construct that part of the line which runs through the public reserve, known as Richmond Paddock. The inauguration of what is called " The .' . People's Club " took place on the evening of the 28th. The .object of the club as set forth in : the prospectus is to establish an emigrant's home, a digger's "protection, a house-of-call for , those who have none, and a progressive centre for the people. > The proceedings commenced ■•-•'-' with a meeting in the Eastern Market, at which • resolutions were passed calling upon the Mayor to resign his seat as the representative of the city; and appointing a deputation to wait upon him- to request him to do so. Mr. Duffy is rapidly advancing in health, and will soon make his appearance at the Board of Land and Works. The trading interests are complaining very loudly, of the dull times. There is next .to nothing doiug, and the banks are keeping a very tight hand on the discount market. The Right Rev. Dr.' Goold, Roman Catholic Bishop of Melbourne, took his departure for Europe in the Australasian, and was presented by his flock with an address and a return ticket. The Bendigo Mercury reports that a youth named George Bradshaw, who had started on horseback after some cattle, had been missing for a fortnight. His horse, with saddle and , travelling gear complete, was found in the bush two clays after the rider was last seen. Raven, the bank clerk brought back to Melbourne in the Emeu, is under remand, charged with embezzling and conspiring to defraud. Bail has been allowed*—-two sureties of i.500. each. . . * . Several of the largest stud-owners in the ' colony have resolved on holding annual sales of their thoroughbred yearlings, and of breeding.for sale only. - ' Professor Anderson has arrived in Melbourne. The Herald of the 25th thus notices the per* formances of the " Wizard of the North" :— "With the exception of his opening night, Professor Anderson, last evening, had the most numerous audience that has yet flocked to witness his entertainment. The spirit-rapping "act" last night was particularly amusing; and at its close, the professor, in a solemn tone, assured the audience that that was the humbug which in America had sent 7500 persons into lunatic asylums, and driven 360 to commit suicide. He also stated that to.convince the American people of the imposture that was being practised upon them, he had placed 5000 dollars on a table, and offered it to any one who could produce any sounds from the table which he could not explain by natural causes; but though many tried no one succeeded in raising the spirits of their fathers from the vasty deep or any where else." A meeting was held on the 24th, at the Protestant Hall, to take preliminary steps towards the establishment of a weekly periodical of news, chiefly ofthe various religious.meetings and assemblies in Melbourne and its vicinity. It isprojjo.^ed to conduct the journal on the principles of the Evangelical Alliance. On the evening of the 21st, the officers and attendants at the Lunatic Asylum, at Yarra Bend, gave a return ball to Dr. Bowie, the surgeon-superintendent. About 180 -patients and 100 visitors filled the ball room; and dancing was kept up til! eleven o'clock. The number of patients at present iii the asylum is 242 males, and 208 females.

Gold had been found within eight miles of Melbourne. Eighty pounds weight of quartz, ■aken from a reef at Templestowe, near Heidelberg, at a very small depth from the surface, yielded no less than three ounces.

Mr. Smith, who has been Mayor of Melbourne from time immemorial, is about to proceed toEngland, where, his political opponents say, he expects to be knighted. The literary world of Victoria has been somewhat startled by the announcement that this gentleman is about to publish three sermons, which are highly spoken of.

Daniel Healing and William Boote have been c ommitted for trial at Ballarat, charged with the wilful murder of an old man named William Ruddock, alias Shepherd, at a sheep station, in November last. Deceased was found dead in the hut where the prisoners were, aud the -body was lying iv the fire place, with the hair partly signed. The imputation is that death was caused by blows on the head, inflicted with a camp kettle, but the medical man foun# no fractures on the body, which was decomposed when he saw it, and the only direct evidence is that of Stephen Meale, who swears that Healing repeatedly confessed the murder.

A married woman named Down, wife of a respectable resident at Collingwood, Melbourne, hung herself to a bar in a cell wherein she had been confined for drunkenness in that city, and was quite dead when discovered. She waa about forty years old, and a confirmed drunkard. —Another woman-drunkard, Catherine Sharp, also wife of a respectable man in Melbourne, was found by her husband lying on the floor, and by him carried to bed, without, his perceiving until afterwards that she was quite dead, being strangled by the tightness of her capstrings, and helpless drunkenness. A gentleman in - Sandhurst had occasion to visit an empty house, and was accompanied by a favorite dog. On his return home the dog was missed, and not making any appearance for two or three days, it was supposed to have been stolen. Fourteen days after his previous visit, he again proceeded to the house mentioned, when to his astonishment he beheld his little pet cuLdupina corner with life still remaining, but too feeble to rise or staud. By proper treatment it soon recovered. During its imprisonment, it could not procure either food or water, thus affording another proof to the many instances on record of the wonderful tenaoity of animal existence.