The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-09-18 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

By the arrival of the Australian mail we have
reemvci tiles of papers from 3lelbourue to the 25th of
July, and from Mymlimey to time '3Xim of July.
We extract time following from the suuroary of the
Melbourne A ryou of the lieu of July :

Te Penimular and Oriental Company's atesmahip
ikilsette, Captain Medico', arrived off Kangaroo
Idand on the morning of the 4th inst.. and anchored in
llotaoon Bsy at an early hour on the tith, with the
Engludo wail of the bids of Nay. The Sidaette brought
no Inter intelligence by telegraiu to Alexandria, and die
Red Sea table in .611 out of working order..
. . . .

The ailviors from Europe, warning us id impending
troubles, were followed by disastrous intelligence from
New Zmilatid, the partieulais of which are given else-
where. The evil titling., however, lots bad the effect
of drawing out the most local sentiments from every
district of Victoria -a sufficient miswer to the un- I
founded statements that have lately received currency
in England as to the reeling, of this colony towards the
ntother country. 111111 l dude help for New Zealand was
resolved upon, and on the 15th iust, the fast steausoliip
City of Hobart was demist:lied for New Plymouth,
carrying Lieutenant4:olonel Leslie and 210 °dicers and
Mrs of the 40th Itegintoit. 11.jor-Getteral Pratt,
Cononauder.in-Chief of Het Majesty's forces in Austra-
lasia, cominuisicated to the Govenior his intention of
proceeding to the neat of ear, with his staff and tlie
head-quarters of the 40th. The announcement gave
grcut satisfaction to the colony, and the colonial armed
steamer %.ietoria' which had been olaced at the service
of the New Zealand Govenoneut, and which had
brought over the ileapatelies, was again plated at the
Major-General's service, and sailed on Tuesday last, tbe
24t1, inst. with General Pratt, the stair, and about rw
men of tile 40th. Only a few sick men awl boys of
the rezituent are left in Mellmurne, and the Volunteer
Ratty have responded in the most loyal manner to the
call to take up the garrison ditty hitherto terfonned by
the military. This duty they undertook • fortnight
ago, anti their only complaint is the non-arrival of the
anon su hing expected from Ertzlend. The Assembly
took up the subject aintuluenusly with the arrival of
tie despatches, and. im the motion of Mr. Wilson Gray,
one of the ultranleniocratic members, voted an addi-
tioual suet of 0,000 to provide prizes for the best
tuarksineu among the Voluuteers, the erection of butts,
the Mrtuation of hands, Le. ; while the Ministry
brought in a Hill to increase the number of the Volun-
teer force from 2,000 to 10,000, and announced that
should an emergency arise during the neves they would
be prepared to inert any expenditure that might he
called for, trusting to the loyal feeling of the House for
a 11111 of Indemnity tiext erasion. Victoria, therefore,
at this moment is without a oingle military representa-
tive of Her Majesty, and is engaged in her own
defences in the moot loyal spirit to the Crown.
Some important measures have been under discussion
daring the month. The Divorce LIM (originally sent
clown by the Council) has passed the Assembly. This
Bill assimilates the law to thst of England, excepting
in one provition. considered very desirable in the cir-
cumstances of this colony—namely, aboolute divorce ill
Case of desertion for four years. It is probable that the
addition of this proviso may 00Calli011 the reservation ot
the measure for the sanction of Her Majesty, in terms of
a despatch dated in 1554, from Lord St.uley. then Colo-
nial Secretory ; but with this warning before it, and
notwithstanding the remonstrances of the law otHoeni of
time Crown, the Assembly. in nesstood divisions, insisted

MI the retention of the proviso; and as the social state
of the colony demand* a change of law, in the interestsof morality and humanity, such as the Bill provides, we
trust the measure as it has left the Assembly ins,'
receive the Royal assent. The Bill to abolish imprison-
ment for debt has also been pused through the Ascent-
-I,ly, and that abolishing Ministerial pensions and legsli-
sing limited putiierships in mining enterprises, will
shortly pao into law. A Isuf of Property Amendment
Bill. initialed to remedy a very great varkty of legal
anomalies and difficulties, has almost reached its Last
stake.
The railways are still a source of difficulty. The
recent investigations, awl the remeasurement of the
works by the engineerin-chief, Lave led to a resolut'
on the part of the Government to abandon the system
of payment on what are known as "progress" nseasure-
aunts. It is undentnod that these qusntitics hue been
Found to be, in many instances, lsrgely in excess of the
work actually iserforiiml. In regard to the execrtion
o the work itself the report of the engiueer-in-ebief is
favourable. The latest phew of the railway question
is a strike of the labourers, who hare resisted for some
four or five weeks aim attempt to introduce monthly, in
place of fortnightly, settlements. The strike is likely to
terminate in the yielding of the men.
The Border Customs' question is still unsettled, and
engaging the attention of the two Governments. Public
feeling against the course tsken by the Government of
New South Wales hu been expressed unmistakably
in the Bonier districts. . . .

The !cadets of time exploring expedition have been
chosen. Mr. Richard o'llara Burke, long superin-
tendent of the police at Castleumaine district, is first in
command, and his mecum' is Mr. Ismiulells who recently
brought the camels from India. Mr. Wills. fromu the
Melbourne Observatory, is appointed astronomer to the
expedition awl Dr. Hecker accompanies it as naturalist.
The expedition will start in the course of next month,
making Cooper', Creek their point of departure.
Thu difficulties placed in time way of time transference
of the Melbourne and Geelong Railway to time (foveni-
umeut by some mml the directors, have 1100 beell removed,
and the purchaaes will he forthwith completed.
The port of Sandridge is about to he separated from
Melbourne, and constituted an independent munici-
pality.
The prospecting parties in Gipps-land have found
traces of gold in mummy places, but as yet nm• new pay-
able goldfield has been reported from that district. We
are still, however, without reports, private or official,
from two of the partiew—NlTrac'e and filacdommald's—
aunt out to exai ll itt e the likely ground on the head
waters of the Yarra. A new and important goldfield
has been officially remmrted as existieg Oil the Goulimurn,
and numerous parties of miners from Inglewood and
other goldfields. who were preparing to try the Sno m y
River, !Mil: timmed aside to the Goullmurn. Yandoit
District, nor Castlemaine, is attracting souse attention
—seven large nuggets having been found within •
limited area in as many weeks. The last af these
: nuggets, weighing 3340 z., was discovered on the 17th
inst. Another diamond, weighing nearly three carats,
has been found in the Ovens district, near Yackaii-
Jewish.

The telegraphic cable acrid. Bass's Straits is still
out of order! It 11411 been ascertained that the injuries
to the cable occurred on King's la:and, during one of
the violent storms which are so fre.mently experienced
in the Straits. The repairs have been considerably de-
layed by the tempestuous character of the weather for
some time last, but they are in progress.
One of the mind isitere.ting events of the month has
been the marriage of his Excellency the Governor, Sir
Henry Darkly, K.C.11., with 11ini Pratt. the only
daughter of Najor•General Pratt. t:oniniamier of the
Forces in Australasia. The care 1111 l ny was performed in
the most private manner at Christ Church, South
Yarra, iii Saturday last.

It i; aniicipate-tithat Parliament will be prorogued in
about 10 days..
..
• • '

The unemployed' made their usual demonstration
before the departnre of the mail, yesterday, in the
Eastern market. The ' United Masons' still adhere to
their demand for Ns. a-day, but A new society has been
formed of men who are willing to work for 14s. arlay.
In the present state of the colony the hi4l terms insisted
AA by .be Inesolid I.racticAly suspend building opera•
tine, and produce much of the misery 'anodically
complained of.