INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

West Coast Times, Issue 215, 28 May 1866, Page 2

INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

[latest by electric telegraph.] (From the Melbourne papers.) Sydney, Friday, May 11. The committee appointed to manage tho demonstration to welcome Sir Charles Darling to New South Wales, met last night, Alderman Murphy in tho chair. After a few formal matters had been disposed of, the chairman announced that he had received a letter from Sir Charles Darling, in acknowledgment of the hearty reception accorded to him on landing from the Alexandra on the previous night. The letter, which was read to the 'meeting, was dated from Petty's Hotel, and says that Sir Charles was entirely taken by surprise at the warm greeting that he received from the Sydney peoplo on his arrival from Melbourne the previous night, and his late Excellency went on to say that he hardly comprehended the nature of the communication which hod been forwarded to him from the committee, in reference to tho meeting which was convened for Friday, for tho purpose of preparing an address of sympathy on his premature recall and retirement from the government/ of the colony of Victoria. He (Sir Charles) hoped that it would not be supposed by tho promoters of the meeting that he in any way under^ valued the sympathy and kind feeling which it was contemplated the meeting would wish to express ; but he begged at tho same time that the secretary would communicate to tho committee of promoters that, inasmuch as, on his departure from Melbourne, he considered himself as having retired, for a time at least, from political life, it would be more consistent with hjs wishes if the meeting lapsed. He concludes thus :—": — " I tender my friends and well-wishers my grateful thanks, and tho assurance of my warm appreciation of their generous confidence in the rectitude of the public principles which guided me in the discharge of my duty as Her Majesty's representative in tho great and flourishing community to which I have recently bid farewell, and which is connected in my mind with many considerations of social and patriotic interest. I have the honor to be, gentlemen, your most obedient, humble servant) C. H. Dablino." After a prolonged deliberation, the committee rescinded the resolution convening the meeting for Friday (this) night, and the committee was thereupon dissolved. His Excellency Sir John Young and suite will accompany Sir Charles Darling to the theatre to-night, when the opera of " Maritana" will be produced. Tho Government propose making telegraph station masters in country offices postmasters also. Mr Holroyd, formerly Minister of Public Works, has been appointed master in Equity. The markets are active. Holders of kerosene ask 6s. Breadc tuffs are firmer. Large parcels of Californian flour have been placed privately at £16 ; Chilian, all faults, at £12 5s to £13 ss ; wheat, slightly damaged, 5s 5d. ; sound do., 6s per bushel; lib salmon, Is sd; pint pickles, 11s to 12s. At Graham'g produce sale, beef tallow brought £53 10s. ; mutton do., £56 ss, being from £3 to £4 advance on last week's rates. Fat cattle are lower. Saturday. May 12. Two Chinamen, supposed to be the perpetrators of the extensive robberies recently committed in the Southern district, have been arrested. A bullock- driver was murdered on Thursday night, near Singleton. The murderer was arrested. The wreck of a ship's boat has been washed ashore near Richmond River Heads. It contained portions of clothing, leading to the \ belief that it had been used by a shipwrecked party. Mr Baillies, a respectable tradesman, has been found dead at the rear of his house. It is supposed that he had committed suicide. The Criminal Assizes will commence oil Monday, in the Supreme Court. The calendar is a heavy one, including four cases for murder, four for robbery under arms, besides several minor cases. Bertrand intends to apply for his disoharge, or to be allowed out on bail, if ho is not tried at this sitting of the Court. It is rumoured, and it seems to como from an authentic source, that funds were forwarded here from Melbourne, for the purposo of organising the demonstration to Sir Charles Darling, on his landing from the Alexandra. Tho W. A. Farnworth brings news from San Franoisco to the 17th March, but thero aro no papers to bo had. From tho captain we leavn that %

Dublin had put into San Francisco for supplies; she was bound from Port Ludlow to Melbourne. Adelaide, Friday, May 11. The sugar per Amateur has been all sold but 500 bags, withdrawn for higher rates. The prices realised show an advanoe of L 3 to L 4 on last quotations. The biddings were brisk. Low rations,' L 25 ss. to L2B 7s 6d ; brown, L 34 to L 34 2s 6d; yellow, L 34 10s to L 36 ss; Superior yellow, L3B 7s 6d; yellow crystals, L3l ss; white counters and crystals, L 39 12s 6d to L 42 17s 6d. Mr Finnis has made his defence before the Northern Territory Commission. Their report will shortly be made. News from tho farnorth says there are numbers of fat cattle there, but it is impossible to get them down, owing to the state ot the intermediate country. Butchers' meat in Adelaide has again risen in price. No improvement in the corn market. Wheat, 6s 3d to 6s 4d; flour, Ll4 15s to LI 6. Saturday, May 12. The Court of Appeal at home has issued a peremptory order to Judge Boothby, to transmit his notes of a case 'heard before him, viz., " Cooheard v. Wentfel," which he had declined to do when previously instructed. A sale of Booth's country flour at Ll4 10s is reported to-day. The newly appointed Governor of Victoria, J. H. Manners Sutton, has been well trained for the post. He was member for Cambridge from 1841 to 1842, during which time he was Under Secretary of State for the Home Depart-, ment. He is brother and heir-pre-sumptive to Viscount Canterbury, whose father was for seventeen years Speaker of the House of Commons. The La Reine brings a . cargo of Chilian breadstuff's, altogether between 400 and 500 tons of wheat and flour. [We have a copy of the "Sydney Morning Herald" of the 17th instant, brought by the Lizzie Coleson, but it contains no Melbourne telegrams, or any news of interest.] Sir William Wiseman telegraphs to the Governor, Sir Dominick Daly, that his report on our defences will be ready in a day or two. The census gives an excess of 7500 males over females in the population. Messrs Solomon and Co. offered at auction to-day the cargo of Tasmanian produce ex Mimmic Dyke. Potted butter realised Is lid per 1b; barley, 7s 6d ; oats, 5s 4d to 5s 7d ; potatoes, £5 15s per ton ; and onions, £10 per ton. Brisbane, Friday May 11. In the Assembly last night, the second reading of the Land Alienation Bill was adjourned until Thursday. The bill is opposed to the squatters' suggestions as to the land policy of the Ministry, and the leading features are the provision for the formation of agricultural areas, maps of the land being published before the sale.

Dhfaoed Coin. — For some time past a great deal of silvor coin circulating in Melbourne has been tampered with. Small holes have been drilled through the pieces, and these have beon filled up with base metal. The Chinese havo tho credit of this little piece of roguery, bnt it has not been confied to tho Celestials. The consequence is taht Melbourne tradesmen arc particularly careful in receiving silver coin, and nono that has beon dofaced or injured in tho slightest degree will bo taken. We aro informed that it has already beon proposed by ono speculator to purchase a quantity of the degraded coinage at a cheap rate and bring it over to Tasmania, and astonish, the people with his astonishing liberality! We advise shopkeepers to bo on thoir guard ; , they cannot havo forgotten tho deluge of VieX torian copper coins.— "LaunceßtonExaminof. 1 , An explosion of gas occurred at the Bradford union workhouse ; windows wero torn out, doors and ceilings were torn down, seats and desks were shattered, and skylights were blown out. We heard not long ago of a poor sick woman who left a hospital for the sole reason that she could not bear the depression of spirits produced by the one universal drab color of everthing that met her eye ; and the other day a charitable lady was asked to make up quilts for use in a hospital for " incurables," with the special request that they should be as brightly colored as possible. — " Pall Mall Gazette.