The Express.
London, England, 1861-04-13 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

From Melbourne we reoeive ad vices to Feb. 23,
from Sydney to Feb. 19, from Adelaide to Feb. 23.
The Me/bourne Herald thus sums up the political
history of the month :
When the Heads ministry mime into power they had to
face the task of accommodating an extravagant system of
expenditure to • declining revenue. Calculated on the sale
of former years, the estimates for this year amounted to
about three millions and a half sterling, whilst the probable
available iocorno from the established sources rose only to
three millions. The ministry proposed to make up the dit.
fereoce by imposing new taxes on certide articles of luxury,
on stamps, and some other duties. But the Assembly
met them at once with an emphatic refusal to 11111 C.
Lion any new taxes, and a demand for sweeping re-
trenchment At length, after several nights of sharp dis-
cussion, an amendment was moved by Mr. Joseph Wilkie,
a member for one of the country districts, sud seconded by
Dr. Evans, to the following effect :—" That the estimates
submitted by the government be withdrawn, with a view to
their readjustment, so that the whole amount of expendi-
ture may be brought within the revenue for Is6l, as esti-
mated by them at three millions, and that no reduction be
made ou the estimates for roads ad bridges, or in the aid for
local representative bodies during the present year, or for
the supply of water to the goldholds.
This amendment was carried by a majority of 34 to 27.
The ministry took a day to consider upon their position,
and the next evening Mr. Heide@ announced that, after
what bad taken place on the previous night, the ministry
had placed their resignations in the hands of the Governor,
and that his excellency had been pleased to accept the
same, conditional on their holding office till their sae-
mason were appointed. He went into a brief statement
of the position in which they found themselves by the
adverse and somewhat oondicting votes of the louse; OM'
eluding that they could not carry on the business of the
country under the restrictions imposed upon them. A
vote of 300,000/. in advance for the payment of salaries and
current liabilities was then taken, and the house adjourned
for a week. This was on the 31st January, and from that
date till the 16th February the public business was at a
dead stand still.

On the 15th Februnry, Mr. ileales announced in tte
Assembly that his excellency hod requested himself and
his rolleagnes to resume office, and that they had consented
to do so. When the house next met, Mr. lie-ales went at
some length into a statement of the tmancial position in
which the ministry felt themselves placed when they re-
signed oleo • and stated that hi, and his colleagues had
gone over the estimates of their respective departments,
sad up to the present time they found they could make
reductions to the amount of 300,000/, lie then asked for a
week's further interval to allow of the revisions in the
estimates being fully carried out. On Tuesday next tbs
main business of the session will recommence. This is
exactly the ministerial position at the moment we write.

Of the goldfields the Angus writes :
Owing to rations causes, the „total yield of gold has
been well maintained up to the present time, and there is
little reason now to expect any falling-off during the re-
:minder of the year which has commenced so hopefully.
Only a few days since enormously rich quartz was struck ui
tethisigroned, the gold being taken out in plows esti*
by pounds instead of ounces, and nrrengosrer
is fast resuming its place of pre-eminence as a sold'
producing district.