The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-30 00:00:00

DENMARK.

The important bill reducing the customs' pay-
ments on "materials, machines, and implements
used in any new water-works, gas-works, sewer
system, or any other similar large improvement iu
any town or borough," has been passed by the
lower house. It fixes the rate at five per cent. ad
valorem • but -where the tariff fixes a lower sum,
only such lower payment shall be made. This
measure is of great interest to our manufactures of
machinery, &c., for in a short time every town in
Denmark will require supplies from England of
everything necessary for water and gas-work, &c.
Both houses have adjourned over the Christmas
holidays, and will re-assemble on the sth of
January.
The greater part of the Scandinavian Mormon-
ites have decided upon emigrating to America. The
Obotrit has already carried the first instalment,
about 300 sorals, to Kiel, whence they will make
their way to Haraburgh, Liverpool, or Hull, and
New York. About 600 or 700 more will follow
ti
them in a short time.

AUSTRALIA.

(From a Correspondent of the Times.)
SYDNEY, AUG. 30.—The Pacific and Oriental
Company's steam-ship Chusan arrived here on the
3d inst., in 78 days from Southampton, including
stoppages -of five days at St. Vincent's, five days at
the Cape of Good Hope, and one day at Melbourne.
She did the distance from the last-mentioned port
in the short period of 54 hours. Her arrival
created the greatest sensation both here and at
Melbourne, and has been hailed with universal joy
by the colonists generally. The long wished-for
steam communication with the mother country is
now accomplished. Immediately on the arrival of
the Chusan a public meeting was held, and it was
determined to do honour to such an important
event by giving a public ball and supper, which
came off last night, and was a very brilliant affair.
About 700 people were present. The supper was
presided over by Sir Charles Nicholson, the Speaker
of the Legislative Council ; and his Excellency the
Governor and suite, and most of the notabilities of
the colony, honoured.the ball with their presence.
The Chusan is a screw vessel, has been generally
admired, and seems well adapted for the line she
is to be placed on. She starts to-morrow for Sin-
gapore, lid Melbourne, Adelaide, and Swan River,
and will reach that port in time to catch the Octo-
ber mail for England.
The Australian steamship, belonging to the Cape
Company, which was to leave Plymouth on the 3d
of June, is now due. Notwithstanding the advan-
tages accruing from the establishment of these two
lines of steamers,—namely, the line by the Cape of
Good Hope and the line by Singapore,—a general
impression gains ground that the Panama line will
be the best by far for Sydney as regards rapidity
of communication and other advantages. The
stoppages of the Cape line of steamers are too
many, and the detention will be too great to meet
the requirements of the increased and increasing
trade of Sydney with England. Within the last
few weeks public feeling has been so strong in fa-
vour of the immediate establishment of the Panama
line that it is highly probable a subsidy will be
asked for during the session of the Legislature in
favour of the Pacific Royal Mail Steam-packet
Company, which every one is delighted to learn is
being organised in London. This company may
depend on the support of the entire mercantile
community of Sydney, and there can be little doubt
that it will be a highly respectable enterprise to
embark in ; and, were it known in London how
much this line is in favour here, it would facilitate
the operations of the company materially. It is
really lamentable that Jolm Bull, with all his shrewd-
ness and caution, should prefer throwing his money
away by investing it in bubble gold-mining com-
panies to embarking it in a legitimate and probably
remunerative enterprise such as this.
Population is now pouring in on us in earnest
from all quarters of the globe. The immigration
from the United Kingdom is very great, but Jona-
than is invading our shores in large numbers by way
of San Francisco, while Germany sends us her sons
from Hamburgh, Lubeck, Bremen, and other ports
on the North Sea. Neither is the flowery empire
behind in the general race which is at present going
on towards the Australian gold-fields ; several ship-
loads of Chinese have arrived from the port of Amoy
within these last few months, but these men are
mostly sent down under indenture, to serve the
colonists as shepherds or general servants ; and
very useful they have proved themselves in the for-
mer capacity.
We are no longer a colony, in the old acceptation
of the term ; we are getting to be a country, a
nation. The trade of Sydney is already doubled,
and it is difficult to foresee a limit to its extension.
The people are beginning to feel politically strong,
and their representatives have been lately testing
their strength in the Legislature in a constitutional
struggle for equal political rights with those en-
joyed by their fellow-subjects in England. On the
18th inst., on the Auditor-General moving that
the house go into committee to consider the esti-
mates for 1853, Mr. Wentworth moved an amend-
ment to defer considering the budget until Decem-
ber, when the reply from the Colonial Minister
would be received to the grievance, remonstrance,
and petitions sent home last year. This motion
put by Mr. Wentworth in a, very able and argu-
mentative speech, showing a thorough knowledge
of constitutional law, but was lost by a majority
of 28, chiefly Government officials and nominees,
against 17 representative members. On the 21st
instant, Mr. Wentworth, nothing daunted
by defeat, again brought forward his motion
in an amended shape, viz.—" Not to vote
any further supplies, after 1853, unless a favour-
able reply be given by the Minister to the griev-
ance, remonstrance, and petitions," which was car-
ried by a majority of 24 to 23, several nominees
voting with Mr. Wentworth. There is a strong
feeling in the colony of giving the new Minister, Sir
John Pakington, a fair chance before pushing mat-
ters to extremes, and many members favourable to
the principles enunciated by Mr. Wentworth voted
against his motion on that score, and on the plea
of its being premature. • Sir John has many who
wish to be his friends in the Council, so that never
had Minister a better chance of making himself
popular in the colonies by merely conceding to the
people their inborn rights. There can now, after
the result of the division on the 21st inst., be little
doubt that, if our masters in Downing-street do
not grant the petitions of last year, the supplies
for 1854 will be stopped ; anarchy will be the ine-
vitable result ; and advantage will be taken by the
evil-disposed to raise the cry of rebellion, the con-
sequences of which would be too serious to specu-
late on. This is not mere idle talk, but the grave
opinion of our most reflective and loyal men.
A new constitution for the colony is being pre-
pared by a select committee of the Legislature, of
which Mr. Wentworth is chairman. I understand
that its main features are to be a double Chamber
—viz., a Legislative Assembly elected by the peo-
ple, of not less than 72, and an upper house or
Senate of no 't less than 21, appointed by the Crown,
two-thirds of whom must be 'gentlemen who have
been elected at any time to a seat in the Legisla-
ture ; the revenues of the country to be controlled
by the lower house, and the two chambers to be
styled the Parliame-at of New South Wales.
The new tariff came into operation on the sth
instant. The principle of the measure is very sim-
ple ; a very few articles are taxed, as follows—viz.,
ale and porter, in wood, id. per gallon ; ale and
porter, in bottles, 2d. per gallon ; coffee, cocoa, and
chocolate, d. per lb. ; currants, raisins, and other
dried fruit, id. per lb. ; brandy, 6s. per gallon ;
gin,. 6s. per gallon , rum, whisky, and all other
spirits, 4s. per gallon ; wines, ls. per gallon ; re-
fined sugar, 3s. 4d. per cwt. ; unrefined sugar, 2s.
6d. per cwt. ; molassses, is. Bd. per cwt. ; tea, -id.
per lb. .y manufactured tobacco, is. 6d. per lb. :
cigars and snuff, 2s. per lb.
The increase in the general and territorial re-
venue for the quarter ending June 30, compared
with the corresponding quarter last year, is' on' the
general revenue 34 per cent., and on the territorial
revenue 128 per cent. The estimated general re-
venue of New South Wales for 1853 is 333,452/.,
against 346, 568/. in 1852. The estimated expen-
diture for 1853 is 331,5701., against 332,365/. in
1852. These sums do not' include the revenue
from land sales and gold licenses, which are with-
out the control of the colonists.
The other day the Government invited tenders
for debentures, secured on the land-fund of the
colony, bearing interest at 5 per cent. per annum ;
the amount required was 50,0001. 261,0001. were
tendered for, chiefly by the bank, payable by their
draughts on London, at 30 days, at 10-i discount—
a very good operation for the Government. This
money goes home for emigration purposes.
Land was sold lately in Melbourne at the rate of
1001. per foot frontage, and both house property
and house rent have risen in Sydney from 50 to
100 per cent., and are rising. The difficulty will,
soon be how to find shelter for the thousands who are
landing on our shores. House building is almost
at a standstill for want of labour. However, this
fact must be borne in mind, that during eight
months of the year our climate is so mild that " the
dwellers in tents," who now form a large portion of
our population, experience little inconvenience
from that mode of life.
Our diggings on this side continue in statu quo,
for want of population to develope them, with the
exception of the Bingera diggings, mentioned in my
last as so promising. Advices reached town yesterday
which confirm former statements of the richness of
these diggings, and public attention is being directed
to them. About 1,000 people are on the road at pre-
sent, and many more preparing to go, among whom
there are a good many returned diggers from Motint
Alexander. The few that are on the ground are
earning 303. a-day by only digging about two feet
down, and nuggeting. The gold is of a nuggetty
character, similar to that from Mount Alexander,
and is now being brought to market in increasing
quantities. There seems an impression abroad that
this goldfield will rival the far-famed Mount Alex-
ander itself. However, in a few weeks we shall
have some thousand of miners on the ground, and
the value of the diggings will be fully tested. At
present we have scarcely sufficient data to form a
conclusion as to their extent. They are situated
in the New England district of this colony, near
the Gwydir river about 300 miles to the north-
ward of this, and 185 miles from Maitland.
Mount Alexander still,continues to yield enor-
mous quantities of gold : it is confidently asserted
by some that the yield is not less than 100,000
ounces per week ; if so, it seems astounding
that the diggings, within ten months of their
first opening, should be producing at the rate
of about 20,000,0001. per annum. Notwithstand-