The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-07-31 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

ARRIVAL OF THE RED JACKET.
Or Wednesday, the magnificent clipper-ship Red Jacket,
Capt. Milward, of Messrs. Pilkington and Wilson's White
Star line, was telegraphed off the port, and soon after noon
her mails and papers were landed. She left Melbourne on the
2nd of May, and touched at Rio on the 20th of June. She
encountered calms and adverse winds, yet she has made the
homeward passage in little more than eighty days ;—though
longer than her former run, this voyage again demonstrates
her sailing capacity. She has brought 270 passengers, and
138,000 ozs. of gold.
The news is considered mast favourable. There was in the
colony plenty of gold, plait- of employment, good order, and
increasing prosperity. We borrow from the Melbourne
Argus the following sumnary of news:—
The general condition if the country may be pronounced.
prosperous. In 1854 aline, 460,000 acres of land were pur-
chased for agricultural prposes : large quantities of land in
all parts of the colony at being constantly brought into the
market, while the deimnd for agricultural labourers is con-
siderably greater thanthe supply.
For the week endiig April 14th to the week ending April
28th, the net immigation into Melbourne amounted to 6,071
persons.
GOLD.—The prie of gold at Melbourne is 725. 9d. per
ounce.

The favourable anticipations from the employment of
puddling machins and operation by machinery on the au-
riferous quartz odes, mentioned in the last accounts, have
been so far realied. _ _

The receipts )y escort and shipments during the first four
months of 185, were :

Receips by escort 585,141 oz.
Shipronts 679,141 „
The expot duty upon gold of 2s. 6d. per oz., which came
into operatin on the Ist May, continues to excite strenuous
opposition,ind the conviction grows that it must soon be aban-
doned. 'Do new fields, named Yandoit and New Bendigo,
have beerdiscovered near Mount Alexander, but their value
has not ben yet ascertained.
The satistics published relative to the Victoria banks,
show tht the finances of the colonists are at last improving,
and thee facts are corroborated by the diminished number of
failure; and by the increased confidence amongst the mercan-
tile cciamunity.
Sine the last report, on the 9th instant, the improvement
has ben maintained ; and of several staple articles there has
been, considerable advance in prices. The winter rains have
nowset in, and this advance may be checked ; but as the =-
poi% are very small, there is n 9 3cpectation of a decline. The
general impression is that provisions, especially, will be scarce,
ant highly remunerative, during the whole of the present year.
The falling off in imports, and the cessation of building ope-
rations in our seaport towns, has caused the migration into
lie interior of a large portion of their population, who were
thus deprived of employment. Numbers of these have en-
gaged in industrial pursuits in the country and at the mines,
and thus the producers are in a more legitimate proportion to
the consumers. We may anticipate, henceforth, that the ex-
ports will be more nearly equalised with the imports, and it is
believed that in a short time the exchange will bein favour of
this country.
In addition to this, we have the satisfaction of stating that
facilities of trade at Melbourne have been very greatly im-
proved, and that the expenses have been much diminished.
The two railways from Williamstown and Geelong to Mel-
bourne are still prosecuted; and communication by electric
telegraph with Geelong and Port Phillip Heads has been
established.

The deficient supply of breadstuffs is causing attention to
be turned to Chili, where the stocks are understood to be
sufficient. .

The question of public education has again been occupying
the attention of tle Legislative Council and the public, but
no definite plans have been agreed upon. The first term of
the Melbourne Uni,ersity was opened in clue form on the 13th
of April. The anntal endowment is £9,000. The building
has been commenced on a grant of forty acres of land, in a
most favourable position, adjoining the city; £55,000 have
been already voted 'or its erection, and a further sum of
similar amount will be required. There are at present 16
students.

Loud complaints art made by the miners of the want of
police protection. At Ballarat a movement has been com-
menced for organising avoluntary association for the defence
of property. On other gdd-fields robbers have been promptly
punished by flogging, unler the authority of Judge Lynch.
The question of Chine immigration has become a very
serious one. There are dready in the colony nearly 20,000
Chinamen, who are reputel, by those acquainted with China,
to be of the lowest class, rainy of them, in fact, convicts. The
immigration is entirely a male one. Not one woman has
arrived amongst them, ant the men are charged with the
most revolting crimes. It is believed that the Legislative
Council will adopt some meals of checking, if.not preventing,
further immigration.