The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-09 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

LIVERPOOL, APRIL 8.
The White Star Royal Mail clipper ship Red
Jacket has arrived with ad vices from Melbourne
to the 12th January, 108,686 ounces of gold, 1,688
bales of wool, &e., and 280 passengers.
Capt. Millward, commander of the Red Jacket,
died during the voyage home.
From the M elbourne Argus we extract the fol-
lowing summary of intelligence :

" Gold,—We have little to add to the remarks on this
subject in our previous summary. The yield is steady
and increasing, and the mining population generally Je
in a prosperous ccndition. The export of the precious
metal for 1855 has amounted to 110 tons 8 cwt. 3 qrs.
61b., against 88 tons 8 cwt. 3 qrs. 81b. for the previous
year.
" The receipts by escort and shipments for 1854 and
1855 respectively have been :

Received
in Twelve Montbv,
1854. 1855.

Shipped
i■ Twelve Months.
1854. 1855.

Ounces. Ounces. Ounces. OunceQ.
1,734, 446 2,177,887 2,122,596 2,650,578
"The quarterlystatementof theamount of gold brought
to Melbourne and Geelong by escort in 1855, compared
with the corresponding quarter of 1854, exhibits th
following results

1854. 1855.
Oucces. Once&
160,570 194.646

October.... ~

November
December...

. 134,911 210,847
~ 145,318 243,732

440,799 649,225
Last quarter of 1854 440,799

• Increaße on the last quarter of 1855 208,426
"The gold brought down by escort fro•u the various
gold fields in the months of November and December.
1855, amounted to 454,5791. ; and for the corresponding
week of 1854 to 290,6361.
" We have had only one escort return for the current
year, that for the week ended the sth inst. The total
number of ounces received by it amounted to 51,533.
'The increase which these returns exhibit over 1854
is very marked, and the most encouraging feature is that
it has been gradual and uniformly progressive. That
this year will exceed' 1855 is not doubted by any one.
The boundaries of the gold fields are extending, enterprie
is more ably directed, and the quartz reefs are of such
extent that for centuries they will in all probability def%
the power of man to extract their treasures. The state
of the returns will net admit of our drawing our usual'
annual comparison in the present summary, but they are
so nearly complete that we can promise then by the
mail ship of the 25th of the current month.
"The departures of gold ships for foreign ports since
the Ist of December have been as follows :

Date of
sailing. Xhip. Destination. Oz.
Dec. 4 Viceroy Mauritius... 155
), 10 ... Emma Liverpool... 41,917
ff 12 ... Queen of the Seas Calcutta .... 2,890
„15 ... Admiral London 31,053
„18 ... Rajah of Sarawak... Calcutta
• ~ 27 Lightning Liverpool... 11,639
,27 ... Blackwell London 86,281
"'We ought to remark that, within the last few
months, a considerable proportion of our gold has been
shipped to Sydney, to be coined at the mint recently
established in that city. It was provided in the impe•
rial regulations that the Sydney coin shall not be a legal
tender in the other Australian colonies until a proclama-
tion to that effect has been sanctioned by the local legis
lature, and made by the Executive. This proclamation
has not yet been issued in this colony, and the gold sent
to Sydney is paid for by imperial coin. If this continues
for any length of time our neighbours will require con-
tinually to import sovereigns to pay for our gold.
"Population—We commence the new year with a
population sf at least 325,000 souls. Our numbers at
the close of 1854 were 273,000.
" Trade and commerce—Our laet summary wac issued
on the eve of Christmas. Since that period the Lolid Lys,
the Ministerial crisis, and lastly, the sudden death of his
Excellency Sir Charle3 Hotbam, have contributed to the
stagnation of trade. At this period of the year the whole.
sale houses do not look for a brisk business, but about a
month later the season fairly commences. Many of the
country buyers are already finding their way into town,
and a bu,y season is confidently looked fur. We are
glad to be able to confirm our remarks of the 24th of
December as to the gradual and increasing growth of
confidence among our traders, and of the absence of ille-
gitimate speculation.
" Wool—Our present wool season has commenced
earlier than usual. It has rarely happened in previous
seasons that mere than three or four sales have taken
place before the close of the year. On the present occa-
sion there have been about a dozen. Judging from the
facts that have reached us, we are of opinion that the
bulk of the crop of this season will be earlier by four
weeks at least than that of last season.
‘We may remark that this trade has more come