The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-31 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

We extract the following remarks from a letter
dated Sydney, Aug. 15 :
Day by day seems to bring to people in New
South Wales the conviction, strengthening and in-
creasing, of the incapacity of British enterprise to
establish to these shores the means of regular and
speedy postal communication. It is difficult to
know by which of the ordinary sailing traders to
write. We pick out the clippers, and are often dis-
appointed at their making the longest passages.
We wait in deferred hope for the expected steamers,
and are comforted by the intelligence that they
have been taken off the line, or laid up, or excused
from duty in some other way, while we have allowed
the most likely fast-going vessels to go out without
correspondence.
The advises from the Melbourne markets are of
a very dispiriting character, and should there any
storm arise it will certainly blow from that quar-
ter. lam not, however, disposed to think that
any very urgent and disastrous crisis will take place.
There will be inconvenience, perhaps distress, but
it will be confined chiefly to the new firms, who,
in the too sanguine anticipation of making wealth
speedily, have overlooked the legitimate sources of
trade—the laws of supply and demand—and have
swamped the market.
There is no change, however, of consequence in
prices, which in ordinary times would be considered
high. Flour is 321. per ton ; the 41b. loaf, Is. 4d. ;
beef and mutton, 6id. per lb. ; potatoes, 30s. per
cwt. ; and house rent, say for two small rooms,
with an apology for a kitchen, 255. a week.
In politics there is but little of note. The dis-
cussions of the Legislative Council are, as I pre-
dicted in former letters, confined principally to
squabbles in matters of very small importance, and
which only too frequently are reiterated on mere
personal grounds.
The estimates for the year 1855 and the supple-
mentary estimates for 1854 afford by no means a
satisfactory statement of our fiscal position. It
appears that the total expenditure of 1854 will
exceed its total income by a very considerahle
percentage—say about 18 per cent. This in
itself is very bad, and sufficient to excite alarm.
The revenue for 185 h is calculated at a very
considerable increase on the collection of 1851,
but- in the minds of many whose knowledge
au I experience are valuable on these subjects,
the estimated amount is not likely to be
realisel. There is not much doubt that the..iin
port trade will fall off, and all the spirits that can
be: taken out of bond have been taken out to avoid

the excessive charge for store rent. Oa these
grounds the. house has gone into committee, with a
very stern determination of rednct;on, and the Go-
vernment does not seem i 7-1 a position, either I,y
tact or talent, to make much head against its prin-
cipal assailants.
On other great colonial matters there has been
considerable talk to no purpose, and the result in
every case has bceu reference to select committees,
not one moiety of which will bring up more than
proeress reports during the present session. The
emigration question, the education question, the
sale and disposal of Crown lands, are all referred
to committees—committees which, if a new consti-
tution should be granted to us, whether of our own
choice or modelled by the Imperial Parliament, in
the next session will have every chance of being
quashed. Nor can I say, from the constitution of
these committees, that the feeling of the country
would be much outraged by such a concurrence of
circumstances.
The advances made by the Government to the
Sydney Railway Company have stimulated enter-
prise in this direction. Great efforts are being
made to complete the line to Paramatta, and al-
though it will only cover 16 miles of ground, and
will have been laid at an almost extravagant price,
the initiation of this means of transit cannot be

looked forward to with too high an expectancy of
ultimate good. The works on a line from New-
castle to Maitland—the former the great coal depot,
the latter the emporium of the agricultural produce
of the northern districts of the colony—are also
being commenced under favourable auspices.
We are looking anxiously for the arrival of the
Lady Jocelyn steamer, which will bring us news to
the 4th of June, our latest date being the 2,id of
May.

SPORTING _UTE LLIGENCE.