AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 307, 25 July 1868, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

The M'Culloch Ministry have resumed the reins of Victorian Government, the following being the new appointments:— Mr M'Culloch, Chief Secretary and Treasurer. Mr Vale, Commissioner of Customs. Mr Gk P. Smith, Attorney-General. Mr Casey, Minister of Justice. Mr Grant, Secretary of Lands. Mr Jones, Minister for Railways. Mr Sullivan, Minister of Mines. Mr G. O. Smith, Postmaster-Gen-eral. Mr Frazer, Secretary for Works (in the Upper House). Mr Higinbothom and Mr Francis to hold portfolios, unsalaried. In the Legislative Council, the Chief Secretary laid on the table a memorandum from his Excellency the Governor, accompanied by despatches received by the last mail from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, intimating that Sir Charles Darling had withdrawn his resignation as a member of the public service, and would not, under any circumstances, either personally or through Lady Darling, accept the proposed grant of £20,000. His Grace states that Sir Charles had again been rendered eligible to enter the Government service. The exodus of Queensland miners continued unabated, although many experienced hands predict that it will be a repetition of the Port Curtis rush. The steamer Hero sailed direct for Maryborough and took three hundred passengers, being for the most part diggers. The Alexandra, steamer, has taken one hundred and thirty diggers via Sydney. Mr J. M. Grant, who was Minister of Lands in the M'Culloch Government, has been making arrangements to resume the practice of his profession as a solicitor. Colonel Anderson, of the Volunteer service, has had one of his Augers bitten off by a horse. Major-General Sir Trevor Chute, commander of the Forces in Australia, was married lately to Miss Ellen Browning, of Auckland, New Zealand. Mr Langton, the Treasurer of Victoria, made a statement of the financial condition of the Colony on the 29th June, which is thus commented on by the Argus :—" In glancing at some of the more important among the facts disclosed, that which first commands attention is the startling one' that on the transactions of the current year there will be a deficiency of no less than L 703,493! In addition to this there will be about Lso'ooo ; to pay as interest on public payments overdue, and supplementary estimates, which can scarcely amount to less than another L 50,000 ; in all, about LBOO,OOO. And this deficiency cannot now be averted even by the very strictest economy, inasmuch as one moiety of the money, as already been spent, and the expenditure on public works brought within the narrowest possible limits. This state of affairs fully realises the worst fears that the public entertained, and fulfils their gloomiest forebodings, while it fully explains the determination with which the party of the late Ministry so long strove to keep Mr Langton's mouth shut. But there is yet a further difficulty. The Coliban Waterworks are falling into decay through their progress having been arrested, and the only way to save them from ruin is to complete them. This will require a further sum of L 160,000. The Geelong andßallarat waterworks are not in so critical a condition, but they also should be completed lest they suffer injury, and in order that the money they have already cost may degin to yield some return. The Williamstown graving-dock, too, remains in a half-finished state, and conequently useless, and unproductive. To complete these important works (including the Coliban Waterwarks) L 370,000 is required, and this Mr Langton proposes to provide by the issue, in the Colony, of Treasury bills having one years cuerency,' and bearing interest at the rate of five per cent., which, he thinks, would be readily taken up at a good premium. Afterwords, if found necessary, a loan to a larger amount could be obtained in England."