Colonial.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 654, 12 February 1859, Page 5

Colonial.

VICTORIA

Our dates from Melbourne, by .the Mountain Maid fire not later thanthose previously received; but we. get the various items of ; intelligence in a more condensed and accessible shape by way of Sydney. The following: is from the correspondent of the j Sydney: Morning; Herald,' under ; date Jan. 15:— ' ; The opening, of the first portion of the Governmenti railways was inaugurated yesterday, with all the pphip and ceremony called for by so important an event.' ; The day was a magnificent one; the sky [was ; partially obscured rby ; clouds,, which gave' a pleasant..s.hade from the occasional intense, glare of the, sun's rays; and a fresh breeze blew from the 'southward. • It.was a complete, success. Every one present enjoyed himself ; or herself, and the temper of ;; the publig.was,;with 'exception, most joyous and jubilant. , Mr^epCornet Ho^rne,, Chief Commissioner' of Public' \Vofks,,was the exception. Of liim, ; tnore anon. ' i'"'"['\ *:'/'~, ''' _■'■-■;•■-•-■'.•. •• •'■■■ \ -Tlie lines opened are—the Melbourne and Willlanistown, 8i miles :in .lengthjiand^ithe Melbourne and jMujray.l^iifec.as far, a? SunbuEy lf! 23J- lnjles in

length. They have been, completed in the strongest possible manner, the Government liaving wisely determined to.sacrifice cheapness to stability.. The sleepers are massive, well packed, and-near together; the rails anil chairs are heavier than those in general use. in England, and the ballast is well broken bhu/nietal.

At ten o'clock punctually his Excellency Sir 11. Ba'rkly arrived at the station in Spencer-street, and, after receiving and replying to ah address from the mayor and corporation of Melbourne, proceeded to Wjlliatnstowii, accompanied by Major-General Macarthur, by his private secretary,' Captain Tinimins, and by,his aide-de-camp, Captain Bancroft. His escort was rudely repulsed by the Commissioner of Public Works, and left behind, in spite of the remonstrances of his Excellency, conveyed.through his private secretary., The escort was composed of the Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry, from which regiment the irascihle commissioner was recently turned but for insubordinate conduct on parade. At Williamstown, his Excellency was received by the:magnates"of that thriving "fishing village." He was conducted to a seat upon a raised dais, covered with crimson cloth, at the rear of the station, around'which' seats were provided for the spectators. Mr. Tattersal, the town clerk, advanced arid read an. address from the municipal council of Williamstown.' Large'numbers of persons were at the moment upon the platform, which siiddehly broke dbwii with a crash. This was the only accident of the day, and was productive of much amusement; especially as no one was hurt.

The train then proceeded to Sunbury, the whole of the Melbourne and Williamstown line having been formally passed over and opened, and reached that station at half-past twelve ; the twenty-miles transit having occupied a little more than an hour. A salute of nineteen guns was fired, while Messrs. Cornish and Bruce, the contractors, received his Excellency, arid conducted him to the pavillion. After a slight refreshment, his Excellency, accompanied by the members of the Executive, the contractors, arid the guests who hadarrived from Melbourne, proceeded on foot a distance of about a riiile to lay'"the foiindation-stdrie of the extensive viaduct across Jackson's Creek. The excavation in which the foundation-stone of the pier of the viaduct was laid, Avhich is about thirty feet in depth, was reached rby a broad flight of steps. A platform of earth left midway in'the descent afforded^to those who Avere admitted within the enclosure, a full view of the ceremony. In the cavity of the stone were placed a number of coins and copies pf the newspapers pf the -dayi together with a scroll, bearing an; inscription of the usual character. Two other trains were by this time overdue frorri" Melbourne, and anxious glances were cast along the line. An hour had passed and they did not make their appearance, and for some.time the suspense was of a painful character. Fears were entertained that some accident had occurred: The sun shone out in all his vigour, and the heat was oppressive. At three o'clock the eyes of those on the ground were gladdened by the sight of. a fagged yet determined huge monster ot an engine dragging a huge train up the long incline at the rate of sorhe six miles an hour. . The 'Argus,' in its report of the day's proceedings, accounts for the -delay thus: —"The train which followed "the one containing the Governor arid suite left the-Mel^, bourne terminus at about 11-o'clock, but owing to a seri.es of stoppages, did not reach Sunbury until close upon 3 o'clock. These delays arose from the fact that the engine-driver, being unacquainted with the road, did not sufficiently economise the steam for use at the inclines. Three or four times, in con.«equence,had the passengers to get out, and;lend a helping hand in forcing the train along. These contretemps, however,-occasioned more hilarity than annoyance. ■ A train followed at half-past twelve, and another at half-past one, and both arrived soon after three o'clock, they having been subjected in a minor degree to the same inconveniences which marked the transit of the first."

.' A grand dejeuner followed. The guests were hu.ngry. They.ate heartily, and enjoyed themselves. The attendance was capital, the viands excellent, and thg wines well selected. The guests numbered nearly two thousand, and yet there'was no contusion.-" Al-: . together'it was: rohe of the best;" eating entertairi--ments" that has ever taken place in Victoria, and did lipnoiir and credit" Xai Messrs'. Cornish and Bruce, the' hosts. The Governor made one ,of his,.usual happy "effective speeches,: which elicted.the warm . applauseof every-'pn-e in the saloon, and the exclamation of a naWy, who was taking a synopsis from .outside, through ah open, window toAvhicli h'e;had climbed, ". You're .the best of the lot; every body : likes you." The. usual speeches follwed,: and the guests prepared to return., ;A second salute of nineteen was fired as his Excellency left the "station ; the two other trains followed at intervals of fifteen minutes, a.nd they'Tatlled up to town at. a . much better rate of speed than they had maintained in the run down. Every one arrived safely ; not an accident occurred ; it was past eight o'clock before the last train .arrived in.Melbourne;;1;, ■

: THe ' Age' of this morning gives the following circumstantial account of the singular conduct of the' Hon. Samuel Wagg Home, Esq.',1 jwith reference, to his Excellency's escort:— .

" Mr. ex-Cornet Home took the opportunity yesterday. of indulging in a piece of petty revenge against tlje v !geiitlemen of the Yeomanry corps who formed his Excellency's escort,, They did the Governor the honor .of riding 'but'to' Tporak in the morning, and of accompanying him the.wh'ble of the way to the station, when they dismounted'and gave their horses'to their attendants. But as soon as his Excellency was.within the station, the" doors were locked and the cavalry escort, left outside, .What could be the meaning of this? Was it a mistake,or 'was it intentional? In vain they kept knocking'at the door. The officials from within said that their orders were to keep them locked. What was to be done? They had escorted his Excellency at his own request; Captain Timrnins had promised that a carriage would be pro.vided. for them; his Excellency wopld be left without an escort of any description if an entrance could not be obtained—were they to be excluded! \ Meanwhile, some members of'the House came up to the door and were also waiting outside; but on the doors being.opened for them, the .yeomanry took the opportunity of walking in. Mr. Home was on the platform, apparently acting as station master, and was very laudably exerting himself in finding seats for those in search of them. The promised carriage for the yeomanry was not forthcoming, and, though they could easily have been provided with accommodation, the train proceeded without them. One of the committee, who had charge of the arrangements, then informed them that, the committee was not responsible, for what had occurred, and that Mr. Home had given orders the night before that the yeomanry were not to be admitted, and that the carriage promised them by Captaih Timminswas riot, to be provided. Such conduct' is so indecent as to appear-incredible; but"'we .give .the facts as they were furnished to ijs. by several gentlemen of the. corps. When the: first 'train" was; leaving Sunbnry in'the afternoon, Mr. !H6rnc again attempted to vent' his spleen against the "yeomanry; wluv'were entering the carriages, by telling them that he would have them out again-r-a ithreat at which they smiled, and took their seats. It was.further noticed that no invitation to the opening'had been sent to their respected commanding officer, Colonel Ross,. What does his Excellency think of the insult thus offered to him by excluding his escort, and by countermanding the promise'of his private secretary (and which may possibly have been his Excellency's own order) to provide them !with accommodation? No principle of constitutional Government can oblige his Excellency to submit to insult from nny of his Ministers, and if ho told the. fiery ex-cornet to be 'no longer officer of mine,' he would find that the country would sympathise with him in the assertion of his own dignity : and self-respect." ' " .Amurder of a peculiarly atrocious and deliberate nature has been perpetrated at a place called Swift's Creek, near the Omeo gold-field. The victim was a Mr. Cornelius Green, a commission agent, who was ■ shot .dead, a mounted trooper who accompanied him had his arm" broken ,by a ball, and a man named : Dickens w.asshot in the back. It seems 'that .Mr. i Green left Swift's Creek early on the Bth of January, having with him a pack horse carrying 1000 ozs. of gold, Jenkins, a mounted "trooper, attended him as ail escort, arid ho was also accompanied,by a/ man

named Dickens. They had not pruwfedeil far when three shots were tired from belli nu some trees, and Mr. Green was killed on the spot, find the other men wounded as described. Jenlcins had the presence of mind to seize the bridle of the-pack-horse, and the trooper's"horse bolted with him, and in all probability saved his life, for the murderers immediately rushed from their ambush and beat out the brains of Mr. Green's dead body. Dickens readied Tonges' without further molestation, bringing with him the gold. The ruffians were thus disappointed of their spoil, and, what is more satisfactory still, Dickens recognised two of the men as they rushed from their ambush. George Chamberlain alias George the butcher, and William Armstrong, both well-known disreputable persons at the Omeo. When the fact of the murder became known the miners divided themselves into parties, and started in pursuit, and, ns most of them are well acquainted with the country, the apprehension of the wretches is certain.