The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-18 00:00:00

THE GOLDFIELDS.

This is the dull season of the year for all engaged in out-
door work, and it is but natural that dulness should be
complained of on the goldfields. As long as the days are
short and the ground wet there is little inducement to stir
from any spot where a living can be made ; but the time is
approaching when the miners become restless, and well or
ill judged movements are to be looked for. Tho news from
New Zealand has not, for several months past, been of a
character to draw men from here ; on the contrary, the re-
turn flow has been steady since last summer,'but whether
the stream may take a turn the other way during the com-
ing spring it is at present impossible to guess. The last new
field opened there, in the province of Marlborough, though
free from the extreme cold suffered in Otago, seems to be
little better adapted for winter digging than the gold coun-
try further south, but deep sinking promises to answer well,
and we have reports of new tracts of auriferous land having
been discovered near the west coast, in the province of Can-
terbury end Nelson ; so that accounts may at any moment
reach us of so favourable a kind as to attract the attention
of our miners at a time when rushes there must be in some
dirccticn or other. None of the movements lately within
our own territory have been on a large scale, the greatest
numbers of men having been collected at new spots in
the Whipstick part of the oid Bendigo district, which
has in past years been the scene of so many rushes, of
longer or shorter duration. The gold found in this scrubby
tract of country is mostly coarse; that is to say, consists
principally of lumps of large or small size, and is widely
scattered, not in runs or leads, so that the expectations
raised by the opening of a good patch are seldom realised•
Water is also scarce in most part of the scrub and the ad-
vent of summer has often sealed the fate of a promising
rush. The places lately opened may or may not be of a more
permanent character, tut they are at present of more impor-
tance than any of the other portions of new ground taken
up within the last month or two. At one of these a nugget
weighing 24,,z was found, and this alone formed no mean
attraction at the commencement of a rush. In the other prin-
cipal mining districts the changes have been few. The deep
leads in the vicinity of Daylesford are being steadily followed
up, and- this place affords further evidence, if such were
needed, rf the value of a fixed population, as of all the towns
on the goldfields it has made the most progress within the
last 12 months.

The usual number of new reefs has been discovered, and
the richest of these are of course among the mountains. It
those at and near the Crooked River at all answer expecta-
tions when crushing power is brought to bear upon them,
Wood's Point must fall from its pre-eminence, for scarcely
a week passes without the announcement of some fresh
discovery, and the exhibition of specimens better than
the last, notwithstan ling the great diffisulty of pros-
pecting among the mountains while so much snow lies
upon the ground. When this clears away they will be
explored in all directions, and groat must be the effect of
such an accession of population to those regions as could not
have ventured into them had not the main lines of road been
opened. The Wood's Point reefs are still yielding largely,
but although we often hear of the large dividends received
by shareholders in town, the actual returns obtained from
the stone crushed are seldom made public. On the older reefs
very high yields have been the exception of late ; an increase
of crushing power making up for the declining average yield
from the quartz. Still, large cakes of amalgamated gold are
occasionally turned out from the mills—a lot of stone from
the oft-named March Reef, at Inglewood, having lately
produced one of 5120 z. 12dwt. Another, weighing 55Goz ,
was also obtained at Pleasant Creek, the produce of 283
tons of stone out of a claim on the cross reef, and some
smaller parcels of stone out of Sloane's Reef, at the same
place, have averaged from 3ez. to 10ez. to the ton. The lately
found rich veins in different reefs at Tarrangower have also
been yielding stone highly suggestive of the old times in this
district; the first ton from a new reef, found at Creswick
three or four weeks since, produced 61ez. sdwt. During the
last month the Port Phillip Company at Clunes crushed
4,175 tons of stone for the Clunes Company, with a yield
of 1,4060 z. 16dwt., or an average of Gdwt. 17gr. to the ton.
Of all the deep .le id companies at Ballarat, the Band of
Hope has lately been getting the largest returns, having
washed out 1,472 ounces in ono week ; but, as the debts
incurred before gold was struck have to be paid off, only a
small portion of this has been devoted to the payment of
dividends. The Buninyong Company has been paying the
largest dividends during the month—£lo per share for each
of the two fortnights—while the Koh-i-noor Company paid
£32 per share for one fortnight and £3B per share for the
other. The Great Extended Company has paid little in the
way of dividends for some weeks past, the men being prin-
cipally engaged in trying a new reef found in their claim.

OYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, SOUTH KEN•
SINGTON,--Ths attraction at these gardens yester-
day was the competition of the two celebrated bands of the
Hon. Artillery Company and of the London Rills Brigade.
This was the final trial between them for the first
Immediately on the gates being open the Hon. Artillery
Company band played the overture to " Masaniello." The
judges appointed to decide the question of superior excel-
lence in the execution of the subjects chosen were Messrs
Waddell, late bandmaster of the Ist Life Guards, Mr Smyth,
bandmaster of the Royal Artillery band, and Mr Collins,
bandmaster of the Royal Engineers. The subjects chosen
by the respective bands were : —The Hon, Artillery Com
parry—. Selection from 4' Un Ballo in Maschera" (Verdi),
and selections from " Ruy Blas" (Glover) ; by the London
Rifle Brigade band selections from " Un Ballo in Maschera"
(Verdi), ditto from "I 1 Don Giovanni" (Mozart). The
bandmasters were Mr Hird of the Hon. Artillery Company,
and Mr E. Stanton of the London Rifle Brigade. The
weather was so unpropitious that the attendance of
visitors was very so ,nty. The decision of the umpires was
not made known, nor will it be, as we were informed, until
it is first communicated to the council. Many of the
ladirs, we fear, must have been sadly inconvenienced by
the rain,

The Confederation of British North

Lion:—.

America.

AIONTREAL, C.E., Oct. 3.

Incendiary fires are very common just now
throughout the Province. The warehouses belong.
ing to the Hon. John Young, of Montreal, have
been consumed, and the Mayor offers a large reward
for the discovery of the miscreants. Other buildings
have likewise been set on fire, it is supposed, by a
gang of scoundrels who have combined for this
nefarious purpose.
Only a few days since an extensive fire, also pre-
sumed to be the work of incendiaries; occurred at
Woodstock, C.W. The loss is estimated at nearly
100,000 dols. A great many stores have been de-
destroyed. It is estimated that the loss will fall on
the insurance offices to the extent of 20,000. The
following offices will have to bear the heaviest
burdens :—The London and Liverpool, the Nurth
British, the Royal, the Western, the Queen, and
the Etna.-
The officers who were in pursuit of the Lake
pirates have returned, without effecting the capture
of any prisoners.

A detachment of the Royal Canadian Rifles have

lately left Kingston for service on the Detroit river,
where they will aid in suppressing any offensive
demonstration against the American frontier.
The Grand Trunk Railway has distributed several

thousand pounds amongst the families of the killed
and maimed at the late Be;cell accident. It has
also munificently given 2,000 dots, to the Montreal
General Hospital, and has become a regular sub•
scriber of 400 dots. annullly to the funds of the
institution in acknowledgment of the care and
attention bestowed upon the unfortunate sufferers

thrown by the accident upon the charity of the
hospital.

The school question is exciting a good deal of
bitterness in Lower Canada amongst religionists.
Several meetings of Protestants have been held, at
which resolutions were passed denunciatory of the
present condition of the law with regard to the
regulation of public schools,

It has been alleged that the policy of the Govern•
vernment has been to foster Roman Catholic schools

----
and colleges to the detriment of Protestant educa-
- - -

tional institutions, ProtEstant landholders complain
that they are obliged to pay taxes for the support
of Roman Catholic schools in places where Protes-
tant schools exist, in case such landlords are non-
residents.

The Provincial Exhibition which was held this
year at Hamilton has just closed, It is considered
the best show which the Agricultural Association
has yet held. During the four days the exhibition
lasted 27,000 quarter-dollar tickets were sold, in
addition to 1,000 members' tickets at one dollar.
At the termination of the exhibition the Presi.
dent (Colonel James Johnion), in accordance with
the customary usage, delivered an addrese.
ludir g to the soil of Canada, he remarked :
" Wt, have an extensive country compared with
many lands. No portion of it is yet densely popu-
lated, much yet is very thinly settled, and over vast
portions of it the primeval forest yet remains undis-
turbed, This, then, is the natural channel into which

the chief current of our industry must for many
years continue to flow ; and if it be true, as one of
philosophic mind has remarked, that the man who
makes two blades of grass grow where only one had
grown before deserves well of his fellow-man, what
scope is there here for honourable repute in bring-
ing still more extensive regions of the wilderness
into subjection for the wants of civilised man, and
in introducing a superior system of agriculture.

Long may we confine our warfare to the subju-
gation of the forest, the reclaiming of morasses, and
the conquering of the millions of acres which lie

before us."

DEMOLITION BY GUNPOWDER OF THE GREAT
EXHIBITION BUlLDlNG.—Yesterday a considerable
number of persons visited the neighbourhood of the
Great Exhibition Building, it having been announced that
it was intended to blow down the two towers that supported
the great dome, adjacent to the Horticultural Gaidens, in
the Exhibition-road, but tho operation was postponed for a
day or two to enable Sir John Burgoyne and other officers
of the Royal Engineers from Chatham to be present at the
operation. The public, however, had the opportunity of
witnessing the corps of Sappers and Miners, under Captain
Knocker, a', work upon the basement of the towers, whore
they were engaged during tho day in boring at intervals in
the brickwork the requisite chambers for the displosion.
TIIE COUNTY CUP AT LEICESTER.—The following is
the decision of Lord Bateman, one of the stewards in this
race, which has been in abeyance since the Bth of Septem-
ber, the day on which it was run : —" An objection having
been raised on the part of the second horse against Land of
the West (who came in first for this race), on the ground
of his being incorrectly nominated, both as to naive and age,
it appears, on investigation, that not only was no age men,
tioned in the original nomination (as laid down in Rule 14),
but further, that the horse was improperly described both
in the Racing Calendar and on the cards of the day, as
Lord of the West, 4 yrs old,' in lieu of ' Land of the West
3 yrs old,' thereby tending to mislead, and to invite the
objection. In accordance with Rule 14, the objection must
be considered valid, and I therefore award the race; to
Cervus, who was second. Captain Christie, my colleague,
concurs in this decision.—(Signed) BATE3IAN, Steward.—
Oct. 17, 1864."

TAXES IN THE CITY OF LONDON.—Last year
the land tax in tho City of London produced £46,654, the
assessed taus £E3,254, and the) iucorao tax £501,071.

An organised opposition is being got up against
the proposed Confederation scheme by Mr. Lanctot
and his confreres of L' Union, in which other Franco•
Canadians participate. They regard the measure
as inimical to their political interests, and as likely
to detract from the autonomy of the French race.
At an indignation meeting lately convoked, for
the purpose of opposing any alteration in the form
of government, the following resolution was sub-
mitted, clause by clause, and carried by acclama.

"Resolved, that in the opinion of this meeting
a Confederation of all the provinces of British
North America would tend to extinguish French
Canadian nationality, and impose upon it a system
of direct taxation which it could not well meet ;
and that this meeting formally expresses its die.
approbation of all Ministerial schemes of consti.
tuitional changes,which schemes,if they were carried
into effect without being first submitted to the
direct approval or disapproval of the people of this
Province by means of general elections, held ex-
clusively to judge and appreciate them, and without
the application of the principle of the double
majority, would be the greatest blow which has
ever been levelled against the immunities and the
rights of the people of the Province."
About 1000 French Canadians attended the meet-
ing in question.
In proposing the above resolution, Mr Lanctot
gave a résumé of the history of the country from its
settlement to the passing of the Act of Union, which,
he maintained, was forced upon the French resi.
dents. He contended that the treaty effected in
1769 guaranteed the civil and religious institutions
of the French Canadians, and that no alteration
could possibly take place without their consent.
Even the Act of Union, he averred, contained a
proviso tending to perpetuate their rights, that of
equal representation ; and as the enemies of the race
were aware of this, they passed an act for making
the Legislative Council elective for the purpose of
sending home the Constitution for alteration. The
only remaining guarantee was therefore gone, as
Lord Durham had foreseen, when he drafted the
Union Act. They were now drifting into the abyss
of Confederation, the only escape from which was
to be found in national unity. The speaker also
denounced Mr Cartier and other public men who
now favour the new political change, but who in
1858 characterised the scheme as absurd and highly
prejudicial to the best interests of the country.
Placards, emanating from the Rouge party, are
freely circulated about the city, calling for another
public meeting to oppose the contemplated political
charge. The announcement which they contain
ends with the significant words—" Viva la cause
Nationale !"
The conference of Ministerial delegates from the
five provinces will meet inQuebec on this day week.
The Russell House, Palace-street, is engaged for
the occasion. The Canadian Government have their
programme already prepared, and on such a basis
that some members of the Administration are
sanguine that it will be favourably entertained by
some, if not all, the representatives of the maritime
provinces.

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HER MAJESTY.

The Queen continues in the enjoyment of
lent health at Balmoral with Prince Alfred, Princess
Helena, and Prince Leopold. The infant son of
their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of
Wales, accompanied by the Countess de Grey, a"
rived at Balmoral yesterday from Denmark, and
will return with her Majesty and the Royal Fav3ll
to Winds )r on Tuesday next. excel=