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Colonial Nftoß.
VICTORIA.
We find the fullowing additional intelli-
gence in our Melbourne files, tu Hie 8lh
February.
In the Melbourno Herald of the 2nd Febru-
ary, there is a Counoil paper containing Mr. J.
H. Brooke's soliente for a National Dank, pro-
posed to the Government in January last. He
proiios.es the guuranteo oupital to consist of the
general, and a moiety of the ten ¡tonal, revenue.
To be a bank of deposit and issue. Tho note
circulation to be limited to the extent ol' four
fifths of the general revenue. The notes to be
payable ou detuund, but the bank to have power
io make the notes inconvertible at a «lion
notice. The whole of the Tieasiiry businoss lo
be transacted at the bunk, and its direction to
be vested in a President of the Board of
Finance, the Colonial Secretary, the Colonial
Treasurer, tbe Auditor-General, and two other
gentlemen of commercial experience. It
might, ho adds, be expected that not less thau
one million would bs depoiited by tho people,
and that notes to the extent, of a million more
would bo absorbed m circulation, and thus the
Government would be placed in a po«itwn to
meat their liabilities, and furnish assistance to
railroads and publio companies, at present lan-
guishing for want of pecuniary aid.
Melbouhne Gold CiuoULar -Gold has con-
tinued sonroo und high in price. The demand
for shipment has not been met by anything
like en adequate supply. This deficiency arises
from tbe fact that there is nearly 200,000
ounces deposited at the camps on the dilforent
gold-fields of the oolouy, until a better price oan
be given for it.
Number of persons arrived . . 073
Numbai' «lut Imvu left. 341
Addition this «cok. 333 and year... 2910
Tho escorts have «mhutlit from
Mount Alexander .is Bendigo H.979 cas.
Bullara«, im ludlng Goelun|{. 14,213
The Ovens. 11.471
Fiery Oreel« . 3 riU2
ihm borough . 3,401
Drtisy Hill. 1,085
M'lvur. 1,G43
Avoca. D38
Muuut Blackwood. 714
- Ounces.
Amount this nock.34,038 and year.... '.¡35,020
Gold shipped in 1850. 258,022
I'er Btenmerft to Sydney. 1,911
l'er Uoeinab, to Liverpool. 80.015
Total.'..'. 200,588
Or IS tons 2 ont. li lib., at 80s. £1,102,27a
Exchange on tendon-Drafts apalnst gold purchased at
2 per cunt, dis. Freluht, 4id. lier uz , dctherid nt tho
Mullion Office, Bunk of Lnplnnd, London.-Edwahd
Kiiulc, Bullion Broker, C9, Collins-street weit.-Argus,
Feb. 4,
ExTHAOEDINiRY ATTEMPTS AT SbW-Db
stbuotion.-Cn Wednesday morning, at two
o'clock, a man named Matthew Fletcher was
taken to the Hospital by the polioeman on the
King-street beat, in a irightlul state of muti-
lation, be having thrown himself out of a two
story window in tbe house of Mr. Danker, in
that street, whilst under tbe influence of drink.
Both the unfortunate man's aims were fractured,
and his lower jaw was both dislocated and frac-
tured. He is now doing well.-At five o'clock
on the same morning a woman named Johnston
threw herself out of an tipper window of the
Prince Qeorge Umina; Kooma, in Swanston
street, also in a state of drunkenness. She was
admitted into the Hospital soon after, when it
was discovered that she bad suffered a severe
fraoture of her leg. She is also Bullering from
delirium tremens,-Argus, Feb. 2.
Tub Crops.-Two days of continuous wet
weather slightly interrupted the progress of the
wheat harvest since our last report, and in sonio
parts the grain, which bad been standing in
shocks for some time (owing to the difficulty of
obtaining labor), oorninenced to grow. This
has been particularly remarked of sume of the
crops near Kyneton and on tbe banks of the
Campaspe. In the agricultural districts near
Melbourne, the crops bave been generally
secured, and larmers are now engaged in
threshing their corn. New wheat continues to
And its way to Melbourne, and the supply
during the week has been about equal to the
consumption. A muoh larger quantity, how-
ever, is expeoted in future. There was very
little busiuess transacted at the com market on
Wednesday, but the quotations in Mossrs,
Thompson a"d Co.'s circular, show an advance in
wheat, whiuh is now quoted at from Us. to 12s.
por bushel. The general disposition amongst
growers is to hold for an advance in prices.
Argus, Feb. 4
NEW ZEALAND.
We have Wellington papers to the 19th January.
The Provincial Council was sitting. From
the opening address of the Superintendent, we
loam that he estimates the revenue for the
year 1850, at £38,000, which includes a
balance in the Treasury of £15,500. Tbe cost
of the several departments of Government lie
does not think will exceed £10,000; s balanoe of
£28,000 will be thus available for publio works
ned undertakings. Artangements bad been
made to introduce into the l'tovinco a steady
stream of immigration Upwards of 500 pen-
sons had been introduced into the Province
under the Provinoial Government arraugernonts
during the present jear ¡ mid one firm at Mel-
bourne bad agreed to introdttoe «¡thin a few
weeks SOO Immigrants, and would take deben-
tures in payment of their passage money at the
rate of £8 par adult. Similar arrangements
had been made with other firms, the immigrants
in each ouse being required to give promissory
notes for the iimoutit ol' their passage,' payable
in six and nine months after their arrival in the
Province.
On Friday last his Excellency the Governor
gave an entertainment nt the Commercial
Hotel, Wellington, to thirty influential chiefs,'
from the districts of Wbanganni, Mauawatu,
Otski, Porirua, Wellington, and the Hutt.
Among them we observed Te Puni, Raiviri
Huaha, Wi Tako, Tabana, Turoa, Tamihatia
Hauparaha, Malone te Whin hi, Mete King!, te
Tupe, te Kaiaia, Taringa Kuri, Hinia, te Abu
Karamu, Uopata Wainui, Hohepa te Moroato,
Pairaroko, Wtremu Taraihana, and others. A
substantial dinner was placed on the table by
Mr. Swinbourne, at 3 o'alook, p m. After din-
ner Mr. M'Leati, who occupied the chair, pro-
posed the Queen's health, whioli was drank by
the guests with every demonstration of loyalty.
New Zealand Spectator, Jan. 2.
New Plymouth.-We have nothing new siuce
my last letter. There is plenty of talk among
the natives about coming battles among them-
selves. T hero was every appearance of authen-
ticity about a report that the Ngatiruanui Were
again on their way down, and that they meant
misohief ; but they had not left home a week
ago. Thoir intentions are olouded in rojstert
It Is certain that nothing but the strang arm
will prevent their doing misohief. Then we
have a rumour that the Ngati Nuniopoto tribe
from Mokau, which Mr. Turtun invited down In
August last, are coming to take up a permanent
abode at the Waitara, twelve miles north of us,
and soma are full of gloomy anticipations in
consequence i but if the Mokaus are coming, it
will be only for the assisting and maintaining
their claim to the oountry in question by right
of oonquest, and that being doue, to sell their
possession to Governmeut. The two belligerent
parlies at Ninia and Kaipnkopoko have been ex-
changing shots, though at a safe distance, since
the Governor's departure.-Nelson Examiner's
Correspondent, Nov. 21.
TASMANIA.
We have reoeived Launceston papers to the
29th January.
The Launceston Examiner of the 29til
January contains the report of the Select Com-
mittee of the Legislative Ouunoil on responsible
government. The substance of their report is
that the administration should as nearly in
principle resemble the home government aB pos-
sible, and that there should be no legislative
enactment on the subjeol, as the existence of
responsibility prevailed under the theory of the
constitution, und not under any express statute.
That there should he no undue multiplication of
oflioers, and the administration might consist
ol' ollioinl aud non-oflioial members. The num-
ber suggested in the report is four oflioials and
four lion-ofliaials members of tho parliament.
The official members to be the Chief Secretary,
the Attorney General, the Finance Secretary,
(meaning thereby Colonial Treasurer) and the
Secretary of Publio Lands and Works (Surveyor
General) The tion-ollioial members might be
selected from either house, and would assist in
the conduct of the publia service. Tho report
also suggests tho following apportionment of
publio business! To the Finnnae Ssorotary ¡
ways, means, and supply, with a supervision
over the department of audit, customs, internal
revenue, post oflioo, and stores ¡ To the Secretary
ol' publio lands the ohargo of the publio works,
supervision ol' the survey department) To the
Uhief Secretary, the Exeoutive department,
police department, education, statistics, and all
other matters not appropriated to the other
sooretat ¡es ¡ the Attorney General, in addition to
his duties as Crown Prosecutor, to bo the
principal legal adviser ol the government,
SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
We have Adelaide papers to the 20th Jan-
uary.
Tho Council has reooived two progress re-
ports from the sehet committee on the es-
timates, and these reports wore to be taken Into
consideration, as well as Hie Estimates, ¡rame
diutoly.
? In the pasiing through the Council of a bill
to oontinue the Preferable Lien on Wool Act it
was proposed to make the act permanently
striking, not the cUuse limiting ita duration.
This was oppoied on the ground that the oat
«vas one sided, inasmuch as it did nob extend the
power ol' mortgaging moveable property to
fanners and others, hut confined it lo stock-
holders. Ultimately however, the clause was
struck out without a division, and the bill was
to be read a third time.
The new Electoral Law Bill was about to bo
laid before tho Council by the Government, and
had been published, it» chief provisions are
that the province shall form one el co toral dis-
trict for tho purpose of eleoting members to the
Legislative Council ; and for the purpose of
eleoting members to the House of Assbiu blythe
province shall be divided into-electoral dis-
tricts. Every returning officer shall cause to be
affixed in the most public, and conspicuous situ-
ations, a notice requiring all persons who may
be entitled to vote in the eleotiuu of members to
serve in the Legislative Council, or House ol
Assembly, to deliver or transmit toliim a notico
of their claim as such voters. Any person,
having made a olaim lo have his name inserted
in the electoral list, and whose name shall nut
have bsen inserted, to give notice to the return-
ing officer, and any person whose name is in-
serted, or shall claim to have his name inserted,
may object to any person as not entitled to havo
his name inserted, and any person so objecting
shall give to the returning oflioor, and also to
the poison objeoted to, Hotice thereof, in
writing. And it shall be lawful far the return-
ing officer to object to any person whom he shall
have reason to believe is entitled to be retained
on the list. Every elector entitled to vote in
the election ol' members of tho Legislative
Counoil or House of Assembly may vote by de-
livering to the returning officer or his deputy,
a dosed white paper, containing the Christian
name and surname of the person for whom he
votes, whiolt paper the returning officer shall
publioly and without opening the same deposit
in n box to be provided for that purpose, wbinh
shall on no account be taken out, unless in tbe
presence of scrutineers, after the close of an
eleotion. The returning offior of eaoh electoral
district, shall, as soon as may be practicable
after (bo eleotiau, opfto all the boxes containing
the papers in the presence ot two or more scru-
tineers, and openly deolare the name of the
person eleated, and in the event of two or more
candidates having the same number of votes,
he shall by his oasting vote decido wbiob of
the candidates shall be eleeted No returning
officer to vote at any election, exoept in case of
au equality of votes. Any two electors may
address or deliver to the returning officer u
letter signed by them, as proposer and seconder
of a person to be. therein named, as a candidate
to represent the district, and on the day of no-
mination the returning officer shall opeu the
letters, and if there are not a greater number
of candidates proposed and seconded, than 're
3aire to be eleoted, he shall deolare them to be
lily elected, and make bis return accordingly ;
and in the event of there being more candi-
dates than are required, the returning officer
shall give notice at the chief polling place, ol
the names of the candidates, and of the persons
by whoni they are proposed and seconded, and
the voting shall take plaoe ut the several places
on tho day appointed. This it will be scon is a
very «natked departure from the system of
public nomination, verbally, in the presence of I
the electors.
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