The Sun. — 1858-10-19 (London, England)

AUSTRALIA.  SYDNEY, ATM. 11. For a considerable time past commercial affairs have remained in a state of great depression, in consequence of the warehouses being overstocked with English and American goods. It is quite evident that until a great part of the stock in hand is cleared off the imports continually arriving must, if sold, lag disposed of at a price disastrous to the shippers. The evil long complained of—great irregularity in the mail service—has tended to cr/mp the ordinary operations of trade, and efforts are being made to procure the adoption of the Panama route instead of that by way of India. The presence of a considerable naval and military force at Port de France, New Caledonia, the French station in the Pacific, has occasioned some uneasiness here, lest the three ships of war, two war steamers, and 1,000 military, should be assembled within a few days sail of Australia, with hostile views. The advices just received, contradicting a prevalent rumour of a rupture between England and France, has quieted the alarm. A new electoral bill for this colony has for some time past occupied the attention of the House of Assembly. Manhood suffrage and vote by ballot has been affirmed. The effect of this large extension of the franchise will be to give a preponderance to the town constituencies over the " squatting" interest—the pioneers of Australian prosperity. The electric telegraph from Adelaide to Mel-hr bourne is in full work. The line northward, from the latter capital to Sydney, is in a state of forwardness, the work being in progress on each side the border, the junction to be at Albany. When completed the colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia will have the benefit of rapid communication to the extent of nearly a thousand miles.  The new lighthouse at the entrance of Port Jackson being finished, a bright fixed light is nightly exhibited. The lighthouse stands on the edge of the cliff, forming the Inner South Head, at an elevation of 60 above the sea level. A new gold-field has been discovered in the north of this colony, which is said to be the seat of a rich auriferous deposit. It is in the Port Curtis district, about 30 miles from Rockhampton and seven from the Fitzroy .river. The diggers, who are as yet only " surfacing," are well satisfied with their earnings. What are called the old gold-fields, though so long and diligently worked, exhibit no falling off in the produce. The Yass mail-coach was stopped about three weeks ago by two highwaymen with blackened faces, who robbed the passengers of money and valuables to the amount of £2OO, and carried off the mail-bags. One of the latter has been found, unopened, and an active search after the thieves has resulted in the capture of a man supposed to be one of them.  We have lately heard of serious outrages committed by the aborigines on the borders of the settled districts, who have murdered some of the whites, and committed felonious assaults on females. For a long time previously the natives had been peaceable towards the settlers. Mr. Roberts, civil engineer of Sydney, who has been for several months engaged in surveying the squatting district of the Bar wan, lately fell in with a party of the " hairless savages," whose existence has recently been made known. They comprised a family of six, a man and his wife and four children, all totally destitute of hair. Their complexion is of a copper colour, less dark than that of the North American Indians, and partaking more of the Mexican tint. It is supposed that this family is the produce of an admixture sf the Malays and the north-western black tribes of Australia, driven from the interior by continuous and incessant drought, or that they are the remnant of some extinct race.  The winter, now on the eve of giving place to out Australian spring, has been unusually severe this year. Snow has fallen in some places, to the vast admiration of many a colonist under twenty years of age ; and the creeks in various parts have been covered with numerous flocks of swans, ducks, teal, widgeons, and other wild fowl. Nevertheless, an extensive drought has prevailed in the southern district, causing great destruction among the cattle from the want of food and water. The price of meat is consequently high in the Victoria markets.