The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-28 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

The royal mail ship Oliver Lang, Capt. -Mendell,
arrived in the Mersey yesterday forenoon, from
Melbourne, with advicos to the 2d of May, 260 pas-
sengers, and 60,000 ounces of gold. She had also
on board 500 bales of wool and 580 tons of copper
Ore.
The mail ships Sardinian and Joseph Tarrant
had arrived at Melbourne from Liverpool, and the
Hilja from Greenock at Sydney.
The Royal Charter was to sail for Liverpool May
25, and was expected to carry an unusually large
amount of specie. The Walmer Castle was to sail
from Melbourne for London May 15.
Increased productiveness was the characteristic
feature of the gold field. Progress and good order
were prevalent at all the gold districts. The
weekly"average of the receipts of gold at Melbourne
was nearly 60,000 ounces. Gold at Melbourne
was worth 3/. 16s. 31. per ounce.
The Melbourne Markets; have been steady, with-
out much change in prices. In some articles there
has been a good deal of speculation owing to the
news of the peace negotiations—indeed many per-
sons look forward to another glut and another crisis
at no distant date.
Inquiries for agricultural and for all kinds of
unskilled labour have been on the increase, and the
numbers offerinf, have not been anything like equal
to the demand. Female servants scarce, and
much wanted.
Wool was advancing in value, owing to the fa-
vourable accounts of prices from England per
Roy al Charter.
The tallow market was flat, and prices nominal.
Freights nominal, there being but little export
trade.

GENERAL BEATSON.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SON.

SIR,—I request you will do me the favour to publish
the accompanying letters, in the hope that the Minister
for War, and those who act under his guidance, may
profit by the opinions of two of the ablest officers in the
Britian army.—l am sir, your obedient servant,
W. F. BEATSON, Lieut.-General.
4, Lower Grosvenor-place, July 26, 1856.

" 112, Eaton-square, July 25, 1856.
" My dear Beatson—The enclosed letter was addressed
to me, as you wilt see by the signature, by one of th'
noblest of spirits, as well as one of the meat experienced
and brilliantly distinguished of our war officers.
" Should you give publicity to the sentiments therein
expressed, and any person or persons alluded to be de-
sirous to know the name of my gallant friend, I shall be
happy to communicate it to him or them.
" I hold it to be undeniable that no man of honour
can make or forward a charge morally affecting an offi-
cer, without, at the same time, affording him an oppor-
tunity of immediately refuting it in case he may have it
in his power to disprove the imputation. Honour and
honesty, therefore, demand that no lime should be lost in
transmitting to the accused a copy of the charges, toge-
ther with the name of his accuser.
" Acting on the above principle, I addressed the as-
sembled officers of a corps I commanded, and in which
the present War Minister was serving under my orders,
to the following effect :
" You are aware, gentlemen, that a commanding
officer is required confidentially to report at the halt-
yearly inspections regarding the efficiency and conduct
of the officers of the regiment ; but I beg you may rest
assured that I never shall make a report in any manner
unfavourable to an officer without my previously placing
a copy of it in his hands ; and no one shall know any-
thing of it from me except the person to whom I may
report and the officer against whom I may make a re-
port.'
" Such is the principle on which all honourable men
act ; and in regard to the accusations of anonymous
cowardly assassins, men of honour either commit them
to the flames or band them over to the person accused,
on the chance of his being able to detect and drag the
vile miscreant from the lurking den of slander in which
the wretch of a coward shelters himself.