New Holland.--The Government intend to move in the House of Commons the grant of t1000, to defray a portion of the charge of an expedition, to be despatched for the purpose of " exploring the north-west part of New Holland," agreeably to recommendations of the Royal Geographical Society, "to ascertain the existence, or the contrary, of any great river" in the north-west portion of New Holland.


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Religion in Australia.--An Act of Council has passed to the effect, that whenever t300 are raised for the erection of a church and parsonage, the Government may advance the same sum--and that if one hundred adults sign a declaration of their wish for a clergyman, a salary of t100 may be given--if two hundred a salary of t150, and if five hundred, a salary of t200. Already nine clergyman are wanted.


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The Mid-Lothian, which lately came home from China, is at present being fitted up to convey settlers from the Isle of Skye to Australia. She has been chartered by Government; and will acommodate upwards of three hundred emigrants.


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Highland Emigrants.--The ship " Midlothian" has just been fitted up at Leith for the reception of Highland emigrants, which she is to take in at the Isle of Skye for Sydney, New South Wales. These emigrants are, we believw, to be carried out at a very small cost to themselves, the largest portion of the passage money being paid by Government out of the land revenue of New South Wales, which is exclusively appropriated towards the encouragement and promotion of emigration--the objects in view being, as well the relief of those districts in this country which are suffering from the want of employment and subsistence, as by the introduction into that colony of a body of well disposed and virtuous free emigrant families and individuals, the promotion of the moral welfare of the colonists generally. The emigrants will, we believe, receive employment in New South Wales as farm-servants, shepherds, overseers, &c. We had a brief inspection of the " Midlothian" on Monday afternoon, and found it to be a very fine vessel, fitted up in a manner the most comfortable and convenient that could well be effected. She sails this afternoon from Leith to the Isle of Skye.


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Thus the British Government is multiplying its colonies round the shores of New Holland. Exclusive of Van Diemen's Land, which forms a separate island, we have first on the eastern shore the old settlement of Port Jackson ; a second recently formed at Port Philip, 500 miles south from Sidney ; a third just described, at St. Vincent's Gulf, 500 miles west from Port Philip ; a fourth at King George's Sound, 1100 miles west from St Vincent's Gulf ; a fifth at Swan River, 250 miles north from King George's South. All these colonies are in the temperate zone, between the latitudes of 30 and 38, and will have nearly the same climate. We had one at Melville Island, on the north coast, within the torried zone, in latitude 12 ; but it was found to be very unhealthy, and was abandoned, after a short trial, ten years ago.

Though the interior of New Holland, so far as hitherto explored, is one of the most barren and unpromising lands in the world, there is a margin of good soil round the greater part of its coasts, capabale [?] of supporting twenty or thirty or fifty millions of inhabitants; and there is little doubt that, in the course of three centuries, it will be the seat of a great and powerful nation, cultivating the arts, and speaking the language of Britain, and contributing powerfully to spread civilisation over the Southern Hemisphere.


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