Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), Saturday 29 November 1845, page 4


COLONIAL INTELLIGENCE

PORT PHILLIP.

We have received files of Port Phillip papers up to the 14th instant.

By the latest dates a considerable rise appears to have taken place in the markets. Wheat is quoted at 5s. 3d. per bushel, although a few days previously the highest price mentioned was 4s. Sheep, also, are mentioned at 12s. each, and a few days earlier at 9s. as the highest price.

The Patriot mentions a rumour of the in-tention of the Governor to reduce the twice a week mail between Melbourne and Sydney to

once a week.

The Portland Guardian states that large numbers of natives have mustered in the vicinity of the Big Swamp, Portland Bay district, with hostile intentions against each other, one party consisting of tame or half-civilised natives, and the other of wild tribes; the cause of quarrel being that the former are often blamed and punished for the depredations of the latter. The number of tame men is estimated at about 300: the number of their opponents is not known.

MELBOURNE MARKETS.—Wheat, 4s. 9d. to 5s. 3d. per bushel; fine flour, £13 per ton; fat cattle, £2 10s. to £3 3s., or 9s. per 100 lbs. ; sheep (shorn), 7s. to 12s. each.

TROTTING MATCH EXTRAORDINARY. - On

Wednesday, Mr. Vinge's famous trotting mare, Kate, performed a feat that has not been equalled in any of the colonies, having trotted seventeen miles in one hour fourteen minutes

and a-half. Kate is open to be backed to any amount against anything in the province.—P. P. Patriot, Nov. 11.

THE LEAD MINE.—A few days since the Geelong Advertiser announced the discovery of a lead mine in the vicinity of the township of Corio, and great was the gratification expressed at the startling announcement. It now turns out, however, that, like our friend of the Courier's recent discovery of coal, the whole is a hoax, and originated in some lead ore brought from Adelaide by the Spartan.—P. P. Herald,

Nov. 11.

MORE MINES.—Under this heading appears a paragraph in the Geelong Advertiser of the 5th instant, in which "they have the pleasure of recording the discovery" of another mine containing some splendid specimens of copper ore. The locality is one of the Barwon quarries, and a medical gentleman had succeeded in effecting a very promising analysis of the mineral substance. We hope this will not prove a second lead ore affair.—P. P. Patriot,

Nov. 14.

THE CROPS IN THE GEELONG DISTRICT.— We learn from a gentleman just arrived from a short excursion made into the Geelong district, that the crops in that quarter are most lux-uriant, and present a remarkably promising appearance.—P. P. Patriot, Nov. 12.

VAN DIEMEN'S LAND.

Up to our latest dates (Nov. 12) Sir Eardley Wilmot had failed in filling the places of the unofficial members of Council who recently resigned.

Some of the Van Diemen's Land papers state that the home government is about to relieve that colony from the burden of police and gaol expenses. On the occasion of the second reading of the Australian Waste Lands Bill, in the House of Lords, Lord Stanley observed that "it was proposed by the bill to re-transfer to England the proceeds of the sales of land, which had dwindled down to almost nothing, and to relieve the colony from the expense of police and gaols."—On the 25th July Parliament voted £250,000 for the convict service in Van Diemen's Land: the annual expense of that service is stated to be £30,000.

A petition from jurors of the district of Oat-lands has been presented to the Lieutenant Governor, praying that in future they may be called upon to sit as jurors only in cases where the liberties or property of their free fellowsubjects are in question ; and praying also that the colony at large may be relieved from all costs and charges in respect to British criminals. The petition was accompanied by a statistical schedule, showing that while the people of Britain were taxed at the rate of £1 4s. 3½d. each, those of Van Diemen's Land were taxed to the amount of £2 13s. 6d. each. The petition was presented in Council by Mr. Dry,

on the 24th October.

The Commissioner of the Insolvent Court at Hobart Town has represented to the Governor the advantage of adopting Lord Brougham's Act, abolishing imprisonment for debt in all cases under £20. A decrease in business had enabled the Commissioner to come to the deter-mination of sitting only once a month.

On the 21st instant Gillan the bushranger suffered death at Launceston, for discharging his piece at a man named Hemmings, who was endeavouring to take him in the act of robbing

a hut.

Twenty-one men of the Westbury Probation Station have been committed for trial for robbing with fire-arms.

DANIEL PRIEST.—This notorious bushranger (lately reprieved from the scaffold) has been taken to Hobart Town, preparatory to his

removal to Norfolk Island.

WHEAT EXPORT.—Two vessels capable of conveying 20,000 bushels will shortly load at this port with wheat for the Isle of France.— Cornwall Chronicle, Nov 1.

A cargo of wheat from Launceston, per Phoebe, brought 8s. per bushel at the Cape of Good Hope ; and it is said that that colony is likely to be a good market for Australian grain.

MARKETS.—Wheat, 4s. 6d. to 4s. 8d. per bushel ; barley, 4s. per bushel ; fine flour, £11 per 2000 lbs.—H. T. Courier, Nov. 12._