The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-03 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

SOUTHAMPTON Oct. 2.—By the Royal mail
steam-ship Magdalena, Captain Abbott, we have
received, via Panama, dates from Sydney to the
2d of July.

There is no political news of importance.
In the market the supply of wool has been limited
in the extreme. There was evidently a desire to
purchase wool, could it be met with in sufficient
quantities, for a remittance at the rates lately rul-
ing. The bulk of this season's clip has been shipped,
and there will doubtless be a falling off in the num.
ber of bales exported as compared with last year.
The tallow market was not so brisk ; the arrival of
the Varoon on the morning of the sale, with re-
port of the London market having a downward
tendency, and orders from the neighbouring
colonies being limited since the date of last
report, caused the trade to act with extreme
caution, and to purchase only for their imme-
diate wants. Mutton realised from 58s. to
60s. 3d. per cwt.; beef, 465. 6d. to 485.; and mixed
melting, 48s. 6d. to 51s. 6d. Hide market fairly
supplied, and prices maintained for good ; a large
parcel (unsound) realised 7s. each. Sheepskins
plentiful, but a decline of id. to id. per lb. is per-
ceptible. In stock and stations no transactions.
The market for fat cattle was well supplied, and
prices about the same. Fat sheep were scarce,
and realised fair prices ; but poor sheep were very
abundant, and sold very low. Freights were
quoted as follows :—To London, wool, Id. to lid.
per lb. ; hides, 255. per ton ; tallow, 50s. to 555.
per ton ; gold, per cent. by sailing vessels ;
per cent. by steamers. Exchange on London :
Bank draughts, 3 to 4 per cent. premium ; 11 to 2
per cent. premium, if drawn against tallow, wool,
or gold.
A gold circular thus describes the state of that
market :

"The demand has been brisk, but very little gold
dust offering. This may be partially accounted for
in consequence of the high prices in Port Philip—viz,
from 3/. 17s. 4id. to 3/. 173. 6d. per ounce ; this, with
export duty added, makes 4/. per ounce, a very high
figure, particularly for Bendigo, and gold dust of that
quality.

- " The escorts, western and southern, brought to the
Treasury this morning 2,420 ozs. 8 dwts., viz. :

WESTERN.

Bathurst
Safala
Tainbaroora
Avisford
Mudgee
Louisa Creek

Oz%. dwts.
40 10 0
601 2 6
273 9 0
▪ 575 18 0
, 134 6 12
• 40 15 6

1,666 0 18

Braidwood
Goulburn..

SOUTHERN.

Western

537 7 6
217 0 0

Total.

754 7 6
. 1,666 0 18

.2,420 8 0

" This is not an average quantity when it is consi-
dered that the diggers for some time past have been keep.
ing back the gold dust to send to the Royal Mint for
coinage. No doubt the high price of gold dust in Port
Philip, and the abolition of the licence-fee there has been
the principal cause of the small supplies lately received
from these diggings ; numbers, no doubt, leave for the
Victoria Gold Fields. The Gold Fields Bill will be
brought again before the Legislative Council, and it
ought to be taken into consideration whether the aboli-
tion of the licence system here would not be beneficial
to the colony ; it would certainly place these diggings
upon the same footing as Victoria, a much larger quail•
tity of gold dust would be forwarded to Sydney, either
for coinage or exportation ; in the former case it would
lessen the expense of the Royal Mint to the colony, as
it is a fallacy to suppose that gold dust at present prices
will be sent for coinage from Victoria ; the expense of
freight, insurance, &c., precludes the possibility of
anything of the kind. All the Mint will probably re-
ceive for coinage is the gold dust f.-om these diggings, and
the production of which is evidently on the decrease,
from the want of population to dig the gold. No doubt
exists of the Meroo, Turon, and northern diggings being
of a vast extent, and all that is required is population.
The most disinterested assert this. Some of the gold
dust is nearly equal to Port Philip, but the diggings of
New South \Vales are not encouraged, and while that
is the case they will be neglected."
The following regulations, which are to take the place
of the temporary arrangements hitherto subsisting at the
Sydney Aint, took effect from the 2d of July :
"I. Importations of gold dust or gold bullion for
coinage, from 12 oz. upwards, will be receivable at this
Mint daily (Sundays and holydays excepted), between
the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., on the following terms :
" 1. Importations from 10,000 oz. standard and up-
wards, subject to a charge of three-quarters percent. for
converting the same into coin.

"2. Importations below this amount will be coined
at a charge of 1 per cent.
" 3. The value of the bullion will be determined on
the reports of the mint assayers.
" 4. Importations will be melted, if preferred, in the
presence of the importer. The importer will also be
furnished, on demand, with a clip for assay from his own
ingot, as a check on the reports at the Mint assayers.
" 5. The Mint will issue, if required, gold bullion in
bars or ingots, at 3/. 17s. 102'21. the standard ounce.
" G. The Mint will be pr ,aced to afford accommoda-
tion to a limited extent to parties requiring early pay-
ment for their bullion, at an advance of one-fourth per
cent. on the above charges. Payment it such cases will
be made within three days of delivery of the Mint.
"11. The following descriptions of bullion are not ad-
missible within the Mint, viz.:—Articles of plate, jewel-
lery, or wrought gold (coins excepted) • bullion containing
mercury or metals foreign to the goldproducing districts
of Australasia, and destructive of the malleability of the
metal ; bullion that has been tampered with in any way.
" 111. Bullion which can be recognised before melting as
objectionable on the above grounds will not be received,
but should any after melting prove unfit for coinage for the
reasons enumerated it will be returned to the importer,
subject to a charge of Cd. per ounce on the gross weight of
the importation."

The subject of steam communication with Erglaud,
by way of Panama, was still occupying the attention of
die colonists.

MinnoußNE, July 13.—Yesterday morning (says
the Times' correspondent) I transmitted'a letter by
the Mermaid, one of the White Star Line, and I
added the newspapers of the day. This evening or
to-morrow morning the Blanche Moore sails for
Point de Galle, with a prospect of catching the
second August mail. This induces me to transmit
a short recapitulatory letter.
I wrote by the Bosphorus on June 20, in order
to catch the Indian mail, and I sent the latest
paper, which was of some slight importance, as de-
scribing the disturbance of Maryborough. I do
not think the aspect of things at the diggings at
all satisfactory, though the Maryborough disturb-
ance was put down. The insurgent party were
Irish; they are called in the accounts " Tips"—i. e.,
Tipperary men ; but they number many Irish from
other parts. They were put down by a large dis-
play of force. About 2,000 men organised them-
selves, drilled, marched in order, were well armed,
and moved (this time) in support of order. They
are called " the allies," The authorities of the to•
cality behaved well aad prudently, and I rejoice
that troops were not sent up.
At nearly all the diggings societies for mutual
protection have grown up, composed of such men
as "the allies " of Maryborough. They have asked
for the sanction of the Government, and Sir
Charles Hotham has granted it, provided they do
nothing illegal. Thus they must do nothing at all,
for anything they should do would be illegal.
They can only be innocent so long as they abstain
from doing anything. Acting without the au-
thority of law any act of theirs would be illegal,
in spite of the Governor's sanction. If, 'for in-
stance, they were of their own motion to arrest a
suspected person without a warrant made by com-
petent authority, they or any of them would be
liable
to an action, and Sir Charles's licence would
not avail them. I'suspect Sir Charles will get him-
self into a
scrape with the Colonial-office in this
matter,
for it shows weakness as well as want of
knowledge.
You will find some
discussion
in the papers
touching the existence
of distress in Collingwood,
tt
hh
ee
rfea catn edven being
elsewhere
there
can be no doubt, but I
disputed. But of its existence
think it is less among the labourers than among
that class brought up to i
pe ntehdey
nothing and not capable
of much. Many of these are "very willing to do
nyt
as to what they
can doh anything,"
soon buto when g et=
belong to a very
helpless class, for which there is scarcely a
as w
appears
place in the colony, and for the few who can be
assorted with the rest of society the demand is
more than satiated. During periods of great scarcity
of labour they come in when the stock of more
skilled competitors is exhausted. The emigration
of this class should be discouraged.
At 'apt a little is doing about thc Patriotic Fund.