The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-16 00:00:00

Ministry in showing' favour to one and neglecting
the other, were all involved in this lengthy debate.
Several hours were thus occupied, and at length the
Ministerial party prevailed, the alterations were
disallowed, and the bill, restored to its original
form, was returned to the Council, with a not very
courteous request that their " lordships" would be
pleased to retract their previous resolution. In the
Upper House the whole matter had to be discussed
once more, and at about 11 o'clock, after keeping
his Excellency in waiting since half-past four, the
will of the Assembly was rather ungraciously com-
plied with. Parliament was then prorogued in due
Thrm. Forty-eight bills were introduced during
the session.
Arrangements are now in progress for completing
the new electoral rolls, under the act recently
Passed. It is anticipated that these rolls will be
completed towards the end of May, and the general
election will probably take place shortly after.
THE GOLD FIELDS.
Our monthly summary of gold-fields' intelligence
is not of the satisfactory kind which in bygone
times we have been enabled to give. Despite the
Proofs of untold wealth afforded by numerous pay-
able rushes, a steady falling off in the yield is only,
too well evidenced by the weekly returns as com-
Pared with each other and with the corresponding
Weeks of last year, and amply corroborated by dis-
mal complaints from the diggers themselves, and
the hungry countenances of able-bodied men in
uTgers' attire which crowd the streets of Mel-
bourne. All these delays are combining to produce
one result, and by the time that legislation comes,
despite the fertility of our unfilled soil, and the
unknown wealth which doubtless lies concealed
in our auriferous districts, our mining population
Will be gradually approaching a state of general
haebkruptcy. The rush to the Dandenong Ranges
not fulfilled its early promises. Gold
has been obtained, but not so largely as anti-
cipated. It is believed that by no means the
richest spot in this locality has been yet dis-
covered. Another promising rush has taken
Place at the Indigo. With sanguine expectations
the discoverers have christened it New Ballarat. The
old ground on the Indigo has been almost deserted
In its favour. Little certainty yet obtains as to its
real value, beyond the fact that one shaft —l6O
feet deep—has been bottomed with a result variously
stated at from one to four oz. to the dish. This
is accepted as very favourable, the gold being
evenly distributed through the wash dirt. A very
_,Textensive rush has also taken place on Commissioners'
'
Arrarat, and is fast draining the population
111 neighbouring gold fields. There are now
between 5,000 and 6,000 people on the spot. Like
most other leads in the same district, the sinking
is deep, dry, and easy, the wash dirt in some places
two or three feet thick, and paying from 20 dwts.
to 20 oz. to the load. Amongst the prospectors one
Party are reported to have washed 405 oz. out of
35 buckets of stuff, another 31- oz. to the load,
and a third 4 oz. to the load. The average yield
has been estimated at 3 oz., and great numbers are
From
in from all the neighbouring diggings.
-rrom the older diggings there is little to report.
SOCIAL.
In the social state of the colony during the past
month but little change has taken place. We
/night perhaps go the length of saying that our
course has been retrogressive. A crime hitherto
`most unknown in the history of the colony, has
become comparatively frequent—we mean incen-
diarism. In one or two instances, suspicion has
fallen on individuals, but the proof has been insuffi-
cient to establish the guilt of the accused. An
enormous amount of property has thus been de-
stroyed. Nor has incendiarism been confined to
our homesteads add dwellings ; it has found its way
amongst our shipping. One fine vessel was de-
stroyed only a short time since in Hobson's Bay;
another was fired, but the flames were subdued
before they had obtained the mastery. With regard
to crimes of violence and drunkenness there has
been no improvement whatever.
RAILWAYS AND LABOUR.
There is but little, if any, change to report in the
state of the labour market. There are still large
numbers of persons unemployed, not merely in the
metropolis, but also in the more thickly populated
parts of the provinces. It is satisfactory to know
that the dispute between the masons and railway
contractors has been settled in a satisfactory manner
Messrs. Cornish and Bruce have agreed to let no
work on the subcontracting principle, and it is
further arranged that any future alteration in the
relation of employer and employed shall be
made only after six weeks' notice thereof shall have
been formally given. The same difficulty as we
reported in our last still exists between the con-
tractors for the Geelong and Ballarat line and some
of their employes. The railway works are being
pushed forward vigorously. Upwards of 2,000 men
brig' a short time ago, employed constructing a
Ige over the Moorabool River intersecting, a
N3°. 'lion of the Geelong and Ballarat line. Much
u•istress is reported to exist in the sister colony of
South Wales, and we have reason to believe
d
_ at the labour market is thus, to some extent,
eeranged by this as well as by more moderate local
ja,,lles• We certainly have not observed so many
thucations of pauperism in the streets of the city
as
during the previous month. This may be taken
as
an indication of some improvement.
COMMERCIAL.
The escort returns this week are considerably
below the average of the year, and about 10,000 oz.
under the corresponding returns of last year. The
urns
th returnxkis bit a p
decrease of over 4,000 oz. upon
The
,for the same period of 1858.
dawn total quantity of gold hitherto brought
55, to Melbourne by the public escorts is
1416,705 oz. 13 d t ;rths.e total exported is
,60,940 oz 12 dwt.w23.
'
Under money market continues unaltered. Loans
but fe ,000 have been negotiated at 10 per cent.,
r larger amounts, and on good securities,
Money ma
class Ybe obtained at 8 per cent., but fit
arao_ amount are reported so scarce that the
banZ t. of business doing is very limited. The
at
ar,
issue drafts on England for 60 days' sight
unNer'lnd at per cent. premium for amounts
di_ £5O for 30 days' sight. Freight on gold by
rect steamers or sailing vessels, lid. to 3d. per
e°lel,,ngee, deliverable in London ; insurance, per
"; by the overland route, I- per cent., or about
e'e'et. per ounce; insurances, 11 to per
en Money continues tolerably plentiful for loans
?,°°d• securities, at from 10 to 12 per cent., and
iliirst-class city securities at .8 per cent., but with
vw transactions taking :place. For commercial
Purposescur s, the banks charge :—For bills under 95
eurrYs currency, 8 per cent. ; from 95 to 125 days'
and
elleY, 9 per cent. ; over 195 days, 10 per cent.;
,`„:311 overdrawn accounts, 10 per cent.
~__lne Stock and Share Market has been chiefly
7marka.ble during the last few weeks for the great
uepression in the shares of the various insurance
comnpanies. This has been solely attributable to the
numerous and destructive fires which have recently
ed, and which were supposed, without reason,
t_u_ have entailed heavy losses upon the insurance
u.,°_lllllallies. Timid shareholders, taking groundless
"__'4.rm, have therefore manifested an anxiety to sell
out
which of course operated to reduce the ruling
quotations. This reduction has proved an advan-
tage to a few sagacious buyers, -who, looking be-
yond immediate losses, have no t hesitated to buy
Prices up the shares to advantage. Pric
are, however,
now rapidly rallying, and generally through the
Stock and Share Market a feelingbetter exists,
and more activity is manifest.
Among the latest
sales we may notice :—Colonial Bank,
.26 2s. 6d •
Bank of Victoria, £33 10s. to
.£34 ; National Bank,.. 15 per cent. discount ; Hobson's Bay
u s t
cent.ra l a
Railway,
£74 ; Colonial Insurance, 295. to 30sil
A per
Sian, 21s. to 235. ; Cas Company's,
Premium.

TEE Ex-MAYOR OF MELBOURNE. --- Some
Indignation has been excited, but more amuse-
ment occasioned, by the conduct of the corpo-
ration of Melbourne, in reference to the
disappointment - experienced by the late Mayor,
xr
r• J. T. Smith, in not receiving the honour of
knighthood when he visited England and presented
anaddress to her Majesty. Eight city councillors
'With more zeal than discretion, called upon the
,llesent mayor to convene a special meeting for the
vlrpese of considering a resolution tantamount to
ft.vote of censure upon the Queen. The propos'.
tt
.10 met with the prompt and emphatic condemna-
waef the press, and on the day of the meeting the
°Nina' resolution was quietly dropped, and another
substituted, milder in its language, but as
impertinentv in its spirit as the former one. It was
1111814.°11ely resisted, and various amendments
ii,°ved by a rational minority in the Council ; but
was eventually carried, after a discussion more
remarkable_ for its duration than its decency, as was
44_180 another resolution, calling upon the governor
to, transmit the impertinent message to the home
o
vermnent. It is generally anticipated. that his
anrace.lle.ncy will decline to receive such a message ;
toit is right to add that Mr. Smith is understood
_ be no arty to the movement, and that public
°_olnnio.n
.(which is not represented-by or in the city
e,a;uneil) is diametrically opposed .to the action
ken by the corporation in this matter.—Mel-
uourne Age.

•
ANOTHER STEAMER LOST IN THE ARCTIC SEA.-
The loss of the steamer Volunteer, of Newcastle, was an-
nounced on Saturday, at Lloyd's. On the 19th March,
about 5 p.m., she was steering a course N.W.W., at the
rate of about eight miles an hour, when she struck a mass
leafe With such force as to cause her to spring a severe
She began to fill so rapidly that the crew had scarcely
time to get to the boats to save their lives before the steamer
foundered. The captain and crew were picked up by the
Arctic, of Peterhead. The Volunteer was a fine vessel of
Upwards of 300 tons, and her loss will amount to several
thousands of pounds.