The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-01 00:00:00

A USTRA LIA.

SOUTHAMPTON, DEC. 31.
By the Royal mail steamship Atrato we hal
received advices from Sydney, via Callao
Panama, to the 29th of September, being five dar
later than our last accounts.

Prom all parts of the colony business wa•
picoed dull. The great competition, heavy arriv'"
of goods, high rents, and other expenses, 11
causing many merchants and traders to suspen
payment. Gold continued to arrive plentifalliP
and was worth 4/. per ounce.
tbd
The Mayor of Hobart Town had paid into a
colonial treasury 2,000/., to be remitted to Englslll
for the aid of the wives and families of Britioh.o?
diers during the war.

The subject of steam communication with Urif
laud was attracting great attention.

MURDEROUS ASSAULT UPON A FEl4[4O

At the Bew-street Police-office' Alfred Smith, a lii*S
without occupation, was brought before Mr. ,jarclis;
charged with a murderous assault upon Elizab
Sprigg, with whom he cohabited.
He had been living for twelve months past on t
earnings of the woman, derived from prostitution. Ile 00
turned home to their lodging,•in Lincoln-court, at ,
early hour of the morning, after being out all niC,4
and immediately commenced beating the prosee"ii,
with a short hand-broom, about her head and ball
Having dragged her from the bed to the groundv,,
kicked her in the eye and throat, tearing away the Tie
in both places witk the tee of his boot. She ran shell
naked into the court, where a police-constable hape
to be on duty, and, according to the statement of I,
Aar
officer, her neck and shoulders, and chemise, tr,eiol
covered with blood. The woman presented a fright l'
appearance, her arms and legs being sadly swollen, 11:01
her body bruised all over ; and the only excuse offeo
by the prisoner for his shameful ill-treatment of
woman who prostituted herself for bis support, off
that "he was jealous of her." The officer stated
prisoner was rather the worse for drink, but kn'
what he was about. 110
Mr. Jardine said he had not been hitherto oaths
upon to inflict the full punishment authorised bf
new act in reference to these brutal assaults 11,.P°0
women ; but this was one of the worst cases he Po
ever heard of. The prisoner must be committed to bar
labour for six months.

THE REVENUE.—Although nearly a week is wantivs
,o the expiration of the financial quarter, which 10145,
made up to Friday night next, the sth January, I°,be
we believe we shall be justified in congratulating r.cig
public by anticipation upon the gratifying results srkot
the revenue tables will present. It will be found sm.,
upon all the great heads of revenue there will be a 046
crease, both in the quarter and in the year. Ia :Ds
Customs the increase in the quarter's rovenaa will P;st,
fall far short of half a million, attributable, for the
part, to the increased returns received from sun!Under the great head of Excise an increase upon IS
quarter to fully the same amount may reasonably bP11"
ticipated—and to a much greater extent upon the
as the additional duties upon malt and spirits hefe_47
several months past been in full operation. The h°''a
of stamps and taxes will not present so much yariatis''r
But the property tax will, undoubtedly, exhibit a inn
considerable increase upon the year, and to some ester
also upon the quarter—though it will be remember,
that the period from Oct. 10 to Jan. 6, is the least Pr''d
ductive quarter of the financial year to this branch i,
the revenue. If in the quarter's receipt of the Yo f
office a slight decrease shall be apparent, the result's
the year will more than counterbalance any tempore $
falling off on this head. Finally, we shall probably 110
greatly err, if we estimate the increase upon the guar* $
to be not far short of a million, if it do not exceed tb*
amount, and upon the year at fully double that etl_.fri"
This is no bad balance-sheet for the end of the first l'""
of the war.—Observer.
Jtt
THE NEW REGULATIONS AT THE POST-OPTION.---t
will be remembered that, during the course of the pas
year, the Royal Commissioners appointed to inqns;
"into the state of the Post office," presented their repo°
and that shortly afterwards the Lords Commissional
of her Majesty's Treasury were pleased to order that- the
proposed regulations as to salaries and pensions, sig;
poietments, and promotions, should be carried out
$,
rapidly as possible. In several of the major doper.
ments this has been done, and various changes brie
taken place in consequence. The lower, or letter
carriers' departments are now about to be similarlys
treated, and, indeed, in some instances, on Saturday In
the officers were dealt with, and that in a most libel,
manner. One officer, a sub-sorter, who has served 4;
years, was superannuated upon a pension of 961. pa[
annum, the late allowance being 521. per annum only
Several other parties, whose terms of servitude varied
from 15 to 30 years, in the same class of rank, have re
erived from 201. to 701. per annum retiring allowance'
far more than they could or would have obtained uncle',
the old system. By this plan, incompent men will be
discharged, though not without the means of- subsist'
ence, while the way will be opened for the introduction
of simplified arrangements on the modus operancli, of the
office—measures which have not at present been -triei
because of the predilection of old officers for the long
established mode of performing the in-ddor duty.