The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-02 00:00:00

PRICE 4D. STAMPED, SD.

VICT'ORIA.

(From the Times' Correspondent)
MELBOURNE, FEB. 4.
The Oneida did not arrive until the 19th of
January, and required overhauling, consequently
she has been delayed until this day. The Salsette
had previously arrived. As the Oneida has to take
back the London February mail there is every pro-
bability- that the February and March mails will be
forwarded and arrive together in May. I hope this
will be the last of the irregularities.
The proposal of the Government to purchase the
Geelong line of railway has been adopted by the
house. The Chief Secretary's and Attorney-Gene-
ral's speeches have been printed, and will be sent to
England by this mail. It is to be hoped they will
put an end to the shabby attempts to depreciate the
credit of this colony in order to coerce the Govern-
ment into unreasonable terms of purchase.
The prospects as to the production of gold are
improving. The quantity received by escort in the
four weeks of January amounts to 176,610 ounces,
against 157,605 for the same period last year. Gold
of a superior quality has been discovered in the
Dandarory ranges, about 35 miles from Melbourne.
The specimens that I have seen are of a bright yellow
colour, apparently very pure: These ranges extend
in an easterly direction across the country to the
east coast. The valleys adjacent are of rich soil,
and the effect will be to open an immense district
of country to settlements.
The excess of immigration over emigration last
year has only increased our population by 18,082.
The imports of 1858 nearly balance the exports,
indicating a sound state of trade.
Imports 513;156,869
Exports - • • • - -13,082,040

Balance
The production and export of gold exhibit a de-
ficiency compared with the last two years. I take
the following figures from W. Clarke and Sons'
circular:—

Received by Escort. Exported.
1855 2,132,398 oz.
1856 2,625,968
1857 2,481,020
1858 2,336,663

The quantity of gold shipped since the first dis-
covery is, according to the officialreturns, 17,579,886
ounces, the value of which is about £70,000,000 ;
but this is within the true quantity, inasmuch as
before the imposition of an export duty a great deal
was shipped privately or carried away by passen-
gers without passing entry at the Custom-house. It
is anticipated that the recent issue of mining leases,
and the operation of an act to sanction mining on
private property where the owners and miners
agree, will tend to restore the quantity. Hencefor-
ward mining enterprise must be conducted by the
combined efforts of miners and capitalists, for there
is only room for a very moderate extent of sur-
face-digging. The new mining leases provide
for the working of partially worked alluvial lands,
i. e., such as the pick and shovel miners have aban-
doned.
If we were to judge of the condition of the people
by the quantity of gold alone, then it would appear
that it is on the decline, as 500,000 people are shar-
ing a smaller whole than 300,000 people did four
years ago ; but production for home use has been
greatly increasing. Estimated at the moderate
prices of the present year, we have produced more
than £3,000,000 worth of farm produce. The colony
also now manufactures a vast number of articles
for consumption which a few years ago were pur-
chased with our gold, e. g., sawn timber and other
building materials, carts and carriages, furniture,
soap, candles, beer, and many other articles. My
own impression is that the condition of the colony
is better than it was in 1855 and 1856, but of course
this going on diminishes the foreign (external)
trade of the country. Thus, when the produce of
gold was at its maximum proportion to population,
we imported not only nearly all the flour we con-
sumed, but also our hay, oats, potatoes, and other
produce, paying for them £4,000,000 or £5,000,000
more than they now cost. There was then, no
doubt, a large trade, but there was an enormous
waste. Gradually our imports have been accom-
modated to our diminished exports, and the trade is
much better balanced. A very large trade is very
deceptive as an indication of the most prosperous
condition. The merchant seldom regards trade as
an admirable expedient to cure a defect in the re-
sources of countries. If England could produce
the commodities of every country in the world at
the lowest price there would be no need of foreign
trade. It is only because she cannot produce the
sugar of the tropics and the furs of the Polar regions
that she is compelled to trade for them. I believe
part of the falling off in the quantity of gold is to
be attributed to the number of persons who have
taken to other pursuits, and I am far from consider-
ing this an evil. In 1856 the cultivators of land
increased 125 per cent. ; in 1857 they increased 252
per cent., and last year the increase was very con-
siderable. I believe this change will go on, and
that the number of men working on the goldfields
will be greatly reduced without any decrease
of production, for in May last there were in the
several diggings, 6,367 machines of various kinds,
worked by steam, horses, and men.
On Thursday, the 13th January, the railway from
Melbourne to Williamstown, and the first section of
the Melbourne and Murray River Railway, were
opened by a grand ceremonial, and, after the man-
ner of our countrymen, by a feast. The day was
of that brilliant and genial nature not often to be
met with in any other climate. In the early part
of the week we had some very cold weather, with
storms of wind and rain. The temperature about
Tuesday began to increase, and by Thursday the
weather had just attained that degree of warmth,
with a cooling breeze and a cloudless sky, most con-
genial to the human constitution. Messrs. Cornish
and Bruce, the contractors, had invited the Gover-
nor, the Ministry, the members of both Houses of
Parliament, with their respective families, and
others, numbering about 1,500 persons, to a dejouner
at Sunbury, distant rather over 23 miles from Mel-
bourne. The first section ends at a great coaching
house called the Digger's Rest, on Keilor plain. 21
miles from Melbourne, and is completed for all pur-
poses. The extension to Sunbury was open for the
occasion, the carriages passing successfully and
safely over it, but it will not be open for traffic until
the first week of February. I may remind you that
the financial arrangements for this undertaking
were not brought to a conclusion until the 4th o
June, the contract for the work was signed on the
7th f June, and the work was commenced in the
last week of June. Thus, the portion of the line
now completed has occupied in its construction
only six months and a half, a degree of speed
unexampled, I believe, either in England or
America. Nothing can be more perfect than the
execution of both these lines, and all who are corn

petent to form an opinion rejoice that the cheap
and loose system of America was not adopted here.
The first outlay is no doubt greater, but the safety
and stability of the work will undoubtedly prove,
as many predicted, " cheaper" in the end.
The arrangements were all well made, and
not a single accident marred the enjoyment
of the day. The dejeuzzer was spread in a temporary
building erected for the purpose, which was very
tastefully decorated with flags and evergreens and
flowers. I never saw a similar banquet where there
was so ample a supply of eatables, such excellent
wines, so much elbowroom, and such excellent
attendance. The "40 cooks and 100 waiters" men-

tioned by the newspapers did their work well, vJt
was easy to get a change of plates, a knife and fork,
a piece of bread, and a glass of iced water—things
rarely attainable on similar occasions. Most wise
people dine quietly before going to such banquets.
Here it was quite unnecessary, and would have
been impossible, as we started at 10 a.m. Between
the hour of arrival and the dejeuner the Governor
and party walked on about a mile,where he laid the
first stone of a grand viaduct to cross Jackson's
Creek—a deep ravine over which section No. 2.

passes. There is so much cutting and embankment
that this next section cannot be finished for two

years. But other and easier portions will be com-
pleted and opened, as was done of old on the Bir-

ingham Railway. Further on there will be some
deep cutting, in order to get through the dividing
range of which Mount Macedon forms a part. These
heavy earthworks and masonry works will retard
the completion of some sections until the end of
1861. I understand that the Ballarat line is going
on rapidly, though it was not begun matil more
than two months after the Northern line. The Wil-

liamstown Raillvay-cOiinects Geelong
.with Mel-
-1
bourne, and will cause the Geelong e
proposal ne to
of
better than it has hitherto done. The Ballarat line
will be completed in 18 months. The
the Government to purchase the Geelong Railway
has been somewhat modified since Mr. O'Shaunessy's
resolutions were first placed. on the motion paper.
securing to the
The plan has been simplified b. y
off the Government the option of. paying
share-
holders and the liabilities. in cash or debentures at
the market price in London. The necessary funds
will be spared out of the railway loan already
authorised. The Government will assume, the
liability of the company to the bondholders, who
are entitled to 7 per cent,, except one ema.o