VICTORIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 448, 18 February 1857, Page 8

VICTORIA.

By the arrival- of ' the City of Sydney we ( f Empire ') have papers from Melbourne to the 22nd of January. •' . In the Legislative Council on the the 21st instant, Dr.-Tierney brought forward his motion to do; awaywith the postage on newspapers. On a division, the motion was earned by a majority of' one. * On the same day the Members of Assembly, Qualification Bill, was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time that day three weeks.- - On this bill ihe (Age ' of the 21st instant publishes the following remarks :— ", It ib said the Legislative Council are about to commit suicide. Awaking from their habitual -to.rporj they (have determined, it is reported, to •thwart the popular'branch of the legislature on a question of' primary importance—on a question on which the country has made up its mind, — on a question which vitally affects the Assembly, and affects-the Assembly alone. If we may ci*edit the confident assurance of well-informed friends, the Council will throw out the Bill for .abolishing the Property Qualification. We trust it is a hoax. ■ We .trust' for the public peace and progress it will end, where it, probably begun, in a bottle of smoke, or some other less innocent bottle. The peers of England, fortified with hereditary privileges as old as the island, with immense wealth and influence, and high courage, and in some cases high genius, when they attempted to prevent the House of Commons from reforming itself, were trampled over like stubbles, and a cry arose from one end of England to the other to abolish the Lords. They saved themselves by complete submission. Fancy the money lenders, money grubbers, attorneys, and what is called in derision the 'Upper' House, standing'in the way of the Assembly, the people, and the progress of liberal institutions! If they are so mischievously • misled as to set themselves in the 'path of 'inevitable destiny,' in three years there will be no second chamber in Victoria." In the Legislative Assembly on the 20th instant, Captain Cl irke introduced the following resolution on railways in Victoria:— 1. " Ttsat it is advisable to proceed at once with the construction of 185 miles of railway, to consist of 110 miles of sing]e, and 75 miles of double line." After a debate which extended over two days the whole "question was ultimately referred to a,select committee.