The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-27 00:00:00

plants and the rearing of many animals not yet in-
troduced, and systematic action in this direAion
alone will greatly increase our means of developing
the natural resources of the colony.
" The scarcity and dearness of horse --corn
have led to the trying of all sorts of expedients
to supply the deficiency. Oats are enormously

high. -Barley is scarcely to be had in k uffi-
cient quantity for seed. Maize is scarce and
dear, so there is a demand for oatmeal, gram, and

split peas. The only grain we have in abundance
is wheat, and this, being so much the cheapest, is
coming largely into use for feeding draught horses.
"LAZOVR.
"During the past month there has not been
much change in the state of this market. .Gcod
mechanics have little difficulty in obtaining work,
but there are stilt too many labourers and unskilled
workmen unemployed, and the wages of this class
have been gradually falling. As wages' fall the
demand increases, and the number of men unem-
ployed is not so great as it was. The late rains also
have enabled many of the employers of labour on
the goldfields to resume operations, and we now
bear little of a want of employment in the interior.
Most of the men seeking work congregate in town,
and their ranks are constantly increased by the new
arrivals. Of these . there have been some
within the last few days, and we have
seen instances of their being engaged _on

the first , day of their seeking employment ; but
these must be looked on as exceptional cases.

Many of them have to seek it in vain for many
days. For a short time female servants were more
numerous than is usual with us, and their wages
fell about one-sixth—instead of 301. a year, ordi-
naiy general servants had to accept 25/. ; but the
number of those unengaged is again decreasing.
As far as the working classes are concerned, our
politicians have chosen an unfortunate season for
their Ministerial changes. These changes, and the
strong opposition to the Government measures
which preceded them, have caused a delay of three
months in the ccmmencement of public works at
a period of the year when many of the labouring
classes have nothing else to look to. After the
conclusion of harvest most of the men thrown on
the • market have no otber resources until there is
water enough on the goldfields to allow of the
dirt' being washed up, and the precious metal
obtained. This channel is now open, and is
absorbing most of the unemployed men of the
country, and the inconvenience and difficulty
arising from the suspension and delay in the com-
mencing of public works cannot continue much
longer. All classes seem to be strongly opposed
to any further waste of time, and the first work
that will be expected from Parliament on the re-
sumption of business will be the passing of the .
estimates and a definite settlement of the railway
question, so that the works may be commenced
forthwith.
"From the English papers lately received there
appears to be a strong feeling among this unem..
pioyed in favour of emigration to Australia ; and
the stoppage of our grand schttme for the formation
of a large department, with plenty of money to
spend in forwarding labour to the colony will cause
much disappointment. This project is not likely
to be carried out as was originally intended. Be-
fore the arrangeMents were completed, our states-
men were startled to find that, from some cause
unforeseen by them, we could not employ the work-
ing men already in the country. This circumstance
was taken advantage of by the so-called popular can-
didatesin attemptingtosecuretheirre-election. They
pointed out the impropriety of send ng money
away for the introduct.on of more l*bourers when
there were so many idle men among us for whom
we could find nothing to do. But they either did
not see or were not honest enough to acknowledge
that the dearth of employment arose solely from a
want of foresight on the part of those entrusted
with the expenditure of the public fund. 4, them-
selves among the number. The Parliament, and
by their authority the Executive Government,
very much influence the state of the labour market,
and the unskilful use of this power may lead to
serious results. It was expected that the railways
and other works would draw so many men from
the regular branches of productive indu•try as 100
cause quite a derangement of the business of the
country ; but while measures were being taken to
guard against the anticipated evil an unexpected
one arose. This again is likely to drive us into
the other extreme, and to prevent any means
being taken for the introduction of labour."
" MINING.

" It appears from our provincial contemporaries
that fortune still flings gigantic nuggets at the feet
of some of her favourites. A.t the Whipstick, on
the 30th ult., a nugget weighing 26 ounces was
taken up in the Scotchman's Gully, a short dis-
tance from the claim where the 370 ounce nugget
was found, and on the day previous (Tuesday) an-
other nugget was taken up out of a different elainl
in the same ground weighing 19 ounces. At
Wltityre's a pers )n named M'Evoy has a claim on
a quartz reef lately opened, and on Tuesday week
he took out from it two specimens, one weighing
1291 b. and the other 81b., 1371 b. in all. It is snP-
posed that about 401 b. of quartz will be the out-
side, the remainder pure gold. On the following
day he and his mate, a young boy, took out an-
other specimen weighing 1071 b., of which the he ter
half is pure gold. The claim is very little worked,
-.1 the deepest part is only 18 inches. The finder
of the present lot is the same party who found the
nugget weighing 129 ounces 18 dwts. in No. 3
gully at M'lntyre's, which was the occasion of the
last rush. Of course these are the prizes in the
lottery of gold-digging, and there are plenty 0f
blanks, of which we hear nothing. The qua"
reefs in various districts are yielding almost fabu-
lous return..

" DEATH OF LADY BARFLY.
" We sincerely regret to have to record the death
of Lady Barkly, wile of his Excellency the Gayer;
nor. Her ladyship gave birth to a son on the Bth of
April, and from that time until her decease, which
occurred on the 17th ult., she suffered from anervoug
excitement, producing , depression of spirits, fits of
hysteria, and length a complete nervous exhalls"
tion terminating in de ith This melancholy eventlos
called forth one general feeling of regret for the
loss of a lady who had thus early succeeded in col; •
c.liating the respect and esteem of all classes, an
'
has also excited as wide-spread a sentiment of spy
pathy for her bereaved husband. The unpopulail
acquired by previous governors had induced th,
' pe)ple of Victoria to scrutinise with a watchful
suspicious eye the ch meter and conduct of S'
Henry and Lady Barkly, and it redounds, ther;
fore, all the more to the honour of the decease'
lady to have won, as she did in so short tb,,,
time the confidence and respect of the people among
whom she came as a perfect stranger This she ae;
complished by the blended dignity and affabilitY
her manner, her active and unostentatious farther'
ante of the objects of our charitable institutioll,
and the cordial and intelligent interest she in°ll:,-,
fested in whatever promised to be of advantage u'
the colony and its inhabitants. And the excellent
"
4,
qualities which were thus early developed ill
too brief career of the deceased lady deepen and 3.13;
tensify the grief we experience at her loss. ke"t
infant son only survived his mother for a forthig;
and his remains were deposited in the same gro
with those of Lady Barkly.

GOLD CIRCULAR.

From the Sydney Morning Herald, May 23.
Memo... per oz. £3 15 6
Adelong Of 314 6
Tamb3.roora
Stoney Creek
Sofala and Turon 79 313 0
Braidwood // 312 6,
Hanging Rock , f ° 3 12
Rockey River (clean)
Omeo 3 5 6
English sovereigns i per cent. premium.
American coins at a premium.
Chilian ditto at a discount.
French gold and silver ditto ditto.

The rains which prevailed during the surauleit
.
season have increased as the winter has advanced"
It was expected that the moisture of the season,
when dry weather usually prevails, would bd
counterbalanced by the dryness of the s-secel'
which -is usually characterised by moisture'
Such, however, has not been the case. Frefa
nearly all parts of the country, the informatZ
is that a superabundance of moisture is "
universal experience. Rains falling, rivers risiv%
and creeks overflowing their banks, o
tend to dell
vast tracts of the country, and saturate the soil ,0
an extent rarely experienced in Australia. lui,
result of this state of things is, that all -those nor
ot
cultural product 4, to which an excess of rain is eA
positively detrimental, have exhibited a fruitfuluel
which is rarely equalled and never surpassed ; an
the announcements of extraord !nary yields are sal;
Among other, one of the local papers gives to
same of a farmer who succeeded in obtaining fr°o,
one acre of land upwards of eight tons of a lc
duet which is quoted in Sydney at 81. to 101. 13:
ton. The cattle, too, throughout the country
hibit the improving influence which the rains 10:,
had upon the pasture lands. " Mobs" of cattle
sentto
any
bredto
inmarket,th ewhich
same
districts
at e describe
folr aascsounpseidi
considers
period. In some localities the c ,ntinued rains Ilay
o
had. the effect which might be anticipated in
ing au increased demand for land agricultural P-t
1( poses.

The Netherlands Land Euclosure Company loth'
is.ued a report preparatory to their meeting on the our'
The operations of the past 12 months have beenl„„a
able, not only as regards the amonnt of additions'
poi'
redeemed, but also as to the crop obtained from tb
tion3 sown with colza last year.