VICTORIA. [From the Maitland Mercury.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 780, 22 January 1853, Page 3

VICTORIA. [From the Maitland Mercury.]

In the Legislative Council a motion by Mr. Westgarth, to recognize the claim of Mr. Hargreaves on the gratitude of the colony as the ' discoverer of gold in Australia, by a money ! grant, had been rejected, an amendment to consider the question that day six months being carried. It was not made a Government question either way, the Attorney-General earnestly advocating the motion, and other members of the Government opposing it. The Council had become fully alive to the probability of the re- | venue for 1853 not meeting the expenditure, but the Government, although admitting that ! the rejection of tfte £375,000 gold export duty rendered a financial deficiency almost certain, opposed nearly every attempt at reducing the immense estimate of expenditure. Before going generally into the items, Mr. Fawkner, Mr. Miller, and the representative members generally, wished to learn from Government how the deficiency was to be met. No distinct reply could be gathered except that the £300,000 set down for public works need not all be expended, but the multitude of new clerks and officials could not be done without. The Council on this carried a resolution affirming the desirableness of the Governor's devoting to the public service all the available moiety of the land revenue. In reply the Governor consented to apply all he could without acting in direct contravention of the orders of the Secretary of State. But the replies given to further questions left even this resource in a doubtful state. The land revenue for 1852 amounted to £600,000. One-half must be devoted to immigration, and the other ! half is burdened with some expenses, although not heavy ones. The Governor had already | proposed' to devote £300,000 of the land re'i venue for 1853 to the ordinary public service, | acting under his instructions to make that revenue so available in times of " exigency." If the land revenue of 1853 does not greatly exceed, therefore, that of 1852, the whole sum available has been already promised and taken into account. These considerations striking the representative members they made good and united use of them, and in going through the Estimates they had made some considerable reductions, more particularly in the enormous police estimates. The arrivals from Great Britain continued to be very numerous, most of the ships bringing large numbers of passengers or emigrants.

This United States Scrbw Steam-Ship " Rajah Wallib."— The effects of the now widely-diffused intelligence of our Gold Fields become daily more and more exemplified by the continued arrival of vessels frem all quarters of the globe, bringing large additions to our goldseeking population, and articles with which to supply our daily wants ; some, also, bringing the means and machinery with which to afford further facilities of transit for the numerous travellers between this and the adjacent Colonies. The latter is the case with the U.S. steam-ship Rajah Wallie, which arrived yesterday from Batavia, having been employed trading there for the last seven months, but this not answering the owner's expectation, she has been brought here for sale. The Rajah Wallie was built in Boston, U. S., fourteen months since, on the most approved model and construction, and of the best American oak ; her length over all is 180 feet, beam 26 £ feet, depth of hold, 18 feet, (namely, 7 feet 'tween decks, and 1 1 feet below), her registered tonnage 562 tons, draught of water when loaded 14 feet, in ballast 1 1 feet. Her propelling power is the screw, and to work this she has a double engine of 240 horse-power direct action, and two boilers on the low pressure principle. The machinery, &c, was manufactured by Otess Suffs, of Boston, a name sufficient to .guarantee its superiority : at present she is rigged as a three masted schooner, and well found in every respect, having amongst other surplus machinery, an extra screw of large size, a great desideratum in these colonies. Her speed in average weather ia upwards of eleven knots, and in connection with this is a fact that ought not to be lost sight of, namely, her small consumption of coals, which never exceeds ten tons per 24 hours, when of fair quality, Her cabin fittings are all that can be desired for ease, elegance, and comfort ; at the extreme after part of the vessel is an apartment intended for the accommodation of ladies, containing four large enclosed cabins, &c. ; the dining saloon has eight of the same size. The officers' quarters, too, aie roomy and commodious. Throughout' the whole strict attention has been paid for affording a plentiful supply of light and thorough ventilation, so highly necessary in warm latitudes. Before concluding this description of the vessel, we ought not to omit remarking that, as far as our reporter could perceive, not the least motion or noise was apparent whilst the ship was nnder weigh, a great boon, which all who have travelled by screw steamers must appreciate. One other circumstance is also worthy of notice in the shipping annals of Victoria, which is, that the Rajah Wallie is, we believe, the first American steam-ship, sailing under American colours, wKich has ever visited these colonies, having entered Hobson's Bay yesterday with the starspangled banner floating in the wind. — Melbourne Argus.