The Express.
London, England, 1863-05-16 00:00:00

JAPAN.

By the last advioes from Japan (says the Overland
Friend of China, April 1) no intelligence reaches
us regarding Admiral Kuper and the vessels under
his command ; it is said that he intends to make a
demonstration at Osaka. At Yokohama everything
was quiet, no further signs of hostility having been
made.

AUSTRALIA.
VICTORIA.

The Melbourne Herald of March 25 says that the
session of the Victorian Legislature Dila year has
been one of the most laborious experienced, yet
the least fruitful of practical results. "The
ministry still command a decisive majority in both
houses, and they are steadily sustained by the in-
telligent opinion of the country ; but the existence
of a forlorn hope of obstructive.' in the assembly
has unfortunately bad the effect of causing the
most vexatious and injurious delay of the public
business. If we say that the Electoral Bill has
been read a third time in the Assembly, and been
dispatched to the Upper House, we shall have
stated the nett result of the month's 'legislation.'"
During the month of February 2,960 persons
arrived at Melbourne, and 5,712 took their
departure, leaving a balance against the colony of
2,752 souls. Of the arrivals, 1,799 were adult
males, 822 adult females, 181 male, and 158 female
children. Of the departure., 4,701 were adult
males, 598 adult females, 215 male and 198 female
children. About four-fifths of the departures were
for New Zealand.

The news from the gold fields is good.
A stern determination is expressed by the Austra-
lian colonies to resist the revival of transportation
to these shores. In order to give the Victorian
protest all the emphasis of a national declaration,
the Chief Secretary has drawn up the following
address to her Majeety :
May It please wee Majosty,—We, your Majesty's dutiful
and loyal subjects, the members of the legislative
Anew-
bly of Victoria, in psrliamant assembled, beg leave to
appear* ynor Majesty with renewed asmranose of our
loyalty and affection. We desire to rake known to your
Majesty that we have learned with the utannet alarm that
the subject of transportation to the Australian oolonita has
epee more engaged the attention of the imperial govern-
swat. That in the discharge of our solaria duty to this
cowry in its highest interests we feel bound to emphs,
tray protest against the revival or continuance of trans-
portation to any portion of the Australian continent or ad.
joining settlement.. That we look back with horror to the
atrocious crime perpetrated after the discovery of the gold
fields by a host of criminal who suddenly appeared amongst
our community from adjacent penal colonies, and the re-
membrance of the state of society engendered by their pre.
sena is as yet too vivid to permit of our submitting to the
resumption of transportation to any part of Australia without
the prompt expression of our firm determination to offer

all the resistance in oar power to so temble • calamity.
That this country is now only beginning to rasp the advan.
tyre of the vast expenditure she has incurred, and
the stringent laws she has pealed to arrest the
career of these criminals, and it would be dis-
heartening beyond eadur•uce were she spin forced to
combat the same dangers from which she has been rescued
at such great nos►, • condition imposed upon her by her
proximity to those settlements where British criminals had
been sent. That this house, by its generous and successful
efforts in the canoe of Australian exploration, having
opened up • vest territory for the highest purposes Of
civilisation, can scarcely conceive that your Majesty's go-
vernment would render, by the establishment of penal set-
tlements, these glorious discoveries the means of inflicting
upon • free people • deadly moral injury. That while the
gold fields of this colony present such powerful at-
tractions, it is immaterial whether convicts be landed
in Victoria or on the next remote shore of this continent,
as no means, even honestly conceived and strictly carried
out, can succeed in confining them within the limits of any
settlement to which they may be deported. Thus trans-
portation to any portion of Australia, or to any of the ad-
joining settlements, would practically be transportation to
Victoria, and would thus necessarily be injurious to the
moral welfare of her people, increase their burdens, impede
free immigration, provoke exceptional legislation, and teed
to alienate the affections of her inhabitants from the mother
country. We therefore pray your Majesty will be graciously
pleased to refuse your royal sanction to any'propceal for
the coatinuanoe or revival of transportation to any portion
of your Majesty's Australian posseanous.