The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-26 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

LIVERPOOL, FRIDAY.

The Royal mail packet ship Champion of the Seas
his arrived, with advices from Melbourne to the
27th of October, 188 passengers, and 124,000 oze.
of gold on freight. She also brings a large cargo,
which includes 1,185 bales of wool, 13 bales of
sheepskins, 40 casks of tallow, 382 packages of
tin ore, 3,120 bags of copper, 3 casks of oil (the
produce of New Zealand), &c.
The packet ship James Baines, with the mails of
the sth of August, arrived at Melbourne after a
passage of 77 days from Liverpool.
The electoral lists for the mining districts had
been issued. The polling was fixed for the 15th of
November.

The Argus says :
"We were already teviing impatient, and we think
not without just grounds, at the prorogation of the 6th
of November. The new constitution is now here, and
for many reasons it is most desirable that it should
be brought into operation as soon as possible."
A public meeting was held in Melbourne on the
15th of October to consider the conduct of Sir H.
Young, the Lieutenant-Governor of Tasmania, in
endeavouring (to use the words of the Melbourne
Herald), first, to " browbeat the Legislature of
that colony, and, failing in his attempt, to thwart
further proceedings by a sudden and ill-advised
prorogation." The meeting was presided over by
the chief magistrate. The following resolutions
were adopted :
"1. That the power recently claimed and asserted by
the Legislative Council of Tasmania to: compel the
attendance of witnesses to be examined before select com-
mittees of the said Council is indispensable to the due
exercise of one of the most important functions of a
legislative assembly.
"2. That the arbitrary conduct of A. Fox Young,
the Governor of Tasmania, in suddenly proroguing the
Council for the purpose of forcibly suppressing inquiry
into the conduct of certain officers of the convict depart-
ment) of the colony, charged with the grossest malversa-
tion of their respective offices, and the unprecedented
mode of prorogation adopted by him in going into the
Council at a late hour of the night, in the midst of a
debate, without the usual formal notice, is an abuse of
the powers confided to him by her most gracious Ma-
jesty, which is calculated to bring her name and autho-
rity into contempt, and which would, if successful, he
utterly destructive of the independence of the Legisla-
ture.

"3. That this meeting sympathises with the Legisla-
tive Council of Tasmania in their conflict with an arbi-
trary and irresponsible Executive, and tenders to the
said Council the assurance of its cordial support in main-
taining inviolate their right --;o inquire into abuses affect-
ing the welfare of the colony, and thereby maintaining
the rights and liberties of the people whom they repre-
sent.

" 4. That the right worshipful the chairman be re-
quested to forward copies of the resolutions passed At
this meeting to the Hon. the Speaker of the Legislative
Council of Tasmania, to his Excellency Sir Henry Fox
Young, the Governor of than colony, and to his Excel-
lency Sir Charles Hocham, K C 8., Governor of Vic-
toria, with a request that his Excellency will he pleased
to transmit the same to her most gracious Majesty."

A similar meeting was held at Glamorgan, Tas-
mania, at which the following resolutions were
passed :
" That it is the opinion of this meeting that the pro-
ceedings of his Excellency the Governor and Executive
Council, since the last meeting of the Legislative Assem-
bly, have been rash, hasty, and uncensti,utional, in
thwarting the endeavours of the select committee in the
investigation of the convict department for the gross
neglect charged against it, even to enormous loss of life.
"That this meeting is of opinion that the antago-
nistic position in which the Executive and Legislature
a►e pla ed with regard to the mode of carrying out
the inquiry into the abuses existing in the Imperial
convict department is detrimental to the interests
and welfare of the community, and calculated to im-
, pair that confidence in, and respect for, the legislative
and executive bodies which are essential to the peace and
good government of the colony. That, regarding the
presence of any Imperial department having interests
conflicting with those of the colony, and administered
by officers not under under the control of the local Legis-
lature, as utterly incompatible with the beneficial ex-
istence of free institutions, this meeting is of opinion
that the Executive and Legislature should strenuously
urge upon the Imperial Government the absolute neces-
sity of at once transferring the control of the Imperial
Government repaying to the colonial treasury the cost
accruing to the colony from the presence of Imperial
convicts until the same shall have become free, and cease
to be a charge on the colonial revenue. That this meet-
ing is further of opinion that the examination of Dr.
Hampton or any of his department at the bar of the
house is not indispensable, or even necessary, to the
efficient prosecution of the inquiry into the abuses com-
mitted by those officials ; and that such inquiry should
be conducted in a manner which will not necessitate a
renewal of the collision with the Executive at the re-
assembling of the Legislative 'Council, at which time
this meeting is of opinion the representatives will best
sorve the interests of their constituents and the welfare
of the community generally by proceeding with the
many important measures now before the Council, more
especially that of bringing into operation the new consti-
tution.

" That it is the opinion of this meeting that the course
which has been pursued by the majority of the Council is
at the same time constitutional, temperate, and requisite
for the due maintenance of the rights, liberties, and pri-
vileges of the inhabitants, not only of this colony, but
of the whole of the dependencies of Great Britain."
Accounts from the Ovens report a very large
yield of gold. A lump of 11b. weight had becu
picked up by a miner, ar.cl one party took out in a
week 501 b. weight. There were about 3,000 miners
at these diggings. _ . _

With reference to the issue of Government de-
bentures, under the act of Council, 18 Victoria,
No. 40, the following notice had been published in
the Gazette:—

" Colonial Secretarv'c-office, Melbourne,
Oct. 25, 1855.

"His Excellency the Governor, with the advice of the
Executive Council, has been pleased to notify that 1,000
deb-ntures. redeemable in equzl proportions on the I.st
day of January in each of the years 1868, 1869. 1870,
1871, and 1872, are now open for purchase by th. pub-
lic, under the provisions of the act of Council, 18 Vic.,
No. 40.

" The debentures are transferable by delivery, and are
for the sum of 1001. each, bearing interest at the rate of
6 per cert. per annum, payable half-yearly, on the let
day of Jan. and the Ist day of July, the first half-yearly
dividend being due and payable on the 1-t of Jan., 1856
"The principal and interest of each debenture will be
payable, at the option of the holder for the time being.
either in Melbourne or London ; any change which it
may be desired to make in this respect being previously
notified, net later than the last dividend-day, and regis-
tered at the Colonial Treasury in Melbourne, aryl in the
office of the agent for Victoria in London (for the pre-
sent Edward Barnard, Esq., No. 5, Cannon-row, West-
minster), and endorsed upon the debentures.
"Tenders for the purchase of the above debentures
will be received at the Treasury until 12 o'clock on Mon-
day, the 29th inst., and on every succeeding Mr%nday
morning until further notice, and will be opened at half-
past 12 on the same day.
"The tenders must be sealed and addressed to the
Colonial Treasurer, superscribed Tender for Govern-
ment Debentures '
"The tenders will be for the value of the stock, or
principal of the debentures only, irrespective of interest.
"If a tender be accepted, the amount tendered. to-
gether with the interest accrued since the let of July
last, must be paid in slash.
"By his Excellency's command.
" WILLIAM C. HAINES."

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
MELBOURNE, OCT. 27,
The gold market remains at 3/. 15s. 3d. per oz., buy-
ers. There was little doing to-day. Duty was paid at
the Customs on 3,433 oz.-2,933 oz. for Liverpool by
the Champion of the Seas, and 500 oz. for Sydney by
the City of Sydney. The total quantity shipped by the
Champion of the Seas for Liverpool amounts t) 123,400
oz., of which the banks shipped the following :—Bank of
Australasia, 26,000 oz. ; Bank of New South Wales,
20,060 oz.; London Chartered Bank, 15,000 oz.; Bank
of Victoria, 10,000 oz.; Oriental Bank, 6,240 oz.; Union
Bank, 6,128 oz. ; English, Scottish, and Australian
Chartered Bank, 2,500 oz.

Messy. Fraser and Cohen sold at their rooms—Sar-
dines, half-boxes, 13s. per dozen ; quarter boxes, Bs.,
Bs. 6d. ; 21b. salmon, is. 6d. per lb. ; fresh herrings,
81d. to ls. 2d. per tin ; quart pickles, 10s. 6d. per doz.;
half-pound mustards, Bs. 3d. ; capers, 9s. 6d. ; marma-
lades, lls. ; bottled fruits, 13s. 6d. ; colonial jam, 84d.;
Belmont candles, yellow, in proportions, 3's, 4's, and
6's, is. Oid. to le. lid. ; Sydney soap, 451. per ton ;
Clouzeau's brandy, 225. 6d., in bond ; yellow wax
candles, 3's,
Mr. A. G. Gilbert, sold at the Nfall of Commerce, 40
hhds. Marett's dark brandy, at 12s. per gallon ; 108
cases Martell's brandy, at 19s. ; medium p .rt, 23e. per
doz. ; Sydney candles, at 6d. per lb. ; and sundry other
goods at fair prices.
The sale of Crown lands at the auction rooms of
Messrs. W. M. Tennent and Co. yesterday was more
numerously attended than on any of the previous dave
The competition among the bidders was more spirited,
especially for the lots at Elstern wick, all of which were
sold at a considerable advance on the upset price. The
amount realised by the day's sale was 3,0721.
The escorts from Mount Alexander and Ballarat ar-
rived at the Gold-office yesterday at the appointed hour,
and brought the following returns, viz.:--
Quantity. Number
Gold. Cash. of last
Name of Gokl Field. oz. dwts. £ S. Receipt.
Castlemaine
Sandhurst ll 463 0 •-• 3,485 0 ... 30,120*
Heathcote
Ballarat 13,819 5 .•. 2,524 0 ... 2,905*
Avoca
...
Creswick's Creek
Mount Franklyn ..: 218 16 ... 285 0 ... 910*
Amherst
Maryborough ......... 3,234 10 ... 1,922 0 ... 2,640*
_ .
Total

The price of labour remains nearly the same as last
week, but the demand for men is on the increase ; few
need be unemployed if they would take Ate current

* This inchdes all gold and cash deposited for snort to
the 22d inst.