The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-13 00:00:00

" the tea districts. From Kinkiang to Hangkow the
distance is 135 miles, making the total distance
from Woosung to the latter place 600 miles. Hang-
kow comprises three cities—Hangkow proper, :on
the left bank of the river—Wuchang, opposite to it
on the right—and Hanyang, on the same side as
Hangkow, but divided from it by the Han river. It
is an enormous place, although not half the size it
was, as seen by the ruins, Life and activity pre-
vailed, and, if not interfered with by revolutions,
its already immense trade is likely to increase.
Communications by water lead from it in all direc-
tions. The principal difficulty in the navigation
up the river was at Foosban, but suitable steamers
and a little more experience of the river this will
in a great measure be obviated.

" From Tientsin we have dates to the 15th ult.
The ice had broken up, and business was likely to
be resumed with activity.

" Mr. Bruce, it was expected, would go to Pekin
on the 20th ult., and it is reported that the Em-
peror was to return to the capital. An Imperial
edict has appeared, establishing a Board of Foreign
Affairs at Pekin.

$g From Yokohama we have no later dates than
the 2d ult.

,g From Saigon we learn that the Anamese have
been driven out of the district, but what the subse-
quent proceedings of the French are to be is not
known.

" There is nothing of local interest to commun

cate.

The London mail of Feb. 11th arrived here
on the 27th ult., and the outward mail leaves
to-day."

lIONG-KONG, ArniL 1.
During the past fortnight a fair amount of busi-
ness has been done in imports ; prices, however,
with the exception of cotton and yarn, show but
little alteration.

Canton silk—Quotations are nominal.
Tea--Business during the fortnight has been
small, owing to the firmness of teamen. Settle-
ments amount to 11 chops. Prices of the finer
descriptions show a slight advance. Country
green teas.—About 3,000 packages of fair to fine
quality have arrived, for which extreme rates are
demanded. In scented kinds there is no change,
and settlements are very trifling. Sales, stocks,
and prices are as follows :—Congou, 11 chops ;
Ohnams, 19 to 24 taels ; Oopacks, 26 to 31 taels ;
Moning, 25 to 26 taels, stock, 47 chops.
The total export of silk from China to Europe is
74,834 bales, against 56,140 bales last year, or an
increase for this season of 18,694 bales.

A USTRA LIA,

(From the Times Correspondent.)
MELBOURNE, MARCH 25.
The Northam, with the January mails, did not
reach Hobson's Bay until Monday last, the 18th
inst. She brought to these colonies Sir J. Young,
the Governor of New South Wales, and Gen. Came-
ron, the commander of the forces in New Zealand.
Both proceeded in the Northam to Sydney. Gen.
Cameron proceeds to Auckland without delay to
confer with Governor Browne before taking the
command at Taranaki. It is by no means impro-
bable that Pukerangiora, the stronghold of Xingi,
may be demolished before the general's arrival.
Nothing of material interest to the English reader
has occurred in our legislature since last mail. The
House of Assembly has been engaged in discussing
the estimates item by item and salary by salary,
according to the approved colonial fashion. The
reductions are extensive, but are governed by ca-
price rather than by any system, and the recom-
mendations of the Civil Service Commission ap-
pointed by the OtShanassy Ministry, which pro-
duced a very able report, which, if carried out,
would have placed the civil service on a permanent
basis, combining efficiency with economy, have for
the present been get aside. In one attempt at
economy the Ministry has been defeated by the
Upper House: In the "golden age" the Gover-
nor's salary was fixed at £lO,OOO a-year, with
£5,000 for his staff, the Government also renting
a house for £3,000 a year. Now that the cost of
living is not above half what it was when the
above extravagant remuneration was fixed, no one ,
doubts that £15,000 a year is too high for the Go-
vernor and his staff. The Government accordingly
brought in a bill to reduce it to £B,OOO and a house
to live in—for we have no Government House. But
as the salary of £15,000 is very properly viewed in
the light of a contract with the present Governor,
the bill provided that the reduction should not take
effect until the expiration of six years from the date
of Sir Henry Barkly's arrival in the colony; or
from the Governor's removal, if before the usual
periodof sixyeare. Thus if Sir Henry's usual period
of service should be extended, that extension would,
under the proposed bill, have been deemed a new
contract at the reduced salary. If Ministers had
fimly adhered to their bill, there is little doubt that
they would have carried it; but when it was in com-
mittee in the Assembly there was a good deal of dis-
cussion as to the amount which,considering the altered
circumstances of the colony, would be fit and proper.
When the schedule fixing the amount (£8,000) had
been provisionally filled in came before the com-
mittee, Ministers themselves—evidently to curry
favour with some of their supporters of the " corner"
—proposed £7,000 ; which was carried by the
Ministers' votes. They could as easily have carried
their original proposal ; and it was their vacillating
conduct (the very thing, by the way, which helped
to wreck the Nicholson Ministry), which induced
the Legislative Council to reject the bill which they
could not amend. However, the passing of the bill
by the Assembly must be taken by the Secretary of
State to the Colonies as notice, for there can be no
doubt that a somewhat similar bill will be passed
during next session, though there may be a reaction
in favour of a somewhat larger sum.

A Ministerial change has led to a privilege
question, which has " got itself settled," as Carlyle
would say, without much practical inconvenience
to the member most concerned. Mr. Loader,
the Postmaster-General, was appointed also Com-
missioner of Trade and Customs, " without salary,!'
so the Gazette announcement ran. One of our
constitutional enactments prbvides, following the
language of the statute of Anne, that any
member who shall accept an office of profit under
the Crown shall vacate his seat. Now, by the
Constitution Act, the Commissioner of Trade and
Customs is one of the offices expressly designated
as a Ministerial office, and a salary is assigned to it
in the schedule. Moreover the officer after a cer-
tain
term of service is entitled to a pension. Mr.
Wood, the late Attorney-General, brought the sub-
ject before the Assembly as a question of privilege.
He contended, with great cogency of reasoning,
that the office was by the express words of the
statute one of profit, and that its character was not
altered by his agreeing to accept it without salary.
Mr. Duffy I think it was who threw in the argu-
ment that the contingent right to a pension made it
an office of profit even without the statute. The
question was referred to a committee of privileges.
The committee reported that the seat was vacated,
and the house affirmed the report. Mr. Loader
accordingly went back to his constituents, and was
returned without opposition. Not so, however,
Mr. Ireland, the Attorney-General. He offered
himself for Warnambout, a small trading town on
the west coast. The Opposition put up a very
popular local man, named Manifold, then absent
from the colony, but daily expected, and Mr. Ire-
land was defeated. This is really a misfortune to
the Ministry, for Mr. Ireland is unquestionably an
able man and a good debater, added to which they
have no law officers in the house.

At present there is no organised Opposition in a
condition to take office, an this no doubt keeps
Ministers in their places.

first nine or ten weeks
up to this time. For the
of
but
increase,
The supply of gold is about equal to last year's
there seemed to be a fair prospect
the accounts made up to Friday 5.,1-,ow a decrease of
late, and the quantity brought down last week was
only 27,8610 z. The total quantity is
433,9360 z,
against 435,2470 z last year. The fallowing gold
ships have sailed since my last :—Boreas, 10,4680 Z ;
Prince of Wales; 22,1510 z ; Themis, 23,5940 z;
Yorkshire, 38,6260 z. These vessels also took home I
6,243 bales of wool, including the Lawrence
Browne, which had no gold. The importations
have
been moderate, and the rate of exchange
=-
,
tirtuo as before.