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London, England, 1856-11-26 00:00:00

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SOUT.H AUSTRALIA.

At an annual meeting 'of the South Australian
Chamber of Commerce at Adelaide, the following
report on the subject of postal communication was
adopted :-
11E.NEWAL OF POSTAL COMMUNICATION WITH ENCILASD
BY STEAM.
" Few meetings of the committee have passed through.
out the year wit hoot th:s all-important subject being to
some extent alluded to. On two several occasions spe-
cial meetings have been held for its consideration. The
first of these was occasioned by the publication of a do-
cument signed by the secretary of the Peninsular and
Oriental Company, and stating conditions on which tt at
company had offered to resume the Australian mail
service, when certain resolutions were passed to the
same effect as those adopted by the public meeting of
the chamber, specially called to consider the question in
April, 1855 ; but expressing a willingness to give the •
proposed scheme of the Peninsular and Oriental Com-
pa❑y a fair trial. The second was called on very short
notice to consider the now well-known Treasury minute
issued in November, 1855, on thesubject of the Austrian
mails; a copy of which his Excellency has forwarded to
the chamber, requesting an expression of opinion as to
whether the branch service proposed between Adelaide
and Melbourne was the best which could be adopted,
more especially with reference to any scheme which
might be proposed for connecting Adelaide with the
main line via King George's Sound. After a lengthened
discussion of the minute in all its bearings, the follow.
ing resolutions were adopted and transmitted to the
colonial secretary :
" That this Chamber. in acknowledging the great
ability and knowledge of the subject displayed in the
Treasury minute, dated Nov. 27, 1855, signed James
Wilson, is of opinion that any contribution from South
Australia should be conditional upon a satisfactory ar-
rangement being made by the contracting company as
to the branch from King George's Sound, or Melbourne,
to Adelaide.

[PRICE 4D. STAMPED bl3*

iwas assisted by a man named Glower, then a ticket-collector
in the company's service, who supplied him with Ostend
steam-boat and railway return tickets. _lndeed Agar, in
his evidence, it will be recollected, said that, on the night
of the robbery, when they returned to London with the
gold, they came up with Ostend return tickets, which
Pierce said he had obtained from Gower. In October last
Gower was detected in these frauds, and was tried at the
sessions, and sentenced to four years' penal servitude.
After Agar's conviction for forgery Pierce's whereabouts
for two or three months could not be ascertained. Sabso-
quently, however, he was traced.by the City detectives in
(deposing of bars of gold to one or two individuals, and in-
vesting the amount in Turkish bonds. It was also discovered
that he bed become the manager and part proprietor of a
betting-office in Paxton-street, Haymarket, which, on ac-
count of its "largo bank," was doing considerable business,
Pierce keepieg a private account at the London and Corn-
' mercial Bank. It does not appear, however, that he en-
tered upon any great extravagances. Immediately after
his apprehension the metropolitan police searched the floor
of the pantry where Agar said Pierce had buried the gold
for security, but the treasure had vanished.
With respect to the other prisoner, BUrgess, the guard,
he appears to have had the most unlimited confidence re-
posed in him. He is the son of a respectable man still in
the company's service. Within a few days after the rob-
bery suspicion pointed to him, in consequence of his having
charge of the snail train from which the gold had 'been
abstracted. He underwent at the time a searching inter-
rogation by the company's officers. He denied all know-
ledge of the robbery, and his conduct throughout marked
the greatest self.possession. Ho, however, admitted that
he had been in the habit of allowing "gents" to ride in
his brake-van while he had,charge of the train; but declared
in the most positive terms that on the night of the robbery
no ems rode down in it except himself. For months Bur-
gess was under the surveillance of the City detectives, but
he was never seen in the company of either Pierce or Agar.
He was, however, frequently in that of Tester, at a sing-
song in a public-house in Dover, where he was in the habit
of entertaining his brother guards and the general company
with his favourite song of " Dick Turpin and his Black
Bess." Ho is married, but has no family.
The other party accused as being concerned in the rob-
bery, Tester, whose apprehension Mr. Bodkin confidently
spoke of at the Mansion-house, on Monday, as being likely
to be effected by this time, is a young man, and was for-
merly a clerk in the superintendent's office at the London-
bridge terminus. It appears that it was part of his duty to
arrange the duty of the guards in running with the trains.
The practice laid down by the company is, that the guards
should work the mail train monthly alternately. The
guards' journey-book, which is in his handwriting, shows
that, instead of Burgess only running the mail one month,
he worked it successively for three months. Agar, it may
be remembered, stated that for weeks he and Pierce were

" ' That in the furtherance of the scheme proposed in
the foregoing minute, the only branch service which
would be satisfactory to this Chamber would be a
steamer on the line between King George's Sound and
Adelaide.

" That the chamber still retains its opinion in fav•ur
of the plan proposed by the government of South Austra-
ha, and emanating from this chamber in April, 1855,
and adverted to in the Treasury Minute.'
"This expression of opinion did not apparently meet
with the approval of the local government, as the bill
which was !sought forward on the succeeding day con-
tained no reference whatever to a branch service to
King George's Sound. Copies of the resolutions, how-
ever, had been sent from the chamber to the members
of the legislature, and the act as passed restricts the con-
tributions of this colony to a line of mail steamers
touching at a South Australian port, or to a scheme
embracing a branch service via King Georges Sound.
"The aspect which this q.....estrion has now assumed in
England, constantly and ably discussed as it is by the
magnates of the press, kept alive by means of influen-
tial public meetings, enforced on the Government by
numerous deputations of gentlemen representing the
colonists, and the subject of frequent allUsion in both
Houses of Parliament, leads us to infer that zo long
period can elapse before some arrangement is concluded
for the re-establishment of naail•steamers between Eng-
land and Australia, especially as a vast fleet of ocean
steamers are now, through the restoration of peace,
released from the transport service. Whether the claims
of this colony are to be conceded seems to be more than
doubtful. If it is arranged for us that we must receive
our mails via Melbourne, it is to be hoped that the con-
tracting company will be strictly bound to see to the
due performance of the branch service within a limited
time, otherwise we know, from the experience of the last
few months, that our letters may be subject occasionally
to eight or ten days' detention in Melbourne, which
would der rive us of the possibility of replying by the
return steamers."

in the habit of going down nightly in a cab to the London-
bridge station, as they never could know beforehand when
the bullion was to be sent down, and that the guards were
not apprised of it until within a few moments of the de-
parture of the train, when it was wheeled out of the strong
room of Mr. Weatherhead's office on to the platform. This
uncertainty of knowing when the gold would be sent down
will probably explain the reason why Bergess was allowed
to run with the mail for so long and unusual a period.
Tester having access to the key of the iron safe, which was
kept in the superintendent's office, he, like Burgess, under
went a strict interrogation by the officials. By this time,
it should be observed, the detectives who were employed
by the company, Hayden, Brett, Scott, Jarvis, Knight,
and others, had ascertained that he had baon in company
with suspicious characters at Folkestone, and had dined at
the Pavilion with one of them. It will be borne in mind
that Agar admitted in his examination that they ware
watched by the police at Folkestone, and in consequence of
the place becoming too hot for them, they (Le and Pierce)
were compelled to remove. Tester was highly indignant
that ho should be suspected, and stoutly denied having
dined with any stranger there ; when, however, he was
cautioned, and assured that there coal be no mistake
about the matter, ho admitted dining with a party. At
En st he did not remember the stranger's et one ; then he re-
collected, when pressed, that it was a friend named Co-
ningham or Adams, but could give no accouut as to where
he lived, or how long he (Tester) had been acquainted with
him. Two months after the robbery Tester resigned his
situation, having obtained an appoiutmeut at Stockholm,
in the service of the Swedish Itailwa,y Company, and which
he retained up to the time of his reported arrest.
Fanny Kay, the female who cohabited with Agar, is a
respectable-looking person, about 26 years of ago. Her
parents reside at Margate, and it is stated that Burgess
recommended her to the situation at the Tonbridge refresh-
ment room, and afterwards introduced her to Agar. It is
very probable that a claim will be made on her behalf in
respect to the reward of 300/. which the South-Eastern
Company offered to any one who would give such informa-
tion as would lead to the apprehension of the thieves. Sho
was the first person who communicated what she knew of
the robbery to Mr. Weatherhead, who forwarded her story
to the solicitor of the company, and hence arose the arrest
of Pierce and Burgess.
Agar, it will be remembered, stated before the Lord
Mayor that when he wee making his way with Pierce with
the stolen gold to the train at the Dover Railway station
they met with some discomfiture at the hands of one of the
porters, who politely, as it were, forcing the bags of gold
out of their hands, took them to the first-class carriage they
had to occupy, and some rather sharp remark was made in
consequence of their showing return (Mond tickets. The
altercation, however, was soon put au end to by dropping
a few shillings into the porter's hand. The porter turned
out to be one of the company's servants named Winterden.
When Agar was apprehended for the forgery Winterden
was taken to the Mansion-house lock-up, and among a
batch of other prisoners pointed out Agar to the police as
one of the men whom he saw get into the mail train at
Dover with very heavy bags on the night of the robbery.
/at this time the company were urged to prosecute, as the
police had full knowledge of the receivers, but for some
reason they declined doing so. A short time afterwards
another opportunity presented itself, but the company still
held aloof. It was a case where the police traced a quan-
tity of gold to an individual living at the east end of the
metropolis, and on whom a large amount of gold was found.
There were no fewer than seven examinations, which ter-
minated in the Lord Mayor discharging him for that, but
committing him for another offence. He was arraigned,
but in consequence, as stated, of the death of an important
witness, he was acquitted.
From the great number of witnesses which are yet to Le
examined, it is not at all improbable but what the case
will go over until the February sessions.

MINING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.
(Frown the South Australian Register of August 23.)
The operations at the Burra Burra Mine are
continued with great vigour. The average raisings
amount to about 1,000 tons of ore per month, of a
very superior description. There is a large accu-
mulation of ore at the mines, about 12,000 tons
awaiting the coming season, when it will be smelted
and carted to the port for shipment.
The working of the Kapunda Mine continues to
be carried on with vigour. About 280 tons of ore
were raised during the last month. There are
about .190 men and 20 boys employed upon the
works, besides about 40 others engaged in carting,
(450. Several new furnaces are in course of erection
at the smelting works, where it is intended to
reduce all the ore to fine copper, instead of export-
ing part of the produce in the form of regulus.
The greatest depth reached is 50 fathoms, but it
is intended immediately to carry down the princi-
pal shafts 20 fathoms below this. Fire-bricks are
now being made on the ground.
We were favoured recently with au opportunity
of inspecting a number of specimens of copper ore,
sent down by Mr. Matthew Forster, manager of
the Australian Mining Company, from their new
mine, near Mount Remarkable. The specimes
were of various character, comprising several blue
carbonates and one promising-looking mass of ma.
lachite. The mine having beers recently opened,
the specimens were necessarily obtained from near
the surface, some of them, indeed, immediately
below the alluvial soil. The greatest depth reached
appears to be about 41 fathoms. No analysis has
as yet been made of the ores from this mine, and
we are, consequently, not in a position to speak
positively of their value. From the indications
afforded by weight and colour, however, we ima-
gine they must be classed among rich ores. The
specimens we saw are to be forwarded per James
Baines to the directors of the company in England.
It has been determined to erect smelting works
at the ,Kaninantoo Copper Mines immediately.
There is abundance of firewood at no great distance
from the mine and a considerable quantity of ore
at grass. About 20 men are at present employed
on the works.

STATE OF TRADE.

THE SEARCH FOR GOLD.
In consequence of the long-settled opinion of
many competent observers that the northern ranges
of this province were of a character likely to con-
tain large deposits of gold, and further, in conse-
quence of small portions of the precious metal
having been found by persons in the vicinity of
Tanunda and Angaston, it was resolved to memo-
rialise the governor on the subject of instituting
an effective exploration. The memorial to his ex-
cellency was signed by nearly the whole of the
commercial houses in Adelaide, and the result was
that his excellency set aside a sum of money for
the prosecution of a direct search. The govern-
ment geologist, Mr. B. H. Babbage, has already
made the tour of the Tanunda district, which he
found to contain a large quantity of those rocks
that are usually associated with gold, the district
in many respects resembling the gold diggings of
Victoria.

MANCHESTER, Nov. 25.

The market continues quiet, and there is but little
change in the position of cotton cloths, except that home-
trade fabrics, which have until recently held a favourable
position as compared with export goods, are in• less de-
inand, and are suffering from the same causes which de-
press the general market. The principal of these causes
is as before, the dearness of money ; but the news from
the United States by the last mail, to the effect that
cotton was easier in price, naturally tends further to in-
duce buyers of manufactures to hold back in anticipation
of a more favourable opportunity for operations. Prices
are slightly in favour of the buyer, but manufacturers
show no great anxiety to sell, and the market is quite
as firm as could be expected. In yarns there is also very
tittle business doing. Prices are about Ad. per lb. below
the rates of last Tuesday for most kinds except doubled,
without tempting much business. There has been little
or no inquiry for India„ and the business reported has
been chiefly for the home trade. The Germans are only
executing small orders, and these mostly in anticipation
of stoppage of navigation by frost. Mr. John Lowe, of
the firm of Lowe and Lawe, yarn Agents, who stopped
payment some months ago, came up for his last examina-
tion in the Bankruptcy Court yesterday, but a further
adjournment for a fortnight took place. The main cause
of stoppage, Mr. Lowe said, was the giving of their
names to Mr. Wright, the mill-owner, at Stockport, for
20,0001., in addition to previous guarantees to the same
person for 22,0001., to assist him in cotton purchases at
Liverpool, which proved disastrous.

Mr. Babbage has made a somewhat minute ex-
ploration of the country over which he has passed.
Tracing the course of the Tanunda Creek, he ex-
amined the ranges forming the basin of its upper
portion, and explored the Kaiser Stull]. and sur-
rounding dykes from Jacob's Creek ou the south-
west. The Kaiser Stuhl is 2,000 feet above the
level of the sea. South of Penrice the " iron-
topped hilt' was explored, after which Mr. Bab-
bage directed his course to the German Pass Tri-
gonQmetrical Station. Particular attention was paid
to the character of the c'ifis at the head of the
Gawler River, and the basin of the North Rhine
was also minutely examined. The neighbourhood
of Evandale and Flaxman's Valley was also tra-
versed. Mr. Babbage next visited Pewsey Vale,
and after exploring the Barossa Range visited
Mount Crawford, thence across the Soul Rhine
ani Mount Torrens to Adelaide.
The lower part of the bed of the Tanunda Creek
consists of strata of crystalline mica schist, the
upper part of the creek flowing through
strewn with large quartz pebbles. Only
one
ereially
of the dozen that have been sunk has
b en
nove the
bottomed. These diggings are 1700 feet a
as very
sea level, and are still spoken off v
b- some
of a few
likely to yield gold; but with the
exceptionoiscending the
table-land
specks no gold has been found.
first sanw basalt and
Kaiser Stulh Mr. Babbag©
Ou reaching the
vol-
canic country not far distant.
Station his expects-
German Pass
verified,Trigonomt-f
for he found himself
trap, from which he inferred thet existence of a
tions were pleasingly
oeanic
in the very heart of a I country. Lava and
mixed with igneous see-
quantity of pumiceser
onosveabounded. A considerable
rife, was strewn
other volcanic ejeoctrthie(t)
the country, and even the
presumed site of
this
of district
crater was determined. The
Mr. Babbage de-
characteristics
resembling the auriferous districts
lthough he would not search for
of Victoria; d
of the former volcanic eruption,.
gold in the centre
in thebasis of the North Rhine,
at that
me,
he con
scribes as clo:neliy a
at the head of the Gawler River, or amongst the
granitic ght be
ht schists of Tanunda Creek, gold mi
for with every reasonable probability of
sought
success.
__:

LEEDS, Nov. 25.

There has been an average attendance of buyers in the
cloth-halls this morning, and au improvement in the tone
of business was noticeable. A fair amount of cloth was
sold, and prices are very firm. The weather having
changed from comparative warmth to severe frost, a more
active demand for winter clothing will now ensue, and
the retail dealers will get relieved of some of the stock
which now keeps them from purchasing other goods.
The report of the Huddersfield cloth-market to-day is
of a more favourable character, and the general aspect
is ;.one of confidence in the future prospects of trade.
The chief inquiries this morning have been for black
unions, steele, Law-priced goods command toler-
ably ready sale. Wool is firm in pries.

CANTERBURY HALL.

THE SPANISII MINSTRELS.

The celebrated Spanish minstrels, seven in number,
under the direction of Signor Antonio, are at present ful-
filling an engagement at this attractive place of entertain.
ment. The pieces selected last evening comprised several
of their best, and each composition was Executed with
great taste and precision. ' The soprano, Senora Ma-
rietta, possesses a sweet, clear, and flexible voice, com•
biped with an intonation perfectly true. In the execution
of several of the pieces she was highly successful, and
the deep pathos she infused into a favourite ballad,
when sung in English, made a profound impression on
the audience. The voice of Signor Doming© is one of
the most extraordinary organs we ever recollect
hearing. For power, volume, and effect we may
truly say it is unrivalled, and we cordially recom-
mend all lovers of music to embrace the opportu-
nity the enterprising proprietor of this establishment
has afforded them of hearing these accomplished artistes.
In addition to the gratification of hearing the Spanish
Minstrels, we were both surprised and delighted by the
ability of the stock company of the establishment, and
from the applause last night bestowed upon the eff)rts
of Miss Pearce, Mr. Grover, Mr. Currie, Mr. Mackney,
and Mr. S. Cowell, we should imagine they are im-
mense favourites, and deservedly so, for they all sieg
with the greatest good taste and judgment. Before we,
close our remarks, we must notice the judici9us mane
ner in. which the programme is arranged. It ealt
which
pieces to suit tie tastes of all, from the lover. of our
good old English ballad to that Of the most scientific
musician ; in illustration of which we may mention
that Verdi's " Miserere,” from .1-1 Trovatorc, was ren-
dered in a manner that reflected the greatest credit upon
every one concerned in its execution.

THE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE WESTERN VALLEYS
RAILWAY.—NEWPORT, Nov. 24.—To-day the inquest on
the body of John Richards, fireman, in the employ of
the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company, who
was killed on the 19th inst., on the Western Valleys
branch line, was brought to a termination, the jury hav-
ing sat at Aberbeeg to hear the evidence. The question
arose whether the points were defective, or whether
btoken springs had caused the engine to jump off the
line, as was the case on the Newport and Hereford line.
William Thompson, rail inspector, said the points were
all right about an hour before the accident, and the road
was in good condition. Mr. Laybourne stated tha
Col. Yelland, one of the Government inspectors, had
examined the line, and stated the engine did not leave
the rails from its faulty construction nor the breaking
of its springs. Some other witnesses having been ex-
amined the jury returned a verdict of accidental death.