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
form. 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 corn.
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
diggers' 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 untilled soil, and the
unknown wealth which doubtless lies concealed
in our auriferous districts, our mining population
will be gradually approaching a state of general
bankruptcy. The rash •to the Dandenong Ranges
nas 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
iu 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
extensive rush has also taken place on Commissioners'
UM, Arrarat, and is fast draining the population
from 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 3 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
socking in from all the neighbouring diggings.
From 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
might perhaps go the length of saying that our
course has been retrogressive. A crime hitherto
almost 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 and 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 themastery. With regard
to crimes of violence and drunkenness there has
teen 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 th' Geelong and Ballarat line and some
of their employes. The railway works are being
Pushed forward vigorously. Upwards of 2,000 men
brie' a short time ago, employed constructing a
ge over the Moorabool River intersecting, a
Portion of the Geelong and Ballarat line. Much
Ill:stress is reported to exist, in the sister colony of
New ow South Wales, and we have reason to believe
that the labour market is thus, to some extent,
deranged by this as well as by more moderate local
causes. We certainly have not observed so many
indications of pauperism in the streets of the city
as during the previous month. This may be taken
as an indication of some improvement.

COMMEIiCIAL.
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
returns exhibit a decrease of over 4,000 oz. upon
the returns for the same period of 1858.
dow
The total quantity of gold hitherto brought n to Melbourne by the public escorts is
15,516,705 oz. 13 dwt ; the total exported is
18,060,940 oz. 12 dwt. 23. grs.
The money market continues unaltered. Loans
"Under £l,OOO have been negotiated at 10 per cent.,
but for larger amounts, and on good securities,
Money may be obtained at 8 per cent., but first
Class securities are reported so scarce that the
a!nount of business doing is very limited. The
tnks issue drafts on England for 60 days' sight
IVtr, and at per cent. premium for amounts
directlP X5O for 30 days' sight. Freight on gold by
steamers or sailing vessels, 21d. to 3d. per
"lice, deliverable in London ; insurance, 11 per
ei.,cllt.; by the overland route, I per cent., or about
4u. per ounce ; insurances, 11 to 1 per
cent.
Money continues tolerably plentiful for loans
°I) good securities, at from 10 .to 12 per cent., and
.Ott first-class city securities at 8 per cent., but with
-Lew transactions taking 7place. For commercial
P,arPeses the banks charge :—For bills under 95
'Lays' currency, 8 per cent. ; from 95 to 125 days'
eurrenc—,
.Y► 9 per cent. ; over 195 days, 10 per cent.;
and on overdrawn accounts, 10 per cent.
The Stock and Share Market has been chiefly
remarkable durinc, the last few weeks for the great
depression in the' shares of the various insurance
companies. This has been solely attributable to the
numerous and destructive fires which have recently
occurred, and which were supposed, without reason,
to have entailed heavy lcsses upon the insurance
coi meanies. Timid shareholders, taking groundless
alarm, 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 not hesitated to buy
up the shares to advantage. Prices are, however,
now rapidly rallying, and geneially through the
Stock and Share Market a better feeling exists,
and ore activity Victoria, is manifest. Among the latest
we ma
£33 10s notice :—Colonial Bank,
.£6 2s. 6d. ;
; National Bank,
15 per cent. discount ; Ilobson's Bay Railwa
£74 ; Colonial Insurance, 295. to 30s. • Australya,
34 per cent.
sian, 21s. to 235. ; Cas Company's,
premium.

THE EX.-MAYOR OF MELBOURNE. Some
indig,nation 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,
Mr. J. T. Smith, in not receiving the honour of
knighthood when he visited England and presented
•an address to her Majesty. Eight city councillors
• With more zeal than discretion, called upon the
Present mayor to convene a special meeting,for the
Purpose of considering a resolution tantamount to
a vote of censure upon the Queen. The proposi•
tian met with the prompt and emphatic condemna•
LI, of the press, and on the day of the meeting the
°Llginal resolution was quietly dropped, and another
!übstituted, milder in its language, but as
1111Pertineat in its spirit as the former one. It was
,
"garbusly resisted, and various amendments
it by a rational minority in the Council ; but
II was eventually carried, after a discussion more
remarkable for its duration than its decency, as was
also another resolution, calling upon the governor
to transmit the impertinent message to the home
government. It is generally anticipated that his
xcellency will decline to receive such a message ;
toand it is right to add that Mr. Smith is understood
be no party to the movement, and that public
u_Plaibn (which is not represented by or in the city
u
ncil) is diametrically opposed to the action
,isalcourenne
Aby the corporation in this matter.Mel-
vge.

•
ANOTHER STEAMER LOST IN THE ARCTIC SEA.—
The loss of the steamer Volunteer, of Newcastle, was an
trounced on Saturday, at Lloyd's. On the 19th March,
about she ws steering a cours N.W.W. at the l'ats of aboput eight miles an hour, whene she struck' a mass
of ice with such force as to cause her to spring a severe
leak. 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
thousAuds of pounds.