VICTORIA.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 199, 12 July 1860, Page 4

VICTORIA.

(From our oQin Correspondent.') Melbourne, June 16th, 186 CL

It was a matter of no little surprise to many residents in this Colony, that until the last 2 years, so little interest was manifested in the concerns and propects of our fellow subjects in New Zealand. Of late however a change has taken place. The improved communication by steam and the present war, but particularly' the latter have in a great measure contributed to awaken in this colony an interest in your important country. Nothing is more calculated to excite and maintain this interest and friendly feeling than the frequent, interchange of correspondence, and it is . with this intention; and with the simple wish to do what lies in my humble power towards the attainment of this most desirable object that I have consented to give a few monthly jottings of what particularly engages public attention, in (what some enthusiastic admirers of this City call) “ The Metropolis of the Southern Hemisphere.” The Home Mail long anxiously looked for has arrived at length, but the news is of less importance than usual. , The course of events in China seems ripening to a war,while on the Continent that grasping monarch Louis Aapoleon seems likely to proceed in his schemes of annexation, and it seems probable that a Congress will be held either in Brussels or Paris to settle the question as to the annexation of those provinces against which Switzerland has protested. The British feeling both in and out of Parliament seems decidedly against the Emperor in these schemes. . So much for European politics. Now for Colonial affairs. We have just emerged out of a ministerial crisis in this colony. The Land Bill that great annihilator of our mintsters has been nearly successful in destroying another victim. .What with, the intense Democratic element of “ the Corner,” as it is termed in our Lower House and the ex tremely conservative character of our Council our ministries are very ephemeral. In short they are always in a dangerous position. “ In cidit in Scyllam, qui vult vitare Charybdim.” When this land question, is settled one great theme of conversation among our small politicians will be gone; at present it is the favourite theme at Foung Men’s Associations and discussion Clubs, and the most extraordinary theories are every now and thenj propounded by juvenile circles; in our journals. Free selection, deferred payments, and a uniform upset price are the three leading features of the Government Land Bill which has already passed the Legislative Assembly by large majorities and is now before the Council. What its fate there will be remains to be seen. The Council have, however, already assented to the first and last of these propositions by a bare majority, but are determinedly opposed to the second. It is very likely thatJ the Bill will be very much altered in its pas sage through the Upper House. . The other great political question, State aid to Beligion remains at present in abeyance, the Government having announced tlieir intention not to introduce any other bill this session. , .Early howevei in the next the bill for the abolition of this Grant will be againintroduced and .with a greater prospect of success than on any former occasion.. The antistate aid ranks in the Council, having been reinforced by recent elections and some members formerly opposed to the abolition having in private announced their intention hot again to resist the motion which has been already twice affirmed by'‘over whelming majorities in the Lower House. . . , As to matters ecclesiastical the recent re; vivals of religion in America, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Sweden and Italy have stimulated its friends in this city and colony to greater exertions. For some time past union prayer meetings conducted by, ministers of different Evangelical denominations have been held weekly in the Protestant Hall in this city with varying success as to alien dance. At the last meeting at which I was present, a minister of the United Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Mr. Ramsay occupied the chair, and the meeting was subsequently ad : dressed by the Right ,Rev. the Lord Bishop of Melbourne, and several other ministers belonging to the Presbyterian, Independent, and Episcopal denominations. It 'is cheering, to see such union amongst Christians. Long may it continue. Perhaps the greatest enemy to the. progress of Christianity in times past has been that spirit of rank sectarianism and bigotry which prevents ministers holding the same views.on all major points from uniting at the footstool of their common Father for the purpose of. supplicating common blessings.' . . . The Theatre here, a very large] building, capable,of accopimodating over 2000 j people lias been engaged for about two months by severarchristiari'ge'ntieraieh for the purpose of holding service on the Sunday afternoons for tlioso Targe masses of .'our population who

attend no place of worship, and who, it is hoped may by this means be drawn within the circle of the Christian Ghurchi

The Sabbath question has of . late occupied much attention here, A series of lectures is at present in cdurse of delivery in the Melbourne Mechanics Institute, on the subject under the auspices of the Sabbath Observance Society, and they have hitherto been attended with the most signal success. The hall is every week crowded to excess. The first in the course was delivered by the Bishop.of Melbourne, and on that occasion the chair was taken by Sir Wm. Stowell our present Chief Justice. . 1 ;

The .views of this society have been the object of the most bitter and malignant attacks in the Editorial columns of. 'the Argus, our leading journal, and doubtless this has undesignedly bad a good effect in drawing the attention of the public to the merits of the ghestion, and truth'will lose nothing ,in the eiid by the strictest scrutiny. ..' In the literary world the only - thingof note is the advent of the Cornhill Magazine, copies of which have doubtless reached you and been received with a hearty welcome. Its success has been almost unprecedented and must liave far exceeded even the most sanguine expectations of its projector.- ■ The papers entitled “ Studies in Animal Life,” illustrated as they are by excellent diagrams are peculiarly interesting. We hive not yet succeeded in establishing (pardon the aparent contradiction) an- indi genoas magazine literature. Jndeed the numerous attempts, already made have resulted (as they always will do in young .countries) in thi? most signal failures, involving considerable pecuniary loss to their projectors. . Money at present in this colony is the great idol which the mass worship, and until our population have more time to bestow on mental culture and more inclination for such employment we must look to that great literary storehouse Britain for. our- supplies.

The following are extracts from a letter dated Buninyong, 6th June, 1860 :- r “ Things have not been so bad in Victoria for some years as they are now. The weekly insolvencies amongst the mercantile and trading classes are enormous in so small a population, and mining affairs are exceedingly dull; biit as the government has, granted for prospecting for. new gold fields, I think there will be a change for the better in that branch of industry in the spring. The. legislature are also passing a very liberal land bfill, embodying free selection at a..fixed price of J&l per acre, and deferred payments after survey. Their plan is, to survey as quickly'as possible 4,000,000 acres of agricultural land, and throw .it open for selection. The highest quantity one person can select is 340 acres, one-fourth of which he pays cash for, and gets a government grant. For the remaining three-fourths, he pays Is 6d per acre per annum in advance as rent, which must be paid till he can pay for the whole or any part of it, and all he is not able to purchase within seven years reverts to the. crown. There is also a residence clause, to keep out as much as possible mere speculators, who have already absorbed an immense amount of the best land in the country, which is now lying comparatively unproductive. They are also discussing the propriety' of putting a duty on some manufactured goods, which can be. produced here, to v encourage local manufacture, and relieve the labour market, which is at present overstocked, so that I hope the colony; will soon recover ; its usual prosperity. It is expected there will be a great rush fin the spring to the new gold field of Iviandra, lately discovered in New South Wales, just across the border of this colony in the Snowy Mountains. The best road to it is from Twofold Bay, from which it is distant about 150 miles. The Victorian government has despatched two exploring and prospecting parties to Gipps’ laud, a very beautiful tract of fcountry : on the south side of the Snowy mountains; and as gold .is known to exist there, they hope to get up a .chunter■. attraction,.to ,prevent the digging population from leaving .the colony. Gipps’ land is described as rich agricultural land, well watered, with ever-flawing rivers and large lakes—the scenery generally magnificent. / It has been only partially explored and occupied'by squatters, being separated from the other parts of Victoria by,a high and almost impassable , chain of mountains. ; The climate is described as very good, there being no hot winds like those here, owing to the Australian Alps, which lie; to-the north-east of it. I intend to have a look at it if I can next summer, and if I do will let you know my opinion of it. We have had a very dry summer, but within the last month there has been a great deal of rain.” We believe Capt. Cadell, the opener up of the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers to steam navigation, has. offered to rim boats from Melbourne up the principal stream in Gipps’ land;' called also ‘ Snowy river,’ if the Victorian government Will give him. the same .grant (.£2500 for each steamer) as he Received from the South Australian government when he put boats on the Murray river.' He has been thirty miles up the Snowy river, and considers there is no doubt of gold being fqund.