The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-03 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

We yesterday announced the arrival of the White
Star at Liverpool, from Melbourne, with advices
up to the 18th of January, and also published a
summary of the news brought by her. The follow-
ing extracts will be found interesting:—
Sir
Henry Barkly held his first levee on the Ist
January, in the Exhibit:on Building. The attend-
ance was very large. Addresses were presented
from both Houses of Parliament, from the Munici-
pal Council, from the ministers and members of
the Free Presbyterian Church, the Synod of Vic-
toria, the Wesleyan Church, the Episccpal Church,
the committee of the Melbourne Benevolent Asy-
lum, and the Municipal Councils of Williamstown
and East Collingwood. The Herald says that Sir
Henry Barkly's ostentatious character augurs well
for his future success.

The Victoria ministers threatened to resign, be-
cause defeated in the Legislaiive Council ou an
item in the supplementary estimates. On an ex-
planation, however, that it was not intended to
express any want of confidence by the vote, and a
vindication of the right of the house to approve or
disapprove of any item of expenditure, without
reference to such an issue as a resignation of minis-
ters, the crisis was allowed to pass, and the ministry
was declared out of danger.
Mr. H. S. Chapman, Mr. Langlands, and Mr.
Ebden were said to be in the field for Nlelbourne.
It was said that Mr. Fawkner will resign his seat
in the Upper House, iu order to contest this elec-
tion for a seat in the Lower one.

Telegraphic communication between Melbourne
and Castlemaine was opened on the 9th Jan.
New diggings had been opened at Mount Hope,
with every appearance of being highly auriferous.
The gold obtained was very coarse, but there was
a great want of water. Mount Hope is about 60
miles from Sandhurst, due north, Avid within 12 or
15 miles of the river Murray.
An extensive fire had occurred at Geelong, de-
stroying valuable property in the Market-square
and Corio-street, and nearly the whole block of
buildings bounded on the south by the Market-
square, on the east and west by Yarra-street and
Kardinia-street, and on the north by Corio-street,
comprising many valuable store s, shops, and large
warehouses.

At Sydney, Mr. Dailey, a Liberal, bad been
returned as the representative of that city, defeating
Mr. John Fairfax, of the Herald, by upwards of
500 votes. In the council Mr. E. D. Thompson
moved a series of resolutions, making the Sydney
sovereigns a legal tender in all parts of the British
empire, which were carried.
The Ballarat Times gives the following history
of a claim at Ballarat, on the Red Hill, and which
has been working for nearly two years. It is
called the Durham Hole :
"A more extraordinary proof of the uncertainty
of gold digging cannot be afforded than the various
changes this claim has undergone since its com-
mencement ; it has passed into the hands of three
different parties, and is now, about to pass to a
fourth ; in each hange the party has handed over
to the next speculators a decent little fortune. It
is rumoured that the ground even now is rich, and
likely to produce more than an ordinary return to
the purchasers of the shares, which have been sold
at 2001. each. It is asserted that this will prove the
richest alluvial claim of gold ever heard" of, not ex-
cepting any gold field known. Fiat party of eight
men took out 936 oz. ; second patty of eight men
took out 2,304 oz. ; third party of twelve men
took out about 9,000 oz. Total, taken out up to
the 22d of December, 12,240 oz., worth, at 41.
per oz., 48,9601.; and we may calculate that by the
time the claim has been completely worked out, at
least 50,0001. will have been the result, showing
that had 12 men originally worked the hole out,
and not have transferred it to others, the amount
of each man's share would have 1 upwards of
4,2001."
The members of the North Australian Expedi-
tion have returned to Sydney. There does not
seem to be any pal i:icular discovery made by
t"tem, geographical or otherwise. They pronounce
the Victoria 'lvor navigable, and the district avail-
able for colonisation. But the great interior re-
mains a terra i)nognita. The " Australian mys-
tery" remains unveiled, and the field is still open to
future enterprise.
The following is the quarterly statement of the
amount of gold brought to Melbourne and Geelong
by escort in 1856, compared with the corresponding
quarter of 1855 _

1855. 1856.
OQtober

November

210,847 256,981

December

243,732

Last quarter of 1855 ....

649,225 687,691
649,225

Increase on fourth quai i:er of 1856

460,287 Increase on the year

Showing an increase of nearly two millions in
the produce of gold over the year 1855. The price
of gold remains at 775. to 78s.' 3d.
The Orwell, royal mail ship, had sailed for Lon..
don with 49,384 oz. of gold. The demand for gold
for shipment per the Royal Charter was already
active, and it was expected that she would have a
large quantity on board when leaving that city.
The last return of the receipts by escorts was
48,648 oz. for the week ; and the receipts from the
3d to the sth amounted to 44,126 oz.

COMMERCIAL.
In the import market there has been little doing, and
quotations were unchanged.
Wines and spirits maintain their latest prices, while
bottled ale and porter show an increased profit since last
quotations. Upon the whole business is rather brisker.
As a proof that city property, in spite of the fall in ge.
ne"al merchandise, not only keeps its price, but rises in
value, we may mention that the store, No. 85, Bourke-
street, immediately adjoining the Theatre-royal, and
which was disposed of five months ago for 4,2001., has
been sold for 5,900/.
The Melbourne market note, of the 9th, repot 'os an
increased animation in business. The following are
amongst the quotations :
Belmont candles are easily sold, to arrive at 16d.
per lb.
Butter is saleable if of late arrival and good quality. -
At Messrs. W. Easy and Co.'s sale, at the stores of
Messrs. Miles, Kington, and Co.'s, about 10,000/, worth
of merchandise was sold. The following prices were ob-
tained :—Port wine (aunt's, Quarles Haris's, and
Obiey's), in pipes, hhds. and quarter chests, from 571.
to 641. per pipe ; West India rum, 10 o. p., 4s. id. per
gallon ; 500 firkins butter, 91, to 131 d, per lb. ; Car-
rington's ale, 41. 7s. 6d. to 41. 12s. 6d. per hhd. ; York
hams, is. Sd. per lb. ; Muntz's metal, ls. 2d. per lb. ;
mail phaeton, 1001. ; dogcarts, 50/. ; gunny bags, 4s.
11d, per dozen ; sulphuric acid, 24(1. per lb. ; ginger
beer bottles, 20s. per gro:s ; soda water ditto, 24s ditto.
Invoices of glassware, elecZro-plate, and cutlery, at rc•
munerative prices.