The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-07 00:00:00

TEE STATE OF VICTORIA.

MELBOURNE' JAN. 1, 1853.—The last moments of an
eventful year have fled, and it will be interesting to
ponder for a while on the marvellous position and pros-
pects of this favoured province of the great continent of
the south.

In little more than twelve months this small commu-
nity has had a greater amount of riches thrown into its
lap than has ever fallen to the lot of any people in any
period of history ; and in attempting a brief portraiture
of its position one is almost as much puzzled where to
begin as it is difficult to make credible the vast changes
that have come over this hitherto agricultural country.
Fortunately for this city and province, the existence
of golden treasures in the soil was not discovered earlier
—for although it has come soon enough upon so young
a colony, the evils that attend the rapid acquisition of
gold (as witnessed in California) have been averted by
the existence of a Government whose arms have been
generally sufficiently strong to protect its people from a
villain's attack or the adoption of a frightful Lynch law
for themselves. Of crime there is a great amount to
deplore, gaud which usually has its cause in the same
source—viz., intemperance, both in the assassin who
chooses stolen lucre rather than industry, and the poor
digger who shows the glittering wealth and then drinks
until he becomes a listless prey to the spoiler ; yet one
wonders that in such a strange mixed community there
should not be more causes of violence and robbery, and
probably in no city in the world was there ever con-
tained a larger amount of property unmolested in such
slender security as in Melbourne at this moment.
It is by the blessing of a Government that society is
held together, and the churches and courts of law are
often attended as crowdedly as at home. The streams
of wealth are flowing to this city by many different
channels, but which are chiefly dependent on the suc-
cessful results to the labour of the digging community.
It is quite impossible to form a correct estimate of the
quantity of gold derived from the soil of this province
during the year 1863 ; for although the number of
ounces brought down by the armed escorts is published,
there is no clue to the quantity brought down privately,
nor can we arrive at any data as to the quantity held by
parties here, nor do our ships' manifests pretend to tell
us of all that leaves the port in the pockets of their
passengers. As the production can only be proble-
matically ascertained, it is well state the two extreme
estimates —viz., eleven and fifteen millions sterling value.
When it is considered what large sums are kept back by
the diggers themselves, the vast increase in the circu-
lating medium, the enormous known export, and the
great aggregate amount of bullion in deposit at the
banks, the latter estimate of fifteen millions is probably
not far from the fact.

Land, houses, shops, and warehouse property have
advanced many hundredfold in value ; and although
building progresses at a magic pace, it is still impossible
to find roof for the multitudes daily arriving ; conse-
quently many thousands are necessarily tented. Rents
of land and every species of tenement are most extrava-
gant. A two-roomed wooden house-shed lets readily at
40s. to 50s. per week, and a warehouse, to contain 400
tons of merchandise, 1,2001. per annum.

Provisions are also much enhanced in value by the
high price of labour and house rent ; these high prices,
unfortunately, fall most heavily upon those commodities
particularly prized by an English population, such as the
following, viz. :—Milk, is. per quart ; eggs, 6d. each ;
fresh butter, 3s. 6d. per lb. ; bread, 2s. 6d. per 41b. loaf ;
cabbages, s. each ; onions, is. 6d. per lb. ; potatoes,
4d. •
wood other vegfueta eb
l les equally dear. Water, 3s. per hhd.
and' for , 3/. per cart load. Fresh meat is com-
paratively reasonable—beef and mutton 4d., veal 6d. per
lb. ; but the luxury of chicken can only be indulged in
at 16s. per couple, or a goose at 20s. ! Cattle feed is
very expensive. Green oat grass, 61. 10s. ; new hay,
201. ; old hay, 251. per ton ; oats, 14s. per bushel.
Labour commands 10s. per diem for the unskilled.
Good artisans are much wanted, and as high as 30s. for
clever carpenters is given. Servants and laundresses
find ready employment. Occupation for all strong ma-
nual labourers is readily found ; the only suffering class
is that which is dependent on the pen,"and a great num-
ber of clerks are by necessity working at the gold fields,
finding suitable engagements unattainable in the port.
The shipping from distant parts has been in a worse
dilemma than any other interest, from the several causes