The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-05 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

'The intelligence from the various gold-fields
during the last month has generally been of a
favourable character. Upon many of the older
diggings the want of water seriously impeded ope-
rations. But this want has been supplied by the
recent heavy rains. Hence the puddlers and
crushers have been enabled to realise upon their
accumulations of washing stuff. The more exten-
sive introduction of efficient machinery in con-
nection with the quartz reefs, which are every
month being further developed, has rendered
systematic mining a more certain and lucrative oc-
cupation than digging ; and the yield from this
source is steadily increasing. Tae new rushes at
Mount Ararat and MountPleasaut have fulfilled the
expectations formed of them at the commencement.
Hundreds, of course, have abandoned the new
ground in disappointment, but this is invariably
the case with a new rush ; but a large population
remains behind, why will in all likelihood be per-
manently employed upon those fields ; and, judging
by the successive escorts coming down, Ararat will
continue to rank among our richest diggings.
Deep sinking and quartz mining will no doubt in
due time succeed the more primitive forms of gold
seeking, which are always at first adopted upon new
ground, and the more sanguine predict that a second
Ballarat would be established. Many minor rushes
have taken place lately with more or less success ;
but the cry of a new gold-field has become a matter
of such frequent occurrence that it now excites little
attention, unless the attraction presented be suffi-
cient to occasion the migration of 40,000 or 50,000
of the moveable population of our auriferous dis-
tricts in the course of a few weeks, as was the case
wien Mount Ararat was discovered.
The following figures will show the comparative
returns by the weekly escorts for the last four weeks,
and the four corresponding weeks of 1856 :

1857. 1856.
Week ending Sept. 18th
Sept. 26th
-- Oct. 2d
Oct. 9th
For several weeks there has been a steady in-
craase in the quantities brought down by the
escorts. The returns for the several months of
1857 are :

oz. dwt.
January
February
March
A pril
May
June
) July
August 208,988 10
September 226,892 10
October
" Only three gold ships have left since our last
summary appeared. They were—the Emeu, for
Suez, Sept. 17, 117,412 oz. ; the Star of the South,
for Hong Kong, Oct. 5, 16,586 oz. ; and the Suf-
folk, for London, Oct. 5, 112,446 oz. The total
quantity of gold shipped during the year, inclusive
of shipments to Sydney and the neighbouring
colonies, has been 2,175,143 oz., or 90 tons 2 cwt.
2 qrs. 11 lb. 9 oz., which, at 80s. per oz., yields the
value of 8,700,564/. The duty paid apon this
quantity is 269,852/. 14s. 9d., according to the re-
`urns of the Custom-house.
" IMMIGRATION AND LABOUR.

" Victoria is still receiving from the Old World
more immigrants than, in the present condition of
our land system, we can readily absorb. It is
calculated that at least 30,000 have been added to
our population during the past year ; and immi-
grants are still pouring in at the rate of 1,000 a-
week. If the Land question were settled on a legiti-
mate basis, this would be a source of real pleasure
and profit to the country ; but under existing cir-
cumstances the immigrant, full of hope and enthu-
siasm upon landing here, too frequently quails
before the impediments cast in the way of honest
industry.
" Since our lastsummary, however, the condition
of the people has somewhat improved. The Go-
vernment has provided temporary work for a large
number of those who were on the verge of destitu-
tion, and others have been absorbed by private in-
dustrial enterprise. With the prospect of an abun-
dant harvest, the hopes of the people have been
proportionately elevated, and we are disposed to
congratulate ourselves upon having passed over the
darkest phase of the commercial crisis. We shill
always be subject to similar visitations, however,
until the existing monopolies and impediments to
industry are swept away, and our resources as a
nation are permitted a healthy development.

" THE CHINESE.
" The antipathy between the white population of
Victoria and the Chinese chontinues unabated. At
the goldfields and elsewhere collisions occasionally
occur, and it is believed that there would be a general
rising of the Euroraus for the expulsion of the ob-
noxious
race but for the prospect of speedy legisla-
tion upon the subject. On the 25th ult. Mr. Haines )
obtained the sanction of the ammo of Assembly to
withdraw A Bill to provide for the residence of
the Chinese in Victoria.' The principle of the mea-
sure is embodied in the following res_thvion
That it is expedient that every male native of
China or its dependencies, or of any island in the
Chinese Seas, and every person above the age of 12
years born of Chinese parents, should, on or before
the Ist day of every month, Obtain a licence to re-
side in Victoria, and should pay for the same amnia
of 1/.' The measure has already passed a second
reading, and in some shape it is almost certain to
become law, as the public are all but unanimous in
desiring to put a proper limit to Chinese immigra-
tion. In the meantime, the clandestine immigra-
tion through Guichen Bay has considerably fallen
off.

REVIEW OF THE MARKETS.
(From the Melbourne Journal of Commerce of Oct. 15 )
Our last special edition for transmission by the Over-
land Mail was issued on the lfith of September, since
which date we have continued without any more
recent advices from E'gland or the East until yester-
day, when the European arrived, full nine days after
her contract time, Cce delay having arisen from
defects in her machinery, which will require complete
overhauling, and considerable doubt is enteitained
of her being able to I,av3 Sy drit'y Ltxt ihoct,i at the
usual dale. As the letters were only delivered late last
ev.thifig it is as yet impossible to fay how the market
w ill be affected by the news. In British pro-
ducts we do not expect much alteration, but Eastern
produce seems likely to be influenced by it. as in-
quiries for rice were active during the whole of yester-
day. From Mauritius the accounts are rather unfa-
vourable for holders of sugars, and we may expect some
re-action from the recent advance here. The detention
of the mail, a'though during the last 10 days it has
disarranged, has not seriously affected business ; and
it is considered that in the present state of our market
the absence of advices, which it was generally thought
would bring information of erremely heavy shipments,
has acted rather beneficially than otherwise, and has
allowed a good many goofs to go into consumption, of
which purchases would have been probably curtailed if
the exteit of missions had been accurately known.
The month which has elapsed since the despatch of

By the arrival of the Simla we have received files
of papers from Melbourne to the 15th Oct., and
Sydney to the 13th Oct.
We take the following from the summary pub-
lished in the Melbourne Age of 15th Oct. :
" COMMERCIAL.
" There have been few changes in the import
markets since the departure of the Emeu, the only
movement of importance being in sugars and teas,
and generally in Extern produce. The intelligence
from India, together with the news of an increased
demand at Mauritius, and the comparatively low
stocks in this and the neighbouring colonies, occa-
sioned a rise of from 4/. to 6/. a ton in every descrip-
tion of sugar. This advance has been well sus-
tainel, though the last sales of cargoes just arrived
show a slight reaction. There is, however, every
likelihood of prices remaining firm for some months
to come.
" The markets have been very quiet in spirits and
wines. Holders of the former have been accepting
declining rates since the arrival of the Simla, and
from the large quantities still in bond, and the
smaller consumption during the summer months, it
is not probable that the high prices obtained a few
weeks back will be recovered. Martell's is now
quoted at 17s. 6d. to 18s., and the position of other
brandies corresponds according to the estimation in
which they are held. A considerable amount of
business has been doing in bulk, and bottled beers.
Bass's has been firmly advancing, and is now sale-
able at 91. ss. to 9/. 10s. Recent sales to arrive
over a term of months are reported at 8/. ss.
Byass's perter and ale are worth 11s. 9J. to 12s.
Several second-class brands have been in good de-
mand, and have commanded better prices. As the
summer advances, this department of business pro-
mises to attract a fair share of attention. The only
wines that have been much inquired after are claret
and light summer wines.
" Business has presented more animation during
the last month, as the diggings have been more
prosperous. The success of ihe new rushes, the in-
troduction of improved machinery, and the larger
supply of water have all co-operated to increase the
means of the diggers, and proportionately to im-
prove the position of storekeepers. Hence larger
orders are coming to town, and it is expected that
as the season advances, the amount of loading sent
up the country will steadily improve, it being well
known that for a long time back stocks have been
kept exceedingly low, and limited almost entirely
to articles of absolute necessity.
"GOLD.