The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-14 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

HONG-KONG.—The stagnation of business noticed in
.our last as ruling in this colony continues without any
amelioration, and without any immediate prospect of a better
state of things. In the meantime stocks of all descriptions
of home manufactures continue to accumulate, and it is
extremely probable, unless we soon have an outlet for the
same, we shall see forced sales and lower rates than are now
current.

SHANGHA.E.—Dates are to the 23d April. Business con-
tinues dull, and it was difficult to effect sales at anything
like fair prices. Fears of the insurgents fill the mind of the
trader, and restrict his operations to local waits.

AUSTRALIA.

By this arrival we receive intelligence from Mel-
bourne to April2s,. Sydney to April 24, from Ade-
laide to April 26.
There was no change in the political situation at
Melbourne. Parliament had been engaged during
the month in discussing questions arising out of the
estimates. The house had voted a sum of £79,000
for immigration for the current year. Ministers
had assented to the second reading of the bill for
the abolition of the duty on gold, but had stated
that they would endeavour in committee to fix the
amount of duty at ls. per once, leaving the reduc-
tion to commence in 1862. It was thought this
proposition would be agreed to. Ministers had
introduced a bill for the better administration of
law on the gold fields. The bill to abolish state
aid to religion was to come on in a day or two.
Major-General Pratt had received the thanks of the
house for his services in the New Zealand war.
Of the gold fields the 3/elbourne _Herald writes :
" The total amount of gold brought to town by escort
during this year up to date has been 545,036 ounces, which
at £4 per ounce would be worth £2,180,144, against 585,695
ounces for the corresponding period of last year, worth
£2,342,780. The shipments for the same periods amounted
to 601,138 ounces for 1861, valued at 2,404,552 against
571,288 ounces, valued at £2,285,158. During the past
month the escorts have shown a slight falling off as com-
pared with last year, the numbers being 141,079 and 150,451
ounees
srhesopweeedtivaely , while
considerableduring
extch m
excessthe,
se
s:athee periodthere
ha
vi tnh
ge
beship-
ments
been
169,107 ounces expected last month, instead of 124,849
ounces as in 1860.
"There have been no new rushes of much importance dur-
ing the month, and with the exception of some floods, by
which a considerable amount of damage was done, nething
has occurred to interrupt the even tenor of life upon the
gold fields. The accounts from Mountain Creek are very
satisfactory, and the late supply of water has been taken
advantage of to wash a considerable amount of stuff, much
of which has turned out extremely rich. The event of the
month, so far as the gold fields are concerned, has been the
attention which has been paid to several new discoveries,
having for their object the utilisation of " tailings," as
quartz from which the gold has been partially extracted is
termed by the gold miner. In our last summary we gave
an account of Mr. Porter's patented process of abstracting
gold from quartz by amalgamation, from which so much
was then expected. Repeated trials of this process have
since been made with more or less success, and one or two
other processes have been brought into competition with it."
Respecting commercial and monetary matters
we read :
There is little of stirring moment to report in commercial
affairs during the past month. Trade has been quiet, and
fluctuations have been few. There hare been no great
changes in our money market during the last month.
From Sydney we learn that the Upper House
was still further altering the Land Bills, so that
the Government will probably abandon them.
An address had been voted in the Assembly for
£50,000 for assisted immigration.
At the meeting on April 24 of the Bank of New
South Wales a dividend of 15 per cent. was an
nounced. It was decided to open an establishmen.
in New Zealand.

The South Australian Parliament was opened on
April 26. The Governor's speech is of a cheering
character. He says :
_ . __ _

I shall cause to be laid before you a despatch received
from the Duke of Newcastle, stating that her Majesty will
be advised to introduce a bill into the Imperial Parliament
to give her Majesty power to annex to South Australia the

tract of land lying between our western boundary and the
eastern boundary of Western Australia; and also, at some
future time, to extend this colony northward,"

The Adelaide corn market continued quiet, at
former quotations ; the supplies being hardly equa
to the demand.

The cargo of sugar ex Stag, from Mauritius,
realised good prices by auction.

THE RHODODENDRONS IN KEW GARDENS.—
During the month of Juno nothing can be more glorious
than the fine show of rhododendrons, their soft tints ranging
from Crimson to pink, and from the richest puce through
every shade of lilac, to the purest snowiest white—their
prodigality of blcssorn—the cloud-like roundness of their
forms, fading and melting into each other in the artistic
arrangement of their hues, is a lovely sight under the sun-
shine of a summer's day. Then there are mingling with
them, here and there, orange and pink and white azalias—
reminding us of Xenophon and mountains of Asia Minor.
which he tells us are covered with these lovely plants, ii
the hearts of which lurk poison. Honey, gathered from
them in these regicals, it 18 eaid, utaito4 thooo who cat of
it tad,

This 1-7 MI
etween 8 an,
9 a.m.

Nairn
Aberdeen
Leith
Berwick
Ardrossan
Portn,sh

Shields .

Galway .....,..
Searborough
Liverpool.,
Queenstown..

1 armouth---
London .... ..
.over .........
'ortinnouth
'ortland
'l.ymouth

S. E.
S. E.

E. S. E.
E. S. E.

I enzanee
Jersey ...

E.S.E.

S.E.