VICTORIA.

Evening Star, Issue 2825, 8 March 1872, Page 3

VICTORIA.

Little is known of Stawell, which was recently visited by the Victorian Ministry ; but it deserves a passing notice on account of the unexampled richness of some of its mines. In the neighborhood of Stawell—a substantially-bui t town containing nearly 6000 inhabitants, with its ho -pital and numerous churches —there is a goldfield which has yielded 824,803 ounces of the precious metal, of the value of L 3,000,000 sterling. As an indication of the richness of the reefs in this district, we may refer to that owned by the Cross Reef Company, which is composed of 10,000 shares paid up to 1 2 2s Gd each, and held by seventy-five persons. The half-yearly returns of this mine were June, 1870, 3406 ozs from 1675 tons, dividend L 999 2; December, 1870, 10,452 ozs from 7671 tons, dividend L 25.500 ; June, 1871, 12,667 ozs from 9402 tons, dividend L 32 250; December, 1871, 24,495 ozs from 12,631 tons, dividend L 73,500. The average yield is 24 ozs per ton, and up to the present date 33,800 tons have been crushed, yielding 57,176 ozs 12 dwts, which, after paying all expenses, has enabled the declaration of dividends amounting to L 163,242. Something like a clakn this, beating New Zealand’s Caledonian. The development of religion, as displayed in the Melbourne newspapers, is something extraordinary. The weekly joui uals formerly enjoyed the exclusive privilege of reproducing Spurgeon’s sermons—at so much per inch. The daily papers now report sermons almost as fully as they do Parliamentary speeches. And every Saturday there is a score or so of announcements of the next day’s preachers. Some of them favour the public with the subjects upon which they intend to enlarge, with a solemn unctuousness which fgils to be as impressive as intended. In the latest list there is a Church of England auouncement, in which the attraction is “ Special music Under the direction of Mr .” At the Gospel Mission Hall, “ The Gospel of the Grace of God is made known on Lord’s Day evenings at 7, and Tuesday evenings at halfpast 7 and there is this liberal and encouraging postcript, “ all invited and nothing to pay.” The announcement most redolent of the slang of the convcntule is that of a rev. gentleman who promises to “improve the Four Sudden Deaths which have recently occurred in the neighbourhood.”

Mr Vogel has had two interviews with Mr Duffy on'the subject of the Californian mail service. The Arjus says in reference thereto that unless he very much modifies his propositions, his mission will be a useless one. He asks this colony to pay a subsidy of L 25,000 per annum, whilst New Zealand herself, to whom the service is of the most value by far, would then only pay L35,()00 She would (also be the terminus of the line, the Victorian service being only a branch, and carried on by intercolonial steamers, or in other words Victoria is asked to pay L 25.000 for a mere branch service. What Mr Vogel asks L 25.000 for, Mr Hall’s company offered to perform for Lit),ooo, and for L 20.000 that company offered to make Melbourne the terminus. We believe we cire correct in stating that the Government will entertain no proposition that does not provide for the American steamers coming right through to Melbourne. The Australas'an admits that public opinion iu the colony is favorable to the proposal to subsidise the service, but warns Mr Vogel that bis demands should be reasonable.

After fourteen days trial Captain Collat'd has been found guilty of imperilling the lives of the crew and passengers of the Sussex by his culpable carelessness. Judge Barry took a day to consider what he would do ; and made up his mind to impose a sentence of imprisonment for a month. “To have fined,” he said, “would have been to show that there was a difference between the rich man and the poor one ; and to have passed a severe sentence would have encouraged people to get up memorials to the Executive praying for a remission of the sentence,” Despite the lightness of the sentence, which it is generally admitted tempers justice with leniency, strong efforts are being made to get the Government to remit it. The Ary us wisely observes that to ask the Government to condemn the prosecution instituted by itself, and thus to tell both judge and jury that throughout the whole of the lengthened proceedings which have taken place they bad been participators in an absurd farce, is too much. The Australasian remarks that after this verdict passengers, shippers, and insurers may feel more confidence for the time to come. There will he fewer wrecks on our coast, it ventures to predict, after the conviction of Captain Collard, than there were before this impressive warning had been offered to the skippers of our merchantmen.