SYDNEY. Empire Office, November 7.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 868, 26 November 1853, Page 3

SYDNEY. Empire Office, November 7.

The steamer Sydney, which arrived here yesterday morning, has completed the voyage from Gravesend, calling at the Cape, Adelaide, and Melbourne, in 92 days. Her mail is not large, the English postal arrangements having been made at the time of her sailing, with the packet ship Vimeira, which sailed the day previous, and has now been out 94 days. The Sydney's letters will probably be limited to mercantile "advices and a few communications specially posted. It may, in some degree, interest our readers to know the relative length of the passage made by these vessels last year. The Sydney left London August 4, and arrived here November 16, making her first run out 104 days, or 12 days longer than her second. The Vimeira left London August 9, and arrived in Sydney also November 16, giving 99 days for the passage. By reference, we find the Vimeira, on her first voyage in 1851, was 100 days from Portsmouth to Sydney. With these facts easily ascertainable, it seems al- 1 most too much for the gross absurdity which characterises all official management of Colonial affairs in England, to send the mails for the whole Australian group by the Vimeira, bound direct for Sydney, in preference to the steam-ship Great Britain calling at Melbourne. Nor could there be adduced, any argument, founded on fact, in support of such a strange decision, so far* as the actual capabilities to .the respective vessels had been tested. Against the Vimeira'' s two voyages of 99 and 100 days, the Great Britain' s maiden trip was made in 91 days, including a serious detention at Port' Phillip ; and it was publicly known throughout England, that this mgnaificent steamer bad undergone a series of alterations in rig and machinery, suggested by experience, for the express purpose of facilitating her accomplishment of a quick passage. This, however, is only an additional one. to many monstrous blunders by which the public money is wasted, and the interests of the Australian communities wantonly sacrificed. We copy from the Argus a review of the business done in Melbourne for the week ending 29th ultimo. — " During the past week the weather has been fine, and a fair business has been done, but the market prices, have not improved. Money is tight, the stocks of most articles are very large, and r goods have been freely offered. The market has also been affecled by Messr,s. J. B. Were, Kent and Co. 's. large sale. In many articles' there is consequently a downward tendency. ' If the weather continues fine, the surplus quantities will be reduced, and' an impetus will be given to trade. The hindrances to the landing of goods are very prejudicial, as the stocks in the Bay are great : and until the goods are landed, satisfactory sales cannot be effected. Flour has rather declined, and the best samples are now offered at £23 per ton. There are large quan. tities of inferior flour- in the market, which materially affect the price of good flour. Good teas are in demand. Coffee is lower, the stocks being very heavy. Fine Cossipore sugar is wanted. There is a fair demand for wince, spirits, ale, and beer ; but stocks being large, the prices have not improved; light wines are now enquired for. Hams are scarce, and othQF provisions are- in fair demand.- Oilman's stores are irt fair demand ; also pickles, sardines, &c, ■ and hardware. Invoices of ironmongery and cutlery have been sold during the Week, at advances of from T5 to -45 per cent. 1 - Advices from England report, that there hasheen.'a rise within three months of 70 to 100 per cent, in the prices of all kinds' of deal* timber."' J - ' ' ' The arrivals in Hobson's Bay- to 1 the 2nd iqstant, include three general cargoes from New York, a cargo of bread stuffs- from Valparaiso, and eleven vessels from England, besides ships from various ports.