The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-10-11
The search for slr john Frauklln.

Ross and Captain Beechey, of the admiralty, last
week, has been the expression Of their unanimous
conviction that Sir John Franklin has taken the
passage to the northwest out Of Wellington Chan
mel, and that he must be sought by taking the same
route But it Is the opinion Of these authorities-
while fully recognizing and even Insisting upon the
advantages of immediately despatching q steamer
to carry the abandoned search in that direction
that no vessel can be started with any hope Of
reaching an advanced position inDayis Straits, and
getting into safe harbor, before the winter.
To this decision We must Of course deler; and we
look forward to the early spring the moment
for sending back the vessels which have 80 pre-
maturely returned, with the addition OF the power
ful steamer obviously so essential to the search
and It remains to be seen whether the Board of Ad
miralty will have the courage to act up to its
yictions spontaneously, or will need such pressure
duced tho measures Of which now see the partial
results. OF one thing feel assured--namely that
the Admiralty must regard the return of expedi-
tion which they sent out for. if necessary, three
years search, at the end of half tina. period, with
vexation and disappointment more particularly as
il is mainly to be referred to the restrictive charac
ter Of their instructions, and to the want of
those supplies to fall back upon, by which every
expedition must be sup ported, if would give our
commanders the confidence Indispensable to per-
severance in their labors.
The Gold Fields OF Australia ana California.
From the London Times, Sept. 49,
The discovery of gold fields in New South Wales
will produce very different effects on di6eren minds;
some will lament over it as calculated TO introduce
q new element Of corruption into an atmosphere
only just recovering from the moral faint with
which we have so sedulously inoculated it; while
others, with perhaps more justice, will regard any
discovery which tends rapidly and permanently TO
ugmeLt the amount of wealth possessed by the hui
man race q subject which, due allo Vance being
made for all drawbacks, cannot be contemplated
with out feelings o. egratulaton As it is not in
our power to prevent the existence Of that cause
which is to give rise to these specuatons, we
think that we should be employing ourselves ore
proftably in considering the question in its more
imnediae relations to the weflre of the colony, than
in abstract specuations on the advantages disad
| vantages OF that which is clearly inevitable.
In California, the discovery Of gold was made in
o country where society as yet rude and un-
formed, and no branch Of industry had been culti-
waited with any degree OF prominence or success.
| The State is the creation of the gold mines,
and its popula ion consists not Of inhabitants of the
county wao had relinquished their regular occupa-
lions for this more attractive pursuit, but of per-
| sons drawn from every quarter of the earth, and
| whose absence ON their respective communities
was in many cases felt to be relief Ither than a
burden The case Of the Australian colonies (for
this purpose they may all be considered as one) is
as different as can possibly be imagined; besides
the usual occupations of agriculture, they have, as
every body knows, become field for pastoral enter
prise on scale of unequelled magnitude. The
sheep, which constit ate their principal wealth,
divided into focks varying from four hundred to a
thousand in number, each of which is intrusted to
the care of a single shepherd. Two of these focks
are generally driven together to the same station,
1
change the hurdles and watch the sheep by night.
| The country being infested by wild dogs, IL is
absolutely necessary that some one should al
ways be present with the sheep, in order TO pro-
tect them from this cause of destruction, and the
! force required for this purpose is about three men
| to every twelve hundred sheep. Now, in the year
1913, the number Of sheep in New South Wales and
Port Philip exceeded eleven millions six hundred
thousand. not to speak of the focks in South Aus
| tralia or Van Dieman's Land 1t is not probably,
unreasonable to calculate that, in the three years
-. L. l.
number Of sheep has increased to at least fourteen
millions. This enormous amount of property exists
from day to day by virtue of the unceasag aud
attention bestowed upon it by the shepherds, under
rigid system Of central superintendence; without
that 1t could not exist for q single week Now.
| let our readers imagine the effect which must be
| produced the minds Of the proprietors of these
fourteen millions Of sheep by the Information that
gold field has been discovered, which is certain to
attract away from their existing engagements every
shepherd and hut keeper in their employment. II
will be vain to asttmp. to retain them by offers Of
increased wege. One employer OF labor may com.
pete with another; but who can bid against the
lima ginary riches Of Eldorado in which every ad.
venturer expects to find splendid fortune imps-
| tently awaiting his acceptance
| Nor is this all The sbearing Of the sheep, which
takes place about the month of October, is ope-
ration not generally intrus ed 10 the Shepherds but
to persons who round the country for the pur
pose. Shearing cannot be long deferred in Austria
liza without ruin to the fleece, from the presence OK
the seed Of particular grass, well known to the
purchasers at wool tales. IL the fleece is not
shorn before November, 1t Is very greatly detsrio
rated in value. Now, these professional sheep
shearers are exactly the persons who, from their
tinerant way of life and reckless habits will be the
FIRST to swell the ranks Of the gold finders. Add to
this that the reckless and desperate who
having served their sentence Of transportation,
swarm in all the Australian colonies, will flock to
the gold field as common centre, net much with
view to labor as to profit by those opportunities
of plumber which such scene of confusion and ex-
element must necessarily afford, and we have emu
merated causes quite sufficient to overthrow socis
than Sas Of New south Was The dSnsS
carrying supplies into the interior, through roads
which will soon become infested with banditti, and
under the care Of men who will be far more disposed
to desert their charge and join the general hunt for
gold than shed their blood in the defence of their
masters property, will be no Uncomfortable aggra-
walton Of the crisis.
that is the prevention by armed force Of unautho.
rized intrusion on the lands of the crown, and the
preservation from plumber Of the valuable public
property recently discovered The gold region has
lot yet passed into private is; and even IL It
had, the royal mines Of gold and silver would
still remain the property Of the crown. There
is, therefore, clear right to reserve this public
property for public use; and when il is considered
how materially the revenue derived from 1t might
tighten the burden Of taxation to the colonsts the
duty TO preserve IL is as obvious rs the right. All
the proceeds Of the gold field, beyond the wages Of
the miners and the profits Of the capital employed
in working It, clearly the property Of the colony
to whose they are to be applied, according to
the statute ard6 Victoria, Q 30, under the direc
ton Of three Lords Of the Treasury. The right and
euty to preserve this property being thus clear, we
sincerely wish that our power to do so were equally
manif, 81. With a commendable economy, which
this unforeseen event by means impugns, Lord
Grey has reduced the troops in the Austr allan colo
MES, beyond those required for the coercion Of the
copvscts, TO a number 80 small-some few hun
dreds, we beliove-as to be wholly unable to cope
with the general rush towards the land Of promise.
And yet upon their ability to do so depends, we
have sho Tn not merely the preservation Of the gold
fields from the hands Of unauthorized ntruders, but
the actual existence, for another year. Of the nocks
and herds which form the wealth OF the colonies.
Had We that regular and rapid steam communca-
tion with Australia which ought, long ago to have
been provided, we might hope TO apply some remedy
the evil before it becomes intoerabe. As IL is,
cur most strenuous efforts may possibly como too
late The duty Of government is, nevertheless,
perfectly plain-to send out such force as may