The Express.
London, England, 1866-03-16 00:00:00

The third, and most daring case, is thus reported
by the China Mail, of the Ist February :
TM Meeklemburg three-masted schooner Albert Zane,
Captain finuitiaadre, now is harbour, bound from this to
Clotho with a few canes of Chinese cargo, reports that
while at anchor off Stotts Cutter's Island last night, at
Rost 8.30 p.m.. two pull-away boats, each containing
*bent sight or nine seem, boarded the vessel, from both
sides, attacked the use oa IMO* Ithaca they severely
wouaded, and having locked the rest of the crew of the
schooner in the deck house where they lived, proceeded to
rifle the thrill. Fortunately, however, the mate, who was
fa the after cabin, heard the noise, sod having obtained a
revolver, proceeded at oath to the deck, the new (whisk
consisted of ten listropeaes all told, a Chinese cook, sad
supercargo) having manned to escape from their condos-
meth vii the hatchway in the roof of their house. The
matellred one shot into the midst of the marauders, where-
upon • peak Weed there sad they made the bast of their
way bask into the beats; leaving in their flight a bat,
sword scabbard, sod the ramrod of • piitol. The captain
was ashore at the time of the assault, but a boat having
been despatched from the vessel, the police were quickly
cominonicated with. With the exception of a revolver, a
rifle, • fowling piece, and apologies for two guns, the vessel
was mainly without mesas of resisting as armed forth of
any pretensions whatever, end it is probably owing simply
to the fact that the crew of the Albert June were on the
alert that no worse consequences ensued.
The elections have been the all-engrossing sub-
jects of interest in Victoria since the departure
of the last mail. By the Electoral Act the
oonstituencies are divided into three series, or
batches, the elections for which occur within
a certain period of each other. Two of these
have already taken place, and "the result (says
the Melbourne Ape of 25th January) has been the
most complete vindication of the policy adopted by
the governor, the ministry, and the Assembly."
In an article on the subject of the dispute
between the two houses, the Ape says that any
active interference on the part of the home govern-
ment " will be pregaant with danger to the rela-
tions between the colony and the mother country."
It maintains that Victoria owes its prosperity to its
own energy and industry ; that it mainly pays for
its own defence ; and that the principal duty the
home government has had to perform has been to
appoint governors, whom the colonists hand-
somely remunerate. The people have long since
given up the idea of remaining in leading strings to
any authority at a distance of 113,000
Writing on the opposite side, the Argus admits
that the result of the elections " has been even
more decidedly in favour of ministers and protec-
tion than could have been expected ;" and it says
that the third series of elections cannot " possibly
change the face of affairs, and turn the ministerial
majority into a minority. It is inevitable that the
government must have a very large numerical ma-
jority." The Argus declares, however, that many
of the new members are " quite unsuited for par-
liaineatary duties, being without education or ex-
perience, aadsom‘ef them not exactly the kind of
persons whom the electors would have chosen to
transact for them any important piece of private
business ; while of the defeated candidates several
were men of character and of ability, who would
have made no unworthy members of any legislative
body."
It was rumoured in Melbourne after the rece;ot
of the November mail from England that previous
to the despatch of that mail the recall of Sir Charles
Darling bad been determined on.
Considerable excitement has been caused by the
discovery of gold in quartz on the eastern aide of
the Bremer Ranges, about 50 miles from Adelaide.
Samples have been forwarded to the Sydney Mint,
and a good percentage of gold is found in the
quartz. Some companies bare been formed to work
it, including the names of influential colonists. The
alluvial diggings at Echuoga (21 miles from Ade-
laide), which have been carried on for some years
back by the residents in the neighbourhood, are
said to have yielded 150,0001. of gold.
Fresh discoveries of copper are also announced,
land some parties believe that they have found ,
pe-
troleum in the crater of an extinct volcano at Kee-
garoo Island.