The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-17 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA,

By the Royal mail packet Earl of Sefton, whose
arrival at Liverpool, we announced in our third
edition, last night, Noble, commander, of the
White Star line, we are in receipt of advices from
Melbourne, to the 25th of April. She brings
50,000 oz. of gold on freight, and 10,000 oz. in the
hands of passengers, of whom there are about 120,

and a general cargo.
The Earl of Sefton sailed from Melbourne on

Le 26th~of April, and Las thus completed her

homeward voyage in WI days.
She reports the arrival at Melbourne, on the
night of the 16th of April, of the screw clipper
ship Royal Charter, Captain Boyce, after an un-
paralleled passage of 59 days. She was under steam
only 14 days during the passage. The greatest
distance run in 24 hours was 352 miles, during
which time she attained the extraordinary speed of
18 ►nautical miles an hour.

The Annandale, from Liverpool, and the Aus-
tralia, from New York, had arrived at Melbourne.
The Oliver Lang was to sail for Liverpool on
April', 30, and the Royal Charter May 22 ; the
Thomas Ann Cole, April 25, and the Walmer
Castle, May 15, for Loudon.
The Francis Henty and the New Great Britain
had sailed for London.
The mining intelligence continues favourable.
The rush to the Green Hills still continues.
From Bendigo we learn that the number of per-
sons trying their fortunes at those diggings was on
the increase, and their labours were attended with
success. Several new shafts have been sunk on the
Windmill Reefs. At the Victorial Reef several

claims have been lately sold at high prices, and the
whole line of ground presents a most healthy ap-
pearance. One pet son lately crushed 904 ounces
of gold out of 10 tons of quartz.
It is reported that Mr. Pohlman has been offered
the Solicitor-Generalship of Victoria.
The returns for the banks of Australia during
the first quarter of the present year are very satis-
tory, showing a steadily progressive business. The
deposits are increasing in a greater ratio than the
indebtedness of colonists to the banks. The coin
and bullion also show a tendency to increase.
Miss Catherine Hayes had arrived at Melbourne
from Launceston, and would proceed to England
in the Royal Charter.

There is no political news by this arrival.
The price of gold had declined tc 765. 6d. The
receipts per escort for the week had been 32,594
ounces, and the quantity shipped 106,273 ounces
to London by the Francis Henty, and 46,769
ounces by the New Great Britain. The escorts
had 'provided only a small quantity as com-
pared with previous weeks, caused, it was sup-
posed by the rapid fall which had taken place on
the fields. At Bendigo the price within a fortnight
had fallen 2s. 9d. per ounce, with the exchange on
London at the same rate, 2 per sent. premium.
In wool little had been done during the week.
The advices per Royal Charter of the February
sales were liatisfactory, an advance of 14d. to 2d.
being paid at the commencement, over the prices
current at the December sales in London.

In tallow, for colonial use, higher prices were
being paid than for shipment. Within a few days
an article quite unsuited for candles had been sold
at from 55/. to 561.
Gold, apparently in paying quantities is reported
to have been discovered near Mount Mitchell,
about 25 miles north of Armidale. The gold resem-
bled that found at the Rocking River, but was
rougher. At Stockyard Creek, Gippsland, gold had
likewise indicated itself.
At Launceston a meeting had been held and re-
solution passed expressive of Mr. Gavan Duffy's
character and career. A committee had been ap-
pointed to collect subscriptions towards the quali-
fication necessary to enable him to sit in the Par-
liament.

Our Sydney files, to the 19th of April inclusive,
furnish the subjoined reports. The Empire says:—
" Toe general improvement in trade during the past
week gives a promise of better times. Large quantities
of goods have exchanged hands at auction, and the prices
obtained were much higher than recent quotations. We
notice in particular large sales of drapery goods, slop.,
boots and shoes, and oilmen's stores. The parcels of
drapery offered for public competition have been un-
usually heavy, and no less than four sales have taken
place during the week. There are still large parcels of
goods of a similar, description held back from the market
in consequence of the reserved prices being placed upon
them by toe consignors. Large exports of spirits have
been made for the southern trade ; the City of Sydney
took away, on Wednesday, 2,200 gallons of brandy for
Victoria ; there have also been several other shipments,
though of comparatively minor importance. There is
little notice in the breadstuff market ; prices remain
without any alteration, with the exception of .the sale
of some Van Diernen'e Land wheat, which realised 10s.
61. per bushel. Whitbread's bottled porter was sold
at 108. 3d. per dozen ; loaf sugar, sd. per lb. ; washing
soda, 8/. to 81. 10S. per ton. At a public sale, a por-
tion of the wools offered was withdrawn. The lots of
fleece wools sold at 16d. ; skins ranged high, nay from
51-1. to 64d., and these even were not of a superior
description ; good-hides realised 14.. sd. The general
average price of hides for shipment ranged from 12s.
to 14s. 6d. ;,beef tallow, good, from 435. 6d. to 435..
93. ;:mutton, 483. All the above prices show a trifling
tendency lower. We have heard several complaints
that there exists a great difficulty in getting wool and
tallow dowa,:frorn Moreton Bay, and that large par-
cels are stored there for want of conveyance to these
markets. We hive no doubt that this inconvenience
will very soon be remedied.
`4 'A meeting of, the Chamber of Commerce was held
on Thursday, when the report, on the insolvent lawS
was further discussed. Some progress was made with
the 32d °Jape, which specifies the acts that are pri posed
to constitute fraudulent insolvency ; but it was un-
finished at the termination of a long sitting. The meet-
ing was adj ,urned until Monday 'next.
"The Empire publishes the' Customs return of the
imports an i exports of Now South Wales for the first
quarter of the present year.
"Toe following were the imports by British ships :
From Great Britain
Victoria
Van Diemen's Land
New Z:aland 39,472
South Austrelia 44:3
South Sea Islands 9,133
United States 1,239
Manilla " 41,823
China and Calcutta
Fisheries . ... 17,230
Foreign States

£ 900, 64 6

Subjoined are the imports by foreign ships :
British goods from Great Britain £51,607
Foreign ditto 16,3 1
Ditto United States
Ditto Forein States 177,4W
Ditto South Sea Islands 4,370

£356,067

" Total amount of import•, 1,256,713/.
" Our expris during the same period in British ships
have been as follows :--
To Great Britain
Viet. rip,
New Ze,land
Tasmania
South Australia
Foreign States
South Sea, Islands ...

Vi 59,615
416,578
79,3'26
15,084
9,602
4,920
5,441

£1,052,566
" The following have been the exports in foreign
ships :
To Great Britain
Foreign States
South Sea Islands

, 254 010
23,k62
~ 1,596

£84,498

"Total amount of exports, 1,177,0641.
"These returns show an excess of imports over exports
to the amount of 79,0491. They also show that the
colony of Victoria took produce from New South Wales
to the value of 39,8991."

The Geelong. Advertiser has the following re-
•por t _ _ _

"The estimated value of the imports this week is
10,8721., to which amount the cargo of sugars brought
by the Osprey has largely contrinuted. The quantity
of flour received from Van Diemen's Land, per Royal
Shepherd and other colonial traders, is at present insuffi-
cient to affect this market, the price having kept steadily
at 25/. per ton for tome time past, and it will be politic
for the farmers to continue supplying the mids at current
rates, Bs. to Bs. 6d. per bushel of 601 b. ; should any
other course than this. be taken a very temporary ad-
vance would result, and bring with it sufficient foreign
supplies to depress the market for months to come. The
€ %ports are valued at 771., and represent sundry ship
s Cores, &c. The week's receipts at the customs have
a. %iounted. to 4,2491. 14s. 7d."

RETURN OF MR. JOHN FROST.—This gentleman har-
k g received her Majesty's unconditional pardon, arrived
a t Liverpool from New York ofj Saturday. He looks
ii e excellent health, and came to town t o pay his acknove-
1. Kigments to Mr. Thomas Duncombe, M.P., Sir Joshua
AV almslay, and other gentlemen, for their exertions in
hi; i behalf, and was present in the House of Commons
do ring the discussion on the affairs of Italy on Monday
la: it. He bas since joined his family, who are residing
near Bristol. He states that Williams and Jones, he
'lieves, will not avail themselves of her Majesty's per-
u ission to return to England, as they are &dog so well
i a Tasmania, the former being engaged in mining, with
a large number, of men in his employment, and the lat-
t sr -keeps a tavern with a prosperous trade.
VIOLENT THUNDER-STORIL—On Tuesday night the
rr stropolis was visited with a severe thunderstorm which
la sted several hours. The wind during the day had
hi own from the south-west. The heat had been oppres•
si. Pe:. and the atmosphere extremely close-until late in the
ev en ing. ' About dusk the sky became heavy and dark,
and .rapid flashes of lightning shortly afterwards follow-
ea, 'which continued until half.past 11 o'clock, when an
irame nse flash of forked lightning illuminated the hori-
zon, followed by a terrific clap of thunder. A storm of
hailstones, accompanied with a perfect deluge of ram,
followed, which lasted a considerable time, flooded the
ma rket-g.ardeners' grounds, and destroyed a large quan-
tit y. of ceoice exotics which were intended for the forth-
-I,,coexang exhibitions.