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 additional extracts will be found interesting:—
Sir Henry Barkly held his firBt levee on the Ist
January, in the Exhibition 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 Churcb, the Episcopal ell-arch,
the committee of the Melbouria 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 Legislative Council on 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 Melbourne.
It was said that' Mr. Fawkner will resign his seat
in the Upper House, in order to contest this el ec-
tion for a seat in' the Lower one.

Telegraphic communication between Melbottrne
and Castlemaine was opened on the 9tb 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, and 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 stores, 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
T Ballarat Times gives the following history
of a claim at Ballarat, on the Red Hill, and which
has been working for n6arly 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 change 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. First party of eight
men took out 936 oz. ; second party 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., 48,960/.; 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 been upwards. of
4, 2001."

The members of the North Australian Expedi-
tion have returned to Sydney. There does not
seem to be any particular discovery made by
them, geographical or otherwise. They pronounce
the Victoria river navigable, and the district avail-
able for colonisation. But the great interior re-
mains a terra incognita. The " Australian mys-
tery" remains unveiled, and the field is still open to
future enterprise.

Tbe following is the qtlarterly statement of the
amount of gold brought to Melbourne and Geelong
by escort in 1856, compared with the corresponding
quarter of 1855 :

1855. 1856,
October
November
December

649,225 687,691
Last quarter of 1855 t 649,225

Increase on fourth quarter of 1856

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.