LATEST FROM VlCTORIA.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 677, 9 October 1852, Page 3

LATEST FROM VICTORIA.

Hy the steamer Warratah we yesterday received Melbourne and (Toclong papers to the 18th instant. A most painful fu.auie hi the hems of news, the wreck of the steamer Consid's will be found in our Shipping Report. — [See Supplement to Wednesday's Neio Zealamlcr. \ The Legislative Council udjourncd for thcrecess on the 17th instant, having sat on that occasion until nearly midnight. The most important proceeding of the evening, and one in which this colony is deeply interested, was the debate upon the Attorney-General's motion for the second reading of the Gold Export Duty Bill. The late hour at which the debate concluded, and the sailing of the Wmratah on the following morning, has witheld from us a detailed report of the proceedings. The following is the very brief summary of the Argitx :—: — Tlio Attorney-General moved the second rending of llie Gold hxport Duty Hill, winch lie ur^od w.is necessary for the raising n su (licit nt revenue (or the wants of the colony, lie referred to the suppoit of such a proposition given by lion, mcmbeis in the last session, i ml bo,>ed tbpy would still puisne the same, punciplo. Ifedid not intend to go into Committee, hut would leave thp nmount of the duty lo he settled after the recess. The amount of duty the Government intended to propose was two shillings and sixpence per ounce. Mr. Splatt opposed the bill on the giound that it would afford encouragement to smuggling, anil would b'nefit the adjoining colonies to the depreciation of our own, He moved the bill be read a second tune tint day bix months. Mr. Campbell seconded the motion. Mr. O'Slinriassy was opposed to the bill, as it wns not shown that the revenue proposed to be raised by it was necessary. Mr. Fnwkner supported the bill, n<3 it wns only fair {hat gold should pay. The colony was nearly ruined liy t tin discovery of gold, excepting the two classes of the digs-prs mid gold biokcis. Mr. Miller proposed that the debate should bo ndj uirned till rhe 26t.1i October, in order that hon. members might b j better able to form an opinion on it. Tins motion wns negatived on a division by 1R to 8. ]\lr Miller then addrossed lnmsell lo the menu of the bill, which he Haul he w.is compelled to oppose, the House by refusing the adjournment, leaving him noalietnnlivo The Auditor-General, Mr. Johnston, and Dr. Murphy, supported the bill, and Mr. Westgaitb opposed it on the same ground as Mr. Miller. On the qiiPßtion being put, the bill passed its second reading by the following division, Ayes, 17 Noes, 9. On the same evening, Mr. Johnston brought up the report of the select Committee appointed lo prepare an address to Her Majesty, praying that the seat of Central Government may be transferred from Sydney to Melbourne. The Argus gives the following unique precis of the proceedings which ensued :—: — On the motion of Mr. Johnstonc a vote of thanks was on the same eveningunanimously given to Sir John Pakington for the concessions made in (he last despatch of the Right Hon. Baronet.; the (he opinion of the Council being expressed, " that t.he kind and conciliatory tone pervading that document is greatly calculated to faster and cnc mragc those feelings of loyalty and attachment lo the Crown and Destitutions of the Mother Country, with which it is so desirable that the minds of'her Majesty's subjects should be imbued " On the motion of Mr. WesfgarMi, who appears to have made some severe strictures on the inefficiency of the postal authorities, select Committee was appointed to inquire iulo and report upon the condition of the Tost Office dcparlmet of Victoria. The second reading of the Bank of New South Wales Amendment Bill was carried by a majority of ten to eight. Its chief opponent was Mr. Strachan who reminded the Council that a bill having a similar object, namely, the recognition of a circulating medium in uncoined gold, had been introduced into the Legislative Council of New South Wales by this Bank, and hod been referred to a Select Committee, or, in other words, thrown overboard. The Colonial Secretary and the Attorney -General both voted for (he second reading. The Offences Prevention Bill had passed into I.iw. Upon the occasion of its second reading, Mr. Johnstone drew attention to the new and dangerously prevailing practice of carrying firearms in the public-streets :—: — He said that he should desire to see introduced into the Bill a clause making it compulsory on nil persons carrying fire-arms lo register them. It would tend materially to the public advantage if this was done, and as persona were oliliged to register savage dogs, he thought it would be admitted that it was much more injurious for a man to be shot; than to be bitten. It would be much more reasonable to insist on the registration of all liie-»rms, and he was sure that no respectable and well behaved man who carried flic-arms in his own defence would object to step into the Police Office and enter his name. The measure would also give gieat facilities to i he police in dealing with persons whom thpy frequently arrested armed to the teeth for no ostensible pnrpos-o, and ho should like, to seeaome such clause introduced, though, as he had said bofore, he did not know whether that was the piopertime to mention it. The Attorney-General said, that an Arms Registration Act would, of necessity, bean Act by itself. It might, perhaps be expedient to enact such a law, but at any rue it would only be a temporary measure — in fact a Bill hod already been drawn up, and would be submitted to the House after the adjournment ; he would silao mention that he had boon in Ireland while the Arms Registration Act was in operation, and was not at all sure that the disadvantages attending it did not couu urhalaiice its advantages. ' A most stringent bill had passed the Council to prevent the introduction in Victoria of convicts, whether holding indulgences or not, and prohibiting them from being at large under cover of conditional pardons, tickets of leave, or other similar indulgences peculiar to penal settlements. The chief clause is as follows :—: — That no convict, felon, or other person undergoing sentence, of transportation for offending against (ho hw-, nor any porson who is under sentence in nny Mntish colony or possession other than the colony of Victoria, for any capital or transpoi table oflunce, nor nny person not at liberty to reside in any part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, phnll I md in any of the portu of the colony of Viclonn, or come or be in any placo within the limits thereof, under tlie penally, on conviction helore any two Justices ot the I'e.ioi) having jurisdiction within the said colony, <>r any other portion theieof, ifi\ male, of being iinpiisoucd 'md woiked in irons for the teim of three years ; and if a female, of being imprisoned and kept to hard labour in one or other of the public »aols of the said colony f'»r the term of two ypars; or at the discretion of the corivictin°" Justices, of being convpvpd in nous hy the mosi safe and expeditious mode of conveyance to tho (o'o ly or possession to which hoorslie was ti unspoiled, oi in which he or she- wns convicted (is the case may I)m) tlieic lobe dealt will) n»coiding to law. A second clause provides for the appointment of proper officers to prevent any person landing in any of the ports of Vicloiia, unless he or she can show that he is at full liberty to be and reside in any putt of the Hi itish dominions. Thc->e are the latest proceedings' of imporUnco in the Council, which, on its rising on the 18t,h i.i tant, adjourned to the 2Gt.li proximo. Gold continued to be received in large quantities. The l.i^L escoi I. from Forest, Cieck hi i ived in Melbourne on the 17lh instant, bringing down ' 47,001 ounces. The Bn!l<irat escort arrived the | same day with about 4,000 ounces.

Upon Lhc social condition of Victoria, if i k difficult to form ii d( cideil opinion, -when hijrh authorities on the spot differ mosl, surprisingly as to llio real stale of affairs there. The AtlorueyGcncnil in hi« pl.ico in Council, declared liis full con\iction tli.it the city had boon described in ho in a Jar more lawless .slate Ilian it roally was; and, ho added, tlio expression of his bclic'l that many oll'ences and oulra 1 i-s were the result of the mode in which Yicton i had been inisropvesented in the sister colonies. The Aral's, on ilio other hand, as distinctly averts, that tin's 'lutcnient is initnio, find adds, t)iaf. \o represent the condition of Victoria as worae llian it leally is, -would be almost impossible. Our contemporary thus proceeds* — " Described to be, in ft more lawlesß slalo than >"t roilly was" iiulcod ! We as^fit, on tlii> contr.uy, thiit not ;i lentil nor n twi'iitii'lh of llio crimes that aro roiumilii'd arc cvi-r licaid of by tin 1 public. A man, when robbed, does not itivun.ibly run to a nowsp.ijipr oflir « witb ilk> report of Ins cn^e. 1I« does not nhvays apply to the police; :>ntl if be does, the cbanccs aro very much ngamst the cn^-o being followed up so f,ir as to bung it beioic the public eve. Outi.T^es are so common that (lieir it» no indtuemi'iit to enlarge upon tliem. Wo mo obliged to Mmly tbe (n-te of out rentals, an I that (aatc points to wmety. Simple "sticking up" in (lip slioet is no longer a novelty; and unless the |>.iriy concerned is well known, or some rematkabli 1 ciicuin stnncos attiml tbe odence, reporteis' earx nt' 1 dull to wnids it. Tbe list wlncb really rloea find itsway into our crowded columns is '<iclcpning enough, when considered in connection w uli a colony in which as no mini need want who is willing to work, no man is driven of necessity to steal. But sickening as that detail is, it is not have -jo tlioelcuig us the tlinuubl, thai for rren/ cvnne there repot led, there are jijtij cnmmillvil ivlnuh do not receive any suc't publicity. ******* Wo know oui dn y betlei than the Attorney-General is likely 10 leach it Us; we shall continue to stato what wo believe to bo tiur'; and we would r;itlior submit to his censure, than be told I bat by false repi estimations we had induced any man to come heie who might have bis throat cut the night of his landirg; 01 be "stuck up" and lobbed twice within a week, as was (he case wnh one of the ii"w ainv.ils by the D.ilhousie, or Castle Eden, and nurrutcd in a recent number of tins journal.