The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-16 00:00:00

ADELAIDE.

f.. The chief 'topics of inter-11f here for some time
past have been much the same as those which have
occupied general attention in England-viz., gold
and politics. From all appearances, it woul seem
' that the former of these t vies has absorbed a much
larger share of conversation in private and comment
in public, and given rise to much more extensive
action with you than with us. Here the treasures
of the earth are now regarded very coolly ; and a
growing disposition is manifesting itself to return
with greater assiduity than ever to ordir ary indus-
trial pursuits. The South Australian diggings at
Echunga have proved, so far, to be jr9t what I
stated in a former letter—rich enough to keep quiet
people in the neighbourhood of their homes, but
not rich enough to attract hither hordes of vaga-
bonds from all corners of the world. The armed
escorts still travel regul 971 y from Bendigo and.
Mount Alexander to Adelaide, bringing here to
wives and families the products of the labour of
their absent heads. The Assay-office has nearly
done its work, and will' probably die out at the
time winch was originally named as the limit of
its existence—the 28th of January next. Gold
tokens of 1/. value (estimating standard gold at
71s. per ounce) are now issued from the Assay-
office, but do not find their way into circulation,
inasmuch as coin of the realm is now sufficiently
plentiful to meet the ordinary demands of busi-
ness. Our merchants and capitalists have begun
to discover that it is wiser policy to send their
gold to Britain, in exchange for specie, than to con-
vert it into South Australian sovereigns. The cry
for a mint is consequently very much on a decline,
the business of the Assay-office materially reduced,
and the shipments of gold-dust largely increased.
The Sydney takes from Adelaide 97,000 ounces of
gold, a quantity larger than her freight from Syd-
ney and Melbourne combined.

There is a great demand for labour here, and
wages are very high. Mechanics are receiving from
16s. to 20s. per day, and unskilled labourers from
10s. to 15s. Domestic servants command 9s. per
week readily, and even the i abbish and refuse that
we get under the name of needlewomen are eagerly
sought after. It is, however, only to supply a tem-
porary emergency, and great permanent mischief is
being entailed upon this colony by directing upon
it a stream from the sewers of your large towns and
workhouses. • Depend upon it, it is a popular error,
and a serious one too, that the people who are in-
herently useless at home can be made valuable
here.

Burra shares have experienced a slight decline.
'They have been up to 1581. ; they stand now at
1501. Gold-dust se]ls readily at 725. Flour is
selling. at 191. and 201. per ton. The rate of inte-
rest varies from 8 to 20 per cent., according to the
security offered and amount required.

.... SYDNEY.
We extract the following from..the correspon-
dence of the Melbourne Herald :
" SYDNEY, DEc. 27.
"Christmas has passed away quietly enough. The
weather, which for ten days past has been anyi;hing but
warm, has taken up in real earnest, and to-day we are
suffering all the horrors of a north-westerly sirocco, not-
withstanding which shoals of people are travelling to
Botany for 'pleasure.'
"TUESDAY, 28 (ONE O'CLOCK).—The Legislative Coun-
cil has just been prorogued by the. Governor-General in
person. I enclose the speech
" ' Mr. Speaker and. Gentlemen of the Legislative SYDNEY.
Ceancil,—l am glad that the public business has now DEC. 28.—1 t is scarcely necessary to say that the past
arrived at that stage which enables me to bring this week has been a busy one in all branches of retail trade.
king-protracted session to a close, and release you from The consumption of ordinary and extraordinary article
further attendance from your arduous duties. In compli- has necessarily been great, and the dealers haverhadcos
-,
anee . with the request conveyed in your t ',l.ress of
,the siderable difficulty in supplying the demand. Price
10thof August last, limmediately forwarded ') the Secre- however, have not run as high as would have been thes'
tary of State, for his consideration, the 1:ply adopted case, but for the recent importations of flour, which
by the council to Earl Grey's dispatch of the 23rd Jan. having reduced the price of bread to a reasonable,w rate,
1852, on the subject of the declpration and remon- have also contributed to damp that spirit of speculation
strance of the late Legislative Council. In reference to which generally occurs in seasons of scarcity of the staff
your address recommending tlit a branch of the Royal of life. Our harvest is turning out exceedn'latelriy
awlelrli,saenidn
Mint on the larger scale desciled by the Master of the there is no reason to suppose that an mg --
Mint in his report to the Secretary of State, should prices can take place for sonie.wee sto come. Amer
--
without delay be established in Sydney, I have can flour may still be looked for, though perhaps not in
the satisfaction to inform you that I had previously, great quantities. • At all eventts, unless the influx of po-
under the advice of my executive council, requested pthunlaetaiosne,slhoduold
nboetmnuoclliv greater tahnayn the Secretary of State to adopt the proper measures
Recent advises from Eligland speak of a comparative
sehraisonhsithdeerfitoeiebneoeyn
for this purpose ; and in order to defray the cost of the
necessary machinery and apparatus, I have remitted to reaction- in the emigration fever, caused partly by the
England the suns of 10,0001., which has been charged rise of wages
upon the gold revenue. I lost no time, on receipt of -operatives to the
.. shores of Australia. Ido not think
speobl•tti til
your address of the 9th July last, in taking the necessary much of,
e lull, but it is not to be overlooked, w
steps for raising the sum of 50,0001., on the security of
Tea on in the necessaries of life is involved.
figure
cargo. of
the territorial revenue, for the purposes of immigration.
-ex )orta
The tenders received being highly advantageous, and the s may be quoted 84s. to 85s. At the former
for
re.
the demand for labour still continuing of the most press- the Ararat was freely taken,
1 tion. I
ing character, I did not hesitate to raise an additional 231. 108. has
ci 0.
sum of 50,0001., making 100,0001. in all. The premium Sugars I been
~, maintain a very steady
price. For other kinds
'on the debentures and the discount on the remittance of I got for Pampanga, in quanutoitties.
fan Company are
on
the amount in bank bills, left a profit on the transaction a fire .t demand exists. The A _
raw
sugars, and they
'of upwards of 11,0001., being equal to the interest the et?fily considerable holders of
ble trade of late. The i
chiefly 1
We 'been driving a very pro the loan for a period exceeding two years, In
remitting, transactions of the week have been very considerable.