FROM AUSTRALIA.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 436, 27 December 1861, Page 5

FROM AUSTRALIA.

SyoNsr, 6th December. At a meeting held at .Brisbane, it was resolved to invite the All England Eleven to play a match against twenty-two of Queensland. Pleuro-pneumonia has broken out at Maitland. Wool has slightly advanced. The Great Republic Company is reported by the Ballarat Star to have obtained between 7QO aud BQQ ozs, of gold for the las*.

fortnight, and divided £35 per share on Saturday. Mr. Wood was on Tuesday elected member for Warrnatnbool, by a majority of 21 over Ids opponent, Mr. Cowell, the numbers being -Wood 208, and Cowell 187. The Latona.— At the Williamstown Water Police Court, on Thursday, Captain Sedgewicke, of the Latona, appeared on summons to answer breaches of the 73rd section of the Imperial Passengers Act, in not supplying good and wholesome provisions to his passengers during the whole of his late passage from Otago to this port. Mr. M'Farlane, the Emigration Officer, prosecuted on behalf of the passengers, and Mr. Head appeared for the defence. After a tedious and patient hearing, the Bench awarded complainants the sum of. £79 15s. and costs of court. Tue Volun.bers.—Saturday was a redletter day in the history of our volunteers. In compliance with the brigade order the various metropolitan and suburban rifle companies paraded in the afternoon on the Prince's Bridge Reserve, and the occasion derived an especial interest from its being the first appearance of the troops in their new uniform. The corps mustered about five-hundred strong, and their appearance in the grey and black frogged clothing was very soldier-like. The uniform is of a far better quality than the last, and the only objection that appears to be taken to it is with respect to its dark color. A lighter grey, or a more lively trimming would certainly have had a better appearance, though it might not have been so serviceable. Believers in the good results effected by the volunteer movement, will derive au additional gratification from the fact that each wearer of the clothingiias entered the service for a period of two year?. Last session a sum of £500 was voted to Mrs. Clara Seekamp, for damage which the property of her husband at Ballarat had sustained some years ago through the intervention of the Government. Some inquiry was made at the time why Mrs Seekamp was to be the recipient of the compensation, and the answer was that her husband was dead ! Mr. Seekamp had gained sufficient notoriety in one way or other to make his exit from the world a subject of public remark, but no one appeared to know when or where, or under what circumstances ,he had " departed this life." He had been last heard of in Queensland, and as Mr. Eraser's word was regarded ias a certificate of death, the money was voted to his widow. But, behold, we have Mr. Seekamp resuscitated, aud in Melbourne, apparently in the full enjoyment of health, and none the worse for the fact of £500 having been voted to his widow. A Magistrate in Trouble. —At the Hawthorn Municipal Police Court on Tuesday, Mr. C. W. Hobson, a territorial magistrate, who has hitherto occupied a highly respectable position in society, was committed to take his trial for cattle stealing. A farmer named Cragg, missed a cow from his premises on Friday, the 22nd November, and upon inquiry being instituted the hide was found in the tannery of Mr. Lambert, of Richmond, to which place it had been conveyed by a lad in Mr. Hobson's employ the morning after the cow had been stolen from the prosecutor. The tail was taken with a side of the slaughtered cow, to a butcher, named Loyd, and furnished the first clue to the culprit. The evidence was very conclusive, and in the absence of any explanation of the means by which the cow came into Mr. Hobsou's possession, the Bench committed him to take his trial, but admitted him to bail. An attempt was made to hash up the matter, but it was very properly objected to by the Bench of Magistrates,

The Dog Rocks.—The search for gold at the Dog Rocks—the new gold-field near Geelung—is still being prosecuted. Wednesday's Advertiser states that :—" Yesterday morning Mr. Grant, the jeweller of Ryrie -street, accompanied by several otiier gentiemjn from Geelong, visited the scene of digging operations at tiie Dog Rocks. One of the party suggested a trial washing of a yellowish stratum of earth found two feet from the surface ; this was done, and a little gold was found in almost every dishful. Mr. Grant brought some of the e.ifth into town, and his shop was crowded during the afternoon by persons anxious to have a look at it. Out of four handful* we saw washed about a quarter of a pennyweight was obtained of light thready ragged gold, not at all waterworn. Earth of like richness would pay well to wash on a large scale, but the washing would require to be done with unusual care, from the character of the gold, or much would escape. Several parties continue sinking. One hole caved in yesterday, but the party mean to sink another, and have it slabbed if necessary."