The Australian mails received this week supply abundant evidence that
the movement in favour of confederation and annexation is spreading steadily. The conduct of the Melbourne- Government in refusing the Irish informers leave to land, and sending them on board the nearest man-of-war, must be regarded as earnest of what they will do with convicts of other nation- alities; and at this moment the despatch of a few transports loaded with Recidivistes from Toulon, or the arrival of a few. boatloads of " escapees " from New Caledonia on Australian soil, might have sudden and far-reaching consequences. It will be interesting to watch the attitude of the Colonies of New South Wales and Tasmania towards the new movement. With their peculiar history, it is difficult to expect that they should be so grimly in earnest as Victoria, New Zealand, and Queensland evidently are ; but, on the other hand, this very reflection may goad them to an even more perfervid zeal. Apparently, none of the Colonies would gain more both by annexation and confedera- tion.
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