NEW SOUTH WALES.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XIV, Issue 73, 8 December 1855, Page 3

NEW SOUTH WALES.

• Our files of Sydney papers extend to the latter end of October. .At the Ceptral Criminal Court, Henry Snelgrove and Archibald Thomson, who lately carried on an extensive wholesale stationery business m Sydney, were indicted for having wilfully and fraudulently made away with portions of property belonging to their estate while m a state of insolvency. The jury found a verdict of guilty ; and Mr. Justice Therry, after remarking that the evidence disclosed one of the most glaring cases of fraudulent insolvency that had ever come under his notice, sentenced the prisoners to be each kept to . hard labour on the public roads of the colony for five years. The Sydney and Parramatta Kailway was opened, on the 26th September, by the Gover-nor-General. The day was observed as a holiday, and the inhabitants of the city flocked m crowds to witness the ceremony. At the conclusion of the repast, which was prepared for the visitors at the Parramatta Hotel, the health of the Governor-General was proposed, to vfluch his Excellency made a suitable reply, and observed that " the line between Sydney and. Parramatta was the first great step m advance to "that time, which he hoped was not far distant, when the whole country would he covered with a network of railways." On the same subject the Empire thus remarks : — The completion of the Sydney and Parramatta Bailway is an event that derives its chief importance from its connection with the future. It is an important beginning. Parramatta is but its temporary terminus. The incident of yesterday was hailed less aB a fact accomplished, than as a preliminary step taken. And who shall say that the dreams m which men indulged, as for the first time- through the Australian bush they followed the footsteps of the iron horse, were visionary? Where shall terminate the journey on -which he yesterday set out ? Through many a deep mountain glen, along the banks of many an inland stream, across many a fruitful plain, he shall pursue his track, bearing into the inner and as yet unexplored wilds of our country the fruits of civilization, founding'cities and peaceful homesteads, and so opening up a mighty continent to the habitation of man. The funeral of the eminent SurveyorGeneral, Sir Thomas Mitchell, took place on the 9th October, and was attended by a large concourse of persons. The following letter from a digger m the Queelmar Creek will give some idea of the present state of gold-mining m New South Wales :— I have no doubt, after having been absent from Bydney some time, you will be somewhat anxious about me, particularly as I have not up to this time transmitted any information concerning my individual success, and mining affairs m general ; however, the truth is, that I was determined to give this district a trial previous to writing, for I can assure you I do not at all admire those persons who, on their arrival at a gold field, send to their Mends either flattering or discouraging letters, when actually they have not put a spado m the earth, thus being unable to give a veracious account of its poverty or richness ; this, therefore, will bo a sufficient apology for my silence hitherto. Gn ray arrival here, I lost no time m setting to work, and, I must certainly say, that never m the course of my experience m any of the Australian gold fields have I found a spot where the preciou3 metal was so largely distributed as the one on which I am now located^ 1 1 .ami doing exceedingly well, and, speaking honestly, I do not think clnre is an unfortunate hian on 1 the Creek. One J}£ r 'r, conoisting of font persons, netted last week 'thirty ounces, and the preceding. week twenty-five ounces ; our month's work has realized seventy-five ounces, and this has been obtained with one-half the work attending the Victoria diggings. The party m the next tent to ours washed, yesterday morning, two ounses out of a single tub of stuff; every one seems satisfied, and the fact is sufficient to show that all are doing well. A man's face on a gold field is as. good as a weather-glass, and faithfully indicates failure or success. The depth of einking on Queelmar Greek and Little Tumut diggings is from six to ten feet ; the gold is of first-rate quality, equal to the Ovens m fineness ; the auriferous deposit is spread over a surface many miles m extent, and I am sure that when we get the population, this gold field of New South Wales will rival, if not surpass, the far-famed (though now worked out) Bendigo itself. The reports from the various districts about hero are of a very flattering character, and show these gold fields to be quite m the ascendant ; the number of persons actually at work on this Creek (Queehnar) is only 150 ; but we have had constant augmentations of our numbers during the week, from Melbourne and 3vdney, and I expect we shall have double that number at worjt next week. We extract the following paragraph from the Bathurst Free Press : — Tin Mine.— A beautiful lode of gos3an having been discovered a short time ago by the proprietor of the Mount Esrom estate upon his land, he employed Captain Reid, late of the Ophh* Mine, to superintend the sinking of a shaft, which has since been carried to a depth of twenty feet from the surface, with a continued improvement m tho quality of the gossan. Aa yet, the ore has not been arrived at ; but the go3san, bo say the best judges, shows indications of the presence of tin. ' Upon this point Captain Reid, who has Bpent some eight or nino years at tin mining, speaks, m the language of confidence. Should the reasonable expectations of the existence of a mine, whether of copper or tin, fortunately happen to bo realized, tho immense advantages to Bathurst need hardly be pointed out. Tho spot where the shaft has been sunk is barely half a mile -from tho boundary of the town, and additional encouragement may bo derived from the circumstance that the lode crops out m various other portions of the plains, and within a moderate distance of the bonndary of the town. .Every well-wisher "of the place must wish success to enterprises of this character.