The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-06-22 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, TUESDAY, JUNE 2.2, 1852.

AUSTRALIA AND ITS EFFECTS UPON

BRITISH SHIPPING.

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THE effect of the discoveries of the precious metals in
our Australian colonies has been to create a complete re.
volution in the shipping business of this and other coun-
tries, and to call into requisition, most unexpectedly, a
class of vessels which had for some time lain on the hands
of their owners, with but little prospect of securing pro-
fitable employment. Within the past two months the
docks of Liverpool, London, and other ports have been
cleared, at excellent prices, of the whole of the available
supply on sale of large vessels, suitable for the emigration
trade between this country and Australia ; and many
others have been taken up on charter at highly remunera-
tive rates. Besides this effect at home, our shipping has
been in extensive demand in distant foreign ports, es-
pecially in the Chinese seas, for the purpose of conveying
Coolie and other natives to California, as well as to our
own gold settlements. So powerfully has the stream of
emigration set in from China to the former country, that
already the American miners have taken the alarm, and
seem disposed to check by every means in their power the
irruption, as interfering with the right of American citi-
zens to reap the bulk of the golden harvest. Yet, it is
confidently stated that the movement is only in its in-
fancy ; and that thousands of the industrious celestials
only wait for the necessary shipping to set out for one or
other of the lands of Ophir. As another result, neces-
sarily following the rapid development of the vast mineral
wealth of Australia, we are to witness a gigantic extension
of the steam marine of this country. and especially of
that of Liverpool. Messrs. Gibbs, Bright, and Co., have
just announced their intention to add the splendid steam-
ship Great Britain, to their Eagle line of packets to
Australia. Messrs. Vianna, Jones, and Chapple, had
previously announced a succession of four fine steamers
to run to that country, the first of which, the Os-
manli, was fixed to sail on the Ist of August; but we
observe that, owing to several other large steamers having
been entered for sailing at about the same date, that of
the Osmanli is, for the present, postponed. Another
larger undertaking has been announced by the British and
North American Royal Mail Steam-ship Company,
(Canard's line,) who propose to run steamers in connec-
tion with those between Liverpool and New York to
Chagres. It is expected, also, that the same will be
done from Southampton by the West Indian Royal
Mail Steam-packet Company. From Chagres the Isth-
mus will be passed; and passengers and goods will be for-
' warded on by the Pacific Steam-packet Company from
Panama via Tahiti, which will form a coaling station to
Australia. The distance by this route is, from Liverpool
to Chagres via New York, 5,300 miles ; across the Gulf,
50 miles ; and from Panama to Sydney, about 7,000 miles.
In addition to these steam liners in progress, there are at
present upwards of 30 large vessels now loading in our docks
for Australia; and an extensive demand for additional
supplies exists, which has bad the effect of raising prices
from 103. to 15s. par ton. This will readily be believed,
when we state that the Government Emigration Commis-
sioners are contracting for passengers at the rate of from
£l7 to £l9 per head. A few cases have occurred of
American ships having been taken from the lines to which
they belong and chartered for this trade. On Wednes-
day, the Maria, 2,000 tons burthen, and the Hibernia,
1,500 tons, the former, with about 350 emigrants, and the
latter with 337, wentinto the river. The Jane Pratt,lsoo tons
with about the same number, sailed on Tuesday. The Eu-
ropa, 1,000 tons, with 348 adult passengers, sailed on Thurs-
day from the government emigration depot Birkenhead,
and the Araminta, with 320 adults, equal to 405 souls, the
bulk of which were Highland shepherds, from the Isle of
Skye, cleared out on Saturday. Another vessel, the Me-
dina, is expected to sail on Thursday next, also with
government emigrants.
The demand which has lately arisen for stores and im-
plements, suitable for the diggings, is very great ; and the
persons going appear to comprise every class, from the
clerk to the agricultural labourer. The former argue truly
enough, that if digging prove too laborious for them,
there must be plenty of employment in the stores, at
Melbourne, Geelong, and other places.