The Express.
London, England, 1862-05-13 00:00:00

VIOTOR!A.
The followingie from the Meibotiree Argus of the
215th March

The news of the month contains no Item of prominent ins- I
parlance. Ia politics we have only to note that the ministry
apnoeas M. ter have • mare tenure of office. It corn-
made ocesiderable majorities on all the important points •
of its declared policy, and it has succeeded in converting
many of its late opponents.
The land Bill is progres=ly
t=gh the Lower !
Beige; imilifieriaevile danger. The
demo egesekfilieg the made of alieeast:ion and the conditions
of astileseeighave been mead with very little alteration.
A memo of hardly leas importance to the country has
bees, emeit thrqugh all ita principal stages in the same
ham is *BMW the oppositioe of the government. It is
the Teemeelleal property Bill, es introduced by Mr. Unite. I
Pat effi es Rohm' not very creditable pretexts by the ,
goverment lawyers, so strong was the feeling of the house
end of the country in its favour that the ministry had at
• =elite way, and the bill was carried throughi mooed •
sad committee in one night, the house I
beteg leentemt to read only the marginal notes of
thredoe= The bill is looked forward' to with
t as the most simple and effective measure yet
for .teting the transfer ofteal estates, and for
remellgeoft el the pretest intolerable evils of the law
and peeetioe eseveyeneing. • - -
The colonyet has been greatly agitated dulls the last
month, and until the arrival of the January mail, with as-
teipatioes of a war between England and America. The
esearrival of the December mail added to the anxiety
which was felt on the NOD, of the intelligence which was
expected by this opportusity. The !surrender of the Southern
commissioners was first reported by way of San Francine>,
but it was not until the arrive' of the mail with dates to
the 31st of January that the colony was mural that the
LISof war was at an end. The miming steamer Boas-
! since reached Melbourne, from Mauritius, with the
mails of December.
The death of the Prince Consort has been received with a
profound feeling of sorrow by all classes of this community.
The Governor's request for a general mourning has been
acceded to with remarkable unanimity ; and parliament
lost no time in paying the proper marks of respect to the
Prince's memory, by adjourning its sitting immediately on
the receipt of the sad intelligence, and by agreeing upon
addresses of condolence to our beloved Queen mid bereaved
Sovereign:
Great interest is taken in a scheme put forth for a
monthly communication with England, by way of the Cape
of Good Hope, with steamers of say 6,000 or 7,000 tons
burden, and of considerable power. A committee ei the
promoters has had an interview with the Chief Secretary
and the Treasurer on the subject. They have asked a subsidy
of 4,,C00/.. per voyage. It is urged that a portion of the vote
for immigration might be turned into this channel ; and
that, as the voyage between England sad Australia would
be. made with rapidity and certainty, • large stream of im-
migration might be kept constantly flowing into the colony,
and that at small cost to the state. The representations
made to the government are now under amideration by the
cabinet, and as soon as the determination in the matter is
known further action will be taken. It is that
the neceseary capital should be raised yin England
and pertly in Victoria.
In the course of the next month, the railway between
Geelong and Hallamt will be opened for traffic. Engines
now per aloeg the line from end to end.
It was stated in oar last summary that Dr. Berry, the
principal of St. Patrick's College, bad suddenly left the
°obey, leaving the affairs of the institution in an involved
Mate. We are happy to state that the rev. gentleman has
since refaced to Melbourne.
Sir Willem Doe died somewhat suddenly at Hobart
Town on the 19th inst. He had been in indifferent health
for Nome time, but almost up to the fatal termination of hie
Mixes be appeared nightly on theaters.
From New Zealand, we have only the usual rumours of
impending disturbances. The early winter has begun to
tell on the gold-fields of Otago, where the rain end cold, and
the want of timber for firewood and for mining purposes,
render a digger's life impossible of endurance in winter.
The Melbourne Age lays :

.. -
Our list of contributions to the Great Exhibition is sot
yet completed. The commissioners have decided upon pur-
chasing eight thousand ounces of gold, in order that the
auriferous treasurer of the colony may be full represented.
Otitis quantity it irteteaded that Beech should owe-
tribute 1,800, Sandhurst l,OOO, Castlemaine 1,200, &l-
iana 1,800, Amherst 1,000, Heathcote 400, Gipps Land 300,
Kyneton 25, Kilmore 75, and the Jangeson's diggings
100 ounces. Each of these contributions will comprise as
many specimens as possible, and each is to be accompanied
by details as to the locality of the claim from which it was
obtained end the cost of production, together with such other
interesting information as may suggest itself.