VICTORIA.

Wellington Independent, Volume XV, Issue 1398, 17 January 1860, Page 5

VICTORIA.

(Frmlhe Sydney Morning Herald, Dec. \5.)

By the Native Lass, we (Nehon Examiner) have the Argus of Friday, the 9th inst , for which we are indebted to Captain Stafford. In the Legislative Council, on the evening of the Btli, Mr Coppin's motion, for leave to introduce a Heal Property Act Amendment Bill, after being briefly discussed, was adjourned for a month, upon the understanding that Mr. Fellows .would, during the interval, introduce [ the Government Bill. relating to the same subject. Mr. Coppin entered into an explanation of the principles of the bill of which he had charge, intimating that tbe measure was identical with that whi«h Mr. Torrens of South Australia carried through the Legislature of that colony. "The sarriß nijjht, in the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Brooke's motion for leave to bring in a bill to enable the Governor to dissolve the Legislative Council evoked a lengthy debate. It was opposed by tbe Atlorney-General, who declared that the principle of the bill was highly objretionable,. and there was no advantage lo be gained in permitting it to be read a first time. Mr. O'Shannassy also opposed the motion. Mr. Cathie, Mr. Don, and Mr. M'LeUan supported the motion, and it was opposed by Mr. J. T. Smith, and Dr. Russell.

Upon a division the motion was lost by a majority of 37 to 14.

Sporting —The programme of the Geelong Annual Race Meeting has been revised and decided upon. The aggregate amount of stakes to be run for will be between £1,100 and £ 1,200. The days fixed for the meet are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, the 26th, 27th, and 28th of January next. There will be three single events and a heat race on each day, and the night of the geneial entry is Monday, 23rd January. The Maryborimgh Advertiser, mentions a report of the bodies of five men having been found in the Mallee scrub, supposed to have lost their way in trying to reach the Kingower rush.

A. HoiisK Killed by a Shake. — On Sunday, about noon, a horse, the pn»peity of Mr. Garlick, was turned >nto a paddock on the Peep Creek, about five miles from ChiUern. It went to the creek for water, and whilst in the act of drinking, some children, who were playing rear, saw a large carpet snake dart forth and bite it on the mouth. The children at once ran to the house, and told what they had seen to Mr. Garlick, who forthwith proctedfed tb the paddock. Upon seeing him the horse advanced snine twenty yards towards htm, staggered a little, and fell to the ground, where it remained alive till a little after sunset, when it expired. Shortly after its death its head had swollen to the size of a ten-gallon cask.—rßeeehworth Constitution,

Mr. Fellows' 3 Bill for the education of the people contains one hundred and eighty three clauses, and ha 3 tweuty five schedules attached to it.

There is a proposition on foot to erect a Mechanics' Institute at Ballaarat, at a cost of £2,000.

The Herald says : Mr. Michie has obtained leave to bring in a bill on the subject of education. We may, therefore, he said to kave two Education Bills hefoie Parliament: one in the upper bouse, introduced by Mr. Fellows ; and the other by Mr. Michie, introduced in the

lower. The same paper states that the new Land Bill is in no great favour with the up-country journals. So far as they have yet declared themselves, they are all against it, — and the teims in which some of them speak of it are by no means measured or complimentary. The squatters, on the other hand, are said to be generally in favour of it. The Age of the sth understands that a Royal Commission Jo inquire into the working of tbe railway contracts i* about to be appointed, and its formal appointment will probably be announced to the House in the course of the ensuing week.

In compliance (says the same paper) with the wishes of the Chamber of Commerce, the Postmaster- Gei; era l's instructions have been issued that telegraphic messages of the shipping shall be received and posted twice on Sundays, at the Melbourne station.

A deputation fiom the Philosophical Institute, waited on the Chief Secretary on Saturday to request that a sum of money be placed upon the Estimates to supplement the funds of the Institute. Mr. Nicholson stated that the Government would hand over to the Institute £800 as a reward for its prize essay on the lesouvces of the, colony. It further appeared that Mr. Nicholson had confirmed the sum of £8,000 placed upon the estimates for exploratory purposes by Mr. G'Shannassy. A new rush is reported to have taken place at Back Creek. About 8,000 persons are there.

A mounted trooper named Cronin has been sentenced by the Portlaud Bench of magistrates to three months' imprisonment with hard labour, for allowing a prisoner to escape. The fire at Ballaarat, on Sunday, the 4th instant, tesulted in the destruction of twenty one hoii.tt-s, and properly worth i.'30,000. As a remarkable instance (says the Herald) of the rapidity with which ill news travels, we may mention that the fact of there having been a large the at Ballaarat was a common topic of conversation in Melbourne before noon on Sunday.

Early on the morning of the 3rd instant, a fire bioke out on the premises of St. Kilda (Jhib Hotel, situated at t!,e corner of Fitzroy street, St. JCilda, and immediately in front of the hoy. In a brief space of time, the whole of the premises were gutted ; the house, stock, and furniture were insued for £8,000 ia two oiSces.

The extension of the Melbourne and Suburlan Eailway line to Ciemorne was formally opened on Wednesday, the 7th inst.

The Aye of Thursday, says: — Insolvencies continue numerous, no less than twelve appear* ing jn our list this morning. One, tbat of James Armstrong, a farmer at Scbnupper Point, is uUiitiuted to an acceptance fur the accommodation of King Brothers, and tl:e liabilities in the estate are set down at £1 1,770 I2s. Bd , while the deficiency is r.o less than £10,773 12s. Bil. In another estate thp assets arc set down at ouly £4 10s.