VICTORIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 630, 20 November 1858, Page 5

VICTORIA.

The Otago 'Colonist' has the following from its own correspondent. Melbourne, Oct. 13, 1858. The third session of the Victoria Parliament, under the new Constitution, was opened by his Excellency the Governor, on the 7th inst. The vice-regal speech stated that this chief objects for which the Legislature had been assembled were those of re-introducing the reform bill re-

jected by the Upper House last session, and the passing of the estimates; at the same time cer-. tain other measures were indicated as about to be submitted to Parliament by "the Ministry, but it was not the intention of the Government to press them forward this session. By one of the reform bills it is proposed to establish equal electoral districts, based upon population, and to increase the number of representatives in the Legislative Assembly from 60 to 90; and by the other the duration of Parliament will be shortened from five to three years. Ministers have been hoping for a short session, but have been reckoning without their host. There have been already laid upon the table of the House three distinct bills, for the establishment of an improved system of national education, a bill to abolish imprisonment for debt, another to secure the independence of Parliament, and notice lias been given of the introduction of several others.

The position of the Ministry is somewhat ticklish. The majority of the Upper House is adverse to them;, and in the Lower, the detection of what is known as the 'Age' section of the liberal party renders the Government, which can only calculate upon 28 vote 3in that House, liable to.be placed in a minority at any hour; while it cannot be denied that the game of "beat my neighbour out of doors" is an evidently popular one with hon. members on each side of the Assembly. In fact, ministerial crises threaten to become the chronic condition of colonial politics, —more's the pity. Among the recently elected members of the Legislative Council is Mr. (now the Hon. George) Coppin, the well-known comedian and manager of the Theatre Royal, who promises to become a very useful and really able member of the Legislature. He has been elected by the Southwestern Province, which includes Geelong and Ballaarat, and will be entitled to occupy his seat for ten years.

The revenue returns for the quarter ending the 30th Sept. have just been published. The total for the year was £2,986,180, and for the quarter £636,311, showing a slight falling off in the former, and a considerable decrease in the latter, but this is traceable to the land sale fund, the quantity offered by the Government during the last quarter having been unusually small, as it. is not thought desirable to bring much into the market until after the passing of a liberal land law.

The revenue for the year ensuing is estimated at £3,384,000, exclusive of a probable balance of =£307,879 16s. 6d. from the current year; while the expenditure for 1859 is estimated at £3,662,540 Is. 9d., nearly one-half of which -will be expended on public works. In looking over the details, however, it is impossible not to be struck with the number of Government employes receiving high salaries. Irfelective of the Governor, the Ministers of State, and the Judges for whom special appropriations haA'e been made under schedule ~D of the new Constitution Act, I find that there are in receipt of the salaries specified below the undermentioned number of public officers:—ll receiving a .salary of £1500 per annum; 1 do. £1400 do.; I do. £1257 do.; 5 do. £1200 do.; 2 do. £1100 do.; 1 do.£loßo do.; .16 do. 1000 do,; 6 do. £950 do.; 4 do. £900 do.; 7 do. £850 do.; 1 do. £840 do.; 43 do. £800 do.; 30 do. £750 do.; 1 do. £740 do.; 21 do. £700 do.; 1 do. £680 do.; 1 do. £675 do.; 12 do. £650 do.; 4 do. £640 do.; 60 do. £600 do.; 1 do. £590 do.; 13 do. £550 do.; 63 do. £500 do.; 2 do. £475 do.; 52 do. £450 do.; 4 do. £425 do.; 107 do. £400 do. This, of course, excludes; a whole host of public functionaries with salaries ranging between £150 and £375 per annum; but the above figures will serve to illustrate the costly—not to say extravagant—machinery employed to carry on the Government of less than half a million of people. I hope the good sense and Scotch thrift of the colonists of Otago will prevent them from ever being betrayed into a similarly wasteful expenditure of the public money.

Something like an exodus of the uneasy and unsettled position of our population has been going on for the last three weeks, during which time upwards of 3000 persons have sailed from this port for a new Dorado, believed to exist on the banks of the Fitzroy river, north of the tropic of Capricorn, on the eastern shores of this continent. There was never any authentic information to warrant the rush-r-nothing but a vague rumour. The whole of the. Victorian press counselled caution;. but the infatuated emigrants closed their ears to discussion, and hurried off with an insane precipitation to the land of promise. They soon found out that there was gold it is true, but in small quantities, diffused over a limited area, and the infatuated diggers are now returning by every vessel, disappointed and dispirited with their meagre gains.