The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-08-29 00:00:00

THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.

The following statements may be cited from parliamen-
tary documents regarding New South Wales. The popo-
- in this colony in 1846 was 189,609, the number 10
Sydney, the capital, being 50,000, and there is still a con-
siderable disproportion between the sexes. In the Yes;
1845 the quantity of land under cultivation was 163,331
acres. The number of sheep is now 8,000,000, although.,
not less than 900,000 were boiled down for tallow in 1841
—a process which yields a net profit of only about 50.
per head, while the annual average of the fleece, if it were
not compelled to be sacrificed for want of labour, would
be about 4s. Amongst articles of experimental cultiva-
tion the vine has been introduced, and is increasing veil
rapidly. Cuttings planted on about one or two acres,
yielded a vintage in 16 months which gave four pipes of
wine. Much of what is planted is the Rhine graPf*
There is also some of the claret grape and the Constanto
grape. The latter grows very abundantly, and gives no!
a sweet wine but a sparkling dry wine of the colour 0'
amber, and it is believed that by skill it may be made to
produce something original. The other quality of
i wino,
chiefly resembles hock. Although at present it s no;
much drunk at the tables of the colonists, but is consnnled,.
chiefly by the labourers, who pay ss. per gallon for it, a
is thought to be soon likely to come into general use.
Sotne pains have been taken to introduce persons who un-
derstand the cultivation of vineyards and the manufacture
of wine. The latitude of New South Wales is similar
.to
that of the south of Spain, and the climate is very like it,
but not quite so hot. In Spain nothing can be done
without irrigation, and in Australia this has not been
commenced. The duty on imported wine is 15 per Cent'
ad valorem.

The olive has also been introduced to a small extent.
It thrives wonderfully, but an erroneous impression has
baen entertained that it requires 20 years to produce fruit,
whereas, by the proper method of planting, such a_ i
s
practised in Andalusia, a good crop may be obtained
three years. Silk production likewise has been tried, but
still only on a limited scale, although it is produced very
easily, and in great abundance. The mulberry is not in-
digenous, but it grows well. The orange grows magnifi
cently. The cotton plant, unlike the American descrip-
tion, is a perennial, the same as in the Brazils, the East
Indies, and Egypt.
With regard to mineral productions, coal, it appears, is
abundant. In many localities it may be seen cropping
out at the surface, and it has been ascertained to extend
to a great depth, Copper mines have also been disco-
vered. About the beginning of the present year an ex
tensive settler in Bathurst county, about 120 miles" from
Sydney, had obtained some specimens from the Burro
Burra Mine in the neighbouring colony of South Austra-
lia, and having given a specimen to each of the shepherds
in his employment, with a promise that he would make it
worth their while if they could find in their sheep walks
anything similar to it, he was surprised in the course of a
few weeks by a piece being brought to him with an on:
nouncement that at a spot distant about 35 miles he might
find similar ore in any quantity. The result was the do'
covery of a very rich and apparently inexhaustible copper
mine, and labourers are either now on their way out for
the purpose of working it, or a negotiation is pending for
sending them. Again, in the Yass district country, about
140 miles from Sydney, there has been found a very valu-
able lead mine.

Steam communication exists from Sydney to Melbourne,
Launceston, and Adelaide. The construction of railways
is eagerly desired, and a line has been surveyed from Sycl;
ney to Goulburn, about 120 miles. One plan suggested
as an inducement to European capitalists is, that Govern-
ment should give a free grant of an acre of land for everY,
pound subscribed to these undertakings, so that the suu,-
scriber, in addition to his chance of profit from the rah'
way, would be put in possession of land equal in value'
at the Government minimum price, to the amount of his
investment, and which land would be sure to advance
greatly from the completion of the undertaking. At the
same time the temptation to the Government would be,
that in making the estimated grant of 560,000 acres for
the purpose of railway, they would bring into valuej;
supposing the advantages of the line to be felt within 2"
square miles on either side, a total of 2,560,000 acres'
leaving 2,000,000 available for speedy sales, and probably
at advanced prices.
A supply of labour is the grand want. According to 0
majority of the witnesses, the. colony could receive during
the present year 20,000 actual labourers, independentll
of their wives and families, without depressing to any
portant extent the rate of wages. The colonists having
voted the application of £lOO,OOO to the purpose, on the
security of the land fund, Lord Grey has authorised the
commissioners to send out to them and to South Austra:
lia at least 10,000 people in the next twelve months. It
is understood that a very large number of the children ea
parents who died during the Irish famine of 1847, ae
whose ages are between 14 and 18, will be included i°
this emigration. It is stated by several witnesses that;
great desire exists on the part of the labourers and sit%
settlers, similar to that which is so strongly observable
among the Irish in America, to aid the emigration of re;
lations and friends by making remittances, and Lor
Grey has accordingly directed the governor to offer ever-
facility for the purpose. In May 1847, such was the nr:
gency of the colonists to obtain labour that a proposition
was made in the Legislative Council regarding the exPe:
diency of procuring it even from China, India, or the
South Sea Islands, although. the evil of engrafting bar
barons or inferior races upon the population was clear:
foreseen. The measure, however, was not carried one
except in the shape of an experiment on the part of olle
intelligent and enterprising settler, who imported 50 Sow;
Sea Islanders from the island of Tanna, one of the NeL,
Hebrides group. From the allusions made to this exPer'
went it appears to have been a failure.
Regarding the Moreton Bay territory, which forms,tN •
northern portion of New South Wales, it is asserted
Dr. Lang to he " one of the most favourable fields !s`i.,
colonization that has ever been occupied by the Bri,tv,d,
race." Its extent of navigable rivers is almost unequallw
and the climate is of the finest order. Mr. Fry, a e°llo
missioner of Crown lands, described the plains on L,
banks of the Clarence river as " an almost complete reen"a
cation of Fenelon's conception of Calypso's isle," so,
such is its salubrity that, although there is a thriving 110
pulation of 1,000 souls, a medical man of popular mano„`at
and known talent found, after two years' experience, 'f„,d
:t was impossible to make an income. The Richinso
river is also in this portion of New South Wales, ands
)lains, which are still more extensive, possess the sere,
re,
character, and in Mr. Fry's opinion are capable
ceiving and settling the whole redundant populatio
nrs
:;neat Britain. "On the whole," he says, a tour Yeeo,
residence has confirmed me in the opinion that no ce,i,
r.ry ever came from the hands of its Creator more
aently qualified to be the abode of a thriving and nuTeerj
ais population, and in forming this estimate I haveu„,no
uninfluenced either by prejudice or by interest, beno.
.ray concerned with it, save in that arising from WY
.rial capacity."

LIVERPOOL :
TUESDAY, AUG. 29, 1848.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED Os
'VERY TUESDAY MORN".
By JOSHUA FLNICIIEtt, LA r. p., of 53 Grove street, -
LEONARD ADDISON, or 14, Great Orford-street,
At No. 4, ST. GEORGE'S CRESCENT, LIVERPOOL.