The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-03-24 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

The ship Lightning, as already announced,
arrived off Queenstown on Friday, from Melbourne,
and this morning the owners have received letters
and Papers from the Captain, which, unfortunately,
give a rumour of the loss of the Black Ball Line
of Packet ship Schomberg, off Cape Otway. The
captain of the Lightning, in his letter to his
owners, says

Off Castle-haven,
This —.es • Ship Lightning, March 20, 1856.
the eat inform you of the sad inteligence of the loss of
twat'' crew
about thirty miles to the northward of Cape
tat"' crew and passengers saved. I received the inkr-
th ati through the pilot boat, off Port Philip Heads, and
6,7 had been informed of it that morning by the steamer
e'x'en, which was on her way to Port Fairy, and had
PrnrelalY put back to convey the news to Melbourne.
0,4110 Lightning has brought only 12,000 ounces
catgeld, 1400 bales wool, 500 tons copper ore, 140
tallow, and 120 passengers. The Blackwell
611:l sails .d for London on the same day as the Light-
-I:hgsailed for Liverpool.
011 tee The Red Jacket was to leave again for England
tu January.
u
The advises from Melbourne are over three
N:oeeks later than those previously received. The
thTillercial accounts generally are satisfactory, but
1,,, political condition of Victoria was not in the
ZIT settled condition. In the Legislative Council
for tGovernment had been defeated upon a motion
and ie„aclePtion of the ballot, by a vote of 35 to 25,
ft consequence, the Governor was left without
84131alnistry. Mr. Nicholson had been commis-
trhilllV:° form a new one, but after nearly a week's
tneeisne.ful " not, at the latest accounts, been sue-
, Previous to this final break up of the
b,tvis"rY there had been some serious disagreement
hl.„"/,11 the members and the Governor, Sir
thrZ• .lothare,and some of the executive officers had
beret--511 Up their appointments, but were induced
ain.
them. The Melbourne papers give
asParticulars which place the conduct of Sir
as Ole,
th Hotham in a worse light than before, and,
uuti,." colonists allege, show him to be utterly
4sx,: to occupy the new position he is called to
00;146. The movement had its origin in the
ernoe_
over h; a determination to keep a tight hand
tio, '8 executive to the last. The new constitu
et was received on the 23rd of October. On the
ex 61 November the governor summoned the
ecutive to give their confirmation to the esti-
,' at,t6B. To this course they demurred. They had
eflhtion that immediately on the proclamation
ezt "'e new constitution they would to some
ha become become responsible ministers. They
th had no hued in the preparation of
died estimates ; to judge from their language they
tha not altogether approve of them, and were,
tu'ref°r6, , shy of giving their assent to an expendi-
julTir they did not like the responsibility of
hell;;11,,11- The governor, however, would nut
ofi: °I any departure from the usual plan. The
1.0 eials could not resist. They would not resign
there of losing their pensions, and they were,
ur...,
obliged to do as they were told. But
they2°°n as the new constitution was proclaimed
4 felt freer to act. The colonial secretary was
pttbit°,ldened then to ask the governor in what
e()C"cm• as to the responsibility he considered the
eials to stand, and intimated that the existing
ha considered
combination of officials could not
b.,,Considered a responsible ministry, since they
not been brought together by mutual
tteement, but by the arbitrary appointment of
beene governor. Their official conduct had not
)3 the result of mutual consultation, but had
tithe
guided by the orders they had received.,
governor did not agree with Mr. Haines 's
°n responsible
on this point, and forwarded to him a minute
Tut,- resPonsible government as he understood it.
"IS made matters rather worse, and the result was
an appeal to the Attorney-general as to the ex-
pediency of issuing fresh commissions to the
ir
cials. The Attorney general reported in favour
of this plan, and the executive were consequently
each favoured with a circular telling them that they
" released" from office on political grounds.
h-teY all acquiesced in the release, and asked foe
1-,eir Pensions. Mr. Haines was then re-appointed
,ahief
Secretary, and requested to form a Ministry,
W"`cli he did out of the same band of officials
With two exceptions The happy state of things
thus brought about was not of long duration, for
as we have stated above, a defeat in the legislative
council has caused a thorough break up of the
ministrv.

The.l Melbourne dye of the 11th of December
given the following account of the swearing-in of
Sir Charles Hotham :-- Yesterday, at noon, the
eeren,
itot.--"Y of swearing-in Sir Charles Hotham as
ernor of Victoria, under the new constitution
act, took place at Government House, in the
Presence of the executive council, several members
twAr the legislative and city councils, and about
whe.ll,_Y or thirty citizens. The apartment in
The
the affair was conducted was quite filled
by enew Commission, and also the oaths were read
Rusden, the clerk of the executive council,
r,`,B.tacellency standing by the vice-regal chair, the
Justice, Sir W. A. a'Beckett, being seated at
6 right hand. His Excellency having complied
v. lt. h the usual formalities and attached his signa-
ture, to the various documents, the Chief Secre-
tary' the Attorneeneral, the Commissioner of
Trade and Customs, and the Commissioner of
Publica: Works, took the oath of allegiance to him
the representative of her Majesty. The governor
(1111. bowed to the gentlemen present, and they
tzuhi,:utirew• At the same moment a salute was fired,
e guard of honour osted in front of Govern-
it:Mt 111)1180 presented arms, and the military band
er attendance struck up a lively air. There was a
th°cv, cl of people outside, who were in expectation
„
the ceremony would take place out of doors,
but expectation was disappointed.
The, news of the fall of Sebastopol had been
re.,
gi(e"red• It reached Melbourne by the French
_ Gertrude, from Calcutta, and caused universal
.:iatisfaction, and in many places public holidays
114(1 been held in commemoration of the event.
The 2lelbourne Herald announces that blacklead
Plumbago has been found in considerable
'quantities at Blackwood, a sample of which is in
the hands of Mr. Clarke, the gold broker. Copper,
t
Plumbago and gold may be said to abound in
locality.
„ The demand for labour was very active, and
great difficulty was experienced in obtaining a
number of agriculturists. Wages had an
nPward tendency.
4 The Sydney Herald announces that it had been
ellemined to invite Mr. Charles Gavin Duffy,
th: was expected to arrive in Australia during
sv'd month of December, to a public dinner in
ne°,‘,lle37- A committee was appointed to make the
ssary arrangements.
e subjoin full details of the
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Best new hay (trusse

MELBOURNE.
GOLD.-1114 price of gold during the week has been
steady at 75s per oz. for mixed, and from 68s to 72s per
us.
fur amalgamated, with a good
demand, since Tuesday, with the ver•v
cpotnioslideorfaablfeew small
lots for Sydney, in which trade we flexnclee increase
je I.
'
during the week, equal to 20 per cent. of our average
We have no particular advent to chronicle from the )
diggings.
S me persons have been in town from the Nicholson River,
Gipps Land, who speak well of the place, though as yet very
few have been induced to go there. Mount Blackwood
diggings will soon be deserted. The diggers have fled from
there, and in many instances left their tents, tools, &c.,
behind them, not thinking them worth carrying away. The
rush is principally to the Back Creek, Elphinstone,—and
there the reefs are of a very rich character, as well as soma
fair alluvial diggings. Total receipts for the week per
escorts, 43,226 ounces.
WooL About 700 bales have been brought to auction,
'which were not competed for with so much spirit as last week.
As prices, which have been lately given are not warranted
by
accounts received from England, they cannot reasonably
° expected to be so fully maintained
TALLOW : For shipment, mixed, £35 to £3B ; mutton,
£3B to £4O.
BIDES : Country salted, from 10s to 12s.
fey : The business of this market has been uniform
and steady since our last report, and, with the exception
°f a slight disposition in prices to advance, there is no
variation from our last previous quotations :
Per Ton
£6 0 0 to 6 5 0

Best old hay, do. 11 0 0
Heat new hay (bundled), 5 0 0 to 5 10 0
LABoun : We have to report a continued steady demand
for both good men and women servants, wages having a
decided upward tendency. Good agricultural men servants
are very much enquired after, and we are unable to supply
the demand, which is likely to be the case for months to
Come. When we consider that haymaking alone has nearly
Bleared the market at of able-bodied men, We ElaY well