The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-21 00:00:00

MINISTERIAL CRISIS AT SYDNEY.

SYDNEY, August 23, 1856.—The Ministry have
resigned ! On Thursday the financial statement
was to have been made by the new treasurer, and
lon. members went down to the house with some
curiosity to hear it, as the finance of the colony is
anything but flourishing just now. To their sur•
prise, however, Mr. Donaldson moved an adjourn-
ment till Tuesday, to enable the Ministers to lay
their resignations before the Governor. Only one
or two persons had the slightest idea that such a
denouement was to take place, and the house gene-
rally was taken quite aback. Mr. Murray, not
knowing what else to say, jumped up and declared
that it was a trick. Tois provoked a bitter reply
from Mr. Darvall, who inveighed against the,
" vindictive opposition shown by the Liberals.'
I general discussion would have taken place, only
it was put down as being irregular, and the house
adjourned.
The same afternoon Ministers tendered their re-
signations, which were accepted, and M. r.Cowper
was sent for. He called a meeting of his friends at
the Council Chamber, and amongst the 14 or 15
who were present, were Mr. Plunkett and Mr.
Nichols.
The effect of the meeting was, that Mr. Cowper
was encouraged to proceed. Many doubted whe-
ther he could form a Ministry, but he has disap-
pointed their expectations by coming boldly up ts,
the scratch. His great difficulty was to get an
Attorney-General, there not being a single bar-
rister ou his side of the house. However, be has
found one where perhaps you would have least
expected. The Emptrer which ought to be well
informed, gives the following list of the Cabinet :
Principal Secretary...... r. Cowper.
Attorney-General Mr. Plunkett.
Solicitor General Mr. Isaacs (with a seat
in the Upper House).
Treasurer Mr. Murray.
Secretary for Land and
Public Works
Mr. Flood.

OUR GOLD FIELDS.
(Freon. the Sydney Morning Herald, Aug. 11, 1856.)

THE
it is nocaitYhelllVE R.
We understand intention of Govern-
ment to add additional guards of the mail between
Maitland
Armidale and ; and if the present anti-
cipations of a larger 'ld yie of gold are realised a
daily mail, properly and strongly escorted, will be
appointed at an early period.
Under date 4th Au-gust• our correspondent states
that these diggings are assuming a steady and pro-
gressive character. For the information of the
public, he adds, I shall confine myself to facts,
reserving descriptive details for a future communi-
cation. On arrival at the diggings one is agreeably
surprised at the comfortable and orderly appearance
of all those engaged in searching for the auriferous
treasure, particularly when they hear such dismay- ,
ing accounts from those who are returning. These
are invariably the uninitiated, three-fourths of
whom never go to the diggings, and turn back from
Singleton and upwards, and if they get to their
destination, get alarmed at the appearance of the
labour in mining, and immediately decamp. The
truth is, that there has been comparatively little done
hero to what there is now in progress. Most of the
old sinkings have turned out most remunerative,
many giving a steady income of above 100 ounces
a week. These sinkings vary from 75 to 120 feet,
and, from the satisfactory returns, many are in
course of sinking ; in fact, there is not a sixth of
the mining population who have yet bottomed
their holes. Several of the deep sinkings that
fell in during the late heavy rain and snow
have betaken themselves to shallow sinking,
say eighteen and twenty to twenty-five feet.
One or two of these were bottomed on Satur-
day, and satisfactory tests have resulted. One
deep sinking has turned out 600 ounces—and an-
othersinking bottomedon Saturday gave 60 ounces
the cart load. A party of three, who came here a
few weeks ago with scarcely an—
;Honey, sold last
week 122-; lbe• weight of gold ; a cart load of pro-
spe:Aing stuff, Gi.) buckets, from Mount 'Welsh,
turned out last week 84 ounces. Three Chinamen
last week made each 150/. They have been very
successful.
On Tipperary Gullya great many are sinking, but
they have not yet got to the rock. A great num-
ber of Port Philip diggers are here; they say they
have every inducement to prosecute their profes-
sion ; and there is no doubt it is only by such en-
terprising men that the mineral wealth of this lo-
cality will be developed. Prices of rations as fol-
lows :—Beef and mutton 4d., sugar is., tea 2s.
6d. ; flour, wholesale, 451.; retail, 61. per bag.
Considerable fluctuations take place, depending Ott
the state of the roads.
I have heard no complaints from the cold, by