COLONIAL EXTRACTS.

Wellington Independent, Volume VI, Issue 478, 11 May 1850, Page 2

COLONIAL EXTRACTS.

(From the late Australasian Papers.)

Sydney Markets, At ia t. 2G.—Wh kat —This market continues to be "well supplied from the interior; no further reduction has taken place, but we have not heard of any sale having been effected at p. higher figure than "3s, 7d. There havo been two importations from Launceston, 1 ut there are no buyers at the price demanded by the impoTte-rs. Other Grain.—Oats, 35., maize, ss. to ss. 6d., and barley 3s. per bushel. Potatoes.—£3 lCs to £4 per ton, for colonial. Fi.oi.-u remains at last quotation—£lo for fine and £9 for second quality, per ton of 2,000 lbs.; bran lOd. to lid. per bushel; biscuit. No. 1 (cabin) 17., and No. 2 (ship') 13s. per cwt.; bread, is generally selling at 3d. the '21b loaf. Houses.—Mr. Stewart's sale of horse stock during the past week ilumber 79 in all. Of these 20 realized from £3 to £13 each ; the-remaining 59 wcretnostly small mares and fillies, (unbroken and- low in condition) the average for which was about £2, with foals given in. Cattle, &c.—The market is glutted with cattle, so far as regards number, but really good bullocks arc-scarce. 131 head were sold at 275. 9d., 22 at 285., 30 at 355., GO at 38s. 20 at 405., and -92 .at 425. Sheep have been better supplied than for four months previously, and the price from 5s to 6s. according to quality : one lot of 1,200 were bought at ss. 3d., and another of 500 at Gs. Good calves aro very scarce : those offered have sold at from-Bs. to 215.; lambs are of good quality, and realise from Gs. to 7s. each. Pigs: nice porkers sell readily at 3d. to per lb.; large fat pigs, 2U\. to '3d. Poui.TitY.—Fowls, Is. 9d, to 25.; ducks, 2s. to 2s. Gd ; geese, 4s- to ss. ; and turkeys, ss. to Bs. per couple; eggs, Is. to Is. 2d. per dozen. Daiuy Produce.—Butter, salt, from lOd. to Is. 2d.; fresh, Is. 3d. to Is. 6d. per lb.; cheese, 4d. to 5d.; bacon—nono has been offered during the week ; it is scarce, and in demand.— Sydney Morning Herald, April 20. Melbourne Markets, April 6,1850. —Wheat, 3s. Gd, to 3s. 9d. per bushel •.

barley, 3s. to 3s. 3d. per ditto.; outs, 2s. Gd. to 3s. per ditto ; bran, lOd. per ditto.; pollard, 1 Id. per ditto. ; flour, per ton of 2,000 lbs., first quality, £10; seconds, £8 10s. per ditto. ; hay, £3 10s. to £4 per ditto.; potatoes, £4 10s. to £5 ditto • butter, potted, 9<l. to 10d. per 11).; fresh' lid. to Is. per ditto.— Melbourne, Daily No ids, April 8, J

Ctrs-ro.is.-CAr.if'Oßvr..-The seizures ■of British goods made by the United States Customs' officers 'in California, have been numerous, and of considerable value. What amount has been forfeited •we havo not been able to ascertain ; hut it is certain that at least £20,000 was realized by the sale of forfeited goods from Sydney alone, in the months of October, November, and December last. The principal articles seized have been beer and spirits. By the United States law the importation of beer in casks containing less than forty gallons, or if in bottles in packages of less than six dozen, is forbidden under penalty of forfeiture of the goods, and the ship in which they are imported. Brandy can ■only be imported in casks containing not less than fifteen gallons, and other spirits in casks containing not less than ninety gallons, under the same penalties. We heard of one ship that had a thousand cases, each containing one dozen bnttles of brandy, seized, and the captain was told he ought to he very thankful his ship was*'not also forfeited. The laws are undoubtedly very severe, but they were well known, and have been in existence for many years, and persons shipping to a foreign country ought to make themselves acquainted with the laws of that country. So long ago as May last, < when we found that a large tracfe was springing up between Sydney aud California, we published (see Herald, 4thj May,) the American Tariff Act, and also an abstract ofthe United States Customs Regulations, containing these very provisions, the infraction of which has caused such serious losses. In August, Mr. Williams, the United States Consul,: handed to us for publication a circular from' General Smith, the commanding officer in California, stating that.vessels visiting that country must count upon tbe " strictest construction of the law, both as regards cargoes and vessels." We arc informed that nearly all the spirits and, beer (and the quantity is large) shipped' fiom Sydney for California within the last six months has been shipped without 1 any reference to the regulations.—S. Jl. Herald.

The South Australian. Gold Field. —A deputation of the present fortunate proprietors of the property on the Onkaparinga, consisting of John Morphett, J. B. Montefiore, and J. B. Neales, Esqrs., left town on Monday, in a chaise and four, driven by Mr. Chambers, on a special mission to the auriferous sections. The party reached Balhannau in three hours. We are enabled to state that the result of their visit has been most satisfactory. A party of men, under Capt. Phillips, have nearly completed a new channel to turn off the river for a considerable length. Three ounces of nearly virgin gold is said to have been : discovered on Tuesday, and yesterday, a workman in one shovel of earth turned' up there small lumps of the royal metal. —.S\ A. Register. ;

Appleby, says the Carlisle Journal, with a population of about 800, bas 24 public houses, licensed to sell spirituous liquors!— London Daily News, Nobe»i her 20. We commend this paragraph to the notice of the Licensing Bench When disposed to carry out their unjust system of " protection " by refusing respectable applications for fresh licenses.— Mel. Daily News.

Neav Judgeship.—Mr. Sydney Stephen has been appointed JudgG ofQtago with a salary of £800 per annitnh Mr. Stephen, who practised at the bar in Sydney for many years, is now resident in Melbourne. lie ia a son of the kte Mr. Justice Stephen, and brother to Chief Justice Sir Alfred Stephen. Tho convicts who arrived at Hobart Town by the Eliza, were to be forwarded to Norfolk Island; they were all twice and thrice convicted men A controversy is being carried on in the Van Diemen's Land papers respecting the injustice the Clerks of the Union Bunk are subject to by having persons not belonging to the establishments made local managers, instead of a system of promotion by seniority being carried out. Messrs. John Citunington, Andrew Richardson, Trcnchard, and Frederick Horatio Boulton, have been admitted attorneys of tho Supreme Court, at Melbourne.

The foundation stone of St. Patrick's Church, Melbourne, was laid by Bishop Goold, on the Oth instant. The following resolution was. unanimously passed by the Melbourne City Council:— " That tho Legislative Committee be instructed to frame au humble iliemorial to Her Majesty the Queen remonstrating ngainst the present system of Irish Female Orphan Immigration ; and praying that, in the application of the Immigration Fund of the colony, regard may he had only to the supply of suitable labour.

llm Right Rev. Dr. Serra, R. C. "wliop. gives notice tt. all whom it may emicern, that His Excellency, Governor l* Uzgcrtdd had been pleased most graciously to recognise him as Bishop Coadjutor to the R. C. Bishop of Perth, ~ "J'' 11 ')'- wll ° lins lately departed from he colony to Europe, while Dominic Urquahart, O. C. antl Vicar-General of 1 erth, declares that Dr. Surra's notice is uncanomcal, and warns persons that if Uicy interfere with property belonging to Or. Brady, or the mission, they will be prosecuted.

Ihe whole of the law appointments mado by Sir William Denison—Mr. llorue, as Judge, Mr. Fleming AttorneyGeneral, Mi*. Stoner Solicitor-Gene-ml, and Mr. Smith, Crown Solicitor and C-erk of the Peace, have been confirmed.

Intelligence had reached Melbourne of a sad accident which had occurred at Gipp's Land, by the long grass upon some plains taking fire in consequence of tbe intense heat of the weather; seven hundred sjieop were entirely consumed by the flames; as many more were severely burnt, and two shepherds losttheirliv.es.

The splendid estate of Trefusis, on the Macquarie River, Van Diemen's Land, comprising 11,140 acres, the property of Captain Btinster, was submitted to the hammer by Mr. T. Y. Lowes. The biddings, which commenced at Bs. per acre, rose somewhat languidly to 135., at which price it was finally knocked down to Mr. Samuel Page. The estate, which was sold according to the grant for the number of acres as above stated, measures in point of fact 500 more, making a total of 11.640. |

Eleven gentlemen have headed a subscription list with £100 each, as the commencement of a Melbourne Cathedral Building Fund.

Of the reside!! 1 ; magistrates in the district of Port Fairy, one has been removed from the commission of the peaie, for alleged misconduct; three have resigned from dissatisfaction with the nr.de in which the bench business is conducted: two are under bond to keep the peace ; aud Mr. W, Rutledge is the ouly one left to do the dutj. The committee entrusted with the formation of an Adelaide Gas Company had given up their task from want of support. A German newspaper was to be established at Adelaide during the present month,

The Government of South Australia has consented to pay one-half the expense of a survey of a line of railway from Adelaide to the Burra Burra mines".

The Rev. Mr. Muir was presented with a purse of £129, on leaving Geelong for Scotland, having been forced by ill health to give up his charge as a minister ofthe Free Church of Scotland.

Iron ore in large quantities is said to exist in the ranges near Adelaide. Arrangements are being made at Adelaide to send home articles to the Industrial Exhibition of 1850. There are 936 children attending the Wesleyan Sunday Schools in South Australia. Large quantities of flour, sent from Launceston to California, are said to have been sour and unmerchantable on their arrival. A board, consisting of Captain King, R.N., Captain Kay, R.N, and Captain Colliusou, R.E., lias been appointed to examine into the various matters connected with the Marine Department in Van Diemens' Land. According to a report from Major Cotton their is, in what is called the New Country, in Van Diemen's Land, 280,000 acres of good pasture land.

The Judges have delivered their judgment in the case ofthe Queeu v. Roberts, to the effect that, the defendant had committed bigamy, (thus attesting the validity of Presbyterian marriages,) and ordering him to be brought up for sentenc_ on Tuesday next, The resignation of their seats" by Messrs. Hamilton, Macarthur, Murray, and Donaldson, ia confidently anticipated.

A second daily (Dr. Laing's paper, the Australian League, is to be launched in May.

We observe the death of Captain Moriarty, Port Officei' of Hobart Town. The deceased was the son of Admiral Moriarty. The export of coal to California has been commenced. The Britannia writes — " The Henry Harbeck has taken 200 ton of Van Diemen's Laud coal to California; on account ofthe scarcity of fireWood, coals fetched the enormous price of of 200 dollars per ton, or. £40 in British currency. A very profitable trade may thus be carried on between this colony and San Francisco. We can export plenty of " black diamonds " and receive j the gold in return.

We are sorry to observe that a bad feeling seems to exist on tlie piift of the authorities against " the Exiles of Erin," but this is only in ftccordailde with the " system" which has always been to overwhelm with every indignity those who least deserve it.

Mr. Mann hits resigned the Managership of the Launceston Branch of the Union Bank.

It is stated in an English newspaper,

tliat the Queen Dowager has left by her will a considerable sum of money toward the erection of a cathedral in Adelaide, which was named after bar Majesty. The shipments of wool from Portland Bay this season will exceed six thousand bales.