The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-09 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

ARRIVAL OF THE HEATHER BELL.
The Heather Bell has arrived. She brings
81,478 ounces of gold, and 399 bales of wool.

LIVERPOOL, SUNDAY.
The Black Ball packet ship Morning Light,
Captain Gillies, has arrived with advices from Mel-
bourne to the 14th of November, and 121,000 oz.
gold, 3,500 bales of wool, ore, &c.
She left,,Port Philip Head 15th November, from
which time until crossing the Equator she expe-
rienced head winds and calms to an extent almost
unparalleled. She has made the pas=ag 1 from the
Equator to Liverpool in 20 days. Her la! est dates
are—Melbourne, 14th ; Sydney, Bth ; Adelaide,
7th ; Tasmanio, 4th November ; and New Zealand,
22d October.
The latest dates from England at Melbourne are
August 20tb, conveyed by the ship White Star in
75 days.
The following ships had arrived at Melbourne.
From Liverpool—Lady Westmote'anil, Fulwood,
Merlin, British Lion, and Nugget-. From London
—Coping, Copenhagen, Orwell, Thames, and Con-
stitution. From Glasgow—Bathia and Gazelle.
And from New York—Monsoon. At Adelaide, the
Arena., from London.
The Admiral was to sail with the mals for Lon-
don on Nov. 12 ; and the Ocean Chief, for Liver-
pool, Nov. 27.
The Heatherbell, with the mails of Oct. 31, had
sailed for London, with 81,478 ounces of gold and
399 bales of wool. The William Money had sailed
for Liverpool Nov. 2, but had no gold.
Mr. Donaldson, the new Treasurer, had submit-
ted the Ministerial budget to the Assembly. He
said that at the end of 1855 the deficit in the re-
venue was not less than 120,0001., the accumula-
tion of former deficits. The present Administra-
tion intended to raise 150,0001. by t,rminable an-
nuities.
The prospects of the country were cheering. The
estimated income was 1,200,000/., and was in ex-
cess of the expenditure. The Customs revenue was
in a prosperous condition, a highly favourable
change having set in during the last six months.
If the present Ministers remaind in power they
would early in 1857 address themselves to the con-
struction of a scheme of taxation that should fall as
equally as possible on property, and la-
bour beyond the present boundary. He urged the
necessity of economy in the public service. The
expenditure had hitherto been too large.
The new Legislature had been announced to
meet on the 21st of November.
In order to enter on the event with eclat there
would be a general cessation of business on that
day.

Melbourne and its vicinity bad been visited by
a wind and sand storm surpassing in int nsity any
which bad been experienced in th colony. Consi-
derable damage was occasioned by it.
Mr. Ramsay Hay, formerly in Government em-
ploy at Melbourne, had committed suicide by tak-
ing strychnine.
The store of William Bateman and Co., at War-
nambool, had been destroyed by fire.
The news from the diggings is encouraging, re-
porting a discovery of new fields, and very fair ac-
counts from the old ones. At M'lvers the quartz
found is very productive, and the miners are rapidly
advancing in prosperity and comfort.
The gold escort for the week ending Nov. 8 was
64,775 ounces, against 55,505 ounces in the corres-
ponding period of 1855. For the quarter ending
Nov. 8 the returns were 629,300 ounces, being a
decrease of 9,576 ounces compared with the same
period of 1855.

- The total quantity of gold brought down to Syd-
ney from the gold fields of New South Wales for the
week was 1,602 oz.
The gold fields at Fingal, Tasmania, though
limited in extent, were profitable. At Bendigo
the diggers were doing well ; among them were
several hundred Italians. At Chinaman's Flat
immense quantities of gold are being got from the
washing stuff. The wet sinkiugs" at Donolly
were doing well. At Stony-creek there was a great
want of water. Five Scotchmen who were work-
ing a tunnel at Horley River had been buried alive
by the earth falling in. There had been rushes at
Tuena diggings, and some parties had done well.
The accounts from the other gold fields present
the same cheering features.
The demand for gold at Melbourne is on the in-
creaser and the competition among the bankers is
keeping up the prices at the gold fields ; so that
the supply in town is not equal to the demand.
The price is from 765, 3d. to 785., according to
quality. It is reported that rich quartz has been
found at South Mucklegord and Mount Blackwood.
From Mackay, Baines, and Co.'s circular we ex-
tract the following report of the market :
" The state of this market is not quite so satis-
fat!tory as might be expected in ordinary times at
tuis season of the year. The large arrivals and the
expectation of many more have had a serious in-
fluence in checking business; stocks are undoubtedly
low on the diggings, and considerable orders are in
course of execution, but the retailers in town are
very chary in increasing their stocks except at low
rates. Itmay be stated as a rule that the stock of most
articles of general consumption are large, and that
a remunerative trade is chiefly done in what are
called outside articles. On the part of importers
there is considerable apprehension that the trade
here is about to be overdone, and this induces them
to part with articles in demand at the low rates now
being offered. The banks have made during the
last half-year considerable advances, which do not
correspondingly increase the amounts of circular ion
and deposits. We have made inquiries, and find
that this apparent anomaly is explained by the re-
turning confidence between the importers and the
retailer. Until the beginning of the present year
the business since the late crisis has been almost
wholly in cash • but within the last few months the
credit system has been in a great measure re-esta-
blished, the banks have discounted more freely, and
the remittances to England on account of consign-
ments have correspondingly increased. We have
pleasure in stating that the financial affairs of the
colonists, both public and private, are exceedingly
sound, and that at no time was the business trans-
acted by the banks more safe and satisfactory than
at present."
For gold the demand for shipment was active, at
31. 16s. 6d. to 3/. 18s. 3d. An advance had taken
place in wool ; greasy, 10Id. ; fleece, ls. 4d. to Is.
; scoured, ls. 7f d. ; lambs, 2s. O'd. per lb.
Tallow was readily taken ; for oilmen's stores a
better demand existed. Brandy was dull at reduced
prices. For hides there was a good demand for
shipment. Large arrivals of soft goods had reduced
prices even in the face of a good demand.
There was an active demand for agricultural
labourers and masons. The imports from the Ist
ofJanuaryto the Ist of November were 10,874,620/.
The exports were 13,104,984/. The receipts of gold
by escort for 13 weeks ending the Bth of November
were 629,200 oz., against 638,776 oz. in the same
period the previous year. The week's receipts
were 61,775 oz. ; corresponding week in 1855,
53,505 oz.

Exchange on London, 30 days, 1 p.m.; discounts
on bills under 95 days, 7 per cent ; over that
period, 8 per cent.
Freights to England :—Gold delivered at the
Bank of England, 4d. per oz. ; wool, id. per lb.
At Adelaide there were symptoms of returning
animation in business. The market was, however,
abundantly supplied, and the turn was in favour of
the buyers, with the exception of gin and sugar.

THE SYDNEY MAILS.
(Prom the Melbourne Argus, October 30.)
The steamers for Sydney will sail in future on
Mondays and Thursdays, at two o'clock in the
afternoon. With reference to the despatch of the
mails by the Yarra Yarra, on Monday last, on which
subject a post-office notice has appeared in our
columns, Messrs. W. P. White, and Co., the agents
to the Australian Steam Navigation Company, have
requested us to explain, that the Yarra Yarra, came
in on Monday morning—two days over due, that
150 tons of cargo were immediately discharged,
and above 100 tons of coal taken le, and that she
sailed again for Sydney in the afternoon of the
same day-. Messrs. W. P. White and Co. were un-
der engagements with a large number of passengers,
and were at the same time desirous to uphold the cha-
racter of the line for punctuality. Notice was delivered
at the opening of business hours to the Postmaster-
General of the hour of her projected departure, and
the vessel was detained until the close of the day
for the convenience of the mail service.

THE BLACKWALL.
This fine ship, which has given the name to the
principal line of London ships trading to this port,
has been discharged, and is now taking in cargo for
the return voyage. The Blackwall anchored in
Hobson's Bay on the 19th inst., and is appointed
to sail on the 25th of November, which latter en-
gagement will, we understand, be adhered to with
the punctuality which distinguishes the Blackwall
line of packet ships. She will be lightly laden for
the run home, and will have a good chance of
equalling or exceeding her former famous passage
of seventy-three days, which feat Captain M'Kerdie
is hopeful of accomplishing. Several of the saloon
cabins, which are most spacious and comfortable,
are acre dy engaged for the ♦oyage

THE BALLOT IN NEW SOUTH WALES.
It is a significant ;result of the late elections that
it has been the means of inclining two of the
Ministeria!, candidates to the principles of the
ballot The Oppositionists, without intending it,