The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-15 00:00:00

VICTORIA.

The official returns for the first half of the year 1856
show that during that period 1,588,051 ounces have been
shipped from Victoria, which, at the customary compu-
tation of 2,000 lbs. troy to the ton, make the pr xluce of
the gold fields of that colony amount to the enormous
quantity of 66 tons 3 cwt. 1 qr. 12Ibs. 7 cz.; more by
above 16 tons than has been shipped during the first
half of any previous year. The Argus has "not any
doubt that the shipments for the second half of the year
will equal if not exceed the first." The prospects of the
various "workings" are most promising, and the pursuit
of gold digging was never more etsadily and systemati-
cally prosecuted. The continuance of wet weather der-
ing the last two months reported on had, however, to a
great extent interfered with the operations of the miners
on the wet as well as on many of the dry sinkings, and
had compelled them to devote their energies to the
quartz reefs.

- We subjoin a statement of the gold received by escort
for 13 weeks in 1858 from Mount Alexander and Ben-
digo, Ballarat, Ovens, Maryborough, M'lvor, Daisy
Hill and Avoca, with the total of the corresponding
weeks of 1855 :

Oas. oa4.
April 12

If 19 32,595
, 26
May 3
/) 10 ... .. 60,500
,9 17

„ 24
If 31
June 7
„ 14

21

„ 28
July 5

583,788 ....560,487
The state of the roads, together with the low price
(about 8/, 16s. per oz., or 3/. 13s. 9d. forstandard) which
erae,ruling for the metal, also exercised con.iderable
practical influence on the amount forwarded by escort.
"As an instance of the effect of the former (says the Argus)
we may mention that fire subordinate gold fields—Am-
beret, Avoca, Fiery Creek, Mount Franklyn, and Mary-
borough—did not contribute their quota to the last
escort in consequence of the impassable state of the
Loddon River; and to show the influence of the latter,
we may add that the quantities in the gold offices are
increasing, while the amounts in private hands are known
to be larger than ever. The settled feeling of security
which prevails on the gold fields renders the returns
of the local gold offices a less reliable index of the
yield than they have been during seasons -of greater
uncertainty and less produce. One extraordinary
fact in connection with the quartz reefs deserves men-
tion. Notwithstanding the present high rates of
carriage, there is an increase rather than other-
wise in the quantity of machinery in process of transit.
Men of capital are finding the means for carrying on
very extensive operations on the quartz reefs on share'
arrangements with the working miner, and this system
of assoc:ated enterprise appears to have hitherto worked
well for all parties."
The following is a list of the gold ships that have sailed
from the port of Melbourne since the let of June :

Date of Ship. Destination. Ozg.
Sailing.
June 5 ... Athelstan
97 5 ... City of Sydney
„ 5 ... Clutha
„ 10 ... Sent
„ 10 ... Joseph Tarratt
~ 23 ... Beverley
„ 26 ... Spray of the Ocean Singapore 3,005
„ 26 ... Sardinian Liverpool 61,725
or, „ Everdina
~ ''' .... Elizabeth i Calcutta... 2,019
„ 30 -. Jamestown Bombay-, 1,865

From official returns it appears that during the first
five months of the present year only 4,941 souls were
added to the population of Victoria by the balance of im-
migration over emigration, or an average of 988 per
month. In the year 1855 the monthly average was 3,243;
in 1854, 4,035 ; and in 1853, 4,156. Many vessels, how-
ever, convey Chinese immigrants to posts in the adjacent
colonies, from'which their living cargoes make their way
to the gold fields of Victoria overland, and are not in-
cluded in any returns. The shipping lists of Adelaide
and Sydney—those of the former especially—abound in
notices of the arrival of shiploads of Chinese from Hong
Kong, Shanghai, and Singapore. A steady stream of
population has made its way towards Victoria from the
neighbouring colonies, with the exception of New Zen
land, the departures to which portion of the Australian
group have been steadily in excess of the arrivals thence.
The general statement of the revenue for the year and
quarter ended the 30th June exhibits very satisfactory evi-
dence of the healthy state of the finances of the colony.
There is a net increase on the quarter of 192,0711, and
a net increase on the year of 152,2031. The principal
items of increase on the quarter are Customs,
131,875/. ; assessment on stock, 51,8511. ; land revenue,
36,955/. ; and of decrease—licenses, 10,7671. ; fines, for-
feitures, and fees, 6,5691. The revenue from the gold
fields balances for the two periods. On the year the cus-
toms have yielded a net revenue of 613,976/. ; while
from the gold fields revenue there has been a net decrease
of 207,6971. ; from port and harbour dues, 29,759/. ;
assessment on stock, 73,3191. ; and from the territorial
revenue above 400,000/. The increase on the customs
is very marked, and is an undoubted indication of gene-
ral prosperity. • The chief items of decrease are in the
gold fields and territorial revenues, with the causes for
both of which the public is well acquainted. In the ex-
penditure for the quarter we find, on comparing the
various items with those of the estimates for the year,
that the sums expended are very generally within or
tolerably near the due proportion of the sum estimated
to be required.
At nu season of the year is trade duller in Australia
than in July. The roads become more nearly impassable
with each succeeding day, and traffic with the interior is
in a great measure suspended. The Argus of July 9 re-
prts :—" During the present season the rains have been
unusually heavy, and the rates of cartage are higher in
proportion than last year. Transactions hare been in
consequence limited to the supply of the city trade pro
per, and of immediate wants frosa the interior. Much
discussion and some excitement has been caused in Mel•
bourne by the success which has attended the first year
of the navigation of the Murray river for trading pur-
poses. Barge-loads of flour and other staple articles of
cansumwion have been transmitted from Adelaide and
delivered at Bendigo and Ovens diggiegs at lower prices
than in present circumstances they-could he procured
from Melbourne. This fact is taken rather as a symptom
of the general development of the Australian continent
than as a cause for fear or jealousy by the iusjority of
Melbourne merchants. With Pood roads--with rail-
roads especially—the capital of Victoria will be able t,,
compete with all rivals for the trade with the gold fields
and the southern interior generally, but until good roads
or railways are formed supplies for a few months at this
season will be towed up the stream of the Murray. The
threatened competition has already effected something..
The views of the Chamber of Commerce have become
more decided and more practical on railways, and it is
J now likely that Melbourne capitalists generally will cor.

The new houses of parliament at Melbourne were ra-
pidly approaching to completion. The government have
invited designs for frescoes and statuary to decorate the
building. The foundations had also been laid of a commo-
dious county court. Considerable progress has been also
made in the erection of the new Exchange, which pro-
mises to become one of the architectural ornaments of
the city.
There is some promise of the railway from Melbourne
to Geelong being completed by the end of the year. Six
miles of the line (at the Geelong end) were opened for ex-
cursion trains on the Ist July, and theexperitnente which
were made with a view to test the speed of the locomo-
tives were perfectly satisfactory. The Argus regrets to be
unable to report that any apparent progress has been
maie in the prosecution of the works connected with the
Melbourne, Mount Alexander, and Murray River Rail.
way.

The intelligence that peace has been restored, received
by the James Baines, diffused general satisfaction so far
as the event itself was concerned. As soon as the news
was promulgated a salute of 101 guns was fired, by order
orthe Acting Governor ; and at the Theatre Royal, on
the same evening, before the rising of the curtain, a call
of " God save the Queen" arose simultaneously from the
large audience assembled to witness the performance of
the opera. The call was promptly complied with by the
orchestra, and the audience, rising, greeted the familiar
melody with the heartiest applause. " Partant pour In
fiyrib" was then demanded, and some lusty cheers were
given for our gallant allies. By a proclamation from the
Acting Governor, Wednesday, 2d July (the day follow-
ing the anniversary of our separation from New South
Wales), was observed as a general holiday ; and a re-
view of the troops in garrison and a sham fight took
place, under the inspection of his Ercceileney.
The SOth anniversary of the DeclaraCon of Independ-
ence by the United States of America was celebrated by
a public dinner at the Criterion on the 4th inst. About

130 persons a=sembled, under the presidency of the Ame-
rican Consul, and the general tone of the speeches was
strongly in favour of ttae maintenanotroi pacific relations
between Great Britain and the republic.