Star (Ballarat, Vic. : 1855 - 1864), Tuesday 23 February 1864, page 4


TEE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.

The following notifications appeared in the Government Qautte of Friday:

POLLING PLACES.-Polling places are re-arranged for the mining districts of B&Uar&t, Castlemaine, Maryborough, Ararat, Sandhurst, and Beech worthy

Tkbbtees.-Nicholas John Burton Perreau Bigbye, David Patrick Starling, and Thomas Denis Stratford Heron, appointed to be trustees of the Church oi England reserve at Elphinstone, in the room of Messrs Frazer, Coghill, and Wrixon, disqualified by non-residence. The Council of the Borough of St. Kilda, appointed to be the trustees of the portion, of Albert Park, St. Kilda. Kertland Hogg, Thomas M'Qrath, and William. Frazer, appointed to be the trustees for the cemetery site at Bungaree. John Bell, appointed to be a trustee of the Geelong Infirmary and Benevolent Asylum, in the room of John Sleuth Hill, deceased. William Ijandale, Levi Strain, Thomas Palmer, James Gleesou, and William Mann, appointed to be trustees of the land reserved as a site for a cemetery at Mount Duneed ; the Bight lie v. James Alipios Goald, Rev. Augustine O'Dwyer, Bernard M'Gauran, John Harney, and William Heffernan, appointed to be the trustees of the land reserved for Koman Ca

tholic Church purposes at 8ailor'a Gully, near

Sandhurst.

Besionatiok.-John Danstoxn Baragwanath, as one of the trustees of the Heathcote Hospital.

PPOPOSED COMMON SCHOOL COMMITTEES.-One month from this date it is the intention of the Board o! Education to appoint the following gentlemen members of the local committees of the undermentioned common schools:-Horsham SchoolPatrick Simpson, John Gillies, John S. Bowdec. Belvoir School-Samuel Burke, Phillip Adams. Woodford School - Robert E. Heckles, Daniel O'Grady. Queenstown " School-Stephen Crane, Bobert Joseph Harris, Ew&a Hugh Cameron. Daylesford School-Ber. P. J. Slattery, John Eg an, David Cahill, John O'Neal, James Minchan. California Gully School-James. HerschelL Hoddle street School-Bev. H. N. Wollaston, Joseph Clarke, G. E. Johnson, Benjamin Martin. Standard Lead

School-S. Levers.

NOVEL INDUSTRIES.--List of one hundred applications for leases under thet4Szh clause ot the Land

Act of 1S62.

DISEASED CATTLE -Proclamations by the Southland Government with reference to diseased imported

cattle.

CONTRACTS ACCEPTED.-Conveyance of mails between Melbourne and Sandhurst and intermediate stations, from the 1st January to the 3lst December, 1863, at the rate ot £25 per annum, Victorian Hailway Department; conveyance of mails to and irom Melbourne, Geelong, Geelong West, and Ballar&t, twice daily, from 1st January to 31st December, 1863, at the rate of £25 per annum, Victorian Railvay Department j conveyance of mails to and from Melbourne, Footacray, and Williamstown, from the 1st January to SlBt December, 1863, at the rate of £150 per annum, Victorian Bail way Department; conveyance of mails to and from Melbourne and Berwick, Bis daya a week; to aad from Berwick and Sale, three days a week ; and to and from the Moe aud Russell's Creek, once a week, from 1st January to Slst December, 1864, at the rate of £1,950. per uiium, Anthony Butler; purchase of Government buoy vessel Apollo, as she Ues at Port Albert, £101, Richard J&oiieson ; extending pipes for water supply

along Sandridge town jetty, £187 11b, Johnston and Robertson ; supply of castings for Preston Reservoir, £22 16s 8d per ton, John Munro «nd Son.

IMMIGRATION AND Emobatiok.-From immigration returns just published in Friday eight's Oerernment Qazciie, it appears that the number of persons who arrived in the colony by sea, during the month of January last, was 3053. Of this number 1624 were from the neighboring colonies, 1287 from the United Kingdom, and 142 from foreign ports. The number of person* who departed from the colony during the same period was 2545-, oC these 1497 went to the neighboring colonie*, 644 to the United KingdoC and 404 to foreign ports. It appears from the returns showing the number of nominees sc-nt for from the United Kingdom by persons resident in Victoria, under the imcigration regulations, from the 26th June, 1863, to 25th January, 1864, that the total number of persona sent for is 3690. These are classed as follows:-Males, 1576 ; females, 2114. From England and Wales, 502 males, 636 fWmato; from Scotland, 183 males, 203 females; and from Ireland, 891 males, and 1275 females.

A Bra SNAKE.- The Mortlake correspondent of the Hamilton Spectator gives the followiag account of a big snake:-"I was oat at Mount Fyaus (north) station-George Cumminga, Esq.-yesterday with Mr John Bodgers to measure several drains whichamongst many other improvements-have besu effected on the station. The longest one is 29 chains, varying in depth from one to seven and a half feet. It leads from an immense swamp of the very richest aoQ into a beautiful fresh water lake neatly three stiles round. This swamp was utterly useless daring the greater part of *the year, but now, for ait outlay of some £100 many thousands of acres tt the finest grass I have seen in the colony may be browned over by cattle or grazed by sheep at ail times. By-thebye, on the banks of the lake we came upon, probably, the mostl immense snake that has been seen in this colony. The monster's head aad about four feet of his length lay on the ground; then the body roee like a half hoop about thirty inches for another five feet. The rest of the body and tail were amongst the long grass. While breaking down a branch to endeavor to kill it, tie rascal eluded us and got into its hole. Mr Bodger's brother, who is fenca-ridei there, told me yesterday that he has watched for it an hour every afternoon since we were out, aa ye! without success, but he is determined to shoot it whatever length of time elapse before he gets the dance. It is a black snake, and bets an laid that it will measure at least sixteen feet. If ae, I trust to have its akin stalled (or sent to Melbourne for that purpose) and presented to themuaeum." .

Tax TaABBPOBSAKOSt QnianOF.-The Mayor of Adelaide is about to call a public meeting of the dtixens, fqr the purpose of obtaining ft further expression of opinion on the question of transportation. The QonnimMtt and the Legjdatwe: have three time* protested against the recent gaopoaal far son. tiouing aad extending the convict syatem of W«teEa AuttaOia, and as it appear* from reoaot wincea that the Pake of Kowt ssila Ss sttQ ia doobt as to tin feeUng bf this ookoy an the subject, gr» «anaot do

atopfletosend Tjwneftjwtosty agreed toai fcjpMis jceetingof theoctaflrt»,r-&A£*fUf*r. . -vs.