The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-29 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA

We have received by the Ballarat our Australian
letters and journals to the 15th August. The
political intelligence from Victoria is not important.
All parties were waiting the arrival of the new
Constitution.

The quantity of gold received at Melbourne in
the week ending the 4th of August was 42,297
ounces ; in the week to the 11th of August 40,645
ounces.

The price remains at 31. 16s. 6d. per ounce.
Drafts against gold are at par. Freight of gold
is 4.1 d. per ounce. Insurance 2i per cent.
The price of flour is declining. Fine qualities
a►re from 441. to 451. per ton of 2,000 lb. ; seconds
401. to 431. ; wheat at the mills is bought at 16s.
and 17s. per bushel.

THE POSITION OF GORTSCHA.KOFF AND
lIIS ARMY.

The Paris correspondent of the Morning Post says :
"It appears from various reports of the German
journals that the troops which entered Odessa, when
that town was threatened by the allied fleets, have
since been marched off again to Kherson and Nicolaieff.
The Emperor himself is directing the disposition
of his forces, and the defence of the two remaining
grand depots of the Black Sea, these points evidently
immediately occupying the attention of the enemy.
It is to save the marine resources of the empire that the
Czar Alexander, like the Czar Nicholas, is most anxious.
The defeat of an army is not so much felt as the loss of a
ship, and those maritime resources on which the traditional
ambition of Russia must depend for future conquest.
Now, as I have before ventured to remark, judging from
the various public information which reaches Paris
through the German journals, it is very questionable if
the Allies will trouble the enemy at all at either of
these two points. It is clear enough that the allied
generals' game is strategical, and the enemy is so situ-
ated that he must fall into one or other of the traps.
If Gortechakoff leaves the north side of Sebastopol and
retreats on Simpheropol, he can scarcely hope to cross the
Belbek and Alma without risking a battle ; and it is Tro-
bab!y on the wisdom of an operation of this nature that
the grand council of war was held the other day in the
presence of the Emperor. But supposing again that the
Rus-ian General succeeds in reaching Simpheropol with the
reek of an army, the Allies will yet cut off his communi-
cations with Perekop by the advanced troops which we
know have pushed on from Eupatoria. Then, %gain,
our position at Kinburn paralyses the connecting gat
of the peninsula, and will certainly prevent the Rus.
sians from advancing to secure the beleaguered army
corps of the Crimea. Then, again, Ilthe winter is rapidly
approaching, and the steppes of the Crimea will become
nothing but a huge grave-yard for any troops which may
attempt to cross them. On the whole then we conclude
the allies are in a favourable position and the enemy in
a very depkrable one. Meanwhile, what is Russia doing!
The militia of the vast empire is brought up to the scene
of action to fill the gaps of war and disease in the disheart-
ned Russian army. The Russian generals of the Crimea pro-
claim to the Muscovite legions that "they will notretreat
whilstan enemy is on Russian ground." The north forts of
Sebastopol discharge their shot and shell; new works
are thrown up, and convoys are seen leaving Prince
Gortschakoff's present position 1 Probably then it
has been decided within the last few days that the
army cannot hold its ground,. and when the last
long line of carts are winding their way in the stillness
of night through the gloomy gorges of the Belbek, the
Crimea will be shook with another state suicide as
the northern forts are blown up, and scatter the ground
with the fragments of barbarian ambition.
Public attention will then be directed to the advanced
French lines on the Belbek ; the forces which are closing
in from Eupatoria, and more especially, perhaps, to
operations of which Kinburn will be the central point.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.—The followingio.
timer:, having undergone the necessary examination •
for the diploma, were admitted members of the collep
at the meeting of the Court of Examiners on the 26. k
inst.:—Messrs. Benjamin William Hall, army ; William
Carr, Gomersal, Leeds ; Frederic William Grange,,,
army; John Winter Dryland, Newbury, Berkshire;
John Alexander Harvey, Kingston, Canada West; W 1.
liana Townsend Storrs, Church Missionary Society,
China.; David Preachy, Calcutta ; John Stevenson,
Gateshead ; Francis Joseph Dowling, Chew-Manna,
Somersetshire ; Joseph Allk-n, Stradbrook, Suffolk;
Edmund RoLinson, Birminettann • Edward Thomas Ft I.
Egham,niv ill, Surrey ; Frederick' James Pettingi.l,
Calcutta ; Edward Phelan Forrest, army ; and Franc e
Henry Wilson Iles, Ilinbrook-hill, Louth, Lincolnshiri..
At the earns meeting of the Court Mr. Edward Adn:me
passed his examination fir naval surgeon. This gen,tle•
man had previously been admitted a member of the col.
lege, hie diploma bearing date April 16, 1847.