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: - THE CHINESE NEW YEAH.

OM Wednesday, 29tli January, tho Chinese in Georgi street,' Sydney, and other puris of tho city and colonj kept np high holiday Î as it was tho Now Year's Day o their calendar. The ceremonial was kept up soven day terminating on Tuesday, tho 4th February. Tho f o lowing wero the details of tho ceremonial as observe ia many of tho most influential Celestial households i Sydnoy, and which the "barbarian" population wei freely invited to witness. .

Commencing in some instances as early as 4 nnd o'clock on tho first day, tho "Sacrifice to Heaven au Eatth," usually called tho "Presentation of Rice, was offered The table, spread with offerings t heaven and earth, was placed in the front portion of th reception hall. . Thc offerings comprised a buckctfi of boiled rico, five or ten bowls (according to th means of tho family) of different kinds of vegetable: ten cups of tea, an equal measure of wine, two larg red candles, nnd three Bticks of incense. In the conti of tho wooden buckots. containing tbs rica, »oro place two small branches of cedar, and ton pairs of chopstick were stuck hero and there into the Burfaco of tho rici Two largo sheets of paper, respectively représentatif of some indcscribaablo gold and .silver currency, am only used on Now Year rico, were placed on tho ebor sticks, and surmounted by a similarly symbolical sheol representing currency of another kind. On another c the chopsticks a copy of an almanac for the curren year was suspended by a red string. A fow of each c five kinds of dried fruit were placed_ under tho " moe! money," on tho surfaco of tho rice. A bough c oranges was also ¡1 c:d near tho centre of tho table.

Tho abevo arrangements being completed, fir crackers aro exploded at a short distance. Tho bea man of thu ho uso then comes forward, kneels down i: front of tho tablo, and bows his head to tho groun three times, holding tho three slicks of incense, lighted in his hands. On rising to his fcot tho devotee place tho incensó in a censer, on tho corner of tho table, agaii kneels, and after thanking heaveu and earth for pas protection and favours, prays that ha and his famil, may ba exempted from sickness during tho forthcomin¡ year, and that he may be sncccssful in all transaction: of business. Another oxplosion of crackors is fired n a saluto when the prayer is finished. Tho oranges am rico aro left untouched for several days.

Tho next part of tho ceremonial soneists in " worshi; of tho family gods and goddesses." _ Sovcrul bowls o rice -and plates of vegetables, vermicelli, and fruits with thrco cups of tea nnd three of wine, aro placei beforo their carved imagos on a tablo. Incense am candles aro lighted, and the head of tho houschoh genuflects and prays as before.

It now becomes tho duty of tho eclobrant to pay th: customary tokens of respect and remembrance to th deceased ancestors of tho family, who aro represente! by ancestral tablets, and ? the previous invocation i formally repeated.

It is invariably the custom for the stores and placei of business of respectable Chinese, to bo strictly close: during these New Year holidays. Thoy havo also ; superstitious dread of spending money for the first thrci days,' except for candioB, sweetmeats, &o., buying o: selling being regarded as inauspicious omens for thi year. Complimentary calls are freely indulged in, am the visitors are usually regaled with not tea to drink, tobacco to smoke, and water melon seeds to cat, foi their traditional saying runs, "During tho first part of th» first month no one has an empty mouth." Out ol respect for heaven and earth no meats are Bet upon th< tabla on New Year's Day.

On tho morning of tho fourth doy is tho offering of rici . for the reception of the gods. It is part of tho China-

man's belief to entertain tho conviction that those gods who ascended to heaven on the 23rd of tho 12th month to report progress to tho " Pearly Emperor," or _ ' Supremo Euler, - as to tho matters under their supervision, descend to terra firma on the fourth day of the first month next ensuing. Thosa gods aro supposed to comprise a kitchen or culinary god, a god of wealth, a god of joy_, and other penates, who immediately recommence their round of duties. It is nlso believed that thc spirits of their ancestors assemble.'round tho family on tho samo day. It is seldom, however, that these offerings aro cele- brated in foreign countries, and it is found thoy cannot all be carried out with advantago here.

A salutary custom, the broach of which it is too often to bo feared, prevails in anti-Mongolian circles, is a matter of strict observancojby the Chinese All out- standing accounts must be paid at this period. Credi- tors aro har.l upon their dobtors during the holidays, and insist upon payment on the last evening of the year. It is. considered a social and commercial disgraca to bo unable to pay debts at tho end of that period, and it is not beyond the bounds of possibility to consider it certain that tho celestial who filed his schedule at Bathurst tho other doy trill bo excommunicated in con- sequence. The usage of payment is so strictly observod in China, that instances havo occurred when debtors, unablo tb meet tho legal demands madoupon them, havo been too proud to incur the disgrace of failure, and bavo committed suicide in despair when thoy could not fulfil their engagements. Liko many defaulters on tho London Stock Exchange,. they prefer death to dishonour. If " posted" at tho end of the year ssa" stag" all confi- dence is destroyed in them for tho following. Tho lowest shopkeeper, will refuse him credit without tho security of a substantial " head,',' and tho creditor, if ho considers himself-personally wronged, is nover resisted by force! if ho visits tho house of his debtor and. smashes tho effects within it. Tho female Chinese regard a defaulting husband with disgust, and ,tho presence of an angry creditor oven at thocntranco porch of-their dwellings, is considered to them an omen of evil import. In tho faco of: commercial disgraco, and tho certainty of domestic discomfort, it sometimes oc- curs that| tho debtor conceals himself all the last day and night of the old year, until tho morning and dawn- ing of the new year. Tho creditor goes about .the streets with a lighted lantern till midnight in search of kia impecunious friend ; hut an expedition of this kind is nover tolerated during the Now. Year's' Day fes- tivities. .

It may be added that complimentary presentations are numerous during the holiday seassn, indeed, tte distribution, though dating from tho epoch of Con- fucius, is [considered to eorrcBpond with the mythical visits of Santa Claus or St Nicholas, which gladden tho hearts of Europoan children on onr own Christmas Eve«

Tho Ohincse, during their sojourn in Sydnoy, whore many hundreds mako a temporary stay on their passage to and fro between China and tho gold-fields of Austro lia, come under influences that tend to do away with tho powor of soma of their ancient traditions. Among tho Chinamen permanently resident in this city, aro somo avowed Christians, and ono .Christian teacher, wko is, day by day,' employed. in explaining : to his fellow-countrymen tho faith of Christ. But though tho new ideas "thus conveyed to their minds, may modify their customs by tho omission of nntcnablo superstitions, .Micro is no reason why tho distinctive national celebra- tions should be abandoned, oven when they all adopt n moro elevating Faith. Christianized China will bo .China still, to the end. --" ' '

Mr, Hancock mab tho electors of the South Ward, Balmain, on Monday evening, at the Hob Jîoy Hotel, Adolnhas-ttrect, for tho purpose af submitting lila views upon municipal matters, and to tirga his claims to their support in the approaching election or aldermen. Having addressed tho meeting nt some length, and replied to several questions from ratepayers. It was proposed and seconded that "In vlewof lil« superior qualification ond lil» practical, straightforward replies to questions," that Ur. Hancock was a flt and proper person, So., which was enthusiastically carried, not a lmiid Doing held np in dissent. Three cheers for tho candidate, and a heart}' rendition of the National Anthem, closed a mos orderly and well attonded meeting.

? Tho nomination of candidates for tho Municipal Council of Parramatta toole placo yesterday, at

tho Court house. Hugh 1'aylor, Esq.. il.e. (Slayor uf Parra- " malta), presided as roturntng-oRlcer. Tho candidates pro- posed wero as followsi-Anderson Word: Messrs. O. J. Byrnes, «nd E. Ii. Howling, Marsden Wurd i Messrs. P. J. Wickham and Samuel Burge. Forest Ward : Messrs. James Pye and James Willis, Gore Wardt Messrs. John Oood and Samuel lilli. As there are only four aldermen to bo elected, Uiero will be a contoit in each ward. Several of tho

candidates nddreucd tho meeting, which, on tho wliolo, i passed olf very quietly. A voto ol'thanks, on tho motion of Mr. Bowling, Beoonded by Alderman Byrnes, was unani- mously accorded to tho Mayor. Tho election tokes place on Friday next. Thora was no opposition to the election af Messrs. Chirles Doust and itichnrd Harper, as auditors to tho' municipality,!^ tho ensuing year.

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