The Express.
London, England, 1862-03-17 00:00:00

VICTORIA.

The Melbourne Argue, of the 25th January, pub-
lishes the following summary for Europe :
The interest of the past month's news centres in our
colonial budget. Parliament re-sseembled on the 14th,
after the Christmas holidays. and on the following Friday,
Jan. 17, the treamurer, Mr. Haines, made his financial state-
meet. He showed that sines 1857 the expenditure of the
oolony had exceeded the revenue. In 1868 the exams of
expeuditore over revenue had been 119,337/. • in 1859,
132,8421. •, and in 1860.232.103/. ; leaving 176,3651. to carry
forward to 1861. Last year the deficiency was 243,387 r,
leaving en actual deficiency of 120,0021. to be carried for-
ward to 1862. The course thus shown to have been pursued
by former governments Mr. Bathes declared must now
cease. He and his colleagues were determined to make
the income of the year meet the deo:made to be made upon
It by Be expenditure. The expenditure for the present
year he estimated at 3,106,4961., while the revenue
would not exceed 2,886,0911. Mr. Haines said he should
have been glad to be able to announce a large reduction in
the expenditure, but he was unable to do so, as the people
bed become scenatomed to rely on the government for a
certain amount of aid, the sudden withdrawal of which
would lead to great inconvenience. The expenditure would
be reduced so far as to bring it under that of the past year ;
but it would be necessary to ask the bowie to givens moat
to other sources of revenue being provided. To meet the
additional expenditure, and to restore the equilibrium of
our finances, Mr. Haines proposed to impose fresh customs
duties, amounting in the aggregate to 88,0001., and to raise
I a further sum of 50,0001. by means of a registration-fee of
2d. on all pecksges imported into or exported from this
colony, in couforontv, observed the treasurer, with the plan
adopted by Mr. Gladstone in England.
At length the colony stands a chance of having the ad-
vantages it offers to European emigrants properly explained
and urged °you the notice of the classes we moat need from
the mother country—intelligent labourers of all cleans
Rod in every field of industry. We have repeatedlyfr insisted
axe the
se theyees itoefhoseuoil
ibe,byWpublie meetingspte
alerectmen,
to explain to the classes to whom we look for increase to
our population the many sterling attractions Victoria has
as a field for emigration. Other colonies in our vicinity—
New South Wales and Queensland, for example—have done
this, and have begun to reap the advantage of the system.
But Victoria, where the plan was first mooted, hasuntil now
been tmableto obtain representatives of this very valuable
order. On the estimates presented by the present government,
however, besides the vote of 120,0001. ' for emigration pur-
pose.'" and a sum " for conveyance of immigrate to out-
piste," appears the following addition—" and 5,000/. for
the payment of lecturers, and expenses in imouunsion there-
with.' Only so will the public mind io Europe be disabused
of erroneous impressions regarding Victoria, and informed
with accurate ideas of the inducements she holds out to the
superabundante tgoEtutytiolofflemolet cooluntlety,..eiture
of
the
Confederate commissioners on board the West India mail
steamer, coupled with • report that friendly relations
between England and the United States had actually been
suspended, caused considerable excitement which was
not lessened by the reception by the Beak of
Australasia of the following telegram from the bead
office in Loudon —" London, lid December, 1861.—Probs-
bilis), of war with the Federal States of America. Wet
premium of hisursoce. Vessels already sided from Me.
tralia, one per cent. ; to sail before 31st December, two peg
cent," All this has given an additional interest to tba q
the of our defences, which has been brought before We'
house more than once; and on Wednesday, Mr. Batas
said —" He had that day been in communication with she I
engineer officer in charge of the defeasive works,and he was
able to say that it was the opinion of the military authorities
that no law body of troops would ever be sent here by an
enemy. The was fees simian force or a privateer,
and when the :trim Bobseela Bey were completed—
which would be the ore within tee or twelve weeks—no
privateer or small fores would venture into the bay." On
the num evening a vole el 411601. for the., and other mili-
tary works vas agreed to.
Sir George Gres work in New Zealand is evidently nose
of the wrest. Be seems as yet, to have hronbt matters
no nearer a settlement, and has to show eoutiny that his
efforts after peace are backed by the means of war ; recent

ien=enoe mys :—"lt is evident that poem cannot now
except by showing a determined front."
• •

The Metiverne says :
The quantity of gold shipped from Victorian parte during
lan was 202,339 oz., of which 133,270 oz. 001120 from
Otago. The shipments of Victorian gold amounted to
1,939089 or. The quantity exported in 1800 was 2,128,479
oz., the difference against 1861 being 189,390 oz., wMCIi, at
41. per or., represent, a deficiency in the value of our gold
shipments in 1861 of 757,360/. The shipments of gold to
China amounted to 54,351 oz. against 86,000 oz. exported in
1860, showing an adverse balance apMst last year on this
' account of 31,649 or. The receipts by escort during 1861
amounted to 1,102,886 or., which, compared with those of
1860, viz., 2,008,843 oz., show a deficiency against the last
year of 175,957 os.
During the present year of 1862 the quantity of gold
brought down by escort to date bas been 101,476 oz., against
116,596 oz. for the corresponding period of last year. The
shipments during the same pealed have amounted to 82,617
or., against 117,617 or. forlast year.