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Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 233, 26 March 1866, Page 2

We have to acknowledge the receipt of £1, from Mr WiUiam Ken*, Oteramika, for the Jewish Relief Fund. The correspondent of the West Coast Times writes, on March 15th as loUows : — A rush took place last Friday to the terrace at the rear of the workings on the Three-mile Beach, in consequence of a hole beiug bottomed with a prospect of seven grains to the shovelful. The rush of miners was so great that aU the ground was pegged off in a quarter of an hour. The next morning, over a thousand miners were on the ground at dayUght, but, to their great disgust, found they could not get one inch of ground, althouoh tape-lines were in active use aU day. The sinking is through Ught sand, through which the water percolates freely, rendering the sinking dilficult. Indeed, on Saturday no one succeeded in bottoming, although some sank a depth of 13 feet. A good many parties intend procuring pumps, to test ' the ground thoroughly, and until the bottom is reached, of cours« it is impossible for me to form an opinion as to the value of the rush. The prospecting paddock was much shallower than the other paddocks sunk on Saturday. Tbe general opinion of the miners is that this rash will not oe of any account, as tne ground is deep and wet, and very difficult to work on account of the wet sand "running" in as the paddocks are being sunk. Another drawback is that affcer a few days rain the lagoon, On the boundary of which the workings are situated, rises te a level sufficiently, high either to swamp a great many claims or greatly impede the working of them. The claime on this beach are not rich ; they wfll only pay good wages. The best claim I could hear of was paying from £10 to £12 per man per week. The Melbourne Argus gives an account of a scene that took place between Mr M'Mfllan (a sheriff's officer) and the Governor of Victoria. In the suit, Eckroyd v. the Queen, the plaintiff had obtained a verdict against the G-overnment of Victoria for duties fllegaUy collected, but the Government refused to pay him back the money. After all other courses had fafled to enforce the judgment of the Supreme Court, it was found necessary to apyly for a mandamus against the Gtovernnor to compel payment ; but a personal demand on the Governor, and refusal by. him to pay, was!! necessary before the pubheation could be made. This lead to the interview as below related, the particuhus of which were afterwards declared on oath: — "I, Richard M'Mfllan, of No 86 Chancery-lane, in the city of Melbourne, in the colony of Victoria, agent, do solemnly and sincerely declare that, from instructions received, I attended at the Treasury PS Monday, the twenty-ninth of January oaa thousand eight &i*ndrea IR4 ■sWjpW'i

and requested to see His ExceUency the Governor - and was presented to him by Captain Tyler, who immediately afterwards withdrew. I then Bald, I beg your ExceUency's pardon for ibitruding,.but I have a certificated from the prothonotary of theSupreme Court, to the effect 'that one Wflliam Joseph Ecroyd has recovered a judgment against her Majesty the Queen, for the sum of five hundred and fourteen pounds, five shillings, and sixpence, being the amount of verdict and costs ; and I, at such time, then and thers produced and showed to his his Excellency such original certificate. 5 His ExceUency then became very excited, and said, 'It is lake your damned impudende to come to me on such business. I wfll have nothing to do with it.' He then got up from his chair, and walked quickly up and down the room. I said, 'I beg your Excellency's pardon" I hope I have said nothing to cause you any uneasiness, but my instructions from Mr Wyburn are to request your ExceUency to cause thafc amount to be paid out of the consolidated revenue of the colony.' His ExceUency then said, • TeU Mr Wyburn it" is like" his damned impudence to attempt such a thing ; and if you don't leave this room immediately, I wfll have you put out ; ' and he then caUed aloud, ' Captain Tyler, Captain Tyler,' and at the same time pulled the beU violently. I said, *I have to thank your ExceUency for the interview; but I am only obeying my instructions, and there is no reason to caU assistance. I wfll withdryw immediately.* I then wished his ExceUency good afternoon, and retired. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously beheving the same to be true, and by virtue of the provisions of an Act of the Parliament of Victoria rendering persons making a false declaration punishable for wilful and coiraptpe.jury." The long and fierce dispute between the Victorian Assembly and Council, which has for more than a year agitated the pubUc mind of that colony has eventuated in the resignation of the M'CuUoch Ministry. The Council having for the third time thrown out the Tariff Bfll the ministry deemed it right to resign. Tho Argus of the 16th March, upon this subject sa y S . — « The resignation of the Ministry was communicated to both Houses of Parliament last night— in the Council by Mr Mfller, and in tho Assembly by the Chief Secretary. In the Council, Mr MitcheU took occasion to remind the country that Ministers had resigned only in a fit of temper, for no difference existed between them on the score of fiscal poUcy— the Council having accepted the results of the elections as a declaration in favor of a protectionist policy. AU they asked, he said, was that the measures necessary to carry out the wishes of the country should be sent to them in a constitutional manner. In the Assembly Mr M'CuUoch justified his abandonment of his own doctrine, that a Ministry should not give way before the Legislative Council, by arguing that the Council had taken a "revolutionary" course, and that the Constitution had failed. He added (in answer to Mr. Vale), that a minute ofthe exceptional circumstances which had led to the resignation had been prepared for His ExceUency, and would be laid before the Assembly. He added that Mr. FeUows had been sent for ; and moved the adjounrnment of the House till this day, which was agreed to. There was a large attendance of strangers in the gallery. We may add that, in reply to His ExceUency's letter, Mr FeUows communicated to Sir Charles Darling his views of the situation, and of the duty of Ministers before they abandoned the control of the affairs of the state. Mr FeUows further stated that he had no desire to form one of a new Ministry ; and, in accordance with permission given in a second lttter from His ExceUency, he communicated with Mr Embling, as a leading protectionist member of the Assembly, elected by a numerous body of constituents. Mr Embling, be beUeve, is now engaged in the task of constructing a Cabinet. The New Zeala?id Herald contains the foUowing notifications : — Peremptory orders, we understand, have been received by the mail from England, insisting on the immediate reduction of H.M. troops in New Zealand to a strength of 3225 officers and men. This force wfll consist of three regiments of Infantry, the 12th, 14th, and 18th, one battalion of Artfllery, ahd a company of Engineers, with the necessary Commisariat Staff Corps. The regiments first on the list for home are the 43rd and 68th — the 40th, 50th, and 57th are to foUow immediately, as soon as ships for . their conveyance can be procured. This order is said to be independent of Sny wish the Governor may have in the matter, "and is beyond his interference to control, let the circumstances of tho colony be what they may. 7p-