COLONIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Wellington Independent, Volume VI, Issue 559, 19 February 1851, Page 3

COLONIAL INTELLIGENCE.

SYDNEY,

Papers to the 2nd instant furnish very gratifying accounts of the commercial prospects of the sister colony. The Herald thus proclaims the enviable posiof New South Wales :— " As regards material interests, New South Wales was never in a sounder condition than it is this present day. Wild speculation is a thing unknown. Accommodation paper, ouce so rife, was long since swept away, and has not dared to re-appear. A dishonored bill would be a curiosity. Our commercial reports show that business is conducted on true and solid principles, and with an amount of success all the better for being moderate. Our advices from home show that our staple exports, rapidly as they increase in quantity, and active as is the competition they have to encounter from other parts of the world, barely keep pace with the increase of consumption, and are consequently in brisk demand, and realise remunerative prices. These advices show, moreover, tliat, so far as the commercial future can be discerned by experienced minds, there is every reason to believe that this favourable state of the British market will continue throughout the present year. And, while the commercial and pastoral interests of the colony are thus buoyant, its mechanical interests also are more prosperous than they had been during the previous ten years. The operative classes, generally speaking, are in full work, with liberal wages; and the necessaries and comforts of life being plentiful, and on the whole comparatively cheap, it may be said with truth that in no part of the world are these classes better off than they are here; it might, perhaps, be added, that in no other country are they so well off," A report had reached Sydney of a melancholy accident, in which six lives wore lost by the capsizing of a boat belonging to Mr. Want. There were nine persons in the boat at the time of the accident, of whom three only were saved. Arrangements have been made by the Insurance Offices for the establishment of a Fire Brigade. There had been some unusually severe thunder-storms in aud around Sydney. The corporation "budget" for 1851,

has just made its appearance. Our civic functionaries have resolved upon having recourse to the debenture system of raising the wind, and accordingly a sum of £9,000 is to be procured, if possible, in this way—£6,ooo of this is to be devoted to the improvement of our supply of water and the balance is to be sunk in the erection of a town hall. Two rates have been declared, viz., oue the ordinary city rate, at 7d. per pound, aud a gas rate at 3d. per pound, on all assessed property. Muiwiumbidgee.—We regret tv learn that the extensive grazing district of the Lower Miirrumbidgee i_; yet unvisited by rain, There is got a blade of grass to be seen for many miles, every particle of bread stuff will have to be imported from other districts, and those graziers whose runs have not advantage of a river frontage, are under the necessity of shearing their flocks unwashed, Terrific Storm.—ln narrating the ravages of a violent storm which lately visited Bathurst, and the surrounding country, the People's Advocate says*.—"At Bathurst, considerable damage had been done. The most magnificent and conspicuous public building (the market/ house) of that town, has been lifted from its foundation, and carried to a distance of about twelve feet. Mr. Austin's large store has also been completely destroyed by the tornado. With the exception of a few feet of the walls, there is nothing left standing." van* diemen's I.ASIh Markets.— Hobart Town, January 21. —The wheat market is very dull this morning. Oats are 45.. 3d. per bushel, barley 4s. 6d. per ditto. Flour was purchased yesterday morning at £14 per ton. The general price f.r bread is 3d. per 2lbs. loaf.— Courier. Launceston, January 22.—The market still continues dull. Old wheat is worth ss. 3d., but we understand new is offering at 4s. Gd.- New oats readily fetch 3s. Fine flour, £12 10s.; seconds, £11 per ton. New hay, £3 ss. to £3 10s,— loose.—-Ltt._._ce./on. Examiner. Fashionable Departure.— Yesterday morning at 6 o'clock, H. M. S. 11avannah, Capt. Erskine, proceeded on a trip to Port Arthur, with Major-General Wyuyard and Staff, accompanied by the Goverment steamer, with his Excellency and Lady Denison on board: a salute was fired on their leaving the port. Their stay at Port Authur will not exceed a couple of days.— Guaulian. Military Ball.—A ball was given by Colonel Despard, C.8., nnd the officers of Her Majesty's 99th Regiment, on Tuesday evening last, the 14th inst., at the Military Barracks, The suite of rooms was tastefully fitted up for the occasion, and the ball room lighted by scones holding nearly 200 lights. In front of the orchestra a graceful crown within a wreath was worked in flowers, and the royal and regimental colors were displayed. The company began to arrive about 9 o'clock, but it was an hour later before his Excellency LieutenantGovernor and Lady Denison and suite, His Excellency Major-General Wyuyard and staff, Mrs. Miss, and Captain Wyuyard, arrived. The officers of H.M.S, Havannah were present.— Courier. Results of Pollution.—ft is not so much that the system of transportation itself is bad, and productive of evil to the community, as that the system should find supporters in these colonies, which prevents emigration hither. I'ni- | versal disgust is felt in England at the fact that persons should be found dwelling in the very midst of the evils of i transportation—surrounded by all its horrors—who, actuated by sordid motives defend the monstrous iniquity, desire its continuance, and embrace the chains of their degradation. The subjoined extract from a letter received by a gentleman in Sydney from a friend in England (published in the Empire), speaks a mournful truth.—"There is a most ardent spirit for emigration abroad, and I wish I could see it directed to Sydney. Alas, the money seems to be wasted on New Zealand. I have urged several families with small capital to invest it in New South Wales: the reply is constantly 'I will go no where to be ruled by a dominant convict party ! ' This will prevent thousands and thousands from coming out to New South Wales; I regret this, but I do think it serves the people right for their selfish policy, in allowing so readily, for the sake of temporary interests, a renewal of transportation. Should a move in favor of the reception of convicts take place, you will see that very little respectable emigration or capital will come to you. When I urge the advantage to be derived from emigration to New South Wales people say, ' It is in vain holding out advantages, I will not degrade my sons and daughters by sending them to live among a class who cannot tell right from wrong.' A cousin of mine, Mr. *■***, who has a large family of sons, and considerable capital, made this reply, he is worth between £20,G00 or £30,000, but what is that when divided among thirteen children. I have been urging him to leave England and make his home in New South Wales, but, for the reasons stated, he prefers New Zealand. Had your colony been free from the convict taint, and known to be de-.

sirous of keeping-so, r6 st assured tha, the tide of voluntary emigration would now be flowing to it, and that it would' soon be ilpd With right minded persons, who would be a credit to'the'country they left, ami a blessing tp that they m ; fhe cap.tal that would have been fought by them would have made property nse; but now, as I have said before I arq afraid it will j> 0 alUunkand wasted in W I ,d ; Jdo assure, you what I state m the universal feeling. I have beer* much ahouf, and have heard a great deal upon the subject.-2 Ja «„c«lon Examiner. - '

.OUT PHILLIP. Geelong, January 10—Flqur, first, -U.j to £15 10s.; ditto seconds £v*' wheat, new, ss. to ss. _,].' per bushel'; barley, ditto, 45.; oats, ditto, 45.; bran lOd. to Is. ditto; hay, £2 |9s.to £3 15s! per ton ; potatos, new (\ s . p pr cwt. ' Melbourne, January 10—Barley, fine English, per bushel'pfpibs., 3s' 10*1. to 45.; middling, 3s. l'Qd.'to 4s. 8d ; oats, fine heavy, per bushel of '20lbs. none ; secondary feed, 4s' Gd.' to 55.; maize, fine samples per bushel of 561bs, 4s. 9d. to 4s. Gd,; flour, fine, per 2Qoolbs. £15 to £16; seconds ditto, £14 to £15 ; potutps, from £8 to £}0 per ton. Thursday, the 2nd iustant,' was oppressively hot iv Melbourne. In tho shade, at noon, the thermometer was lOtj and at two o'clock }08. One great sign of the prosperity of the colony is the rapidity with which the ships in the bay have been loaded, this year, in comparison with former years. The following statistics respecting Kilrooro will show the high state of prosperity to which that tosvuship has advanced up to the present }._me ; The special survey, originally the property of Rutiedge 5120 acres, of which there are now in cultivation 3000 acres, and in pasture 2120. The land iv cultivation consists, of 2500 acres of wheat, 2050 of hay, 125 of potatoes, and 125 in other crop's. Tho average take.) of the wheat is 28 bushels per acre, or a yield of 70,0P0 bushels but it is considered to be under the mark by at least two bushels per acre. A very respectably supported requisition has been presented fo the mayor, requesting him to call a public meeting, to discuss the propriety of forming a ship canal to the Beach. The meeting was appointed for the 6th Jan. After oue of the finest seasons ever recollected in the colony, the shearing, or flockmaster's harvest, is brought to. a close, (or nearly so), and it may be fairly observed, never was the clip more abundant, or the wool generally turned out of hands in better condition. The tradesmen's fancy dress ball came off on New Year's Eve at the Protestant Hall, with all the eclat that had previously been predicted. The extensive room of the hall was closely filled by the company present, though it wasbynomeansincon? veniently crowded. Some of the dresses also were particularly brilliant, amongst these was Crichton, Figlia del Regr gimento, the Red Rover, a Moorish Princess, Jack Sheppard, Conrad the Corsair, Medora, Dou Jose', Charles th. 2nd, Julien St. Pierre, Rover's Lieutenant, several Italian costumes, Smss FlowerGirl, and besides these, a very great number of fancy Gostumes which came uuder no particular designation. The year which has just closed has. been one of unexampled success as re-, spects the Port Phillip Savings' Bank, The actual increase in tlie amount of deposits since the Ist of January last, after deducting the amount withdrawn in the same period exceeds £5000, and the number of depositors have increased from 620 to about 78.0. The deposits now amount to upwards of £28,000. Henry Thompson is in custody on suspicion of being the murderer of Messrs Ham's shepherd on the Wimmera. Mr. J. B. Were has been appointed by the Queen of Portugal Consul-Gene-ral for the whole of the British colonies in the Pacific, to reside in Melbourne; and in pursuance of his office will appoint sub-consuls in the other cities. The master bakers, at a meeting at the Bakers' Arms, agreed to raise the price of the 41b.-loaf to Sd. The Anti Transportation Mote, went. —At the ensuing meeting of the city council a notice of motion will appear upon the paper to the effect that the Legislature be requested so to alter the Corporation Act, that no party who has been transported, or who hits been imprisoned in gaol for any offence, shall be eligible for a seat at the CouncU table until seven years after tbe expiration of such sentence. It is not intended that any of the present members shall be subjected to the operations of the proposed amendment,— Melbourne Daily News.