NEW SOUTH WALES.

Colonist, Issue 54, 27 April 1858, Page 3

NEW SOUTH WALES.

By the Ocean Queen, which vessel arrived on Friday last, we have papers to the Oth instant. A supplement to the Goto rnwit. Gazette'&nnounces that, his Excellency the f.r>>vernor-Geneval' had, with.the advice..of.the ExtVeuviye, .called the undermentioned- gentlemen to the Legislative Council of New South Wales, "by writs of- summons under the great seal of the colony, vizi ":— William Bland, William George Pennington, Henry Prince, Ralph Mayer Robey, James Robert Wiltshire, George Forbes, and Edward Hunt', 'Esquires. It is stated that the.new Electoral Bill will propose sixty-eight members for the; Assembly;' that the city is ty be divided/into five electorates, two returning three members each,, and three returning one each ; that twp of the present hamlets are to be converted into separate electorates, each returning one member"; and that three members are to be givm to the remaining hamlets; thus there ■would be fourteen members ;fpr the Sydney district. It is also said that " ridings" of counties are struck out, and police districts generally used as electorates. Mr. James Pye has presented a petition against the election of Mr. Oakesfor.Parramatta, on the ground that his return was secured by intimidation of voters, either personally, or by his agents. Mr. T. G. Rusdcn has petitioned against the return of Mr. A. G. Moriarty, on the ground that,, at the time of his election, he'Tvas in the employ of the Government. - - ;'■' "' "r/ - It will he interestingtoJ 6%--readers to learn: that advices have been received from members of the expedition which was sTarted'a'few months ago, under the command of Mr> Gregory, to en-, dearour to clear up the mystery which is attached to the fate of Dr. Leichhardt. The company consists of Messrs. A. C. Gregory, commander j'G.. H. Gregson, assistant ditto: J: Burgoyne, first officer; George Phipps, second officer : WV Selby, T. Dunn, Daniel Worrel, William Yon Wedell, stockmen, —and 40 horses. The despatches to which we refer are dated from Dawson's station, 4th March, from which place the party were about to proceed to Boyd's. This, it will be recollected, was the last station touched at by Dr^ Leichhardt. Some little delay had been experienced, by the explorers from the non-arrival of provision drays expected from Ipswich^ and the appearance of the natives was rather of a hostile nature. The police of the district were, however; on the alert, and but little danger is apprehended from that score. Mr. Gregory appears to have great hopes of pushing his search far into the interior, and as he will, in all probability, not find it necessary to add to his present force, the rations which were calculated to last ten men for six months, will consequently hold out for a proportionably longer period. The party were in good health and spirits; Mr. Rudolph" Scholstein, of Bridge-streets, Had been committed for trial on a charge-of attempting to set fire to his premises. He had insured them for £6000 in the Imperial Fire Insurance Company, and last month made an application for ,£250, for damage done to goods by an explosion on his premises. He was allowed £16 165., but from the report of the ConipanyVsurveyor who inspected tne premises,■: a suspicion was aroused that the defendant had attempted to set fire to them. Mr. Francis Smith, owner of the premises, swore that after a fire that had occurred at Mr. Minoprio's, defendant expressed his desire to have the store he occupied burnt down, and offered witness ;£SOO to do it. Minoprio, on the other hand, swore that Mr." Smith offered him ,£2OO to burn down the store. Smith swore that he never had any insurances. The Attorney-Ge- ( neral, however, upon "examining the depositions, declined prosecuting, and Scholstein was liberated. At Boonoo Boonoo diggings the rush had somewhat abated, notwithstanding the: influx from Moreton Bay and the Clarence River. Appearances were in favor of that locality as a goldfield, but nothing definite or satisfactory had been obtained. Wright's party;" particularly active at the commencement, and whose reported success induced many to leave the' Rocky River, had shifted to a spot about? six miles'frpnfTeriterneld, on; the direct road to GraftonjVteretfiey were said to be doing well. The probability was, that the next rush would be to Snake's Creek, the locality ■where that party -was then situated.•- There was ■ much discontent among the diggers, and a large number were continually leaving; but still there appeared a general impression that gold in paying quantities for the majority was deposited some-: where, though they had riot yet lighted on" it. Good order had so far been maintained. Letters from persons from Armidale, who had been on the way to Boonoo, mentioned the fact that numbers, were met on the road returning!from the diggings, though some few were still going there from the Rocky River. "

John Scott, one of the railway survey party, under Mr. Barton, strayed away from the marked line, on the Blue Mountains, on the 2nd of January last. Search was made for him for some days, but without success. After being lost in the bush for nineteen days, one of his party who had been Sent back a few miles on business connected withl, the survey, found him on the line alive, but weak, and suffering from the effects of hunger. Ail that Scott had t& subsist on during the nineteen days he was absent, was one small parrot, some wattle gum, and a few grains of Indian corn, which he found on the surveyor's line. ■ Hadnot his comrade gone back pni business, it is hardly possible to suppose, b,s that Scott wduld'have been starved to death in a few hours. On a former occasion Scott in searching for water, lost himself for a couple of days. '*.'''".■■ ■'.}' •'"■-'■ :;-- .-■■■ A public; meeting convened by advertisement at the instigation of a lady, Mrs. Poster, had been held in thejhall of the School of Arts, and was attended by .the ladies of the leading-resident families. The bbject set forth was •'to.take into consideration some means proposed for the welfare and improvement of young women." His Excellency took the chair, and after the Bishop of Sydnej' and the Rev. W. Cilthbertson had spoken to the necessity existing-for an Institution in which female immigrants bdth of the educated and working class might find a temporary, home until they obtained employment^ Mrs. M.vE-. Foster, who appeared to be but.recehtly known to the proceeding speakers, and'a comparative stranger, detailed the plan of the proposed Institution in a written speech,, the reading of which-occupied a considerable -time, but which 4' was listened to throughout v?ith marked attention. M committee was then appointed to carry put the proposed plan. The tyg?qoh-Bdy Fre^'frSn^tif- ■the?.Slst; March, t^y%':^4?i.' gentlemkn!>frdinijMapyboi'ough' called at dor ' office '^yesterday?-* afternoon, and. supplied ■■" us" with an extract of a letter from 4hat township, by which we learn that, the bkeks are becoming extremely troublesome^fai1 worse than onr correspondent's letter- of last; week-led us to anticipate. They have now collected in-a body numbering fully 7QO, composed.principally of the Burnett and salt-water blacks, and are getting as bold and unscrupulous as Hounslow Heath footpads. Drays are bailed up in openrday, and rifled of all edibles; houses ai*e burglariously entered and ransacked; cattle, sheep, and even shepherds are ruthlessly speared; persons travelling on the high way are in positive danger 'of their lives; and even children are-robbed of what they possess on their way to and from school. The town police are quite inadequate to the -protection of the inhabitants in the neighbourhood, and the native troopers have been called out of barracks to pursue, and punish previous depredators; Some terrible and crushing retribution must be inflicted before the black rascals are brought to theft senses, and if the native police are capable of doing anything, now is their time. Perhaps " Vir," and a few who think like him, will go up to Wide Bay on a " taming mission ! " The. Maryborough correspondent of the North Australian, writing on the same subject, says:—"l.regret to say that the' blacks are again troublesome; they attacked Mr. Neil's party of sawyers at work down the bay, speared one of the. men, and stole their rations and fire-arms, driving the men to their boat. On the 17th they attacked two men at work six miles from this,1 and robbed them ; of rations and swag. It is .high time, our police magistrate and local constabulary should be empowered to take notice pf these attacks." ' • "