The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-31 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

MELBOURNE, Fnß. 17.—1 n the midst of some
despondency at the prospect of an interruption of
our monthly mail communication with England,
in consequence of the announcement that the
General Screw Company would not furnish a
steamer for the, December mail, our spirits have re-
vived in that respect by reason of the remarkable
passage of the James Baines, the new clipper ship
of the Black Ball line. The " latest news" bad
previously been brought to its by the Oswell and
the Thalmar ; the James Baines was clue, according
to her contract, on Monday last, the 12th inst.,
and on that very day did she drop anchor in Hob
-
son's Bay, and in a few hours afterwards her bud-
get of news was in the hands of every one by means
of an Argus extraordinary. Thus the James Baines
made her passage in 65 days; or if, as I have heard
stated, she did not get her anchor till the 10th of
December (instead, of the 9th), in 64 days ; wbich
is the shortest' passage yet made by steam. The
James Baines has, in fact, tied with the Argo and
Victoria, and beaten all others.
During the last week we have had the excitement
of the most sharply contested election that has yet
occurred in the colony. The scene of the contest
was South Bourke, a metropolitan county or dis-
trict, bearing the same sort of relation to Melbourne
that East Surrey does to London. The candidates
were Mr. Chapman, formerly secretary inVan Die-
men's Land, who lost his office on a difference with
GovernorDenison on transportation, and now prac-
tising here as a barrister with considerable success;
14r. Ireland, an Irish barrister ; and Mr. Young.
The numbers announced yesterday by the return-
ing officer were—for Chapman 521, for Ireland 347,
for Young 212.
This election has been watched with very con-
siderable interest in the other colonies.
The Colonial Secretary has just laid on the table
the amended estimates, and the Council is now
busily at work upon them. As compared with the
first estimates for the year 1855, the new estimates
show a saving of 1,089,5541. 3s. ld., and, as com-
pared with the expenditure of 1854, they show a
' net saving of 1,113,6751. 11s. 2d.
The Council seems disposed to do its duty by ex-
amining and sifting every head of expenditure to
the utmost. In the reckless expenditure of 1853,
and more particularly of 1854, it was not so much
that salaries were too high as that establishments
were on too extravagant a scale. An income of
1,0001. a-year is scarcely equivalent, in its com-
mand over the necessaries and comforts of life, to
one of 5001. a-year in London ; but the public
offices have been overloaded with clerks beyond all
previous example, and, from the numbers added
from month to month during the last year of Mr.
Latrobe's government, it would have been impos-
sible to secure efficiency even had it had been care-
' fully looked for. The inefficiency of the public de-
partments had produced laxity of expenditure, with
a total absence of check in all those departments
which had the dispensing of the public money.
Money advanced from the Treasury in what is
called " imprest" was not accounted for from
month to month. It is reported that at one time
about 1,000,0001. was advanced upon imprest and
not accounted for, and even about 300,0001. is
said to be still outstanding and unaccounted for,
a large proportion of which never can be accounted
for, the accountable officers being dead, or no
longer within the jurisdiction.

The present disposition, both ou the part of the
executive Government and the Legislature, to ob-
serve economy is pregnant with very beneficial
consequences to the country; because, from the
great elasticity of our resources, I feel convinced
our revenue will not fall off, and I think it will
improve. If so, the colony will have a very large
fund at its disposal for public improvements.
Trade is certainly improving. The failures are
now few in number compare]. with what they were.
Goods are being " knocked off" at auction in la.ig,e
quantities at low prices ; consumption is very large
at such prices. Importation is checked, and I fully
expect in a very few months to find a very healthy
state of things.

The following accounts of the arivals and ship-
ments of gold, made up to the Nth. of February,
i j from _fault's Gold Circular :
"The escorts have brought from—
Mount Alexander and Bendigo 13,470 oz.
Ballarat, including Geelong 10,002
Maryborough
The Avoca

Amount this week 27,565 and year 190,028

Gold shipped in 1855 205,033
Per Island Home, for London
Elizabeo from Geelong*for London
John Bell, from Geelong for London

On Sunday morning, the 4th inst., just before day
break, a large fire broke out in the stationery
warehouse of Sands and Kenny, and destroyed
four houses fronting on Collins-street, the principal
business street of Melbourne, running east and
west, and also swept away several buildings in the
rear.

These fires will probably induce the Legikature
to bring in a bill to authorise the coroner to hold
inquests as to the causes of fires, and this would,
I have no doubt, check incendiarism, or, more
properly, arson, to which some of them are attri-
buted.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

MANCHESTER RACES.-WEDNESDAY.

Tha Trafford Handicap of 5 soya each, with 50 added,
for all ages. The winner of any race, subsequent to
the publication of' the weights, value 1001. clear, 51b

extra. One mile
Admiral Harcourt's Dame Judith, by Van Tromp,
3 yrs, 7st 2lb
Mr, Booth's Mystic, 3 yrs, sst 101 b (Ford ham) 2
Mr. Copeland's The Lune, 2 yrs, 4st 61b (R. Bullock) 3
Mr. Arrowsmith's Wheatear, 3 yrs, Est 41b (Bearpark) 0
Mr. Doughty's Blossom, 4 yrs, 7st ltrlb (Quinton) disq.
• Betting— sto 2 against The Lune, 3 to 1 agst any
other. Blossom came in first, but being short of
weight the race was awarded to Dame Judith. Wheat-
ear,was left at the ost.

Produce Stakes of 10 sous each, h ft. with 100 added
for three-yr-olds' colts, Bst 71b ; fillies, Bst 31b. Certainyenalties and allowances. The owner of the se

cond horse to receive 50Z. out of the stakes. One mile

and three quarters. Thirty-six subs.
Admiral Harcourt's Ellermire, 7st 121 b (Aidcroft) 1
Sir O. Monek's Vandal, Bst 41b (Harrison) 2
Mr. J. Osborne's Lord Alfred, Bst 41b (Osborne) 3
Mr. Peck's Igo, Bst (Flatman) 4

Betting-26 1 agst Lord Alfred, 2 to agst Eller-
mire, 3to 1 agst Vandal, A good race, won by half a
length, the second beating the third by the same dis-
tance.

The Union Cup of 200 soya in specie, added to a Han-
dicap Sweepstakes of 5 Burs each ; for three-yr-olds
and upwards ; certain penalties ; the owner of the
.....

second horse- to receive 20 sous out of the stakes

About one mile and a quarter. 74 subs.
Mr. Copperthwaite's The Early Bird, by Birdcatcher,
.4 yrs, 7st 41b (Alderoft) 1
Mr. J. M. Stanley's Orinoco, 5 yrs, 7st 111 b (Flatman) 2
Mr. T. Stevens's Hercules, 4 yrs, 7st 81b (Wells) 3
Tbefollowing also ran :—Pumicestone, Tom, Berezina,
Whitelock.

Betting-2 tot each agst The Early Bird and Orinoco,
9 to 2 agst Pumicestone, and 10 to 1 agst Wh;telock.
The Early Bird made all the running, and won, after a
fine race in, by a neck ; the second beating the third
two lengths. Pumicestone a good fourth.

The Sapling Stakes of 10 sous each, h ft, with 100
added ; for two-yr•olds ; colts, Bst 71b ; fillies, Bst
41b. Extra weight for certain winners. The owner
of the second horsetoreceive 25 sovs out of the stakes.
T.Y.C. 29 subs.
Mr. R. Wilson's Heir of Lynne
Mr. Copeland'aSt. Ducstan 2