The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-30 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

MELBOURNE, Aug. 9.—Waiting with quiet, dull
anxiety the receipt of the new Constitution, and
the assembling of the council necessarily for the last
time, we have literally no politics. The council, it
is understood, is not to be called together till No-
vember. This at all events shows that, notwith-
standing the "dirt" thrown by the members of the
Executive on our financial condition, the embar-
rassment of the Government in consequence of the
resolution of the council " not to vote more taxes"
has not been very great. In fact, it is a relief to
the Government that they have been compelled to
retrench, and as the revenue is getting better the
Executive can afford a little delay. And for this
there is very good reason ; but, as usual in such
cases, the reason nut prominently forward is not the
strongest, or, to Victorian eyes and understandings,
the most urgent. It is said that Sir Charles Ho-
tham's reason for not assembling the Council until
November is that the enfranchisement of the dig-
gers cannot take effect until that month ; but there
is supposed to be another reason behind, namely,
that, although Sir Charles does not relish certain
provisions of the Constitutional Acts, he has the
sagacity to perceive that it is necessary in
order to placate the public mind. And, indeed,
the dilatory habits of the Colonial-office have
already produced much discontent, which it is
desirable should not be pushed higher by further
delays. It is also to be hoped that, in the amend-
ments which the Secretary of State proposes, the
principle of leaving our local concerns to ourselves
should not be broken in upon. If that be done
there will assuredly be a " row," and the proba-
bility is that the Legislative Council will insist
upon a bill preserving the principle of local self-
government, which bill the Governor will find it
inexpedient to disallow. It will, in short, be a
repetition of the conduct of the popular party in
relation to the Convicts Prevention Bill, with far
more reason and justification.
I believe the Tasmanians have got their bill.
They avoided those clauses in the bills of the other
colonies which were supposed to invade Imperial
rights. Mr. Rogers, the new Solicitor-General of
Tasmania, arrived a short time since, and it was
stated that he was the bearer of a despatch to Sir
Henry Young, conveying the Queen's allowance of
the act in question. If so, the last colony of the
Australian group which received a partially repre-
sentative Council will be the first to receive a sub-
stantial measure of self-government, with a respon-
sible Ministry.
A very beautiful bronze medal has been struck
to commemorate the cessation of transportation.
It is three inches in diameter. On the obverse is
an excellent medallion portrait of the Queen, with
the words " Victoria, Queen" above the head, and
the date, " MDCCCLIII." below. On the reverse are
the armorial bearings of Tasmania (Van Diemen's
Laud no longer), with the words " Cessation of
Transportation, 1853," above, and " Tasmania,
founded 1803," below the arms.
In my last letter I mentioned the proposed for-
mation of another bank on the Scotch principle.
You are aware that most of the banks in operation
here were formed in London or in New South
Wales, the only one of local growth being the Bank
of Victoria. Although that bank has not been
quite three years in operation, and although it has
met with some disasters—one of its branches hav-
ing been "stuck up" about nine months ago—
yet it is in a very satisfactory condition. I en-
close the financial statements laid before the share-
holders by the directors on the 30th of June at the
half-yearly meeting. Their gross profits on the
half-year amount to 52,0111. They declare a divi-
dend of 10 per cent., 12,3781., and they add
16,8781. to the reserved fund of 80,1211., making
that fund 97,0001. This, of course, gives the pub-
lic great confidence in the institution.
There has been a very considerable failure here
lately. The firm of Watts and M'Kechnie have
had several meetings of their creditors, three of
whom have been appointed to examine their af-
fairs. These gentlemen have reported. The docu-
ment is said to belong, and to enter very fully into
the dealings and position of the firm. The parti-
culars have not been allowed to transpire, but it is
understood that the intervention of the Insolvent
Court cannot be avoided.

Messrs. Louis Loewe and Co. have just esta-
blished at Richmond (a suburb of Melbourne, and
the seat of several factories) a manufactory of
stearine candles. At present the works are capable
of turning out about three tons of candles per week,
and those who have seen them say that, in quality
and appearance, they are equal to the best im-
ported. The manager of the works is a Mr. Mor-
gan, who learnt his business and acquired his ex-
perience in Sir Charles Price and Co.'s establish-
ment at Vauxhall. We have plenty of tallow here,
and it is said, " Why send tallow home to have it
brought back in the shape of stearine, or Belmont
wax, or composition candles I" I hope the enter-
prising proprietors will not have to answer, " be-
cause the two freights and double charges do not
equal the difference in the cost of manufacture."
I am told that the proprietors are sanguine that
they can undersell the average price, and, there-
fore, that they want no more protection than the
freight and charges to London and back afford.
AUG. 15.—We have news from England by drib-
blets. Yesterday morning the papers contained
English news up to the 18th of May, and in the
afternoon a vessel called the White Eagle came
in, having touched at the Cape of Good Hope,
where she picked up English news to the 11th of
June. She brought no newspaper of any kind, but
the captain told a short story to the effect that the
Allies were in possession of a very considerable
portion of the outworks on the south side of Sebas-
topol. Every one hopes this news may be true.
Watts and M‘Kechnie's liabilities are stated at
68,0001., of which 28,0001. is owing to English
creditors. They show assets which it is said will
realise Bs. in the 11. _ _ _

The following are the gold returns of the last
two weeks : •
WEEK ENDING AUGUST 4.
The escorts have brought from oz.
Mount Alexander and Bendigo 15,852
Banal-At, including Geelong 12,470
The Ovens

Maryborongh
Daisy Hill
)11`Ivor

5,447
1,233
r,86

-- oz.
Amount this week 42,297 and year 1,141,144

Gold shipped in 1855
Per City of Hobart, for Hobart Town
Wonga Wonga, for Sydney
Vigilant, for Hong Kong
Rowena, for Calcutta l,OOB

1,389,652
Or 57 tons 18 cwt. 0 qrs. 4 lb. 4 oz., at SW 1x5,558,608
WEEK ENDING AUGUST 11.
The escorts have brought from— oz.
Mount Alexander and Bondigo 17,803
Ballarat, including Geelong ... 18,265
Mary borough
Daisy Hill 1,153
Avoca 398

oz.
Amount this week

1,389,652
Gold shipped in 1855
Per the Nile for Hong Kong
1,000
Per the Telegraph for Sydney

1,396,106
Or 58 tons 3cwt. lqr. 171 b. 20z., at 80s £5,584,424

The price remains at 31. 16s. 6d. per ounce—
draughts against gold at par. Freight 41 per ounce.
Insurance 2i per cent.
I am happy to say the price of flour is declining.
Fine is 441. to 451. per ton of 2,0001 b. ; seconds,
401. to 431. ; wheat is bought at the mills at 16s.
to 17s. per bushel. There have been some heavy
arrivals of Chili= and other flours, acid the price
cannot be maintained, but the chief stocks are in
wealthy hands, and they resist the inevitable de-
cline as long as possible. Tillage has been no doubt
considerably extended in the colony. The quantity
of land in cultivation is variously estimated at from
100,000 to 200,000 acres. It would require the
cultivation of about 700,000 acres, or two acres
a-head of population, to meet all our wants. Of
wheat alone we should require about 175,000 acres
to supply us fully with bread, and as no one—not
even the most sanguine—believes that we have
above half the latter quantity in wheats, I do not
anticipate that the price will fall below a remune-
rating rate to the importer, though it may to the
grower.
Hay is cheaper than it has been since the dis-
covery of gold. It is quoted at 81., 91.,105.,
91.
and
101. according to quality, and some has been sold
at 71. 10s. ; the last was probably not well packed
or trussed. The very best hay still commands 10/.
There have been several meetings of the unem-
ployed lately, and they have had an interview with
the Governor. Their object was to induce the Go-
vernor to alter the land regulations, so that such
of the industrious classes as can command a little
money
could go upon land for the purpose of cul-
tivating it. The Governor alleged the stringency
of the Land Sales. Still it would be very desirable
to allow the occupation of land on beneficial terms
—not that the majority of the unemployed could
avail themselves of any such relaxed regulation;
but some would, especially new
.arrivals with a
little money, and that would relieve the labour-
market of an excess which is but temporary, and
is in a great measure owing to the suspension of
public works.
One very dangerous proposition has been put
forward by the working men, in the snap() of a re-
solution, to the effect that the Government is
bound to find employment for every man wanting
work. It is very probable that the resolution
goes further than.the proposers of the
.meeting in-
I tended. They did not mean that, if journeymen

tailors or operative saddlers were in exoese and out
of work, the Government should turn tailor and
saddler, but that the rule should merely apply to
common labourers, who should be found work on
public works. But even confined to this, it would
be impracticable and very unwise, even if possible.
Government can only possess capital to employ, by
taking it from others in the shape of taxes, and
then there is no doabt it is less efficiently employed,
and therefore does not go so far as if left in private
hands. I believe the high price of food interferes
with employment much more than the working
classes are disposed to admit. It checks accumu-
lation to a very great extent, and so tends to dimi-
nish the fund destined for the employment of la-
bour. I enclose a report of the labour market,
which may be relied on as correct :

" SATURDAY, Aug. 11.
" There has been little or no change for the better
during the week. Labour in the market is still sadly in
excess of the demand, but there being many farmers
taking advantage of the present low wages good agri-
cultural men and women have been freely engaged.
Many of those lately hanging back for higher rates of
wages are now engrwing at a considerable reduction ;
but there is an evident reluctance on their part to bind
themselves for more than a month or two, expecting, no
doubt, that better times and wages are close at hand.
" There has been some talk lately of draeghting off
the many unemployed single women to depots about
the various diggings, where their services are ceibs my
more required than about Melbourne ; but it is a strange
fact that very many of them will not go even 20 miles
out of town, although their wages would be better and
conveyance there found them.

"We frequently find a deal of trouble in supplying
our country orders with suitable female servants. Out
of 50 or 60 female servants in the labour market, the
generalit? of them want town employment, and at the
present time will accept nothing else.
"We have been unable to supply the demand for
married couples. The following are the current rates
With rations—Married couples, without families,
from 601. to 90/.1 er annum ; ditto, with families, from
50/. to 701. ditto ; gardeners, 50/. to 601. ditto ; grooms,
50/. to 601. ditto ; general farm servants, 20s. to 30s.
per week ; hut-keepers, 25/. to 35/. per annum ; stock-
keepers, 45/. to 60/. ditto ; ploughmen, 265. to 30s. per
week ; bullock-drivers, 255. to 30s. ditto ; ditto, on the
roads, 355. to 455. ditto. Weekly rations consist of
101 b. of flour, 101 b. of beef or mutton, 21b. of sugar, and
of tea.

"Without rations—Compositors, ls. 6d. and is. Bd.
per thousand ; ditto, by the week, 4/, 4s. ; pressmen,
51. ; carpenters, 12s. to 18s. per day ; masons, 16s. to
18,2. ditto ; plasterers, 16s. to 183. ditto ; bricklayers,
16s. to 18s. ditto ; woodsplitter3 and fencers, 63. to Bs.
per ton ; blacksmiths, 12s. to 15s. per day ; quarrymen,
123. to 14s. ; labourers on the roads, 93. to 10s. ditto,
wand, water, and tents found.

" kale cooks, 451. to 601. per annum ; female cooks,
301. to 401. ditto ; thorough servants, 251. to 307. ditto ;
housemaids, 171. to 22/.ditto ; laundress° , 301. to 35/. ;
nursemaids, 12/. to 18/. ditto.

u JOHN WHITEOAK.
"Australian Labour-market, 92,
Bourk-street-east."

The ball for the relief of the wounded French
soldiers takes place to-morrow night. It owes its
origin to M. le Comte de Chabrillon, the French
Consul, and will be conducted with the taste of
that nation. Our English colonists err rather on
the side of splendour and redundancy. It is stated.
that 1,500 tickets have been taken, and I antici-
pate the net fund will not be short of 1,0001. The
English ball for the benefit of the Patriotic Fund
yielded 6901. net, rather more than I stated in a
former letter.

The Arabian has arrived with dates to May 21.

THE ALLIED SQUADRONS IN THE

CHINA SEAS.

SAN FRANCISCO, SEPT. 19.
Her Maje Tty's line-of-battle ship Monarch arrived with
Admiral Bruce on board at this port on the 12th inst.,
from a cruise in the north, and sails to-morrow for Val-
paraiso, the Admiral accompanying. The President
sailed yesterday for Vancouver. The Amphitrite remains
here till relieved by the Trincomalee from Vancouver.
In my last letter of the sth inst., I stated that the
news brought by the Amphitrite, Captain Fredericks
(which arrived here on the 21st of August), from the
North Pacific, led to the belief that the allied squadrons
(from China and India) were cruising in the Bay of Tar-
tary at or about the period the Amphitrite was on her
way to the Amoor.

Intelligence of the movements of these squadrons has
just reached us. You will probably be already, or before
this letter reaches. you, in possession of the information
from China. But, in case you should not, I will relate
the story as we have it. The American schooner Caro-
line E. Foote, which arrived at San Francisco the day
before yesterday from Japan, brings the news. This is
the vessel which took the captain and craw of the Rus-
sian frigate Diana, which was lost in the earthquake, in
December last, at Simoda (Japan), from that port to
Petropaulovski. She carried Captain Dasoffiki, nine
officers, and 150 of the crew to Petropaulovski, who
finding the place abandoned, took passage in the Ame-
rican brig William Penn for parts unknown to the people
of the Caroline E. Foote.

This latter vessel reports that when the inhabitants of
Petrapaulovski left the place, on the 16th of April, they
had to saw a channel through the ice in the harbour to
enable the frigate Aurora, the armed transport Dwina, a
corvette, a bark, and a brig to put to sea. It is said that
this squadron was discovered by one of the vessels of the
allies lying in the Bay of Castre (or Castries), a place on
the mainland in the Gulf of Tartary. lying between the
islands of Jesso and Nyphon. The English steamer ti ea
ran down to Hakodadi (coast ofJa7an), to communicate
with the rest of the fleet, leaving two frigates to blot kale
the port until reinforced by the allies. In the meantime,
however, the Russians succeeded in evading the two
frigates and got clear off, so that when the fleet arrived
it found the harbour empty.
For several reasons, not necessary to occupy space with
the detail of, the officers of the English squadron here
doubted the correctness of the story, but yesterday an-
other vessel, the sloop Kamchadell, arrived at San Fran-
cisco direct from the Gulf of Tartary, which confirms the
news. As I have no time to see any of the people of the
vessel, I give ber account as published to-day in one of
the San Francisco papers :
"The sloop Kamaa tell, Capt. Carleton, arrived here
yesterday, from the Gulf of Tartary. Capt. Carleton and
the crew of the Kamcbadell were formerly- of the brig
William Penn, well known to this coast. About six
months ago the Penn sailed from San Francisco to Pe-
tropaulovski, with a general cargo. She was there when
the schooner Caroline E. Foote arrived with a large
number of the officers and crew of the Russian frigate
Diana, which was wrecked at Simoda last winter, in con-
sequence of an earthquake taking place in the harbour.
The Penn was chartered by the Russians to convey the
Diana's crew from Petropaulovski to the river Amoor,
and accordingly she received on board the passengers of
the Foote. She immediately proceeded to her destination.
Near the end of May, when within 10 miles of the Rus-
sian fleet, then lying in the Bay of Castre, the Penn,
while rounding to, struck on a coral reef near the en-
trance of the bay. Castre or Castrie Bay does not lie on
the east side of the Gulf of Tartary, on the island of
Jesso, as was stated yesterday, but on the mainland of
Mantehooria, on the west side of the gulf, somewhere
about lat. 48 deg. It being night when the Penn struck,
no assistance could be obtained ; but in the morning
boats from the Russian ships came to Is-r assistance, and
took off the crew and passengers. These numbered 180
persons. The brig was a total loss.
" Captain Carleton confirms the neva as to the Russian
and English fleets brought by the Foote, but with some
differences which we are not yet authorised to publish.
The Russian fleet consisted of the frigate Aurora, the
corvette Ohetus, and the transports Dv►ina, Bycaul, and
Artesia.

"After Capt. Carleton and his crew reached the shore
in safety, the Russian Admiral Zataika treated them
with much kindness and respect. He presented Capt.
Carleton with the sloop Kamchadell to convey himself
and officers back to San Francisco. This vessel is only
35 tons burden—but a small craft in which to cross the
North Pacific. Captain Carleton speaks in the highest
terms of the generous treatment which he received from
the officers of the Russian fleet at Castro. It appears
that other Americans who have landed or been wrecked
in the Gulf of Tartary have always received the like
kind reception from the Russians with whom they have
happened to meet in that quarter."
The Kamchadell brings also an account of the loss of
14 whale-ships in the North Pacific.
To return to the Caroline E. Foote. She reports that
on the 27th of June, being the day she sailed from Ha-
kodadi, the British steamers Encounter, from Petropau-
lovski, and the Styx, with the Tartar in tow, had arrived
at that port, all short of ceal, of which they were ex-
Noting supplies from Hong Kong. She brings, in addl•
thin, the following intelligence :
The French steam-frigate Colbert was lost in the har-
bour of Nangasaki on the Ist of June. She struck upon
a reef, which so badly injured her that she immediately
filled and settled upon the reef, where she was aban•
dor el.
passengers of the Caroline B. Foote has
published some observations upon the harbour of Simoda,
Oneof the
the result of a three months residence at the place, which
as we are about entering into commercial relations with
Japan, may be worth quoting for the information of
seafaring men. The writer, Mr. Doty, says :
"The entrance to this bay is from the southward,
the shores of which, on either side, are very bold, and
is about one-fourth of a mile in width, which, on enter-
ing, expands to about half a mile in breadth, and is
about one mile in depth. The anchorage, though fair,
is far from being safe during the strong north-east gales
which sometimes prevail here in the winter months.
From a very careful sounding of this bay, made by a
Russian officer who was attached to the late frigate
Diana, it was ascertained that the bottom of the bay,
around the principal anchorage, is shelving. Hence the
necessity of the United States' steamer Powhattan rais-
ing steam, with all her anchors down, which she
dragged,' to prevent going ashore during one of these
blows in January last. Another instance which came
under my notice may tend to corroborate the above.
In March I saw a vessel at anchor in this bay which
will ride out an ordinary gale with one anchor when
the holiTing ground is good, but on this occasion she
dragged two large anchors, when they were obliged to
let go a heavy kedge to prevent going ashore on Centre
Island, which is situated in the bay. When the wind
is from the south a heavy, disagreeable swell is Eipe'
rienced, which extends itself all over the bay, and is a
serious obstacle in the way of mooring ships, as at
Honolulu and other ports."