The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-24 00:00:00

HOLIDAYS.

It is a matter of notoriety that there aro more
holidays, saints' days, and idle days in Ireland than
in any other country in Europe, saving probably
the Roman and Neapolitan state 9. That these clAys
are scrupulously kept, as far as idleness can keep
t hem, is, unfortunately for the people themselves,
a patent fact. We have not, however, seen anything
like the annexed resolution before. It the coopers
of Cork adhere to the letter as well as the spirit of
it, they will have at least 1.00 holidays in the year :
At a general meeting of the Cork operative
coopers held on the 11th inst., the following reso-
lution was unanimously agreed to :—Resolved—
" That, deeming the practice of holiday breaking
to be not only profitless but dem, rilising, we pledge
ourselves, from Ist June next, to observe, as strictly
as possible, the few days in the year which are or-
dered to be kept holy. Thereby affording ourselves
an opportunity of complying with our religious
duties, while the rational recreations which on
those days we can enjoy will undoubtedly lead to
our physical and social Advancement.

" GEORGE EGAR, Chairman,
" MICHAEL J. 0. CONNELL, Secretary.
" Cork., May 21, 1858."

THE AUSTRALIAN LABOUR MARKETS.

Much has been said and written as to the glut of
labour in Australia, but this applies solely to Vic-
toria, and even in that colony it refers almost ex-
elusively to what may be termed effeminate labour
—that is, those classes of persons who are more
accustomed to office or in-door employment, but
does not in any sense include those who occupy
themselves in the search for, or iu the working
of, mines. In Victoria and New South Wales
there is, it is true, little more produced than
the precious metal, but from South Australia we
draw large supplies of rich copper, lead, and titi.
In the two last-named colonies, where mining io
its more ordinary sense is extensively prosecuted,
there is a dearth, and not a glut, of mining labour
—indeed, of every description of labour ; arid
various localities well known to contain rich lodes
of ores would be promptly opened up, if the sup-
ply of this description of labour were equal to the
demand. We may add, from the letters which
reach us tom the various mining districts in this
country, it is evident there is a steady increase of
mining lab )ur leaving our shore-4. In fact, this is
the natural consequence induced by the continual
~rrivals of large amounts of the precious metal from
Victoria and Sydney, and of rich copper and silver
lead ore from South AustraLa—the resolt of un-
skilled mining with unskilled labour ; therefore, it
becomes self-evident to experi-nced miners that
they are certain to obtain immediate and lucratiVe
-employment the moment they reach the mining
localities of Australia. No discrimination is shown
when allusion is made to c,ilonial labour by the
general pre 3sin this country, which necessarily leads
to misappreherpion in the minds of sonic who
otherwise would emigrate ; for while there is a glut
of one description, there is a groat dearth is
another. Our AuAralian co7on'es are an illimitable
field of mining enterprise, and with practical
miners to, open up the various deposits of ores, and
with a corresponding necessary amount of agri-
cultural and pastoral labour to supply the wants of
others, it is evident that no glut of mining labour
can exist for years to come,—Mining journal of
May 22d.