Colonial.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 416, 29 October 1856, Page 7

Colonial.

AUSTRALIA

From Sydney we have papers to the 3rd inst. There is still a gap in our files for the last fortnight of August, and the early part" of September. The chief hews now received is of the second change in the ministry. Mr. Cowper, who had formed a ministry after Mr. Donaldson, .recommended a dissolution of the Assembly. The consequences were as follows: —■

Resignation of Ministers. — Mr. Cowper tendered the resignations of himself and colleagues yesterday morning. It now appears that the Ministers, at the request of Sir William Denison, submitted to his Excellency a written statement of the grounds on which they advised a dissolution of the' Assembly. An answer was communicated to Mr. Cowper on Monday afternoon, his Excellency declining to accept the advice tendered by the Ministers. Early in the afternoon, Mr. Hay was sent for, and we understand that gentleman has accepted the task of forming a new Ministry. Late yesterday he was in consultation with some of his friends, principally belonging to the Squatting section .of .the House; but we believe no definite arrangements have been entered into. In,connection with Mr. Hay, the names ■of Mr. Parker, Mr. Donaldson, Mr. Manning, and Mr. Faucett,, have been freely used —we are inclined to think without sufficient reason.— 'Empire,' Oct. I. The Minis serial Negotiations. — The new ministerial crisis is not yet over. Mr. Hay, whoTeceived his Excellency's commands on Tuesday, returned his trust yesterday morning. Immediately after, Mr. Watson Parker was called upon to advise his Excellency. Having;.undertaken the task of fqnmng a Government, Mr. Parker appears to have put himself in communication with Mr, Hay, and to have acted with that gentleman throughout yesterday. Mr. Cowper was waited upon, arid offered the Treasury or the Secretaryship !<»• Land): and Public Woijks, \vhich, We uudciKtand, was

declined. About the same time, Mr. Donaldson's co-operation was sought, it is believed, with more success. ' Subsequently, Mr. Plunkett was solicited to accept the office of Attorney-General, but that gentleman, as might have been expected from his political tendencies since Parliament has been in Bession,?unhesitatingly declined; We are not aware that any further advances were made on the liberal side of the house.— lbid,Oct. 2. The New Ministry.—The names we published yesterday, as' the probable ministers under MY. Parker, turn out to be correct, with one exception. ; Mr. Darvajl resumes the office of Solicitor-General. The arrangements, as finally agreed on, stand thus:— Colonial Secretary arid Premier, Mr. Parker; Attorney-General, Mr. Darvall; Secretary for Finance, Mr. .Donaldson ; Secretary for Lands and' Public Works, MrV Hay. We understand the new ministers will be sworn in at eleven o'clock this morning.—r-Ibid, October 3. The Cowper ministry had proposed a new tariff, principally with the purpose of increasing the revenue. The details of it were something like those of our present tariff, and were much objected to by the Sydney merchants. rhe following resolution, passed at a" public meeting, called by the Chamber of Commerce in Sydney, gives the pith of the 6b- ! jectibnable portions of the scheme. ; That the additions to the Tariff proposed by the present-Governments-are; in themselves, objection'-* i able,, for the following reasons ;— ; 1. The proposed duty on manufactured- wood,- ---! iron, slates, and oils : is especially objectionable in tjiis colony, where the cost of building is already eriot-mous. ; 2. The proposed duty on flour and gram is highly inexpedient,- especially inracolony which' does' not : at present produce a suffieient'quantity of breadstuffs for >ts own consumption.3. The imposition of a duty upon packages, accor- , ding to their size, without regard to their value, is unjust in principle^■ unequal in operation, and . repugnant to the usages of trade. 4. And further, the general scheme- ignores the principle- that any materials' imported for the purpose of manufacture should be exempt from taxation.— S. M. Herald', Sept. 23. The 'Sydney Morning .-Herald,-' Sept. 30> men- , tions the finding of A MO N S T'-E-R NU GGE T. We are favoured with som'eimportantinforrnatioii from Messrs.' Bensusan and Co., from5 their house ;at Louisa Creek, respectingavery large gold find in.' that" neighbourhood. We quote extract5 from their letter as follows :— " A very large nugget was turned up on Saturday; it weighs about five hundredweight. We are goinsr to try the specific gravity of the mass, and calculate the amount of gold in it. It is at present quite impossible to guess at its value—probably about £20,000 : very little gold is visible on the surface ; the specimen'is remarkably curious '' It is exnec.ted this nugget will he down in Sydney5, very shortly for exhibition. This is the largest and heaviest specimen ever frund in the world. Mr. Thomas Sprowles received a letter from Louisa Creek, on Friday last, stating that two diggers have' come upon'a nugget the size of a butter keg. . Yesterday, another letter, dated Louisa Creek, September 24, confirming the above, was received. The following is an extract: "I send you seven specimens and two nuggets by Mr. Smail. Tell Thomas Sprowles that Patrick Agen and John Downey have ta cii a murget of quartz and gold weighing between 500 and 600 lbs. It has caused a great sensation here. It will be given to the commissioner on Saturday, and arrive by the escort on Frirlav. at Sydney." It appears that this nugget was got in the Commissioner's Lower Paddock, at Louisa Creek, about 400 yards from the Commissioner's, and about half a mile from where the hundredweight was found; at the depth of ten feet.