The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-30 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

By the Marlborough (Allen W. Young), we have
advises of important character from Port Phillip to
the 4th of July. The importations had been vier-
moue, and the result had been that prices had fallen
from 30 to 50 per cent., and many unsuitable articles
1 had been sacrificed at auction for little more than
mere nominal sums. With respect to provisions, a
similar state of affairs seemed to have approached.
Sales that had been made of malt liquors to arrive
had been disowned by the purchasers on various
pretexts, while, as regards flour, it is said there were
50,000 barrels in the port, a great portion of
which, according to some accounts, would be
shipped to England. The Eagle, which was to sail
about tho beginning of July, is said to be bringing
over 6,000 barrels, at a freight of about Bs. per
barrel. Three hundred ships, with cargoes on board,
were lying in the harbour, and meanwhile the
charge for lighterage was becoming: more exorbitant,
355. per ton being demanded for free, and 40s. to
455. for bonded goods. An impression seems to have
prevailed in the colony that alter the present arrivals
future supplies might probably be only moderate,
and that hence some recovery in prices might be
looked for when the roads to the mines, which had for
some time been impassable, should again be opened,
more especially as the arcouots of the gold produc-
tion were very favourable, and it was understood
that goods were wanted there. These hopes of a
more satisfactory state of affairs cannot, however,
be trusted to the same extent on this side, where
the consignments sent out are known to have in-
creased week by week uninterruptedly for more than
six months since the sailing of the latest vessels that
had yet reached the colony. The revenue of Victoria
for the quarter just ended again showed an extraor-
dinary augmentation, and the amount of gold shipped
from Port Phillip alone, from the Ist of January to
the 27th of June, valued at 41. per oz., was 4,400,0001.
The price of gold was 775. 6d. per oz., and the rate of
exchange on London was 2 prem., with an expecta-
tion that it might advance to 4 prem. In the latter
case it would be more profitable to send sovereigns
than bills. At the same time large quantities of gold
dust were in course of train/mission.
Just before the departure of the Marlborough the
Union Bank of Australia had given notice of a rob-
bery, which had caused great excitement. It ap-
pears that a cue of noteforms belonging to the bank
had been stolen from a vessel in Hobson'e.bay, and
put into circulation with false signatures. The forms
comprised 12,000 of 11. each, 4,000 of 51., 1,000 of
501., and an unspecified number of IW. and 201.
each.

The Melbourne Argus mentions a few cues in
which extraordinary good fortune have attended the
gold seekers. A party of three men, after digging
on a claim at Maitland Bar on the Meroo for 24 days,
were able when they had paid all their expenses,
to divide the sum of 1,0801. in hard cash. The
gold obtained was of a nuggety character, one piece
weighing 24 ounces. Some now diggings have been
discovered at the Ovens, and a rush made to the spot,
which has been christened "Nuggety Gully," from
the nature of the precious deposit. The gold is dis-
tributed rather capriciously, and success has conse-
quently been unequal. The net proceeds of the gold
found by a party of four, after working for three
weeks, was no less than 2,4001. Some fine grain
gold has been discovered in Melbourne.
A submarine telegraph has been projected to con-
nect Van D:emen's Land with Australia, in con-
nexion with a line to Melbourne.

The Cleopatra steamer was to leave Port Phillip
for Liverpool on the 27th of July, and the (heat
Britain some time during the same month. The
Marlborough has brought 60 passengers and a heavy
mail.

The subjoined letter, by the Typhoon, furnishes a
full and practical description of the general state of
business at Port Phillip up to the 13th of June, sub-
sequently to which date the markets continued to
give way :
• ' - • - -

' • The importations into this port from England and
America during the past few weeks have been unprece-
I dentedly large, and have already begun to tell upon the
market. Mat of the w ,rehouses are crammed with good.,
provisions, &c., and the lack of storage is daily forcing vast
quantities of merchandise to hurried disposal—generally by
the hammer. By this means, however, the market is being
gradually relieved of many trumpery and unsuitable arti-
cles sent hither by " dabblers" or inexperienced " be-
ginners," under the mistaken and too prevalent notion
that "anything will do fur the colonies"—a notion of
which, it is to be hoped, their present experience will
I rid them. None but genuine and really useful articles
are wanted here. Meanwhile, the presence of the con-
trary het an injurious influence upon the market. The
very large importation of American flour and bread-
stuff*, and the accounts of large quantities yet to arrive,
have caused • very considerable decline in the prices
of those articles. Grain his been gradually falling for borne
timit, and a downward tendency is still manifest, though
oats arc slightly recovering. In colonial flour the decline is
net so perceptible as in foreign, and with our continually
increasing population it is not probable that in any article
of general consumption any Barlow depression can long
rule. Almost a'l the flour from England, and very much
of that from Amen, a, arrives soured; from what cause it
is not ersy to di terniane; but very ones it is attributable
to bail picking and deficiency of ventilation in the holds of
the vesaels. Several large parcels bays recently arrived in
501 b. tins, and all in beautiful condition. American mity
he quoted at 181. to 20'. (tins), and colonial at 271. to 30/.
per t in. Provisions are rather lower. Manufactured
goods suitable for the semen find purchasers at fairly
remunerative rates, as also ale, porter, and spirits.

Building materials continue in great demand ; but the
profits of importers are most materially lessened by the
heavy expenses to which their goods are subject. Braid's
the high rates of freight and insurance they have to submit
to the charges of light,-rage from the bay, at the rate of
355. to 40s. tor tots, and it is difficult to obtain lighters even
at these rates, and e veral ship agents hive recent:l pub-
licly intimated that they could nut get them, anti that nun-
.ignees must engage thi to them.elye3g, and be pren,red to
pay the 10/. per 'lay demurrei:c after the tint ten drys, of
cartage in the town at is. per one-horse load, and, those
who have not stores of their own, of storage at 21. tid. per
tor. per week. In addition to all this, their good", if not
very carefully looked after, are most unceremoniously pre-
cipitated into a sea of mud, which is almost the chief con-
stituent part of the Queen's wharf.' New houses
are springing up every day, and the Americans are
establishing themselves here in considerable force.
Adams and Co., the great American carriers, have opened
a branch here. They early to every part of the world.
Their operations in this quarter ore likely to be very large.
The wool season is, strictly speaking, ' over' here, but a
few lots which have been delayed by the difficulty (still
existing) of obtaining 'carriage keep dribbling in from die-
teat station", where it is probable parts of some few • clips'
will be detained till after the winter. But even after all
has been brought down and shipped, it is the a'most
uni-
vernl opinion that the export of last ' clip' will show an
actual decrease as compared w ith that of the previous one,
instead of what the Erglish manufacturers require—a posi-
tive increase. A very large proportion, too, of the wool
this year is sent home in the grease. Prices are higher
here than those which ruled at the last February sales in
London; but, considering the decrease in this year's export,
the almost universal prevalence of the 'scab,' which con-
tinues to spread, and which must materially atlect the
quality, and pretty certainly, also, the quantity, of the
coming ' clip (the foot-rot, too, is becoming prevalent), I
and considering, also, the large orders for manufactured
goods which have been sent home from those colonies, it is
felt that an advance in price must still take place in the
English market.
" There is little doing in tallow.
" Gold is very firm at 775. per ounce, and is only to be
obtained in small quantities even at that price. The various
' diggings' continue to yield largely, but apparently not
more than the colony requires for remittance in return for
imports of goods and specie.
"The banks are charging 2 per cent. premium for bills on
London. They purchase draughts against hypothecated
gold or products at par.
"Bents are very high. A moderate-sized store lets
readily at 2,0001. per annum, a respectable family house at
70W., a four-roomed cottage at 150/. to 2001.
"The cry is still for emigrants, but only fur such as will
work. Carpenters earn easily 20s. to 2.sss per day, and
bricklayers nearly as much ; and any man may make 10s.
per day on the roads.
. . .

Oiring to the blundering of the Australian Royal Mail
Steam Packet Company, steamers •are looked upon with sad
suspicion here, though the quick passages of the Harbinger
and the Hellespont—the tormer in less than 69days and the
latter in 75 days, the two quickest passages ever yet made—
have
Steam Shipping Company. W."
The abstract of tho probable revenue of the colo-
nial government of New South Wales (exclusive, of
course, of the territorial revenue), for the year 1854,
compared with the amounts actually received in
1852, is as follows

Estimated Received
for 18,54. in 18.52.
Custmts £341.000 £217,021
Duty on colonial spirits 30,000 18,211
Gold revenue
Land sales 15,000 11,740
Rents
Licenses 37,200 33,751
Postage
Port and harbour dues
Assessment on stock
Auction duty
Other heads 25,375 25,246

Total. £566,225 £413,746
The aggregate expenditure estimated for next year
is as follows :
To be voted £450,496
Schedules
Customs 17,365
Drawbacks
Colonial distilleries
University of Sydney .
Remuneration to pilots
Police reward fund 1,150
Ditto superannuation ditto

Grand total of expenditure estimated
tor lfia

Considerable sensation had been caused in Victoria
by the death of a man in the watch-house at Vic-
toile. He was taken into custody on the Wednes-
day night, " not drunk, but cranky," and for some
reason he was shifted into another cell. He was
forgotten all Thursday, and on Friday the cell was
accidentally opened, and the man found sitting in a
corner, dead. A verdict of censure upon the autho-
rities had been returned by the coroner's inquest.
A daring robbery was committed at Mount Alexan-
der on the Bth of June. About eight o'clock on that
night five men went to Mr. Greave's store, at Moon-
light Flat, and called him out on pretence of wishing
to see him. Upon his putting his head out, one of
them caught hold of him by the hair, dragged him
out, and held him while the others rushed in, secured
the other inmates, and walked off with gold and
moneys to the amount of 8001.