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

AUSTRALIA.

SOUTHAMPTON, DEC. 31.
By the Royal mail steamship Atrato we haviii
received advices from Sydney, via Callao air,
Panama, to the 29th of September, being five clar
later than our last accounts.
From all parts of the colony business was rrj
ported dull. The great competition, heavy arrivro
of goods, high rents, and other expenses, we.a
causing many merchants and traders to sasPlif,
payment. Gold continued to arrive plentifj"
awl was worth 41. per ounce.
The Mayor of Hobart Town had paid into the
colonial treasury 2,0001., to be remitted to Engle
,111
for the aid of the wives and families of British P"
diers during the war.
The subject of steam communication with Pir
land was attracting great attention.

MURDEROUS ASSAULT UPON A FE3iO5.

At the Bow-street Police-office Alfred Smith, a 131,1
without occupation, was brow ht before Mr. Jardleiii
charged with a murderous assault upon Elizabe
Sprigg, with whom he cohabited. the
He had been living for twelve mouths past on
earnings of the woman, derived from prostitution. Ili ;0
turned home to their lodging, in Lincoln-court, at btu
early hour of the morning, after being out all 0444
and immediately commenced beating the prosectin
with a short hand-broom, about her head and byul;
Having dragged her from the bed to the ground. ol
kicked her in the eye and throat, tearing away the .
in both places with the toe of his boot. She ran .100-,a
naked into the court, where a police-constable Wine
to be on duty, and, according to the statement of ere
officer, her neck and shoulders, and chemise, Wool
covered with blood. The woman presented a frighod
appearance, her arms and legs being sadly swollen, rej
her body bruised all over ; and the only excuse off!tbe
by the prisoner for his shameful ill-treatment 01
soi
woman who prostituted herself for his sup Port, .00
that "he was jealous of her." The officer stated of
prisoner was rather the worse for drink, but It°
what he was about. 1104

Mr. Jardine said he had not been hitherto 01,1;0
upon to inflict the full punishment authorised 11"
new act in reference to these brutal assaults idol
women ; but this was one of the worst cases he
hat
ever heard of. The prisoner must be committed to -
labour for six months.

THE REVENUE.—Although nearly a week is wan, pi
to the expiration of the financial quarter, which wil
made up to Friday night next, the sth January, 181,1
we believe we shall be justified in congratulating tcii
public by anticipation upon the gratifying results will
the revenue tables will present. It will be found the
upon all the great heads of revenue there will be an ii. 130
crease, both in the quarter and in the year, In th'i
Customs the Increase in the quarter's revenue will 11°1
fall far short of half a million, attributable, for the 133L°
part, to the increased returns received from
Under the great head of Excise an increase spoil 0.
quarter to fully the same amount may reasonably be o,
ticipated—and to a much greater extent upon the left)!
as the additional duties upon malt and spirits Nape 0
several months past been in full operation. The it° s.
of stamps and taxes will not present so much variatied
But the property tax will, undoubtedly, exhibit a, /Co
considerable increase upon the year, and to some eSteea
also upon the quarter—though it will be remeasber„.
that the period from Oct. 10 to Jan. 5, is the least P.d
ductive quarter of the financial year to this branch
the revenue. If in the quarter's receipt of the re-
office a slight decrease shall be apparent, the results 0-
the year will more than counterbalance any tempos
falling off on this head. Finally, we shall pro:Algal ifer
greatly err, if we estimate the increase upon the quer,,wal
to be not far short of a million, if it do not exceed 4.
..-
amount, and upon the year at fully double that 511_-.;
This is no bad balance•sheet for the end of the first fr".
of the war.—Observer.
THE NEW REGULATIONS AT THE POST OFFICE.ts
will be remembered that, during the course of the Pir
year, the Royal Commissioners appointed to
"into the state of the Post-office," presented their rePer ;
and that shortly afterwards the Lords Commissioeer,
of her Majesty's Treasury were pleased to order that tb
proposed regulations as to salaries and pensions, a'
poiutments, and promotions, should be carried out
rapidly as possible. In several of the major depar";
meats this has been done, and various changes ha/-
taken place in consequence. The lower, or letter'
ctrriers departmen's are now about to be similariT
treated, and, indeed, in some instances, on Saturday layi
the officers were dealt with, and that in a most liberS
manner. One officer, a sub-sorter, who has served 4f,
years, was superannuated upon a pension of 961. per
annum, the late allowance being 521. per annum onifi
Several other parties, whose terms of servitude varied
from 15 to 30 years, in the same class of rank, have re
c iced from 201. to 701. per annum retiring allowance'
far more than they could or would have obtained under
the old system. By this plan, incompent men will b°
discharged, though not without the means of subsist"
once, while the way will be opened for the introductior,
of simplified arrangements on the modul operandi of the
office—measures which have not at present been tried
because of the predilection of old officers for the long
established mode of performing the indoor duty,