The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-26 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

1859.
Goldfield. Oz. dwt.
Cast'ermine' • 5,980 0
*Blackwood 478 0
Maldon.
Sandhurst
Maryborough 1,306 0
*Avoca 705 10
*Amherst
Ballarat
*Fiery Creek
*Ararat
*Pleasant Creek

Oz. dwt
5,129 0
19715

.. 5,358 10
.. 1,684 10
.. 1,301 0
.. 1,107 10
.. 11,284 0
892 10
.. 9,323 0
384 0

• 34,807 0
Previous escorts .... 141,803 0

36,661 15
120,943 0

NEW SOUTH WALES.
(From the Sydney Morning Herald.)
The English mail has for once arrived before the
final departure of the outward-bound packet. So
soon as it became known that the European had
reached Melbourne, it was promptly determined by
the Colonial Government and the Company's agent
to detain the Columbian until time should have
been afforded to the Sydney merchants to answer
their correspondents' letter. The City of Sydney
was also for this purpose detained until midnight on
Wednesday, the mail itself being closed at nine. But
the European did not arrive until late in the after-
noon, and the " shades of evening" were at hand
ere her mail could be delivered, so that very little
time far reading and answering letters was really
obtained. But we may now begin to hope for
better times, not only for an efficient working of the
mail communication via Suez, by the Peninsular and
Oriental Company, but for a speedy opening up of
the Panama route, so long and earnestly maintained
here to be the best and most economical, as well as
the shortest.

MONEY AND SHARE MARKET.
Since our last summary a moderate amount of business
has been transacted in the share market. Money is pretty
plentiful for good investments, and prices consequently re-
main firm. The fluctuations that have taken place in the
different securities have not, however, been to any great
extent ; and, as the half-yearly dividends of the following
companies—Australian Joint-Stock Bank, Newcastle Coal
and Copper Company, and Australian Steam Navigation
Company--are about to be declared at the end of the
month, holders in the mean time are not disposed to sell,
except at full rates. Commercial Bank Shares are very
firm, and have been sold as high as £52105. per share, cum.
div. and right to new shares, which is an advance of £2
10s. per share on the highest price ruling last month. Gene-
ral Assurance Company's shares have advanced ss. per
share, and Bank of New South Wales 10s. per shares
Union Bank shares have improved 20s. per share, In Aus-
tralian Steam Navigation shares some large sales were ef-
fected in the beginning of this month at from £l4 10s. to
£l4 15s. per share, but they have since rallied and are now
worth £l5 per share. New South Wales Marine Assurance
Company's shares have declined from ss. to 7s. 6d. per share.
Government debentures continue firm, and meet with a
ready sale at full quotations. The Pyrmont Bridge Com-
pany's debentures aro also going off pretty steadily at par.
The half-yearly meeting of the shareholders of the Com-
mercial Banking Company was held cn the 18th of January.
The resolution passed at the last meeting to increase the
capital from £240,000 to £320,000 was confirmed. A divi-
dend at the r ,to of 20 per cent. per annum was declared.
The reserved fund was increased to £50,000, and £4,924 Is. sd.
was carried to the credit of next half.ycar's account.
The half-yearly general meeting of the shareholders of
the Australian General Assurance Company was held on
the 22d of January. A dividend at the rate of 20 per cent.
per annum was declared. The amount to the credit of
profit and loss account on the 31st of December, 1858, was
£18,378 Is. lid. Messrs. J. L. Montefiore and A. Camp-
bell were elected directors in the room of Messrs. W. Fan-
ning and T. W. Smith, resigned.

THE MINT.
Tho quantity of gold-dust received at the Sydney branch
of the Royal Mint, for the purpose of coinage, during the
year 1858, amounted to 342,430 oz. During the year 1857
the quantity received was 223,215 oz. There is, therefore,
an increase of 119,215 oz. in favour of the receipts of 1858.
The amount of gold coin issued during the year 1857 was
499,000 sovereigns and 535,000 half-sovereigns ; total value,
£766,500. During the year 1858 the gold coin issued has
been 1,081,500 sovereigns and 486,000 half-sovereigns;
total value, £1,324,500.
' The quantities of gold-dust received quarterly during the
year 1857 were as follows :

Oz.
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter 107,846

223,216

THE ESCORTS.
The amount of gold-dust delivered by the escorts from
our several gold fields during the month of December was
24, 845 oz. During the corresponding month of 1857 the
quantity received was 16,189 oz. There is therefore an in-
crease of 8,656 oz., or 50 per cent., in favour of the present
month. For the whole of the year 1857 the receipts of gold-
dust amounted to 148,129 oz.; during the year ended 31st
December, 1858, the amount received was 255,535 oz.,
which is an increase of 107,409 oz., or about 72 per cent. in
favour of 1858.
•It is encouraging to find that the increase in the yield
from our bold fields has not been confined to one particular
district, but that all the gold fields in the colony show a
marked improvement as compared with the receipts of thg
year 1857. The increase on the receipts by the several
escorts was as follows :—Western escort, 60,604 oz., or 69
per cent"; Southey escort, 41,219 oz., or about 133 per
cent. ; and Northern escort, 5,586 oz., or about 15 per cent.

The gold-market has been, as is usual at this season of
the year, dull. Production has been at its lowest ebb, and
the quantities disposed of by the miners have been small as
compared with the general averages of previous years,
Among Melbourne bullion brokers there has not been much
doing. The prices quoted by them have been :—For Omeo,
675. 6d. to 71s. Gd. ; Pleasant Creek and Goulbourn, 745.
6d to 755. ; Castlemaine, Sandhurst, and Jim Crow, 755. to
765. ; Ararat, Maryborough, Dunolly, Fiery Creek, Avoca,
and Amherst, 765. to 775.; Ovens and Yaekandandah, 775.
to 7 s. 6d ; Ballarat, 775. 6d. to 78s. 6d. per oz. These
prices are based on the calculations of 745. 6d. per oz. for
standard gold; or, with export duty added, to 778.
The last escorts received at the Treasury amounted to
34,807 oz., against 36,661 oz. for the corresponding week of
last year. The separate quantities received are about the
average, those from the older fields of Castlemaine and Ben-
digo being. above, and those from Ballarat and Ararat
below. The total yet brought down is in excess of that of
the same period of 1858. In the following lists the escorts
are compared with those of the fourth week in January,
1858, the fortnightly being distinguished from the weekly
by the prefix of an asterisk :

Totals
The only shipment during the current week has been one
of 10,877 ounces, in the Conflict, for London, which, added
to the shipments during the month of January, brings the
total to 187,013 ounces, or 7 tons 15 cwt. 3 qrs. 91bs. 5 oz.
troy, the value of which, at £4 per ounce, amounts to
£748,052. So much for the returns of the gold fields for
current year.