The Express.
London, England, 1856-10-04 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

We are in receipt of Sydney papers to the Bth
of July, contaioing advice from Melbourne to the
28th of Jane. The Sydney Herald contains a sum-
mary prepared for the Star of Peace, from which we
take some passages:—
" Parliament was opened by commission on the
22d of May, under circumstances of greater ioterest
than had ever before attended the opening of the
ssioas of the colonial legislature.
" In the Legislative Assembly, the election of a
speaker gave rise to a long and animated debate,
and to a remarkably close contest. The candidates
ter the honour were, Mr. Watson Parker, chairman
of committees io the old Legislative Council, and Mr.
Daniel Cooper, one of the members for the Sydoey
hamlets. Mr. Parker was supported mainly by the
adherents of the government ; Mr. Cooper reale-

ing, on the other hand, the support of the occupants
of the opposition benches. Mr. Cooper was ulti•
mately elected by a majority of 24 to 23.!
" On the following day the parliament was formally
opened for the despatch of business by his exce.lency
the Ooveraor•Qeneral in person.
"The actual extent of our commerce is gradually
progressing, as may be seen from the statistics which
we give below, which indicate a substantially in-
creased consumption. Cumplaints of the dulnees
and languor of trade are not unusual, but these are
rather suggested by the contrast between the present
aspect of the markets and that which th.-y wore
during the early period of the gold discovery than
indicative of a positive decline in the amount of busi-
ness transacted.

"The increase in our popniation, in the quantity
and the value of oar produce, and in all branches of
colonial industry is necessarily augmenting the de-
mand for imported goods of every description."
We extracted in a former issue an account of the
massacre, by the natives of Woodlark Island, of an
Italian missionary and the crew of the brig Gazelle.
The Sydney paper affords the names of the captain
aid crew thus:

The names of the unfortunate sufferers were, besides the
missionary before-mentioned :—William Thomas Parking,
captain, a native of Deptford ; Junius Parking (his brother),
chief mate, aged 27; Robert King, bora at Norfolk, Eng-
land, carpenter ; Henry Chula, of Chelaea cook and
steward, aged 20; James C..ffey, of Liverpool, able seaman,
32 ; Henry Wilson, born in the United States, able seamen,
aged 27 ,• John Offline°, of Boston, able seaman, aged 30;
Joseph Fallard, of Maryland, able seamen, aged 32; H.
Baguet, of Caswell, ordinary seaman, aged 20 ; and a lad,
a native of Sydney, 15 years of age, named James Yates.
No reoond mate'. name is on the article.. Immediately that
the Favourite hove insight of the island it was arranged to
entice a number of the crew on shore, murder them, and then
attack the vowel. The captsin,however, haying learned from
Fearer, who came alongside in a canoe by himulf, the fate of
the crew of the Gazelle end the design formed against himself
and crew, twice discharged a carronade in the direction of
the approaching fleet of canoes, which had the effect of
lightening the eccupants and malcieg them speedily retreat
to the shore. Pierre was brought on to Sydney, which he
had visited on former occasions with members of the mis-
sion, as it was feared he would have been murdered bad he
returned to the island. It is stated that H.N. eb'p Juno
will be despatched to Woodlark Island, immediately on hew
return to port, with the view of eliciting further particulars,
and probably visiting the murderers, whose names have all
been ascertained, with condign punishment. The cue of
the Gesell* is the third one of the murder of crews of vessels
that has been perpetrated by the natives of Woodlark Island
within the last fifteen year*.
Both at Sydney and Melbourne there had been
great rejoicings on account of the peace. The Cana
pus from Liverpool had reached Sydney, after a long
passage of 168 days.
The following extract is from the Melbourne
Herald of 28th June:

The price of gold I o sellers remains at 31 16s. The entries
for shipment at the Custom house tc-dsy consisted of 5,739
ounces for Liverpo 1, 2 020 ounces for Calcutta' 1.292 ounces
for Hong Kong, and 33 ounces for Sydney. The Customs
bill of entry for the week ended on Saturday shows an
export of 12,466 ounces, of which the banks shipped 10,555
ounces. The Oriental Bank also shipped 5,000/. in specie
to Ceylon.
The arrivals fi.r the week ended last night hive been very
limited from the melghbouring colonies, but lugs from the
United Hiagdom. Including the Ocean Monarch, six large
vessels, of over 8,000 tons burden, have entered the bay.
The foreign snivel' have been two fr ten Chine xis Ade.
laide, one from Heflin., and one from Boston, U.S. The
departures for the week hove been 26 vessels, many of small
tonnage, and showing a balance in favour of upwards of
6,000 tons.
_ .

The Age of the same date reports that the escorts
from Mount Alexander and Ballarat bad brought in
to Melbourne, on the 27th, 29,109 ounces of gold, and
28,7974 cash. On June 27th arrived at Melbourne
the ships Oscar I. and Ooldflnder from London, and
the James Baines from Liverpool, the latter having
suffered in a squall. An agitation was afloat for the
assimilation of the tariffs in the Australian colonies.
Both at Melbourne and Sydney the necessaries of life
were exceedingly cheap, and agricultural produce
was selling at prices which were not remunerative.
At Sydney, potatoes were unsaleable at 2s. per cwt.
Mr. Fellow., a sound and able lawyer in large peso-
tic., bad accepted the office of Solicitor• General of
Victoria. It was hoped that the Chinese, who were
very numerous in Victoria, might be induced to
engage in making the railways. Both in Melbourne
and Sydney associations had been formed against
government grants to religious denominations.
From South Australia we learn that the Legislative
Council had been prorogued by the Governor, after
having passed measures for initiating the new con•
stitution. The Governor expressed his hope that the
political power entrusted to the people and the uni•
versal suffrage conceded by the new constitution
would prove a safe and conservative measure. Ne-
gotiations were on foot for connecting Adelaide with
Melbourne by electric telegraph.