Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-06-07 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

By the arrival of the steamer Malta at Marseilles,
we have received one month's later news from Aus-
tralia. The dates are—Melbourne, April 16; Sydney,
April 13 • and Adelaide, April 18.
At Melbourne, gold from the diggings was in
excess of the corresponding quarter of last year to
the extent of a few hundred ounces. . .

At Sydney, accounts had arrived by the natives of
one of the Hebrides of the murder of Captain Prout
and most of the crew of the Maid of Australia, a
Sydney vessel. _ _

The following is a summary of the news to hand
VICTORIA.

POLITICAL.—The intelligence by the last mail contained
the announcement of the resignation by Mr. Duffy of the
Lands Department. The office had been filled up by the
appointment of Dr. Evans, formerly Postmaster-General,
the latter office being now vacant. It was necessary, of
course, that Dr. Evans should go back to his constituents
for re-election after his elevation, Although Parliament
is not sitting, nor is there any prospect of its being called
together before the coming general election, •an opponent
to Dr. Evans was put forward by the Convention, or
ultra-democratic party. This was Dr. Mackay, a well-
known barrister there. The Conventionists mustered in force
on the Richmond hustings on the day of nomination, and
dealt out much -rabid abuse of the Government in general,
and of Dr. Evans in particular. For two or three days it
was " Chaos come again "
,in Richmond; but on the day
prior to the election, the public was startled by an an-
nouncement that the Commissioner of Public Laud had
actually pledged the Ministry to the Convention Land
scheme, which includes free selection before survey, indis-
criminate free pasturage, the total extinction of squat-
terism, and deferred payments. On inquiry being made,
it was found that this report was substantially correct.
Negotiations had been going on between the ultra party
and the candidate, which had resulted in Dr. Evans giving
in writing, his adhesion to such a liberal exposition of the
Government's skeleton land scheme as satisfied the Conven-
tionists, who accordingly withdrew their opposition.
GOLD.—The Melbourne Herald after giving a lengthened
tabular statement of the movements of gold for the first
quarter of the past three years, says :—These returns give
evidence that the gold produce of this colony, less during
the quarter of 1858 than it was in the parallel period of
the preceding year, has fallen off to a still greater extent
during the current one. The decrease in the quarter and
succeeding fortnight of 1859 in the quantity brought down
by escort, as compared with 1858, amounts to 11,942 oz.,
and with 1857. to 78,864 oz. In the shipment of gold the
present year is in arrear as compared with the correspond-
ing period of 1858, 86,967 oz. ; and of 1857, 113,604 oz.
The locality which is at present almost monopolising the
attention of the mining community is in the Maryborough
district, the Back Creek gold field being distant from that
township about-eleven miles. The diggings are reported

to be exceedingly rich; indeed the rumours remind ns of
the old times of Eagle Hawk and Adelaide gully. The
sinking is exceedingly difficult in consequence of immense
deposits of trap-rock overlying the gold leads. In some
instances the claims have yielded a really extraordinary pro-
portion of the precious mineral, and although there are
not wanting statements of a contradictory nature, the
balance of opinion is unquestionably favourable to the
belief that the facts have not been much exaggerated. A
few days ago 108 ounces of metal were washed from two
tubs of auriferous soil, and one of the proprietors of the
claim from which this sample had been taken, declared that
he would not dispose of his share for £lO,OOO, as there was a
lead of a foot in width which appeared to be one sheet of
gold. Another party " nuggeted" 4 lb. from one foot of
ground, and in other instances 17 ounces of gold had been
washed from four tubs, and £7O of the precious mineral
from seven buckets. A few days ago the miners took
possession of one of the main streets of the township, and
in defiance of legal consequences marked out claims and
commenced sinking. Most of these, however, have been
since abandoned. Several minor rushes have taken place
to localities in proximity to the main diggings, and some of
them have been attended with successful results. The
Indigo gold field and its neighbour, New Ballaarat, have
lately been in a languishing condition, the miners having
met with only a very moderate remunertif

.abour. There has been a rather important ru
Ararat district to a locality known as the Commiss