Accounts front South Australia to the 1st .Ttme, and front
Van Die- men's Land to the 14th June, arrived on Thursday. The new colony was thriving in spite of drought and internal dissmisions. Between the 5th and the 23t1 of May, nine special surveys had been taken, anti the deposit-money, amounting to 36,000/., paid into the Treasury. Two natives had been hanged for two separate murders of settlers. After the execution, the native women and children, and SOIlle of the men, were found in the deepest distress, weeping and moaning about their huts in the most piteous manner. The attachment a these poor crea- tures goes beyond their own immediately family and connexions, and extends to the members of their whole tribe.
A trial for libel had excited nitwit interest in the colony. The pub- lisher of the South Australian was prosecuted by Mr. George Milner Stephen, the Colonial Secretary ; who conducted his own cause, and was his own principal witness. The newspaper charged him with raking a false statement respecting the sale of some land, called the Milner estate. Mr. Stephen, it was said, had given out that half of the property in question was sold for 10,0001.; whereas it was never sold at all, and the statement was made for the purpose of inducing Persons to give a high price for his land. On his cross-examination by the defendant's counsel, this Mr. Secretary- Stephen cut a very shabby figure ; and from one of his own letters, published after the trial in the Government paper, the South Australian Gazette, t appears that he authorized the publication of a statement in that newspaper that he had sold half of the Milner estate for 20,000/. The Judge, Mr. Cooper, charged the Jury strongly for a verdict against the defendant, and ob- tained one. Sentence was deferred; and it seems impossible, after the disclosures subsequently made, that any punishment could be inflicted. The dismissal of Mr. Stephen ought to have taken place immediately ; and especially if it is true, as the South Australian Gazette states, that he excused his falsehood by saying "it would do the colony no harm" to spread the report that so highs a price bad been paid for land in it. Complaints of misappropriation of their land-fund, and of heavy taxation, are made by the inhabitants of Van Diemen's Land. The ses- sion of the Legislative Council in that province was opened on the 3d of June, by Sir John Franklin ; who appears to be personally popular. Sir Jahn dwelt upon the advantages of a corn-trade with 'New South Wales; and notwithstanding a temporary scarcity, refused to restrictthe exportation of grain.
The weather in New South Wales hail greatly improved, and almost every vestige of the drought had disappeared under the influence of abundant rain. The price of bread was very high ; but the prospects of
the wheat harvest were so good that it was expected soon to fall, especially as vessels had been sent to various parts in India and South America for wheat.
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