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

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 most favourable. There was in the
colony plenty of gold, plenty of employment, good order, and
increasing prosperity. We borrow from the Melbourne
Argus the following summary of news :
The general condition of the country may be pronounced
prosperous. In 1834 alone, 460,000 acres of land were pur-
chased for agricultural purposes : large quantities of land in
all parts of the colony are being constantly brought into the
market, while the demand for agricultural labourers is con-
siderably greater than the supply.
For the week ending April 14th to the week ending April
28th, the net immigration into Melbourne amounted to 6,071
persons.
GOLD.—The price of gold at Melbourne is 725. 9d. per
ounce,

The favourable anticipations from the employment of
puddling machines and operation by machinery on the au-
riferous quartz kdes, mentioned in the last accounts, have
been so far realised.
The receipts by escort and shipments during the first four
months of 1855, were :
Receipts by escort 585,141 oz.
Shipments 679,141
The export duty upon gold of 2s. 6d. per oz., which came
into operation on the Ist May, continues to excite strenuous
opposition, and the conviction grows that it must soon be aban-
doned. Two new fields, named Yandoit and New Bendigo,
have been discovered near Mount Alexander, but their value
has not been yet ascertained.
The statistics published relative to the Victoria banks,
show that, the finances of the colonists are at last improving,
and these facts are corroborated by the diminished number of
failures, and by the increased confidence amongst the mercan-
tile conimuuity.

Since the lait report, on the 9th instant, the improvement
has been maintained ; and of several staple articles there has
been a considerable advance in prices. The winter rains have
now set in, and this advance may be checked ; but as the im-
ports are very small, there is no expectation of a decline. The
general impression is that provisions, especially, will be scarce,
and highly remunerative, during the whole of the present year.
er
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othr
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i legitimate
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oiwnn eetrsoe,
The falling off in imports, and the cessation of building ope-
rations in our seaport towns, has caused the migration into
thus deprived of employment. Numbers of these have en-
gagedrto dr ilaa pursuitse
de interior
the producers a
and
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 be in 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 the Legislative Council and the public, but
no definite plans have been agreed upon. The first term of
the Melbourne University was opened in due form on the 13th
of April. The annual 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 for its erection, and a further sum of
similar amount will be required. There are at present 16
students.

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