The Express.
London, England, 1861-03-18 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

By this arrival we receive advieee from Mel-
bourne to Jan. 26 ; Sydney, Jan. 21 ; and Ade-
laide, Jan. 26. The mnst important
of th.• month relates to the war in New
and way be aurninaiimed as follow/4 :

On the 29th of December the Major-General
marched out from New Plymouth with WO men.
Be advanced by way of Waiters to a jab, kuown as
the Matarikuriko. Having thrown up an entrench-
ment for the security of future operations, the force
proceeded to attack the native stronghold. A tierce
engagement ensued, in which the natives fought
with the courage of despair. and the British with
unflinching and determined bravery. The fighting
was chiefly in the dense fern which surrounds the
place, and the soldiery were assailed on all hands
by uneven enemies. They, however, stood their
ground, and the insurgents were ultimately com-
pelled to retreat into their fort, where, however,
they were not long suffered to remain. The place
was stormed by a party from the 65th, and the
Naval Brigade, led by Colonel Wyatt and Cap-
tain Seymour, R.N. The lose on the
of the natives was 13.1 among writ
were five chiefs, and 70 wounded. It is
said that there were twenty-five women among the
killed. The loss on the part of the British was
three killed and 19 wounded. The importance of
this victory cannot be over-estimated. Matarikoeiko
has hitherto bees the base of the insurgents' ope-
rations. It is now in the possession of the British,
and the natives are driven without shelter into the
bush. To add to their discomfiture, the Boanerges
traikport had arrived with a draft of the 14th
Regiment, amounting to 500, the whole of whom
will be available fur future attacks. The natives
are represented as dispirited, and if it were not for
the dogged obstinacy of their leaders, anxious for
peace.
At Melbourne the new minktry met parliament
on the 3rd of January, and found themselves in a
minority in the house. They afterwards brought
down the budget for the year, containing proposi-
tions for the levying additional taxation in the
shape of stamp duties, additional customs duties,
and wharfage rates. The ministerial scheme was
so unfavourably received, that after a protracted
discussion it was withdrawn. The revenue for the
year shows a decrease of 151,3971. lbs. 7d., es
compared with the year previous, the totals being
3,006,3251. 4s. 10d., against 3,257,7241. Oa. ffd fur
the previous year.
The Helbearne Herald says :
We have iamb better sews to send bans by this mail
the. is• expected is base had in an earlier pert of the
meaty. ti • shal west to negotiate 2,000,0001. more of the
railway lean this year, sad we haws taken the most effec-
tual method of show* that we chasm to negotiate it as
the mod advantageous terms. We halm resolved es a re-
daction of ear expenditure to the eaglet of 500,0001. per
annum, and have planed 100.0001. ea this yrat's estimates
for the ietrodectiee of immigrate.
The, same paper has the following respecting the
goldfields _ _

The grotito of irk reed* dory from the various
goldieW ern 1111 q ireered to 2,008,643 orlon, ef
the rise of N pry ; daring the preview yrs
2.102310 rase% el Ye rise ef 5,P0,440/. reared At
merepolis by the richer ewers. The abipmenta ai late
prides* weal daries year tin olootiOtttl to 4071,14211
asses.. Si the rise d 11,317,304‘.; kale
the quiestity
erred dere, ihe revises year we 2,200,00 mem.