COLONIAL NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 37, 20 September 1851, Page 3

COLONIAL NEWS.

SYDNEY. . A meeting was held recently in Sydney to devise means for presenting to 'Her Majesty a diadem, or other ornament, manufactured of Bathurst gold. From various causes, not more than twenty persons were present. The prepared resolutions as to the presentation, the raising of subscriptions, and'the appointment of a committee for the purpose, having been carried, a Mr. Wright rose to move that nothing should be presented to Her Majesty unaccompanied by an expression of feeling condemnatory of the principles and policy of Earl Grey. The Chairman ruled that this was out of order ; a scene of confusion followed, and the proceedings abruptly terminated. Upwards of 11,000?. worth of gold were forwarded to England by the "Mary Bannatyne." Provisions had risen suddenly at the mines, and large quantities of goods were again being transported thither. The accounts as to the success of the diggers vary, and but few parties have met with uniform success. The crushing of quartz for the purpose of extracting the small particles of gold was being experimentally tried. The Committee for the foundation of the proposed " Chamber of Commerce," in Sydney, had published a series of rules and regulations. The chief objects of the " Chamber" are, to collect information regarding matters mercantile and maritime, with a view to the removal of evils, and the redress of grievances, and to decide in dispute between individuals on matters of mercantile custom. The ships "Bank of England" and "Malacca," from England, arrived at Sydney Aug. I]. The " Malacca " brought 35 of the Hon. Sydney Herbert's needlewomen. One of the youn"women, named Marion Allen, fell overboard and was drowned on the passage out. Mr. W. Nation, the printer, and Mr. J. J Clayton, the publisher of the Sydney Press, had been committed for trial for a libel on Sir Alfred Stephen, one of the Judges of the Supreme Court. His Honor complains that he has been called " a Puseyite political Judge." Maekets, Friday, Aug. B.—The usual business was doing in flour, which was firm at 25/. nne, 23/. seconds. Home wheat was sellin<>- at 9s. 3d. to 10s. 6d. per bushel. Some sales of V D. Land Wheat had been made at ] Is. Maize dull at 3s. a bushel. Oats in demand at from 3s. to 3s. 9d. for good samples. Cape barley, 3s. 3d. to 3s. 9d.; English malting barley, Ss^Qd. to 4s. Hyson-skin Teas had risen to 755., and Congou 975. 6d. to 105s. for fine Pampanga and Taal Sugars realized 225. and 245. A large quantity of Madagascar sugar had been taken for counter purposes, beinobright and well granulated. ° MELBOURNE. | Our latest Melbourne news date to the 30th J of August. The « Eaven," we rejoice to state, J arrived safely at Port Philip on 19th of August having, however, had a narrow escape, with considerable damage, on this coast, in the gale in which the " Maria " struck. His Excellency C. J. La Trobe, Esq., was installed on the Isth of July, with al f due for . mahty, as the first Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria. Ihe occasion was celebrated as a general holiday by all classes. About eleven o'clock in the forenoon His Excellency made his appear-

ance at Government House, which was thronged with the various deputations waiting to present addresses. Her Majesty's Commission instituting the Lieut.-Governorship having been read, Mr. La Trobe took the prescribed oaths. His Excellency was then proclaimed, amid the roar of cannon and the shouts of the populace, and retired to receive congratulatory addresses from the mayor, aldermen, and council, the citizens of Melbourne, the solicitors of the Supreme Court, the Clergy, the Government officers, and the representatives of Freemasonry and Odd-Fellowship. A levee followed, and an inauguration ball concluded the day. The Gold Committee, unable to decide upon the respective merits of the claimants of the 200 Z. reward, had determined to rest upon the judgment of the public, and award the prize to the discoverer of those " diggings" which should attract the greatest number of adventurers. The total value of the exports from Port Philip to Great Britain for the year ending July, 1852, is shewn by the Argus to have been £1,187,600. The district of Collingwood, where Divine Service is at present held in the School room, is to have an Episcopal Church, through the exertions of members of the Church of England, in that locality. The Launceston Examiner, in commenting upon the recent Church conference in Melbourne, says : —" The members of the Episcopal Church in Victoria are preparing for those inevitable changes which must soon transpire throughout Australasia, when every sect will be left to its own resources. The * conference' have met and deliberated, and the president, their excellent bishop, displayed a spirit, temper, and wisdom which reflects credit on Dr. Perry. Nor were his people backward. They are'far in advance of the laity in this island, though not abreast of those in South Australia. Their brethren in America have shown that episcopacy is suitable for the world, and not merely for a state where it is exclusively favoured or partially patronised. We must admit there is a hesitancy—a want of faith in eternal principles—a lack of knowledge, a groping, in the dark; but combined with these there is a boldness, a sense of justice, and considerable confidence in what a church can itself accomplish." The following vessels were declared open for charter from Port Philip to Canterbury, for stock and passengers, viz., the " Pyrenees," 800 tons, in August, and the " Csesar Godeffroy " in September. Messrs. Hocking and Terrill's splendid working model of the Burra Burra and other copper mines of Adelaide, was in course of exhibition at Melbourne, preparatory to being taken to Sydney and London. It displays about 124 mechanical figures engaged in the various operations of breaking, cleansing, and washing the ores. The motive power is a combination of steam and hydraulics. The " Sea," ship, which arrived at Melbourne, Aug. 20, spoke the « Emilia," bound for New Zealand, in about 30" S. Melbourne Pkoduce Markets, Aug. 23. Wool Is. Old. to Is. \%d. per lb. ; no superior clips ou hand. Tallow 27/. to 28/. per ton, bush ditto 24/. Hides ss. to 6s. each. Beef, aalted, per tierce, 21. to 21. 10s. Pork, salted, none in the market. Potatoes, best sort, 61. per ton; inferior, 3/. 15s. Wheat, per bushel, 9s. 6d. to Us. Barley, English malting, ss. 9d. to 6s. 3d. per bushel. Oats, ss. 6d. to 6s. 9d.; Maize, fine quality, 4s. 9d. Flour, fine, per ton, 26/.: seconds, 24/. ADELAIDE. The Lieut.-Governor opened the Legislative Council in person on the 20th, and from his speech we gather that the population is 67,000. During the past year the excess of immigration over emigration was 6,137. The value of the imports, 887,523/.; of the exports, 571,348/ The export of wool was, 3,289,232 lbs.; of copper metal, 44,594 cwt.; of copper ore, 8,784 tons. The tonnage inwards and outwards was 168,468 tons. The extent of enclosed land, 174,184 acres. The waste land occupied by squatters, 15,317 square miles. The places 6? worship in the colony, 102; Schools, Jls. The general colonial revenue, inclusive of the balance of the previous year, and exclusive of land fund receipts, 178,726/. of which 102,523/. were derived from the Customs. The duties on wines, spirits, and tobacco, amounted to 57,606/ ■1 he general colonial expenditure, exclusive of land fund expenditure, was 136,304/. The land iund receipts, including the balance of the pre-

vious year, were 114,467/., and the land fund expenditure, 102,778?. In little more than six years the population had nearly trebled itself: a clear surplus balance on hand of 40,000/. may be calculated upon at the end of 1851. The Register of August the 18th says :— " Some beautiful specimens of rock gold were brought into town on Saturday last, which had been found on a section adjoining the Victoria Mine, the property of J. B. Neales, Esq. The gold is in fine laminae, mixed with quartz and. sandstone. A large course of the lode crosses the section on which it was originally found, and which was acquired on leasehold by Mr. Neales from the late Mr. Metcalfe, but the debris is washed over another section, which is the freehold property of the former gentleman. Two sets of miners have entered into arrangements with Mr. Neales to work the lode for the next twelvemonth, paying him a handsome royalty and a rental for the land besides." The Register of the 12th says:—" The Burra association have discovered on their property a new lode of red oxide, which is found to contain. 60 ounces of silver the ton (of 20 cwt). A new and most promising lode has also been discovered at the Reedy Creek Mine, which has tended to create very sanguine expectations of the future prosperity of the Australian Mining Association.

Wbeck of the Emigrant Ship "Marion." —The melancholy intelligence reached the Port late on Thursday night last,- of the loss of the above vessel on Troubridge Shoal. The following authentic particulars obtained from Capt. Kissock may be relied on. On the 24th. of March, the " Marion " left Plymouth in company with the "City of Manchester" and the "King William," with 353 emigrants, and sighted Kangaroo Island last Monday morning, about 3 a.m.; at this time the vessel was beating up the Gulf, and continued to do so until she struck on the outer reef on Troubridge Shoal, which took place about 8 o'clock a.rn on Tuesday. The lead was hove just before the vessel struck, but there was no sounding. She was in full sail at the time, and going at the rate of about four knots per hour. Shortly after the vessel struck she rapidly filled ; previous to which the sails were backed to try and float her again, but it proved unsuccessful. At this time there was a strong tide setting in on the Troubridge Shoal. Capt. Kissock then ordered the boats to be lowered (four in number), and all the females and children were put into them and made towards Yorke's Peninsula, where two of the boats were safely landed, and the other two at Cape Jervis. Some of the emigrants were landed on Tuesday night, others on Wednesday, and the remainder on Thursday morning. A fishing-boat rendered the sufferers some assistance by taking away several boat-loads from the ill-lated vessel on Wednesday. Capt. Kissock having been informed that there was a small vessel at Yorke's Peninsula, the " Maid of the Mill," he sent for her on Wednesday morning, but the vessel was then on the beach high and dry. However, she arrived at the wreck on the same evening about 5 o'clock, when the rest of the emigrants embarked in her with some boxes, they then left the wreck about dark and arrived at the Port early on Thursday morning. At the time they left the vessel the water was within about 18 inches of the main deck. There is not the slightest chance of her ever being floated off again ; she must inevitably become a perfect wreck. It is very probable that she has already gone to pieces, the weather on Friday night having been exceedingly rough. The loss of the vessel is attributed to the strong currents which set in on the shoal. All the emigrants have landed safe; one infant, however, has since died.— South Australian Register. Adelaide Markets, August 21.—GrunWheat 7s. 6d. to 7s. 9d.; flour £20 to £2110s. ; oats 6s. 6d. per bushel; crushed maize 75.; bran Is. Bd.; pollard Is. 6d. ; English barley scarce; Cape barley also scarce; hay £5 10s. to £6 lOs.

Cattle.—There were only 700 sheep in the market to-day, which went off readily at from 9s. to 125.; horned cattle realized about 12s. per 100 lbs.— JS. A. Register.

Geelong. —The building intended as an Asylum and Benevolent Institution, was likely to be shortly finished, and the funds subscribed'for its erection and furnishing found to be amply sufficient. '

The Wool season was drawing near, with a labour market high, and threatening to rise still higher. There appeared no prospect of a sup-