The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-19 00:00:00

COLONY 'OF VICTORIA.

The following are extracts from the " Commercial
and Financial Report," (for the correspondents of
Westgarth, Ross, and Co.), per mail from Mel-
bourne of 16th August, 1858 :

LONDON, 15th October, 1858.—The August Mail from
Australia, due here, via Marseilles, on the 3d, was delivered
only yesterday morning. Telegrams from Malta had pre-
ceded it by the usual five days. The outward May Mail
did not reach Melbourne until Ist August, 27 days behind
time, nor the June Mail tilll3th August, eight days overdue.
From the constant mishaps of this postal service, the colo-
nists may now hope to be at length delivered by the fresh
contract just concluded with the Peninsular and Oriental
Company, for continuing the Suez line. The arrangement
is understood to be for seven years, and the aid to be about
- 4 4 4lsal. f„rmer coin viz., £185,000
yearly. The steamers proceed to aye; 4
George's Sound, Kangaroo Island (for 7Adelaitre), and
Melbourne. Fifty-five days are allowed between South-
ampton and Sydney, 52 days from or to Melbourne,and
five days less respectively via Marseilles. Leaving outh-
ampton on the 12th of each month, and Sydney on the 15th,
it is expected that between arrival and departure of Mails,
there will be seven days at Sydney, 13 days at Melbourne,
and 17 days at Adelaide ; while in England there will be
12 days between arrival and departure, via Marseilles. The
call at Gene is now to be only for the outward passage ;
homewards there is instead a call at Mauritius, with the
advantage of avoiding the monsoons, and at an
estimated extra distance of only a hundred miles.
The regular service begins at Southampton on 12th March,
and at Sydney on 15th February next, the Home Govern-.
ment having arranged for the mails prior to these dates with'
the West India Royal Mail Company. Meanwhile the first
vessel for the Southern Station, the " Salsette," of 1,900
tons and 400 horse-power, leaves Southampton for the Cape
route on Ist proximo, and will carry a Mail. In these times
of failure with Steam -boat Companies,only one other
tender was sent in, which was that of the rest India Royal
Mail Company, but for a considerably larger sum than that
of its rival. Most likely this company will shortly arrange
for the monthly service via Panama, which the Imperial
Government are now evidently contemphtting.
SHIPPING INTEREST.—PORT OF MELBOURNE.—The
town is eight miles up the River Yarra, and vessels drawing
above nine feet water cannot ascend. To larger shipping
the voyage terminates at the anchorage, Hobson's Bay, and
this is held to fulfil " Port of Melbourne" in the Bill of
Lading. To bind the ship to deliver in Melbourne requires
a more special mention, as " Melbourne Wharf ;" at the
anchorage, cargoes are discharged by lighters, or ships may
now discharge in Hobson's Bay, at the jetty of the Mel-
bourne and Hobson's Bay Railway. Presently the Wil-
liamstown and Melbourne Railway will afford the same
facility. The Government are just completing this work,
and also about to deepen the Channel of the Yarra.

THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.

Yesterday afternoon a meeting of gentlemen con-
nected with the Australian colonies and New Zea-
land was held at the St. Paul's Hotel, St. Paul's-
churchyard, for the purpose of considering the pro-
priety of founding an institution through the in-
strumentality of which colonists in Australia and
New Zealand might, during their sojourn in the
mother country, meet together, and by means of
which colonial interests might in some degree be
represented at home.
The' chair was taken by Mr. FARMER, who stated
that since the meeting had been advertised it had
come to his knowledge, and to that of other gentle-
men interested in the subject, that an association
was already organised with the view of carrying
out the object 4hey had in contemplation, and that
premises at the Jerusalem Coffee-house had already
been partly secured for the reception of members.
Under these circumstances, he would read the rules
and regulations of that association, and, if the meet-
ing approved of them, it might be desirable to
amalgamate at once, and join the society, which he
understood was described as the " General Austra-
lian Association."

The_ rules of the 'association having been read,
Mr. BOUSFIELD explained its object, which was,
he said, to provide a place of meeting for Austra-
lian colonists on their arriving in this country, and
to enable them to communicate for the benefit of
the, colony and with a view to their personal
convenience. It was proposed to have a reception
room similar to that of a club, together with
library, maps, and specimens of the products of the
colonies, so that the association might be regarded
as a sort of gathering-point at which trustworthy
information might be obtained with regard to all
matters relating to Australia, Van Diemen's Land,
and New Zealand. Messrs. Harpur and Burn were
now negotiating for the purchase of the Jerusalem
Coffee-house, where ample accommodation could be
provided for the members.
A GENTLEMAN suggested whether it might not
be desirable to bring Canada within the action of
the association. He was aware that some years ago
some project of the kind was mooted, but Canada
then appeared indisposed to join Australia. Things,
however, were now different, and he felt it would
be far better to give the intended association more
general scope, by admitting any British colony
that might make application.
The CHAIRMAN said he saw no reason why the
suggestion should not be carried out. He was in
favour of giving the institution a more catholic
element, by throwing it open to all the colonies.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. BOUSFIELD said that the association with
which he was connected did not certainly contem-
plate including any but the Austrahan colonies, of
which New Zealand might be considered as one.
Mr. MOOREHOUSE expressed his opinion that it
would be desirable to open negotiations with the
General Australian Association, so that no tinie
might be lost in carrying out the object for which-

the meeting had been called. He moved a resolu-
tion to that effect.

The resolution having, been seconded by Mr.
T. C. BRAY, some discussion ensued, in the course
of which several gentlemen expressed their
opinion of the desirability of such an insti-
tution as that indicated, but appeared dis-
posed to adhere to the original proposition, that it
should be limited to the Australian-colonies. _

A resolution was nextpioposed by Mr. COOK,
and seconded by Mr. PEARCE, to the effect that a
deputation should be appointed to wait upon the
committee of the association, and carry out terms
of amalgamation. After some discussion, however,
the resolution was negatived, and the meeting was
adjourned for a month to consider the regulations
of the existing association.
A. vote of thanks to Mr. Farmer for presiding
concluded the proceedings.