The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-05-05 00:00:00

was likely to arise, and a crisis was not
apprehended. The Melbourne Age says--

Already we are feeling the benefits of regular steam
communication with.the old country, simultaneously with
the last traces of injury arising from excessive and ill-'irned
shipments. The rapid and regular communication with
the home country will doubtless work wonders in reformirg
the system which has hitherto prevailed among British
commercial houses; but it is a pity that at the moment of
the establishment of steam postal service our markets
should once more have been swarnpad with goods in
such immense quantities, that it is almost uttterly impos-
Ode for our population to CODS!iIM them. At .no period
since the memorable crisis of 1854 have cur. merchants
felt such difficulty in effec:inu' an outlet for their goods.
The trade has passed out of thehands of those who formerly
held it—a new compeling class'bils.arisen—and those who
were once the best customers of the original importers,
are PnlT found keenly contesting the m-irket with them
on almost equal grounds. Thcensive retail deal rs
now fild it worth while to e anmissiao buyers visiliag
Ergland, to purchase for cash in the home marketS sec)
articles in their line as Australian buyers knew will suit
the colonial market. Melbourne traders Willingly pay an
advance of 21 per cent.,on the ordinary commission, for
the execution of their orders by parts so well up to what
will suit the local trade. The more rariid stf.atnrr inter-
communication between Victoria and England is likely to
lead to quite a commercial revilwion in purchasing from
wholesale horses. The moneyed shopkeeper no longer
depends for recruiting or supplying his stock upon English
houses, nor on the selections and prices of c denial be-
por:ers when he can avail himself of the services of one of
his own class, who finds it worth while to b, come a special
•or general buyer for a good per 3enter. No doubt these
s'emers will be extensively esed in this way in future, and
our merchants should bestir themselves lest they be exten-
sively cut out of the market.
The electric telegraph is now in frill operation
between Melbourne and the principal towns on the
goldfields. The Governments of South Australia
and New South Wales were making arrangements
for connecting lines, and that of Tasmania was
expected to be completed between' Hobart Town
and Launceston by the first of Anti!. - The'
short lines connecting these towns with the ex_
tremities of the island' are temporarily deferred ;
and in consequence of the indisposition of the
Tasmanian public to incur the ekpenses of the
cable across Bass's Straits (though the Victorian
Government have engaged to share the expense),
its construction is indefinitely postponed.
The project of improving the navigation of the
Yarra Yarra; and the formation of docks in Bat,
man's Swamp, is for the present allowed to sleep.
GOLD.—The depression in commercial matters
generally, was exercising an unfavciurable influ.
ence with respect to gold as well as other com—
modities. Yet the yield of the various gold fields
was tolerably steady, and the returns do not pre-
sent an unfavourable appearance. . The total
amount of gold received by escort since February
)4, amounted -to— cz. dwt.
Week ending February 20 .. 48,032 0
February 27 ... 35,213 15
March 6 57,805 5
March 13 .. .. 28,709 0

169,750 0
Escort up to February 13 .. .. 320,775 15

Total escort for 1857

. 490,525 15

Total gold shipped during 1857 .. 626,874 I I

NEW SOUTH WALES

From the summary edition of the Sydney Empire
of the 10th March, we make the following interest-
ing extracts :
Sioce the departure of the Simla, on the 11th February,
the community of New South Wales has not been agitated
by any unusual event, nor has any remarkable develop—
ment of natural wealth or industrial po,ver occurred to
stimulate to unwonted activity the steady course of cur
material progress. The colony has pursued " the even
tenonr of its way," and even in the legislature nothing has
stood ou. from the ordinary routine of business to disturb
the repose of society,
The third of the European and Australian Royal Mill
Company's steamships, the European, arrived in our har-
bour ou the l4ih of Februa►y, the third day after tie
departure of the Simla. The outward pas.sys of the
three ship sent out to commence the Hue from the katrii-
lian side, stand in the consecutive order of their dates as
Oneida, Southampton to Sydney .. 72 days.
Simla .. 59 „

European „ .. 61 „
This uniform success has established for the new corn
pan,/ a high prestige in the colonies, which it is hoped
will be increased by the runs between Auvralia and India
The first contract mail via Suez, to leave Stuhampton on
the 24th of Februrary, with supplementary mail via Mar-
seilles on the 2nd of March, will be brought to us by the
return voyage of the Oneida, but cannot reach Sydney
before the 21st or 22nd of April.
The Lejslature is still in session, but will probably be
prorogued during the next fortnight.
On the 10:h of February Mr. Martin, in the Assembly,
brought forward a motion containing a direct censure on
the Ministers for offering situations in the public service
to Mr. Gilbert Elliott and Mr. Rae, the present City
Commissioners, while the official conduct of those gentle-
men was under inve, tigation by a comrniit,e of the House.
The motion was negatived la) 21' votes to 17.
The vacant seat in the Legislative Assembly, caused by
the acceptance of the Presidency of the Upper House by
Mr. Pluntcett, has been filled up by the unanimous return
of Mr. Deniehy, a young Australian of high ability and
strong Liberal tendencies, who has avowed himself a
decided anti-Ministerialist,

On the 17,h of February a public dinner, on a large
scale, was given to Mr. Thomas S. Mort, on the eve of
his departure for England. Mr. Mort arrived in the
colony nearly 20 years ago, and fora time was mmaging
clerk to a Liverpool house which was then carrying on an
extensive business. He subsequently s orted as an auc-
tioneer, and in that capacity very successfully cultivated,
a connexion with the pastoral interest. His business
rapidly grew into one of vast magnitude, embracing
various breeches of industry and enterprise. A few years
ago he embarked in the construction of a dry dock, on
which work, it is said, a capital of £lOO,OOO has been
Batik, The dock is now completed, and, among other
vessele, has received into it the three splendid pioneer
steamers of the E. and A.R.M. Company. The farewell
dinner to Mr. Mort was a public compliment well merited,
and went off very successfully.
On the 23rd February two public meetings were held in,
Sydney, for the promotion of objects sufficiently important
to interest our English readers. One was for the formation
of an electoral reform league, which was set on foot with
great unanimity of sentiment by the vast crowd that
attended. At present the representative system by which
the Legislative Assembly is elected, gives great dissatisfac-
tion to a large number of the inhabitants, throwing a pre-
ponderance of power, as it does, into the hands of the
pastoral occupants and a limited number of persons who
are connected with them in interest. The chief objects of
the league are to obtain a larger number of members for
Sydney and the populous constituencies, and to limit the
right of sti4rage in each elector to one electoral district.
The other meeting on the 23rd was to establish a society for
the promotion of a protectionist policy in the government
of the colony.
Today a motion will be brought forward by Mr. Robert-
son, which, if carried, will probably lead to a change of
ministry. It is understood that the present cabinet is much
divided against itself, and would break up from internal
disagreement, even were they to close the session without
further obs4aclea from the opposition benches. Any motion
carried against them now would afford the ministers an
opportunity, which probably would not be thrown away, of
saving themselves from the more ignoble fate of self destruc-
tion. In this event it is almost certain that either Mr.
Cowper would be called back to the councils of the country,
or Mr. Jones, a new member who has made a good position
in the Assembly, would be entrusted with the power to
cans meet a government embodying the more decided
democracy of the house.

Colonis ttion is steadily advancing. Land is falling more
generally into the hands of working capitalists ; new
pursuits of industry are daily opening, our power of
p7oduction is gaining strength, and the elements of pros-
perity around us are constantly becoming more healthy and
secure.