The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-19 00:00:00

THE ROYAL NAVAL SERVIOE.

The seamen of the present day are greatly improved
in intelligence compared with those of any former period
in the service of this country. Every new measure and
every Admiralty circular is now carefully perused, and
seamen will not now enter to serve in the fleet until they
fully comprehend the duty they are to perform, the re-
muneration they will receive, and the treatment they
will experience on board the ships of war or war steamers
in which they may'have to servo on joining the Royal
navy. A circular, No. 121, was recently issued, which
has-been much criticised by the seamen, and they framed
certain questions relative to.it for transmission to the
Admiralty. Their lordships have instructed their secre-
tary to answer the said questions, which has been done
in the following
" Circular No. 130.
" Admiralty, Oct. 3.
" Questions raised on Circular No. 121 by certain
seamen -of the fleet with their lordships' answers there-
to :
" Question 1. Whether men entering for continuous
service would interfere with their entering for the Ex-
cellent ? Whether men can now enter ?—Men entered
for continuous service will be eligible to be received
into the Excellent as seamen-gunners, • in preference to
ahose entered for limited service. The periods of service
for the Excellent will terminate with. the periods of con-
tinuous service. _ _ _

"2. Whether three years' service in ship then in
would reckon' as part of 10 years' service, or other
period ?—lt would not ; but men now in the service
may enter for seven years, or under clause 4, page 5,
circular 121, and receive the higher rates of pay and
pensions from the age of 18. The time to be so served
must reckon from the date of volunteering for continu-
ous service. Tho higher rates for, petty time, when
pensioned, can be given only to men who enter for 10
years, and serve for that period of continuous service.
"3. Whether on paying off they would be allowed to
join the guardship nearest their houses at the expiration
of their leave ?—Continuous service men, when paid off,
may choose the port to which they will return at the ex-
piration of their leave. Continuous service petty officers
will retain the ratings of their class, but all such men
will be sent to ships afterwards as required.
" 4. Whether putting their named down for continuous
service would make them liable to be draughted into
other ships on the station, scr•as -be be-tept longer
abroad ?—All men, whether entered for continuous or
limited service, are already liable to be draughted to
other ships when the exigencies of tthe service require it ;
but continuous service men will not in general be kept
longer abroad than at present.
"5. Whether any time served as boy, after the age
of 18, would reckon for pension ?—Time served in boy's
rating, after the age of 18; will reckon as time for pen-
sions to continuous service men, and no others.
" 6. Whether continuous service men, on paying off,
will receive all their wages, or only a portion ?—Con-
tinuous service men on paying off will receive the whole
of the wages due to them.

" 7. Whether seamen on *old system will require 7 or
14 years' service for coastguard Seamen whether en-
tered under the old or new system will in future require
10 years total service froni the age of 18 to be eligible for
the coastguard.
" 8. While on leave, after paying off, can a man'
volunteer for any particular ship?—Continuous service
men when on leave in . England will not be entitled to
volunteer for particular ships, but must return to the
ships on which their namer are- borne. Facilities for
'exchange 'may be given when the service will admit.
"9. Whether continuous service men before their
service expires could enter for riggers in dockyard or
Coastguard ?—Continuous service men maybe discharged
by special order to be entered as riggers in a dockyard,
or to serve in the Coastguard, but in general they will
be expected to complete their engagements.
10. Seamen-gunners now serving as formerly, if
they volunteer for Continuous service, will they be re-
tained on the books of the Excellent, and can they
volunteer for a second five years as seamen-gunners on
the . expiration of the first ?--Seamen-gunners now
serving, and volunteering for continuous service, will be
retained on the books of the Excellent until the expira-
tion of their periods of continuous service.
"11. Whether any petty officer or seaman, who has
less than 10 years to serve to complete 20, will he, if
volunteering for continuous service, receive any increase
of pension to what he would receive if remaining on the
old system to complete 21 years !---No increased rate of
pensions will be given to men who do not enter for and
complete 10 years' continuous service, but men now in
the service, and entering for seven years longer, or under
clause 4, page 5, circular 121, will be entitled to the pre-
sent rate of pension at the end of 20 years trom the age
of 18, instead 0f.21 years from the age of 20.
"12. A seaman having nine years' sea service and
nine years' Coastguard service, will it reckon as 18
yews' full service I—Nine years' sea service and nine
years in the Coastguard will.reekon as 18 years' service
as time for pensions, but men entering the Coastguard
only receive their pensions on being finally discharged
from that service..
" 13. Will seamen, not continuous service men, have
the same privilege of entering the Coastguard service as
fo,merlyl—The regulations foe entry in the Coastguard
will be the same for all men, and in future no men will
be eligible with less than 10.years' service frora the age
of 18.

" 14. Whether clause 5, page 13, under head of pen-
sions, will include petty officers who have already
served 13 years, and are only required to volunteer 7
years' further service; and, if not, whether they will be
obliged to vOlunteer for 10 years, so as to come under
that scale ?—All men must enter for and complete 10
years' continuous service, to become entitled to the
higher rates for petty time, unless disabled by hurts in
the service during the time.
" 15. Whether seamen-gunners, who may volunteer
for 7 years' further service, will belong to the Excellent
for that period, as at present, and return to her after
being paid off from a ship, 1,--Seamen-gunners who may
volunteer for 7 years: further service, will be retained on
the books of the Excellent till it expires, and from the
date of volunteering.
"16. Whether apprentices are allowed to enter for
general and continuous service ?—Apprentices may enter
for continuous service from the age of 18.
" 17. Whether a man entering for continuous ser-
vice abroad can pass for a,seaman-gunner, as formerly,
receiving the increase of pay at once t--Continuous ser-
vice men may pass for seamen-gunners abroad, and will
belong to the Excellent during their term of continuous
service. 4
" 18. Men from the Eircellent wish to know if, on
volunteering for a term of 10 or 7 years, they will be
considered to belong to the Excellent for that time, and
if service to commence at once or only when discharged
from the Excellent I—Seainen-tunners entered for five
years may volunteer for continuous service without con-
tinuing to belong to the Oxcellent beyond the original 5
years, but should state- their intention at the time of
volunteering.

" By command of theittLordships.

" R. OSBORNE.
"To all Commanders of her Majesty's ships and vessels,

SYDNEY, Sept. 19.—The discussion on the Con-
stitution Act; which during the past two months
has excited so much of the public attention, .almost
sharing it with the list of imports and the gold xe-
turns, is Suspended forn time. According to the
suggestion of Mr. Went Worth, the leader of the'
Government party, the second reading of the.bill
was not to Pledge theCotincil to an absolute accept-
ance of its provisions, but was oily t.o be taken as
'affirming the principle that the future Legislature
shall consist of • two Chambers. • Whether the
Upper House is to be elected, or
.nominated by the
Crown, it was proposed •should be left an open
question till the.opinion of the inhabitants of .the.
colony at large had been fully ascertained. With
this reservation the bill was read a second time on
the 2d of September, after a debate that lasted,
with short adjournments, for 7 days, by a majority
mouths,
Ailte boeitnhgerre nijeeactte
of 34 to 8 votes ; the .amendment moved by. Mr.
Darvall, that it be read a second time that day 0
a local importance. The aoitat' on the gold fields
had assumed a rather .ararinil7 - but
of the miners had expressed the of the session. have only
appearance,
throughout all the demonstrations- the spokesmen
readiness .of. the
men to pay a fee of 10s. a-mouth, provided some
alterations were made in the mode' of cOll eetig6
cr't
But from unconditional resistance of the
demanMr. Latrobe has gone to the other extreme
ceded more than was asked, and deprived th pro-
vince of some 700,000/. of annual revenueat a
stroke. It was, of course, impossible to collect such a
tax, among such a population,peculiar at the point
of the bayonet ; 'but the offer of the iggers them-
selves, by which a third of that large revenue would
have been saved, was at least worth listening to.
How the loss is to be supplied is not yet known.
It is believed here that an export duty on the gold
raised will be attemped to be levied ; but two years
'ago that mode of raising a revenue was discussed
and condemned by the Council of Victoria as im-
practicable. It would be extenively evaded, would
obstruct mercantile transactions, and, above all,
unless adopted in this colony also, would merely
make Sydney the shipping port for all the gold now
sent direct from Melbourne. The abolition of the
fee, though announced by Governor Latrobe, will
not be immediate ; till the necessary act can be
passed, a fee of 40s. is to be collected, which will
be considered as payment for the license for three
months ; at the expiration of that period, unless
an equally sudden change of policy occurs, no pay-
ment except a small fee to secure a kind of rough
registration of the population will be required.
Here the Gold Regulations Committee will not, it
is understood, go beyond a recommendation that
the fee be reduced to 10s. a month. And probably
the Council of Victoria, before the next three
months expire, will modify the Governor's pro-
posal, which is marked by haste, if not panic, to
the same extent.

THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.
The Canada, from Boston, with the President's
Message, arrived at Liverpool last night. She
brings $700,009 in specie.
The Message
.commences with thanksgiving for
the general prosperity of the country, and states
that: the diplomatic relatfons with foreign Powers
are essentially. unchanged'sincc last Congress. Thu
pending.questions with same of them are in course
of amicable adjustment.

Negotiations are pendi tig_ivith England respect-
ing the fishery question, 'with a fair prospect of a
favourable settlethent 'for American fishermen.
Embarrassing questions have also arisen with
England respecting _Central America. England
proposes an, amicable arrangement, and the Ameri-
can Minister in London is now negotiating. It re-
commends that a boundary Tine between the United
States and the British Provinces in the north-west
should be traced and marked.

The Message then reports that some progress
has been made in negotiating a treaty of commerce
and navigation with France, announces that since
last Congress no attem,dts have been made by un-
authorised expeditions within the United States
against the Spanish 'colonies, and promises that,
should any movement be made,- all the means: at
the President's command shall be vigorously exer-
cisedl to repress them.. .
It recommends the prompt payment of the
Spanish claims in the cas,e of the schooner Amistad.
Respecting Kossta, it reports that after careful
consideration the Presi dent had arrived at the
conclusion that Kossta -was seized at Smyrna il-
legally; that he was wrongfully detained in an
Austrian ship ; that at the time of seizure he was
clothed with American iTationality ; that the acts
of the American officers under the circumstances
were justifiable and fully ,approved, and compliance
with the demands of Austria is declined. The
principles maintained by the Secretary of State in
the correspondence with Mr. Hulsemann will on
all similar occasions be applied and enforced.
The Message then briefly refers to the China and
Japan expeditions, and to the boundary disputed
with Mexico, the question remaining unsettled ;
reports that the Minister at Brazil is instructed to
endeavour to negotiate the treaty of navigation
with the Amazons, and that the Chincha Islands
dispute with Peru is in a fair way of settlement,
Peru indemnifying the outraged parties. The
Treasury surplus for the fiscal year is $32,000,000,
with which $13,000,000 of the public debt has
been paid, leaving the present debt $'56,000,000.
It recommends further progress in extinguishing
the debt with the surplus; recommends a reduction
of tire tariff as the second best means of preventing
a surplus ;_ reports the navy to be inefficient, and
recommends improvement; recommends an increase
in the army, especially on the frontiers ; reports
the Post-office revenue deficient $2,000,000, favours
aiding the construction of• the Pacific Railway by
all constitutional means, and concludes by briefly
alluding to the death of rice-President King.
The cholera was committing great ravages at
New Orleans. 214 died in one day.
Mr. Linn Boyd had been elected Speaker of the
House.

The cotton market, on the sth, at New Orleans,
was without animation, awaiting advices.
The Europa had arrived out.
The Governor of Cuba, apprehensive of another
expedition, was adopting vigorous measures to pre-
vent it.

The Money Market was dull, awaiting further
advices from Europe. Little speculation had taken
place.
Erie Railroad shares were quoted at 80.
Exchange firm, with fair demand. London, 109 i
to 110.

Tho cotton market closed quietly, but firmly.
Stock on sale light ; weight sale light.
Flour was firmly held ; little doing in freights to
Liverpool ' • flour, '3s. 6d. to 3s. 7d. per barrel to
London. Tobacco, 60s. per hhd.
Letters from Mexico state that 200 armed men
from San Francisco had landed at La Paz, Lower
California, and taken possession of the town.

The United States steamer numboldt, in .making
for Halifax, ran ashore on the Sisters Rocks, about
12 miles from Halifax, and remained. .At last ac-
counts she was full of water, and had commenced
going to pieces, and it was thought she would be a
total loss. Crew and passengers saved.
The Bremen ship Johannes, which sailed from
Baltimore on the 16th ult. for London, put. back
on the Ist inst., having encountered a severe gale
in the bay on the 25th, which tore away windlass,
ac., and she had to return for repairs.
The British ship Triton, at Charleston, from
Liverpool, went off Scilly, on the 17th of October,
experienced a heavy gale from S.W. to N.N.W.,
during which her maintopgallant mast and yards
had to b 3 cut away ; experienced heavy weather
all the passage. The British barque Eliza, of
Liverpool, from Calloa, bound for Baltimore with
guano, went ashore on the beach 28 miles south of
Cape Henry on Nov. 28 ; vessel and cargo a total
wreck, captain and crew saved ; chief officer
drowned. The British barque Sovereign, of Lon-
don, for San Francisco, sunk off the Falkland
Islands on the 17th of September, in lat. 48 S.,
long. 80 W. The crew to the number of 20 wore
saved on board the Danish brig Anna Cecilia; ar-
rived at Valparaiso on the Ist of October. The
captain and three sailors were drowned in trying
to save the ship's papers.
The ship Victoria, from London, arrived at New
York, had 50 deaths on the passage, and the
Southampton, also from London, 15 deaths.
The barque Walter R: Jones, froth Philadelphia
for London, had put into Baltimore leaky and with
pumps choked.

There have been some brilliant accounts from
the Ballarat gold fields during the past 10 days,
which are thus stated by the Geelong Advertiser :
" Our intelligence from the scene of the last
great discovery is up to Wednesday morning. We
are now enabled to give more precise information
respecting the alleged ' table' of gold, of which in-
formation was expressed to his Excellency in Mel-
bourne. The stratum of gold is, in reality, a
basin,' not a table. Heretofore the gold has been
traced in veins and pockets. Now it is found in
an immense circular patch, or muster pocket, and
already about it dozen holes have been sunk into
it, every one of which has hit. So uniform is this
rich stratum, that its value, wherever tested, has
been found to range from 1,2001. to 2,0001. per
superficial foot. When the stratum was first
reached, the little mounds of earth containing tl&e
gold had the appearance of a solid rock of the
metal, but when handled it broke into a mass of
dust and nuggets. The 12 holes are known by the
name of the jewellers' shops.'
" The accounts from the other parts of Ballarat
are, though not quite so wonderful, quite as gra-
tifying. At the gravel pits, the washing-stuff is of
the uuheard-of thickness of 13 feet, and it is an
advantageous peculiarity of that field that the vein
runs in a straight line. There is a new surfacing
field at the back of the Canadian Gully, and at the
Lagoon the surfacing still holds out, though it has
been worked for several months. The Winter's
Flat field has shared in the revival, and is yielding
I well.

QUEBEC, DEC. 1.

" The courses of the several veins remarkable for
richness are now well ascertained, and as they nearly
all lead into the extensive flats stretching eight miles in
length from Winter's Flat to Eureka, the eyes of the
experienced diggers are directed to this quarter, and
numerous claims have been marked out, although there
is no chance of sinking holes for several weeks, or until
dry weather sets in. Should the expectations respecting
these flats be realised, there will be room here for all the
diggers in Victoria.
" The best proof of the general prosperity of the Bal-
larat diggings is to be found hi the fact that the lowest
rate of wages on the ground is 21. per day, and many
are engaged in sinking at per day. The population
is rapidly augmenting, not in consequence of the late
discoveries, but because of the steady prosperity which
has been known to prevail for several weeks past. The
latest discoveries have not yet had time to produce this
effect."

Later accounts slightly abated the sensation
caused by the discovery of the "Basin." It is
reached only after digging a shaft or hole 150 feet
in depth, and appears to be limited to a compara-
tively small area, since parties working close to the
lucky finders of the deposit have been disappointed.
This is constantly the case, and though there is no
doubt the real wealth of the gold districts is un-
diminished, it is distributed so capriciously that the
pursuit is a mere lottery. To dig down 150 feet
and find nothing must be a severe trial. The Bal-
larat news has thrown the other diggings into the
shade • the above find occurring just as the spring
migration to the gold fields was commencing, has
directed the movement southward. The coasting
steamers to Melbourne are crowded with passen-
gers, and overloaded with baggage. The summer
promises to be a very busy one ; a large increase in
the gold returns during the next four months may
be expected.
The price of gold, however, has slightly fallen in
Melbourne, in consequence of the uncertainty felt
as to the imposition of an export duty. The decline
is abut 2s. per oz. It has caused a similar, but
slighter, decline in Sydney. Tho following is from
the last Sydney Odd Circular :
" Parties are not inclined to purchase at present high
rates, anticipating still a greater reduction at Port
Phi-
lip ; the cause of so sudden a fall was occasioned by the
belief that Government would enforce at once the export
duty. This matter now being set at rest, and a large
amount being purchased for the Victoria, the price will
no doubt reach former rates., It is alio fully anticipated
that now the Oriental Company have reduced the freight,
and also insurance, a large quantity will no doubt be
shipped by that route, as also China and India, erhange
now being very high there. The news from Victoria
still speaks highly of the large yields at Ballarat' The
uncertain state of the Government as regards the license
fee, and vacillating conduct of the Governor and Coun-
cil,nce keep the miners dissatisfied, and will yet be the cause
of an outbreak, if something definite is not settled
is a great pity for the welfare of this coun
try, as well as
It
Victboria, that this great interest
is
and such a registration fee exeow-
also
jg"requisites teriteht
"
protection of life and property;re-i
for what is "re-
quired for other expenses'puY
fields. The news from the 01'017nmated with the gold
still mentions of large
numbers daily accruing! MAY are spreading over the
great richness. The country, and it is fully anticipated that at Mitta Mitta
a large field will be found of g
Cali-
fornians at the northern diggings are showing the bene-
fits of sluicing.
willfm It anticipated at the Rocky River a
be taken out. The escorts brought
the Turon, 425 ounces 5 dwts„
large amount
down 'this week, from
from Bathurst, 241 ounces 1 dwt. 8 grains ;
6 grains ; 889 ounces 1 dwt. ; from Meroo, 306
from Tarn" *ns • from Mudgee, 32 ounces 17
ounces dwts. gra' ,
dwt. ; from Braidwood, 387 ounces 10 dwt. 12 grains ;
the been offered this
Mines, 216 ounces. Total, 1,998 ounces 11 dwt.
A great many samples of gold have
week from new localities, but where the parties would
not state.
""With a continuation of fine weather, the energies of
the Turon miners are again called into play, and un-
daunted by the disappointment and frequen t floods,directly
a change shows itself, they fall to with a determination
that deserves success. From the source of the river to
its' junction with the Macquarie, detached parties are
trying the ground, but the numbers at work are not
sufficient fairly to prove it. This last week there has
been a rush towards the Eagar Bark and Keenan's, and
some rather numerous parties are tunnelling in the face
of almost perpendicular ranges near the Big Oakey, pro-
ducing 5 or 0 ounces per day. At the back of the town-
ship of Sofala, where at the close of the autumn some
rich claims were being worked, the owners are again
cutting a race ; surely these men ought to know how
they stand in respect of the licence fee, which by state-
ments in the public press has been variously reported as
reduced first to 205., and next to 103. per month. It
would not be too much to expect to let the public really
know their intention, for no legislation on the subject
would do more injury than this delay, and the sufferers
from it will think they are,little cared for by those en-
trusted with the management of their affairs. It is not
to be wondered that the Port Philip miners demand to
be represented, noting how little one great interest
cares for the welfare of the rest, The dry season is now

The winter season has fairly-set in. The British
ship Britannia, while at anchor off Quebec, on the
28th'tult., was cut through by ice and waterlogged ;
she was towed to Wolfe's Cove. The British ship
John Campbell had to ship her anchor to escape
the ice, and was towed to the Cove. Captain
Howell, of the British barque Elizabeth, which
west ashore at Riviere do Loup, on the night of
the 28th, reports nine British vessels ashore at
Hare Island and River Side. Ono of these barques,
the Mount Washington, has since passed Rivi6re de
Loup in safety. Another bark, the British Queen,
was surrounded by ice on the 28th, and the crew
had abandoned her. 21 square-rigged vessels, of
upwards of 12,000 tons, some were loaded, would
probably have to winter in Quebec. Several had
taken up winter berths on the 30th. The ships
Wilson, J. K. L., and Waterlily, and brig Sutton,
were also ashore at Hare Island. Several ships are
reported ashore at Bic.

GENTLEMAN KILLED BY THE EXPLOSION OF A GUN.—
Yesterday afternoon a young man named James B. Lay
expired in Cornelius Ward, Guy's Hospital, from the
effects of injuries received under the following melan-
choly circumstances. Mr. Lay and a friend went out
shooting in the neighbourhood of Beckenham, and as
his friend was handing the gun to the deceased, by some
means a branch of the hedge caught the trigger, and the
piece went off, lodging the contents in his intestines.
He was conveyed to the above valuable institution,
Messrs. Byrkett and Wilbe, the surgeons, were unre-
mitting in their attentions, until death terminated his
Oufferinge.

19 <7
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as
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TT a developed, would exceed anything the world has
' yet witnessed."
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.1: ' 411 J ' -4:.
raj \,. / `'!'‘.-' `<4.o&- ~.'";' 4 ; 1 Tile Stratford, to which the June mails were en-
trusted under the new arrangement of a special
contract for the voyage, arrived here yesterday,
after a passage of 106 days from London, instead
of 82. The public despair of ever seeing the Post-
office authorities succeed in what they undertake,
even'by accident. By the overland route We have
news to the middle of July, and after it come lum-
-bering the letters forlilay. • The Australian Royal
Mail steamer Victoria, the first vessel of that un-
lucky company that came out after the contract
was withdrawn, made the quickest voyage by the
Cape rout 3 that has yet been accomplished: But
the mischief has been done by the previous failures,
and confidence Cannot easily be created. The mer-
chants noir depend. principally on the overland
route, though the communication is only once in
two months ; what may arrive or depart iu the in-
terval is all a chance. Two steamers sometimes
leave for England within 21 hours of each other,
as is the ewe to-day • the Victoria sailed yesterday,
and the Shanghai leaves this afternoon : one of
them is comparatively useless, as they must carry
the same dates ; if sailing at an interval of 10 days
or a fortnight, the accommodation would be in-
valuable. By another felicitous arrangement, the
Shanghai sails before the mail by-the Stratail has
been delivered, and all the letters for May must
remain unanswered for a month.
January, February, and March, in former years,
were our business months. During these months,
the wool teams bore back into the interior a twelve-
month's. supply of rations, and with the exception
of August and September, when extra stores were
generally required for shearing, the intervening
months were more or less without animation, ex-
cept when enlivened, as they were occasionally,
either by speculation, or by scarcity in the neigh-
bouring colonies. But on the whole the demand
was comparatively limited, and by comparison with
previous years might be calculated with tolerable

accuracy.
The improved condition of the colonists, and the
amazing increase of population, have now vastly
altered the demand and supply ; and upon taking
a retrospect of the last six or nine months, it, is
surprising to observe the vast increase in the indi-
vidual consumption as far as it can be ascertained,
as well as in the general improvement of the colony.
Cargoes of the most heterogenous merchandize from
all parts have reached a good market, and sold
readily at remuneratincr prices, and gone into in-
stant consumption. A slight lull in the market
has been perceptible during the winter months, oc-
casioned by the impossibility
of executing orders
from the interior.. But with the fine weather
trade is becoming more animated, and nearly all
articles of merchandise are exchanging
hands at
remunerative rates. Our stocks on the
whole are
light, and unless importations vastly exceed any-
thing we have seen in former years, prices will
still rule high. At no former period in the history
of the colony have mercantile operations been con-
ducted with so much satisfaction as they are at the
present moment.
The del credere commission, charged by our
merchants and agents, is so much net profit. Bond
fide business transactions and punctuality in meet-
ing engagements have become so much the rule
that speculation can scarcely be said to exist.
Owing to the causes we have mentioned above,
and large arrivals, the prices of brandy, draught
ale, and bottled beer, and oilman's stores, have
slightly declined. Brandy may now be bought,
in large parcels, at from 10s. to 12s. 6d. per gallon -
draught ale, at 61. to 8/. ; bottled ale, at 10s. to
:
12s. 6d. per dozen ; and oilmen's stores, at an ad-
vance of 50 per cent. upon invoice cost ; Port wine,
fair quality, from 6s. to Bs. per gallon ; Marsala
and Sherry, at from ss. to Bs. per gallon. Eastern
produce in demand, and stocks very low. Ship-
ments of flour, lumber, deals, furniture, &c., from
America, have paid most handsomely of late. The
stock of soft goods is now moderate, and by no
means exceeds the immense and increasing demand.
As a general rule, shippers of goods to this colony
should be careful to select medium quality goods,
as, although sometimes saleable, the demand for
rare and expensive articles is comparatively limited.
but inferior and cheap goods will scarcely pay the
expense of transit. With new and remunerative
gold fields opening in every direction, with thou-
sands of acres of unoccupied virgin land, with
minerals cropping out of the most valuable descrip-
tion, with a climate the most salubrious in the
world, and with the fact on record that thousands
are daily enriching themselves and the colony by
the most legitimate means of enterprise and indus-
try, we need scarcely say that we feel no appre-
hension of any change for the worse. In truth,
our resources of wealth are yet all undeveloped,
and our commerce can hardly be said to have made
a commencement.
It cannot be denied that gold mining in this
colony has declined in its importance, as a branch
of industry, partly owing to the superior attractions
of Victoria, but chiefly in consequence of the ill-
concerted and tyrannical measures of the Legisla-
ture. At the same time, when the mining popula-
tion aro not only allowed to leave the gold fields
without any efforts of legislation to encourage their
industrial pursuits, but are being driven away by
harsh and temporizing treatment, new facts are
every day disclosing themselves, to prove that our
auriferous treasures are very widely diffused and
richly deposited ; and the few parties'. who steadily
persevere, in the face of obstacles, are rewarded by
very handsome gains.
The total exports of gold from Sydney to the close
of last week amounted to 1,435,815 ounces.
The annexed are the present rates quoted, but
dull :—Port Phillip, guarranteed, 3/. 17s. 3d. to 34
17s. 6d. ; Ovens, ditto, 3/. 16s. 9d. to 3/. 17s. ;
New South Wales, 31. 15s. 6d. to 3/. 165.--Times
Correspondent.

THE PENINSULAR MAILS.

The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation
Cempany's steamer Iberia, Captain G. Bradshaw,
lStaoruttehatrBton,
arriving at
on Saturday, with dates
elelutllia, abned Vigo, le2t.ltill i;nsCta.dizN,
othceo9mth ; Lisbon,
affected with Oporto in consequence of
the weather.
The Iberia has encountered heavy gales from the
south-east and north-west while crossing the Bay
and
rinthe Channel. Among the passengers were
Tabley and Colonel Wylde, on their return
from delivering letters of condolence at Lisbon on
the occasion of the death of the Queen of Portugal.
Both these gentlemen were landed by the Iberia
off i.jowes, and they proceeded at once to her
Ma j esty at Osborne.
On freight, the Iberia brings 15 packages specie,
value 2,6901. ; 327 chests oranges, 28 boxes Tan-
gerine oranges, 482 boxes raisins, 143 boxes figs,
159 barrels, 192 half-barrels, 50 jars, and 12 boxes
grapes, 117 boxes eggs, and sundry merchandise.
The news from Lisbon brought by the Iberia
has been anticipated by the Great Western.
From Gibraltar we have accounts to Bth inst.
inclusive. The Sardinian frigate Eurydice, 19t0 p
daysly.
from Genoa, and 8 from Villafianca, bound
mouth, arrived at Gibraltar on the Ist inst., and.
left on the following day. Her Majesty's screw
line-of,battle ship Agamemnon and another ship of
the line, name unknown, passed the Straits of Gib-
raltar to the eastward on the 2d inst. .A Prussian
frigate and a sloop passed through the Straits in
the same direction on the following day. The
steamer British Queen, nine days from Naples and
six from Malta, called at Gibraltar on the 4th inst.
en, route to Liverpool. .On the sth the screw-
steamer Taurus, 16 days from Constantinople and
a from Malta, arrived and cleared for Liverpool.
The screw-steamer Arabian, nine days from Liver-
pool, bound for Malta and Beyrout, and the City
of London, seven days from Southampton,6th .b ashore nd
for Malta and Constantinople, arrived on theou
-1,
inst. The British schooner Invincible from elt
-
Pa-
lermo, bound for Liverpool, was driven'
close to Green Island on the sth inst. T
and crew arrived at Gibraltar on the
steamer Rhone, seven days from Livehrepo
Trieste, the Astrologer,
asnixd deanyes LfirvoorarnLo:veaidatirooafhoinyil,ra ',,L:;:::'°"1:
from Marseilles, for., Liverpool, for Malta and Smyrna
inst. at
London arrived on the 7tla 0
t i nEa txi
Exchange
g 0 0 n Gibraltar, .n.u. cleared
for their several des- if
Spanish pillared dollars at 90 days was quoted 52,
14 prem.
____

GREENWICH HOSPITAL.—An important change has
lately been made in the mode of frrnishing the dinner-
meal to the inmates of the Royal Hospital at Greenwich.
It has hitherto been the practice to give the pensioneis
boiled meat, either beef or mutton, daily for dinner, but
it is now varied alternately with baked meat instead of
boiled every day. Extensive baking apparatus has been
erected in the kitchens of the building to effect this new
arrangement on the necessarily extensive scale required,
and the veterans are much pleased with the variety win
which is now by this means for the first time afforded to
them. They are indebted for this improvement to the '4'9"
I late Governor, Sir Charles Adam, who ii spoken ot.z.aci
by them with the most affectionate regard as one of the,r,+
best and most considerate officers that ever filled the„
office of Governor of this great national establishment. ~:.co
DEATH OF MRS. LATHAM BLACKER,--We regret to „,•,
I [
announce the death of Mrs. Latham Blacker, of Glouces. --
i ter-terrace, Hyde- park, London, the wife, we believe, of • - 13
1 the solicitor to the Excise. The poor lady expired osif3gi.„.
1 Wednesday, after more than two months' severe suffer.,
1 ing, from the injuries she received by the dreadful acci-J f' '
dent which occurred on the sth October last on the
; Great Southern and Western Railway.