The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-05-06 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

We have received our files of papers from Mel-
bourne, brought by the Overland Mail, and quote
the following summary from the Aye of the 16th

which I have in other pursuits succeeded well) and a
superior class of farm workmen, and yet during the past
Year my accounts (kept most accurately) show an absolute
loss upon the labour employed, (throwing otit all experi-
mental hobbies and improvements) of a sum sutlic'ent to
have maintained my household in even superfluous comfort.
Let farmers look to it. With labour at its present cost
and wretched quality, only those who have some remark-
able advantages of soil or situation can make farming a
reasonably profitable pursuit. I shall be glad if any other
practical farmer eau throw a more favourable light on the

question
The report from the country districts show the crops to
be very abundant, and large quantities have been cut and
about to be stacked. Heavy floods, however, have recently
occurred, and washed away vast quantities of produce,
besides seriously damaging the standing crops. No very
injurious results are expected to follow, as the Hoed has
been more destructive to property than to agricultural pro-
ducers. We trust before twelve months have passed to see
Victoria producing her own breadstuff's.
The following has been the receint of gold per escort during.
the past three weeks : —Week ending Feb. 2nd, 54.636 oz;
week ending Feb. 9th, 42,631 oz ; week ending Feb. 16th,
46,058 oz. 5 dwts.—total, 143,325 oz. 5 dwts. During the
past fortnight the price has been from 75s 3d to 75s 6d per oz.
On Thursday the hank.: raised their rates of exchange on Eng-
land, they now buy at one per cent. discount, and sell at one
per cent. premium. Gold has risen in consequence, and the
Melbourne brokers are now buying at £3 16s per ounce.
The 3ield appears to be steady. The deep sinking at the
Ovens is paying well, and the gold is of a nuggetty charac-
ter. The legalisation of the Sydney sovereigns, we believe,
will soon be br,sught beoore the council. It is unjust to the
digger that they have not been made a legal tender here
before this, as the mint was sent out for the purpose of
saving expense to the miner in getting his gold coined, as
it might as well have been placed at the N )rth Pole, while
20s worth of gold is only current fur 19s in Sydney sove-
reigns. It is required that they be also free from the export
duty, as it may be presumed, if made of Victoria gold, they
have paid the duty once.
Our correspondence this week from Castlemaine and
Bendigo describes one of those visitations to which the
diggers are specially liable as having just occurred in those
localities. There have been floods of unusual violence in
that district, by which very great damage has been done to
property, and, we are sorry to add, three or four lives have
been lost. As is usual in our Australian climate, the floods
sub,ided almost as rapidly as they rose ; and, fortunately,
the damage done at Bendigo appears not to have been of
very much consequence ; but at Castlemaine it was extremely
serious. Many have had their dwellings, with all their
contents, swept away ; and all mining operations on
Campbell's and Forest Creeks will be suspended for some
days, in consequence of the rush of water into the
holes. The reSult is, very general suffering, amounting in
some cases to positive destruction. At Ballarat also
there have been floods, but happily not of so serious a
nature as those that happened there some weeks ago.
These visitations exemplify very forcibly the risks and the
vicissitudes to which the gold digger is exposed in the pro-
secution of his labours.
The question of the right of miners to enter on private
property to dig for gold has engaged the attention of a
select committee of the council since the beginning of the
present session. Their report has just been laid on the
table of the house, but as it is not yet printed, we cannot
specify the conclusions they have arrived at. From a state-
ment made in the house by the chairman of the select com-
mittee, we should infer that they have not recommended
the throwing open of private auriferous lands, on just com-
pensation being made to the owner—which is the plan that,
as we think, would he most acceptable to the diggers. The
whole subject, however, will undergo discussion in the
council, and we doubt not a satisfactory conclusion will be

come to.
Some activity is beginning to be manifested with refer-
ence to the extension of railways. Two companies are com-
peting for the construction of a ling between the city to
S. Kilda, the most populous of the suburban districts, three
Lures distant, where most of our citizens have their private
dwellings. The government have just passed a bill to pur-
chase the Melbourne, Mount Alexander, and Murray River
Railway from the company in whose hands it has been lan-
guishing for the last three years, so that there is some
prospect of the construction of the line being actually set
about.
It is our privilege on this occasion to make use of the
Overland Route to England. The Hellespont, which arrived
in the Bay a day or two since, is to convey our letters to
Singapore, on Saturday evening, or Sunday evening, and it
is not unreasonably expected, that she may anticipate the
arrival of advices by ordinary sailing vessels which have
had a good start in their favour. When we learn the per-
manency of this rapid mode of communication is to be
solely dependent upon the support the speculation shall be
found to receive, we are led again to regret that an arrange-
ment so essential to the commercial well-being of the Aus-
tralian colonies should rest upon so precarious a foundation.
We have for months been tantalised by the hope that the
British Government would take up the matter, but now the
circumstance of the Hellespont being put on the route
seems to st ggest the propriety and possibility of the colonies
th,inselves establishing a line of steamers between this and
Singapore. There are numerous steamers fitted for the
service at disposal, and the colonists are more likely to
secure the arrival of their letters in sixty days by at
once setting their shoulders to the wheel, than by vainly
soliciting a Government which already has its hands too
full to attend to anything else.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
We beg to confirm our last circular of the 30th ult., per
Reernah, believing the Hellespont to be a good means of
correspondence, we address you again to-day, although but a
short time has elapsed since our :last. The anticipations ex-
pressed in our last of our being on the eve of doing a good
business were not unfounded, for ever since the beginning of
the month, a brisk and steady business has been doing, and
which has been satisfactory to the holders of many articles, all

of which have greatly improved
The crops throughout the colonies, with the exception of the
Sydney district, seem to be good, and under the pressure of
heavy continuous arrivals from Adelaide, fluur has receded £1
per ton, at which reduction, howev, r, the demand holds good.
We quote the price of colonial as well as Chilian flour at £2O
per ton to•day.
Wheat, 103 to lis per bushel, according to quality.
In Scotch oats we have yet to notice no improvement,
foreign an ivals still keeping large, and out of all proportion to
its demand ; still, we arc induced to think that the prospects
for them are somewhat better, as the crop of colonial oats are
not turning out well, the colour of most of them being had.
We have an alteration to make in our quotation of 5s 3d
per barrel for Scotch oats. During the month many orders
have been sent forward to Valparaiso from this-for flour, on
the presumption that prices there at the opening of the season
would be bad. As the trade here seems inclined to supply the
wants of the place by their own importations, stray speculative
consignments, under these circumstances, will become very
hazardous.
From the excitement prevailing in all parts of the world
in the sugar market, our market likewise has not been free,
and an advance of £lO per ton on all sorts was quickly
established on the arrival of the mail per Ocean Chief. One
house, it is believed, as agents of the Sydney Sugar Company,
having quickly cleared the market of all stocks. The
following are about to-day's :value, although under the
circumstances of the market, they can scarcely be fixed either
£2 per ton :—Cassipore. £33 ; Mauritius bright
counter, £49; Mauritius dark counter, £44 ; loaf sugar, bid
per lb. The trade, however, are buying exceedingly sparingly
at these quotations, and are only supplying the most pressing
wants ; and, unless the market receive a fresh impetus from
foreign ports, which we have no reason to believe, prices must
decline, from no other reason but the exhaustion of the excite-
ment which forced them up, as the usual regular supplies are
expected.
From Manilla we have had several arrivals, which have
depses,-ed the market for most kinds of Manilla produce.
Of cordage, the quantities received have been largo, and the
trade do not seem inclined to buy at any more than £65 per
ton, which importers refuse.
We hear of large sales of,Manilla cigars at 47s 64.
In Calcutta produce of all kinds, except oats and wheat,
there has been an improvement. Patna rice has been sold at
£25, and grain at £lO, with every prospect of a still further
rise. Patna opium still remains in favour with the Chinese,
and they would pay large prices for it if any were in the market,
which is not the case. Gunny bags have been asked for ; they
may be quoted is per dozen higher.
In English imports, the demand during the last fortnight has
run strongly on hams, candles, brandy, and rum. Of the
York hams the market is perfectly bare, and whilst the absence
of supply has raised the price to 18d., there has been a heavy
speculation going ors in American hams, which it is conceived
will be a substitute for English
untilu the market is bettereter
supplied with them. All rihams which wore
market were bought up at Is, and are now held at 14d.
In candles a large speculation has been going on, and if the
quantity which was in the market had not been so consider-
able. prices would have been up before this.
Of Belmont's there are comparatively few in the market,
but many German and French sperms which, of course, sell at
a small reduction in price. Should the arrivals during the
next week not be very heavy, we may expect to see the price
of candles consolidate itself at 2s ; but there are still sellers
of Belmonts in the market at Is. 81.
Butter has latterly been neglected, the quantities in the
market being very large, and fresh Colonial butter being pro-
curable at almost comparatively low prices on almost all the
diggings. Cork butter closes heavily' at 16d, with entire
absence of speculation.
English Cheese maintains a fair rate, is in good request, and
readily saleable at is 5d to is 6d.
For liquors the demand has been good, the stock in the
hands of the trade keing low, and importers have a fair
chance of selling at paving prices, whilst
.llartell's dark
brandy is firm at 14s 3d, and pale at las 6d. West
India rum has experienced an advance of 6d per gallon,
in consequence of the news from home, and the rise in the
Sugar Market.
We quote the price of West India rum at 5s 6d. Whiskey
is still saleable at 7s 64, the stock being nil.
For bulk ale the demand within the last few days has been
better, The stock of Bass's No. 3is almost exhausted, and