COLONIAL NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 20, 24 May 1851, Page 3

COLONIAL NEWS.

SYDNEY. In looking over the Sydney papers to 26th April, we observe that the ship "Challenger" was advertised to sail for Port Cooper, with live stock, on the sth of May. The " Charlotte Jane '"' sailed for London on 16th April. The " Castle Eden" was preparing to leave Sydney for Nelson, with the passengers for that place, and part of original cargo. Several ships from London were overdue. The " Mary Bannatyne," barque 535 tons, from Portsmouth, Dec. 22nd, arrived at Sydney April 25th. The Australian Society had commenced taking measures for the proposed October Exhibition to be held in Sydney. A public meeting had taken place, and a local committee been appointed to collect funds, and encourage the development of the resources of the Sydney district. Dr. Jackson preached at St. James's Church, Sydney, on Monday evening, April 21st, in aid of the Sydney Cathedral Building Fund. The "Phantom" brig, which arrived at Sydney 24th April, had been nineteen days on the passage fram Adelaide, having encountered gales from the eastward all the way. In entering the harbour she carried away the jib and flying jib-booms of the barque "Camilla," lately from this port, which was lying at anchor below the light-ship. The following prices were obtained at a produce sale in Sydney on the 22nd April. Fleece wool, good quality, Is, 4rf. per lb.; hand-washed fleece wool, Is. 2d- ; ordinary wool, 91d.; skin wool, Is.: and scoured wool, Is. 2%d. per lb. The Kentucky station, with 15,600 sheep was sold by Messrs. Mort and Brown, at auction, on the 23rd April, at 6s. 4d. per head. As the station was fully stocked, (remarks the Herald) the price is considered a fair indication of the improvement which is gradually taking place in the price of stock generally. The yacht "Supply," 170 tons, was advertised to sail on the 2nd of May for Port Cooper and Otago. On the 25th April, Dr. Lang was again brought before the Court, and sentenced, for the libel upon Mr. Icely, of which he had been found guilty, to be imprisoned in Paramatta Gaol for the term of four calendar months, and to pay a fine of one hundred pounds,.and be further imprisoned until that line shall have been paid.

Several sales of flour were reported ; 150 to 160 tons were closed at prices ranging from 19/. 10s. to 20/. 10s., exclusive of sales effected at the mills. The Banquet given in honor of the visit of the Anti-Transportation Delegates from Van Dieman's Land and Port Philip, came off on the 3rd April. We have room to extract a few of the important facts brought forward on this occasion, upon the absorbing subject of the meeting. The following proof of the evils of the convict system was adduced by Dr. Lang:— " When the Puritans, as they weve termed, formed their first settlement in New England, they were so careful to preserve their community from the taint of crime, that when a man was found guilty of theft, a great court of the people was held, and the criminal was sent nack to England in the first ship, while, after the Eastern fashion, his house was razed to the ground, and its site made a dunghill of. At the same time Virginia was receiving criminals from England and slaves from Africa; and what was the consequence—that New England, with no natural advantages, had risen to be a large and flourishing state, while Virginia, which, compared with the other, was fertile beyond all parallel, was very far behind it in prosperity and importance, in intelligence, in the enterprise and virtue of its people, and in all that constituted the greatness of a nation and the glory of man." Mr. G. K. Holden, in his speech, shewed that " Sixty years of transportation had, with all its enormous expenditure and appliances, created for New South Wales at the time of its abolition in 1840, a population of 129,000, and an export in wool of 566,000/. The export of tallow not having then commenced. In 1849, after only nine years' process of free emigration (introducing about 60,000 emigrants at a cost of about 900,000/.), our position was as follows: —Population, 246,000 (the natural increase being about equivalent to the immigration) ; exports of wool and tallow nearly 1,500,000/; the relative returns from wool (adding also tallow) were therefore nearly trebled in 1849, as compared with 1840, emigration thus effecting in nine years twice as much as transportation in sixty ; while the absolute increase for the one year (1849) over the year 1840 was nearlyone million sterling, the entire cost of the whole emigration being some 100,000/. less than the augmented income of the single year 1849, compared with 1840. Nor is it unimportant to observe that, so far from any deduction beingrequired from this augmented income, for.further imports of food to sustain the additional population, the quantity of grain retained in the colony for consumption of that imported in 1840, is valued at 204,000/., while that retained in 1849 is only 41,000/., being 163,000/. in our favour for the year 1849. Mr. Mort, in acknowledging the thanks of the meeting for the use of the room in which the banquet was held, said—" He was convinced, if the statistics of the colony were put in a right shape, the squatters themselves would see that the return to transportation could only work them injury. He would mention only two facts, up to the year 1840, when transportation ceased, the quantity of wool sent home was 35,000 bales, since then the quantity was 150,000 bales. In the Census of the colony he believed the whole population of the colony would be found to be about 300,000 ; of these he believed at least 50,000 would be found to be the children of emigrants who had arrived since 1840; and had Great Britain sent all the convicts she could, she could not have increased the population to the same extent." MELBOURNE. The Melbourne Advocate, which we have received yip to the 25th of April, states that there are in Melbourne two steam mills, seven breweries, one boiling down establishment, one blacking manufactory, three iron, and two brass foundries. A. meeting had been held among the Eomau Catholics of Melbourne, to consider tl c most appropriate means of bearing testimony to the worth and zeal of Dr. Goold, the H. 0. Bishop of that place, previous to his departure for Europe. Great dissatisfaction existed on account of the Electoral Bill, and the insufficient representation it provided for the townships of the District. The usual machinery of public meetings, addresses, and petitions had heea set in operation.

Flour had risen to 201. per ton, and the price of the 4 lb. loaf was Wd. ; a further advance was expected in a few days, when bread would probably rise to Is. the 4 lb. loaf. The state of the labour market was as follows. Married couples, (without family) 35/. to 37/. per annum, with rations ; ditto, (with, family) 28/. to 301. and rations ; shepherds, 20/. to 22/. with rations; carpenters, 16s. to 20s. per week; female servants, 16/, to 18/. per annum. The demaud was dull—supply ample. The winter rains were looked for with anxiety, owing to the long and distressing drought that had been experienced. An iron ship, the " Three Bells," 607 tons, had arrived from Glasgow with passengers and a general cargo. HOBART TOWN. We have received copies of the Hobarton Guardian to April 12th. Mr. Me Maims had made his escape from the Colony; we are not in possession of the particulars*. The Guardian, however, of sth April, contains the following;— "We have received a letter from Mr. Me Manns—' at sea,' dated 4th March, in which, as may be expected, he rejoices in his freedom, and heartily thanks God, as. we do, for that inestimable boon. We cannot refrain from quoting one passage from the letter: It is as follows: —' Lest there be any false rumours,' writes our friend, 'as to paroles of honor or pledges of any sort being broken on my part, either to Governor, gaoler, doctor, or constable, say on my word of honour, there are none broken.' "