The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-02 00:00:00

A LETTER FROM AUSTRALIA.

The following letter from Mr. Canova Megson, a
brother of Mr. Albert Megson, stationer, Market-street,
in this city, has been handed to us for publication. It
was received on Tuesday morning, by the latest mail :
" Melbourne, Sept. 26, 1853.
•
" Gentlemen,—The success which has hitherto at-
tended the efforts of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam
Navigation Company in affording a speedy and sure
communication between Australia and the parent coun-
try, has secured to them such an amount of patronage
that it will require great exertions on the part of any
rival company to rob them of those laurels they have so
ably won. One of their mails being about to be des-
patched hence to Great Britain to-morrow, I avail myself
of the opportunity of giving you a few remarks upon the
state of affairs in Melbourne. Whilst upon the subject of
postage communication between this part of the world
and England, I may mention that great disappointment
and inconvenience have been felt from the very, irre-
gular manner in which the mails have been received from
the parent country. Great satisfaction was manifested
here on receiving the news that the Home Government
had withdrawn the contract from the Australian Steam
Navigation Company, whose repeated failures in the
transmission of the mails to this and the neighbouring
colonies had most !seriously inconvenienced the mer-
chants and the public generally, who experience great
losses by the irregularities complained of. The Strat-
ford, which brought out the English mails of the 4th
June last, arrived at Sydney in 106 days, being a period
of 22 days beyond the time mentioned in the contract,
which was 84 days. The mails for Melbourne and Ade-
laide were put on board the Shanghae, which reached
here on the 25th (yesterday). The quickest passages
yet made between the two countries are by steamers via
the Cape of Good Hope, and until another route
has been discovered which will afford a more speedy
communication, the authorities at home would do well
to adopt that mode of transmitting the mails which has
hitherto proved most successful. With regard to the
state of this colony, we still continue to have a large in
flux of immigrants from all parts of the world, though the
recent accounts received of the prosperity of the mother
country, coupled with the unsatisfactory statements of
parties who have been disappointed with this land will,
I have no doubt, have their influence in checking the tide
of emigration which at one time assumed such an aspect
that it almost threatened to decimate the old country.
If we may Judge from the busy state of the wharves.
there is no lack on the part of our friends at home in
sending us out merchandise of almost every description.
Many articles are already cheaper here than at home, so
that some parties must have burnt their fingers.' Of
course, when any article becomes a drug in the market,
a general order is sent home to stop the supplies, and
the article eventually gains its paying price, but not
before great losses have been sustained. Parties in Eng-
land cannot be too cautious in watching the exports to
these colonies, in order to ensure a consignment of such
goods as are likely to be scarce. Caution should also be
exercised in shipping goods by a firm of known respecta-
bility. A friend of mine had just received a quantity of
goods, the freight of which was paid to Liverpool in ad-
vance, with a written agreement that they should be
landed free of expense at Melbourne Quay. In the face
of this agreement, the agent in Melbourne has com-
pelled my friend to pay the expense of lighterage
from the bay, the amount of which is considerable, or
otherwise he would not deliver the goods. The worst
of the matter is, the shipping agent at Liverpool has
• failed, and consequently it would be utterly useless
to sue a bankrupt shipping agent for damages. The
only 'way left for my friend is to pay the lighterage
under protest, and rest himself content. In regard to
the price of land, it still continues high, and affords
handsome profits to the wealthy land-jobbers. The Go-
vernment are throwing more land into the market, not-
withstanding which the competition amongst •the land
speculators is as great as ever. Rents are equally high,
if not higher, than they were two er three months ago.
Good permanent stone buildings are springing into exis-
tence in every part of Melbourne, nor are the suburban
portion of our population behindhand with their wooden
erections. In almost ever part of the district surround
ing Melbourne, wooden houses, stores, &c., are shooting
up as it were by magic, and it almost seems like a fairy
scene rather than a reality. To walk a little way out of
Melbourne to a thriving locality reminds one of a coun-
try fair or wakeit at home ; the continued hammering
and bustling resembles the noise made in putting up the
shows and other paraphernalia which is generally heard
on the day before the fair. The great consumption of
timber in the erection of these buildings has kept up the
price of that article, until the recent heavy arrivals,
which have had the effect of cawing a downward tend•