HOME NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 37, 31 January 1852, Page 4

HOME NEWS.

The Wool Sales closed on the 15th of August, and there was an estimated average advance of 74 to 10 per cent, on the May prices. The quantities sold have been :— 15,551 bales Australian ;. 27,361 do. Port Philip and Portland ; 6,303 do. Adelaide ; 6,384 do. Van Diemen's Land; 757 do. Swan River; 1,487 do. New Zealand ; 2,807 do. Cape. Total, 60,650 bales Colonial ; 1,066. do. East Indian; and 1,500 do. Foreign. An announcement was made to the buyers that the present sales would extend to the very large amount of 60,000 bales, and that there would be one more series this year instead of two, as usual. This announcement was received with much satisfaction, and induced a feeling of confidence, with much firmness to the market ; and the result has been to draw together an attendance of buyers more numerous than was ever before seen. The attractions of the Exhibition, and the very low fares of the various Northern Railways, have however tended much to produce so large an assemblage. Foreign buyers mustered in large numbers also, and have been very considerable purchasers — to the extent of 8000 bales. With favourable prospects for the harvest, and an easy state of the money market, the sales opened with spirit at the full average rates of May and June. For all flocks free of burr (and even on burry flocks to some extent), a comparative advance has been obtained larger in our opinion than that on Port Philip flocks, of which nearly one-half of the sales consisted. Van Diemen's Land and Adelaide flocks partook of the general rise. Skin wools also sold at an advance, but rather irregularly. East India and other low wools sold at very full prices. Trade was good, but sales were rather moderate, and at prices unfavourable to buyers.

The liberation of Kossuth is now decided upon by the Sublime Porte. In spite of all the threats of Russia and Austria, the Porte stood her ground, and when reminded by the English Government of its promise, the Divan replied, 'We keep it.' Kossuth is, therefore, to be released on the 13th September. His intention is to proceed first to England, to leave there his children, and to provide for their education, and, after a stay of a fortnight, to sail to the United States, there to express his thanks to the Congress and the President.

Sir George Grey and his lady were on a tour through Scotland and the Highlands in the month of September.

The average daily take at the doors of the Exhibition, though it was drawing to a close, still amounted to about £2,000. The Royal Commission had fixed Saturday, the 11th October, as the day for closing the Exhibition to the public. The reports of the juries and the names of the persons to whom prizes may be awarded are to be published. > The Senate of Hamburg has placed severe and almost prohibitive restrictions on the transport of emigrants by the agents of British shipowners. The Senate has also requested the Prussian Government to adopt similar restrictive and hostile measures, and it is stated that the city of Bremen proposes to follow up the example set by the city of Hamburg.

The Prussian Post-office has, without any previous notice, and without assigning any reason, increased the postage on English newspapers more than threefold.

The General Screw Navigation Company's steamers offer to carry passengers to Australia at the following rates : — Chief cabin, £75 ; second cabin, £32 10s. ; and the steerage £12.

First Appearance of the Bloomer Costume in London.— Two ladies were to be seen promenading Oxford Street on Saturday afternoon, attired in the Bloomer Costume, and escorted by a crowd of ragged urchins, and a number of the curious of both sexes. The ladies, who appeared to be respectively about thirty-seven and eighteen years of age, were attired in black satin visites and an inner tunic, reaching a little below the waist ; the inner garment being loose pink-striped pantaloons, fastened round the leg a little above the ankle ; the head-dress was of the usual kind worn by females. The mob at last got troublesome, and the ladies entered a cab, and were driven off amidst shouts of laughter. — Weekly Chronicle.

The ex-Royal Family of France were making a tour through the Highlands in August last.

Decrease of the Ocean. — Lieutenant W. D. Porter, of the United States navy, has published an essay to demonstrate that the volume of the ocean is fast decreasing, by the conversion into solids of the materials held in solution in its waters, and on that ground accounts for the gradual erection of* rocks and coasts above the surface of the sea.

The experiment of cultivating cotton in Jamaica has been quite successful at various points. - Proposed Protestant Church m Rome. The Rev. R. Burgess announces, in a letter to

the " Times," " that if he could have the least hope of toleration for our holy religion at Home, and be allowed to purchase a few square feet of land to build a house of prayer, he should be in a position to guarantee from £4000 to £5000. He is afraid, however, from certain expressions that fell from Lord Landsdowne, in the House of Lords, on Monday evening, that we must not hope for any interference on the part of Government. The words upon which this fear is founded are contained in his Lordship's peroration, when addressing himself to the Eoman Catholics, -who complain of our persecuting laws, he said, " Come to London, if you will, and build up a St. Peter's here, although you Avill not allow us to build up a St. Paul's at Rome. (Hear.) We will grant to you what you will not concede to us."

The following observations regarding the establishment of regular Steam Communication between the Southern Colonies and Great Britain and America are taken from the ' ; Wellington Independent :"

" The necessity which exists for the early establishment of Steam Communication between Great Britain and the Australasian Colonies, was never more felt than at the present moment, yet the Home Government chooses to delay its introduction under the false plea that it would cost £150,000 to do so ; whereas by the Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into the subject, it appears that only £39,000 would be required to extend the line from the Cape to Sydney, and only £50,000 from Panama to Sydney. It is already known to our readers that the Select Committee recommended the former route ; but if New Zealand had had a voice in the matter, the latter one would have been preferred. It is a fact worth knowing, that the latest intelligence from Europe and the Atlantic States has been in most cases brought here from Sydney via. California, proving indisputably that the Panama route would be the best even for Sydney itself, while for New Zealand it would be incomparably superior to either of the others. And, we are happy to say, that it is not at all improbable that a line of steamers from Panama via New Zealand to Sydney will be established without the aid of the British Government; for we find that a resolution was carried in the Legislative Council of New South Wales, on Nov. 11th, by a majority of 19 against 13 Officials and Nominees, that the sum of £3000 per annum, for three years certain, should be paid to the promoters, whether British or Foreign, of the first line of steamers which shall complete a monthly communication between Great Britain and New South Wales, by any line which shall bring the course of post, out and home, within 150 days. Mr. Donaldson, who moved this resolution, declared that he believed that the flag of America would float at the mast-head of steamers in Sydney harbour, communicating with Europe, before any British steamer trading to these Colonies would "be laid on ; and he had no doubt, that within three months' time American steamers from Panama would be in course of regular arrival at Sydney. Should a line of steamers from Panama to New South Wales via. New Zealand be established, we shall, as regards our postal communication with her, be placed at only half the distance we are at present from Great Britain, while the advantages it will confer on our mercantile community, by giving them the latest state of the markets, will be duly appreciated by all who are aware of the confusion and loss which ignorance on this subject often occasions.