The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-04 00:00:00

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

We have received the Adelaide papers to the 3d
November last.

The Governor opened the session of the Legis-
lative Council on the Ist November, in a speech
which vies in length with an American President's

messtwe. His Excellency hints that the session
must be a long one, and that a snpnlementary
session will be found necessary. Mr. Jas Hurtle
Fisher was unanimously elected speaker. His
Excellency alludes to some measures, "requiring.
as it were. a federal action for the promotion of the
ereat objects common to the Australian colonies"
He then enumerates three bills connected with
important measures of that class. to be submitted
for early consideration. "The first gives certain
civil remedies here to creditors against debtors
absconding from the neighbouring colonies. The
second concerns a question of vital importance to
the commercial interests of the province, and is
intended to contribute towards the establishment Of

it direct steam communication between South Ans.
tralia and Great Britain. The colony of Victoria has
already invested the governor and executive council

with anti

to assist in defrayinv, to a. certain
extent, the cost of any contract by her Majesty's
Government for the above purpose. The bill to

be laid before you is similar in its object, but
limits the expense to be incurred by this colony to
12,0001. per annum. The third question of general
interest to these colonies is, the adoption of a gene.
ral tariff on goods passed up the Murray, and
the emancipation of traders on that river from the
vexatious and annoying restrictions imposed by a
different Tariff and different Customs Regulations
on the opposite banks of the navigable stream,
traversing not foreign countries but British
colonies. I have directed some correspondence
which has taken place on this subject between
this Government and New South Wales and
Victoria, to be lain before you. You will thence
learn that I have not hesitated to disclaim on the
part of South Australia, all desire to appropriate
duties derived from goods Int intended for con-
sumption here ; whilst I have offered to pay over
to New South Wales and Victoria all duties levied
on goods destined for consumption in those colo-
nies. This arrangement is now actually in force,
and is, moreover, greatly facilitated by those colo-
nies having from this very day adopted is their
common Tariff on the Murray, that of South Aus-
tralia, and having agreed that the amount collected
on their account by the Customs Officers of this
province shall be equally divided between
them. I have, therefore, directed a bill to be
laid before you, not merely legalising the above
arrangement, but giving to it even a more
comprehensive and permanent character, by
enabling this colony under all circumstances, to
act for the other two, as their agent in collecting
Murray revenue duties, irrespective of future
changes in the existing tariff. I foresee from this
date an immense expansion to the Murray trade,
beneficial to all these colonies, but more especially
to South Australia, as owning the entrance of the
Murray."

The new Constitution is published, but neither
of the Adelaide papers consider it free from grave
objections, and both of them hint that it must be
considerably altered.
THE ESTIMATES.—The estimates were laid on the
table of the Legislative Council on the 2nd Nov
and comprise supplementary estimates for
1855, and general estimates for 1856, supple-
mentary Lind taxi (('in) ttos for 1855
And general Land Fund estimates for
1856. The additional provision required for
the service of 1855, after deducting the amount of
the unexpended balance of votes in hand, is
27,1871 is 6d. The unexpended balances them-
selves amount to 03,5851 7s 6d. For the service of
1856, the estimated revenue is 349,940/. and the
estimated axpenditure 348 9931 18s. Of this esti-
mated expenditure, 41.5001 is required for the
police. 17 3651 for the military, 24,490/ for works
and buildings, and 101.2001 for roads, stre'tts,
bridges, and public works. Towards meeting
this large expenditure of 848,993/ 18%
109,0001 is to be supplied from the Land
fund. For the supplementary land fund estimates
of 1855 the additional amount required, after de-
ducting, the unexpended balances of votes, is
' £32,838 12s. 2d. The unexpended balances them •
selves are £4O 525 18s. The estimated land fund
revenue of 1856 is £264 100. Of this, £122.703 is
to ao to emigration, X 109,000 to ordinary revenue,
and the rest to establishments supported out of
the land fund.
The copsc in the South-Eastern District are in
a state forwardness, and are looking first-rate.
A. much larger
breadth of land is under cultivation
than there
propitious last
year, and owing to the extra-
ordinarily season there is a prospect of a
most abundant
of Langhorne's Crerr, a
st In the neighbourhood
few of the farmers have