Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Monday 16 July 1883, page 2


SUMMARY

FOR

PER K.M.S. ALMORA.

INTRODUCTORY.

WHEN a contest is imminent which may materially alfect the well being of thousands of people for several years to come, it seems diffi cult, even though it be called a political campaign, to define whether it might not as justly be clashed with social as with political events In the United States, whore so sweep ing a change in subordinates in the public service occurs with every change and triumph of opposing parties, it certainly very widely affects social circles and becomes a factor of immense influence in social life

In these colonies a political campaign, however fiercely fought out, does not involve social considerations to anything like a similar extent, but that it does to some extent involve them li is been too painfully proven in Victoria and in a leas degree similar causes will likely produce similar effects throughout Itiacralia m proportion to the virulence or me combatants Here in Queens land we are, just now, about to plunge 'neck deep," or up to our eyes," in the excitement which is inseparable from a possible change from a Ministry which for five years past has managed our affairs, to the rule of a new set of men who may man-age for five years to come. We arc getting tolerably warm about it, and of this there can be no better proof than the crowds which every night thronged the strangers' gallery in our "House of Commons." Natu-rally one expects to see the free and indepen dent electors of the male persuasion in great force at such a time, but in Brisbane the ladies appear at present to be as deeply interested in the confín t as the gentlemen, and thronged their "'ii! ry during the latter sittings of the Assembh in a way which showed leek lessness of the consequences The struggle in Par'lament is now over, and the struggle throughout the country is about to commettre That the gentler sex will exercise some mlluence upon it there is little doubt, and that the weight of that influence will be exercised on behalf of the present Government is undeniable The campaign will not be fought entirelj at the hustings or the polling booths but in pai t nfco at the tea tablo and in the ballroom, and we hear of several piojectcd events in which the blandishment» of grace ful and hospitable hostesses are likely to be used to win favour for the leaders of the mai partie»

After the elections there comes next in interest our J<ew Guinea anne\ation scheme, and the wa) we have been sat upon by Lord Derby and Mr Gladstone That also, as affect ing oin commerce, our future relations with foreign Powers, and the future criminal records of this colon), is a social as much as a political subject Wo feel that we have been veiy ungraciously dealt with, and evidently much misuudei stood , but weare not discouiagcd, for never before has there been expressed in these colonies such a consensus of opinion on any gi cat qucsti m as theie is now expressed in relation to this annexation of Papua To put it pliinl), the feeling in all quarters is that the Lail of Derby and Mi Glad atone have acted with ver) íegiettible haste in i mattet which tlicj \ei) lmpeifect'y und«stand At any late we are quite re solved m these colonies that theie shall be no possibility of any mol e big penal settlements foi ming within a few di)s sail of oui shores Wo are not a veiy straight-laced 01 by any means too vntuous a community , but we have already fou0ht the good fight against British convictism, and won it, and we aie not at all likely-whatevei it may cost us-to uubmit to an invasion of the rascaldom of Continental Euiopc But auiely it will not be neccs^ai) for us to contend single handed against an) foreign Powei in ihcting upon us so grievous a disgiace and source of future tiouble If it should be these colonies aie thoroughly of one mind on the sub jeet and England ra i) find Australia not less willing to " cut the p iintoi ' than some English politicians aroanxious to east us off Voiyni iny in these colonies are asking themselves, What do we gun by the connection which we should lose if it ceased, and if that w ere to happen would not oui lcspousibilities be lessened im roenscly '

"We aio expecting a new Governor - Sir Anthony Musgraxc, and, leading his lecord in the Jamaica papéis, we cannot )ct make up oui mind is to what sort of a Gov ei nor he is likely to prove He will get a loyal icception as a mattei of course, and he will be caicfully con aidered aftcnvaids in the hope that ho m ty like Quecnsl lud an 1 not imagine that lie is coming to take chaige of i Crown colony 'lins is a subject we aie very much m cn nest about in Queensland It may possibl) be lus gi eat good fortune to assist in the federation of those colonies-now moic th m evei talked of-and if he bhould do ho his name will be associated with an evei t of the highest importance in our histor) ind, it is to bcliopcd, with results pi opoitionately satis

factoiy

Wc luxe, apirt fiom these subjects, veiy little to iltei oi add to the gcncial iccoid in oui lastHiunmaiy We have no startling sens i tions good oi bad It is an unmtcicsfing position, but ma) it not be consideicd a fortunate one also ' Wc think so, and the re mamdei of oui neus may be told vei) briefly lor instance-IMMIGRATION The number of remittance immigrants booked in Brisbane during last month well maintains the high average of May, being 600 persons in all,

or 300 Bntish and 300 Continental. This in itself would provide a very fair flow of im migration, and that, too, of the very best de scription. It is also gratifying to know that there are as yet no evidences that immigration is being overdone, in this part of the colony at all events. The Eldorado immigrants were landed in Brisbane on Thursday, the 5th in stant, and one week later only nine married couples with twenty six children, and twelve single men remained in the depot. No diff culty has been found thus far at any of the Southern ports in disposing of all the immi grants landed, but at Cooktown there is a lack of demand for marrled couples AVl vriu n Milder as to fiosts than ever pieviously known, mel therefore gi and weather for the sugar crop, the chief crop of this time of ycar Other people want min, and fcai that a di ought has begun, and cattle begin to look pooily -Mern i uiy Savings Bank receipts look well, and Treasury and Customs i etui ns ne veiy satisfactoiy, at the same tune the demands on these receipts ai e proroi tionately heavy, and wc aie quite able to spend, and spend well, ill that comes m Late land sales indicate tint theie is still a good deal of monc) at the command of invcstois, and that men with money to invest have full confidence m the prospects of the colony Tor all that, the banks ne becora ing entical ovci accounts The hies m the sweating i ooms ne giadually being stn i ed up, and a gi cat political cb mgc might pi oducc an unpleasant tightness of the chest mcoinineicial

circles

From mont) bags to inities is a chango, but wc suppose it is but light to mention that two of oui foui Bishops have left then flocks-"Hhecp without a sliophcid'-Right llev Dr Hilo ind Right Kcv Di Stan ton, Anglican Bishops, having gone to Sydney to assist m getting m Australian Chuicii of ]jnnldinl Pinnate And now the task would seem lo be a dilhcult one and the iiHpir nits fen m number We should rathei like to see a I'innate chosen who would feel it consi tent wit] Ins high ofhee to hivo attended at both the fistivities of last Pud ly evening One w is tin li ill given by the Acting Goveinoi, md the othei the G1 isgow annu ii celebiation Both weicvci) 1 irgel) attended, and scvci ii gentlemen ne iii) lecomplished tin diffipult fe it of being in tw o pi ices at once Of couise sevfi ii of the ladies hld no dilhcult) whatevei in asserting, tlnoughout the evening then channing ¡nflutiicc both al Glisgow mci Government House It would hive been i mutual pleusuie if oui visitoisby the liench warsteamei Le Biuat could hive stii)ed and shared in the festivities, and tint we could have icccptcd the assuiancc of the Governoi of New Calcdoi ia thal they lad not been engaged in nnj thing so naught) is annexing the New Hebi ides, but tiieu orders weiennpei itive, md those pie isant assui anees have onl) since come to hand Tor ?othei mattei » wc may continue to s ly Hi it foi

artisans, laboureis, and domestic sonants there is a good demand With music iii and dramatic amusements we aie fmly well pio

ided, and, for out of dooi exticisc Volunteer

....» Ino ~n IfniUvvl! onnif <-<. 1« ort u livolv

POLITICAL

The past month has been pregnant with momentous c\ ents in our little political world The Governor's Speech was much likeothcr de hvcrances of the «uno kind, but the importance attaching to some of the topics referred to in it has not prov ed ephemeral The allusion to New Guinea embodied the public sentiment of the colonj, and the Speech rcallj contained but one topic-the Transcontinental Railway-on which any material difference of opinion exist« On that one debatable question the Ministry have since been badi} dcfeitcd, through desertion by several of their formerly trusting supporters , and although it is claimed that on all other topics than the Transcontinental Railway the Governments following is undimimshed in numbers it is plain that political differences have of late ev oked the display of strong personal feeling The squatting part} is now sharply divided, one section idbcrwg to the Government and the other pioclaiming their intention to cast in their lot with the Opposition Expérience t( aches that the anti squatting bark of the Liberal politician is much w orse than his bite, md ti» refoie the belief thit Mi Gniiuus refoims wiUbcnOi-isquestionibleto be pa-stoi al tenant as Sir ihonits Jlllwraitlis adventurous enterprise is not wholly unwii ranted At um nt< theie is a possibility that Mr Grifhth nided by certain influential squitteis will short!} supeiscde Sir Thomas U'llwmth di Piemier io the disinteieated spectator it is inniiin,' to notice with whit confidence the leader of each party pronounces his pastoral followers Liberal squatte.!.?,

while at the same time stigmntisin ' those of his opponents is ulti i squatters ana members of unsci upulous syndicated It may here be observed that the labt mentioned term has fallen to the veiy depths of unpopulanty >or is there any probability of its soon emerging from that ignoble situation The truth is th it the popular sentiment is always antago nistic to the possessors of wealth, and, now that these possessors are tearing and rending each other with vigour, Kin/ Demos looks on with great satisfaction, and loves as usual to run to the assistance of the apparently w eaker

party

The past week has not been a very creditable one Honourable membeis have engaged themselves chiefly with voting supplies and washing dirty linen, neither of which occupa tions is usually conducive to amiability or decorum On Wednesday evening a long debate occuried on the eonstitutional question as to whether or not the Government were entitled to four months'-or practically four and a half months'-Supply The arguments were protracted beyond all expectation, the House ultimately deciding, by a majority of five, to grant the amount asked for This was a deteat for the Opposition, as well as an un looked for expression of confidence in the

Ministry

The arena of battle will now be transferred from the halls of legislation to the electorates What the result of the appeal will be it is ex tremely difficult to forecast There is un h ippily so much chicanery in elections that the ballot-box docs not always register a true verdict Ihrough non registration of electors, roll stuffing, abstention from voting, the polling of votes on behalf of dead and absent men, and the geographical difficulties which men living in sparsely peopled districts encounter in exercising the franchise, it very frequently happens that the majority qualified to vote in an electorate fail to get their man in Our political institutions, like all other human devices, are beset with impei

feetions, and we must bo content if on the whole the new Parliament is found to furly represent the paramount opinion of the colony on vital questions It will have a very difficult task to sticngthen the lreasury now that the Transcontinental project has been rejected, ind the coolie question is one that will shake our little society to its vciy centre We must, however, ti list that the wisdom declared to vest in numbers of counselloiswill be exhibited by the constituencies in constituting the new House Unfortunately, it w ill be impossible to tiansactany important legislation this yeal, for the hot season and the approach of Christ mas will prevent the new Puliament from getting fairly into harness until the end of January

MOIS-EIAHY AND COMMERCIAL

Thf tendency of the money market is to tighten Rank quotations still, how over, remain at late quotations, namely -Discounts on bills ovei 1 month, 7 per cent, over 4 months, S per cent, nndovci Ô months, 0 per cent Inteiest on hxed deposits, 4, "5, and 0 per cent, for "5, G, and 12 months respectively Exchange on London, it CO di}s' sight, lis per cent pre munn on selling, and ós per cent on buying diafts 'ihough the rates arc nominally unchanged, there is a feeling abioad that they may any day take an upwaid flight, unless money comos moi e plentiful Judging by cir-cumstances, it would appeal that the banks have le s money to lend, and aie eager to obt mi deposits C1 hey aie almost lnvariibly lefnsmgtomakeadvancesonfr eholdpiopeity, even when security of a viluc eonsidciably in excess of the amount iskcd is offered Ihe stimgcnt stite of the money maikct has pre vented much speculation, and businesss in stocks and shai ea is at a low ebb Hut possibly the stnn"ency will relax when our wool clip and sue, u crop become available The import maikct has bien compiiativcly inactive since last mill, although the frequent ainvils of sailing ships and stcameis have greatly in creased stocks in both bonded and free stoics The meicase of the shipping, not only o£ lins bane but of all the. Queensl ind ports, has been remark ible Duiing the last fortnight theie have been three largo Biitish India Gomptny's steameis m haibour - namely, "Waroonga, Almoia, and Eldorado, each of which brought a full cn go of generil mcichandise Ihe necessity for increased wharfage accommoda tion ii being pressed upon the notice of the ¡uithoi itics, and alreidy the city council has two piojects befoie it At the pic sent time tin ce or four sailing vessels aro lying m the streun awaiting whait spice Hie mtcicolonial stcameis have in ci eased in ntimbei and grcatci facilities still ne shortly to be affoided by the A & N Com pany for direct communication with Mel bourne, thus avoiding ti inslupment at Sydney liowcvci gratifying it may boto us to know that not only European and American linns no bidding largely foi our tindo, but also colo nial finns, yet the utmost caution is necessary to repress the suiplusagc of general imports which at pi osent aro ai riving nioie quickly than they can be disposed of Several linns have been engaged in stocktaking, but the month has not opened well One or two in solvencies have not tended to increase coull

dence of tradcis Prices in the flour maikct, winch is vei y fully stocked, have fallen con sidciably, and leading Adelnde town brands aro now quoted it iii 5s and £13 10s , country brands about £1 loss The bulk of the sugar crushing will como off shortly, the sugar already sent out is a sunonoi ai tide A few sales of high cliss teas have been made, but the L,lut of lower qualities still continuel Liquors of ill kinds far exceed the demand, although one oí tw o favourite brands of bottled beers aie in a low condition Galvanised iron and fencing vvne nie in request, the former chiefly becuisc of the activity of building operations In the exnoit markets, there is at present comp u itively little doing in the st iplc pi oduet Quotations foi wool arc van able-i ather too much so to enable us to lix a reliable aveuige Sheepskins ire in fair supply At last weeks «ales is Gd to is lud w is given foi best merino skins, und is to 3s bd for crossUeds Good mixed tallow is improving in prii e, i 1 j to iii Va being latest foi best qualities Pnc< s foi hides range fiom id foi medium, mil ijd for light, to 4}d to4fd foi

extra heavies

J he }Cirl} stitement foi ISS.} of duties leeeivcd tillouri the Custom House his been published Its perusal and comparison with the leeeipts foi ÍSS2 will he mstiuetivc -

Year ended

Ye u ended

Poit

¿Olli June

50th lune

1882

18SJ

Bilbbunu

£317 I'M 12

7

{. J.>l HO 8 2

Ipswich

20 (¡Ai I'1

j

ii 1 'h 8 1

Jvlai\hoK>iie,h

11 107 11

G

JJ i 2 8 8

Bul nctt Rlvoi

"t 7 «i li

1

7 072 10 I

Gladstone

I 12 >

!

2 010 I» 2

Rockhampton

s,* m i

7

101 5)0 l8 10

Mik ka\

II 101 1

1

DMill 'I

St 1 awi euee

017 1

1

fcli ¿ 8

dev t lund Bay

08 'i-i 11

1

9j8U].! ü

Pott llincliinbiook

iw io

i lib 1. r>

Pol t Denison

¡'ii 10

2

5 111 10 t

N( nu niton

7 Mi 0

1

11 1 *j l8 1

Cooktown

10(17 II 10

17 Oi.) 7 1

C iii ns

1 7(« 0

j

¡MU 0

Poit Douglas

nus i

{

M HiiS S

1 hui ihn Island

i 0j_> 15

5

bilí 8 8

Biitketown

d12 it 8

Dungeness

717 1 J

Boidci Pitiol

T70J1C 10

17 210 ( 7

To al

£0i<1007 J

J

i.-jJ.IOi l8 0

SHIPPING

»

SinrPCG matters, as far as oversea vessels are concerned, have not been xerj brisk during the month owing to the duluess of the freight market but the coasting trade is in a very flourishing condition During the month it has been found ncecsary to send amuchiarger vessel to the Gulf than the one which has been engaged for some time past in the cargo trathc and branch mail service between normanton and Thursday Island This is a sure proof of the increase of trade in that dnection The Queensland Steam Shipping Company have since our last sumraar) made a valuable addi

tion to their coasting fleet The Archer, the boat referred to, was built cipresal) for this trade, and is in every wax well adapted for it, more especially as regards passenger ac commodation She averaged, on a daily con sumption of 10 tons fuel, a speed of 10i knots per hour during the entire voyage out from Glas gow She started on her first trip to Queens land Northern ports on Friday evening last

The new mail contract entered into between the Postmaster General and the A S N Com panvforthe couve) ance of mails to and from Cooktow n in connection w ith the British India Compan) commences ti om BnshaneonthelStb instant Accoidin,. to the time table the ASS Compan) s steamer Goveinoi Blackall leaves Brisbane one dav later than the mail steamer, calls at all the intermediate ports convo)ing passengers ind hjit freight and at Cooktow n will await the irnval of the next incoming mailboat She uto j each Brisbane, after calling it the intermediate ports two da)a earlier than the dates specified on the B I S N Compan) s time table This will be the initia tion of the new arrangement b) which malls betw een London and Brisbane will be dehv ered in fort) four«da)s the time now occupied by the Melbourne Galle i oute

ivet/lei and Co jchartcringagonts, report that since the issue of the i last month s circular the general freighting market has been very quiet indeed Hates continue without an) mate! lal alteration, and speculators have cntirel) ceased from operating Colonial produrc is coming foi ward in so limited quantities that it is in almost all ports absoibed by the steamers Vessels of lal go tonnage are being ordered on to San Francisco and other potts whereas others have to accept the miserable maikct quotations 1 rom Lyttclton and Port Chalmers 37s (k1 is obtainable, and 40s tq 42s Od from Oamaiu, lnnaru and the Bluff Harbour Some moderate sized tonnage linds cmpIo)tnent from Southern poits to Mauritius and South Africa, and several large charteis have been effected for horses from Melbourne to Calcutta Vessels have been offeied 'or this trade also in our colony, but the matter seems too ncw)et lhere is some inquiry for a few ships to load w ool and tallow Unusually many vessels have taken guano charters this season and the attention seems pretty equally divided between the three best known Australian and Pacihc guano islands, whereas the American west coast is reported to have absorbed some 10 000 tons a month from our ports At any rate the guano rates in our markets aie the most profitable of all just now Our coasting trade lias continued pretty active and improving In coals there has been but little animation, and no pros pects seemingly of better lates rho eurient market quotations, however, will in most in stances be given, a'though the business done has been chiefly limited to one or two ports There is a large amount of tonnage waiting in Newcastle to bo loaded, most of which is

chartered

The overseas arrivals during the month in-cluded the Hector, brig, in Moreton Bay on the 21st June, from Boston, the B.I.S.N. Company 's supplementary steamer Almora in Moreton Bay on the 20th June from London, via ports , the Afton, barque, in Moreton Bay on the 30th June from London the City of Quebec, ship, in Moreton Bay on the 1st July, f rom London the B.I.S.N.Company 's R.M.S. Eldorado, m Moreton Bay on the 5th July, from London via ports the Lizzie Iredale, barque, in Moreton Bay on the 6th July, from Liverpool, the Nairnshire ship at the Burnett Heads (Bundaberg) on the 7th July, from Glasgow, the Nelson, s. (Geo R Stevens and Co s line), at Brisbane on the 8th July, from Hongkong, via ports , the Archimedes barque, at Mackay on the 9th July, from Laurvig; the Oban Bay, barque, in Cleveland Bay on the 12th July, from Glasgow, with immi-grants and a general cargo; and the Tannadice, E and A Company's s. , in Moreton Bay on the 14th July), f rom Hongkong, via ports.

Tlie Almora, in addition to a considerable quantity of caigo and a number of immigrants, landed at Queensland Northern poits had 2.30 immigrants and 1200 tons caigo foi Brisbane Dunngthe passage Mary Ciowe, a single gul (an immigrant), died of consumption, and a single man, named William Dart, died of dysentery Atldiesses weie given by the im migiants bcfoio leiving the stcnmei expressive of then gi ititude to Di Kenneth li Smith and Captain Ha) and a gold pendant compass was also presented to the lattci

nothing worth) of note occutied dunngthe v oyago of the II M S Eldorado which inchoiod in the Brisb ino roadstead one day behind the contract date 1 he fact of the mails being behind time vt as atti lbuted by tho local agents to the negligence of the 'J ow nsv lile agents who allov ed tho Giinda which ai lived in Bnsbine thice days bofoicthe Lldoiudo to sail while the ofheeis of the Eldoiaelo were in the act of ti anshipping the Biisbane mail bags to her

The immigrant ship Nairnshire made the passage from Glasgow in 107 days. The new comers were in fine health and spirits and out of a total number of 314, equal to 2881/2 statute adults, only one death occurred during the voyage. This was one of the immigrants, who was suffering from consumption when he boarded the vessel. On the 2nd ultimo one of the seamen fell fiom the masthead on to the main hatch, and was killed instantaneously. Each of the immigrants spoke highly of the kindness they had received from Captain Peattie and Dr Russell. The ship was de-layed by calms off the coast of Tasmania for eighteen days. The immigrants who were chiefly composed of English and Scotch, with an admixture of forty-four Irish, were brought up to town by the A S N Company's steamer James Paterson.The Nairnshire is loaded with pig-iron and firebricks for Portland, Oregon, and will resume her journey as soon as possible. There were two births on board, which brings up the number to one more than she left Glasgow with. The new arrivals will, it is expected, meet with speedy employment.

lhe steamei Nelson landed 10 tons of general caigo, a few s doon j) issengers and >0 Chinese at this port 1 he !N elson numbci ed among its passengers two line young elephants, presents fiom tlie King of Siam-ono foi New South Wales, md one foi Melbourne

'lhe folio»m>, vessels have sailed -The B I S î\ Company's li M S Quetta, fiom Moreton Ba) on the 19th ultimo for London, ticl ports, the Nagporc, ship, fiom Moroton Bay on the 21st ultimo, foi Newcastle, in ballast, the Clan Ferguson barque, f i oin Moi c ton on the same date, foi Arnlparaiso m ballast, thoVcnicc, s (Geoigell Stevens and Go 'slino), fiom Mouton Bay on the 29ih ultimo, for Hongkong wa ports, tho Piado s, from Bris banc on the same date, for Batavia, the Chai les Stcv ai t American bai que, f i oin More ton Bay on the 5th instant, foi Valpaiaiso, m ballast, the Waioongv BISN Company's new steamer, fiom Bi îsbano on the 0th instant, foi Newcastle, and the barques City of Madrid and Jupiter, both from Moleton Bay on the 14th instint, the foi mer foi Newcastle, in ballast, and tho latter for Iqniquc, in

ballast

The steamei Wnoonga was floated into the graving dock on tho 2nd instant for the purpose of fitting the new propeller blades which weie tast b) Mossis Smith Poirestci

and Co , of this city Being the largest vessel that has yet been docked here she attracted a larrie number of visitors The wölk w issue ccssfully accomplished in a few da)s- Duung the opeiatum au iccidcntoccuii ed which might easily havo been ittended with fatal consc quencos A spaio piopellcr blade was being hoisted into the ship fiom the side of the dock when suddenly the hook to which it was attached (,ive wa) and the miss of iron, weighing mort th m h ilf a ton went chittering to the bottom of the dock It w is of coin se biokcn, but foi tunal el) missed the Mnlj)s x\ho weie j Hinting the ships bottom not fit fiom the spot whcie it fell

lhe following cugo was exported by the JIM S Quetta vi/ -114 bales gi i isv wool, 7 i bales clean wool Queensland Alcicintilc f oin pam , 04 bales t,ieo.sv wool 1 eise simples, S Hodgson mel Co , Ü bales clean wool A E Huns, 17 laics scouird wool Pastoral ButclitiingComjanv 0 biles t,ie isy wool, G li Wilson and Co 2 i h iles clean w ool Camp bell Bros und Co, 15 laics gi easy anil 3 bales clean wool G li Wilson and Co , I"") bales scoured wo j!, li and A Skinner, 11 biles clean wool Co operativ cButclici ing Com pmy, r)l hílesele m uni 11 hales (.rcisy wool, Peyton Bowling and Co, ¡2 bales gi pasy wool, Scotti h Atistiilim lmctni< nt Com p ni) , V c is' tillow, Dal_ctlv Blackwood, and Co 1.' 1 iles clean vi col It lewin, 10 ba0s bone" 0 1 ngs hoe r 4 bali s bonis i ba"s hoins, 4jj,lue pieces H Lewin 2-1 hiles clean wool, Paibury, Lamb, and Raff, 20 bales

clean wool, G. Harris and Co , 25 bales greasy wool, 17 bales clean wool, 33 bales greasy wool, l8 bales clean wool, G H Wilson and Co , 31 bales clean -wool, Parbury, Lamb, an d Raff, 14 bales clean wool, 3 bales sheepskins, Australian Joint Stock Bank, 00 bales washed wool, 6 bales skins, Queensland Mercantile Company, number of horns, W Baynes , 10 bales scoured wool, 13G casks tallow, 1S99 cases preserved meats, Gibbs, Bright, and Co , 125 cakes copper, Sir Thomas M Hw raith, 327 bales clean wool, 134 bales greasy wool, 3 cases rum, B D Morehead and Co , 5200 cases preserved meats, 232 casks tallow, 4 cases merchandise, Queensland Freezing and Food Export Com nany, SO casks tallow, Parbury, Lamb, and Raff, 12 casks tallow Wilson Bros , 8 bales wool, Alderson and bons, 4S0 tons coal (ex Waratah) for Batavia, 22 cases preserved meats, 20 casks biscuits (ex Ranelagh), Gibbs, Bright, and Co , 7 horses (ex Egmont), 4 bales leather, Alderson and Sons , 100 bags chaff (ex Egmont), 12 bales ha), 17 bags bran, and 24 bags oats, Gibbs, Bright, and Co , and sun dries From Rockhampton S95 bales wool, 227 hides, 457 tierces tallow, and 36 cases of meats Fiom Bowen 16 casks tallow, 78 hides 1 bundle sheepskins, J H Isbell, 1 case, D Miller, 502 hides, fjo casks tallow, 11 bags bones, Australian Company

The steamoi Eiado took a full cargo of frozen meat from the Queensland Freenng 1 ood and Export Company's works, Queensport (Bns bine River) The Jupitei has been chartered to load nitre at Iquique for a home poit

In regard to the vessels in harbour, the K.MS Almora finished discharging caily last week, and has now most of her outward cargo on board The B I S N Company's steamer El dorado will probably finish dischaif,in" to morrow She will then go to New castle and ship a load of coals there for Batavia, after which she is to proceed to Calcutta, and from theie to London J.he barque Ramsey is still on the berth for London Cargo is coming to hand very slowly, and it will probably be some time 1 efore she will be despatched The City of Quebec will have all her cargo out this week She has not yet received instructions from home as to her future movements The barque Afton his been detained in the stream ten days waiting for a berth She was to commence discharging }esteiday She will leave this port in ballast for Portland, Orc"on The barque Sharpshooter is still awaiting owners' instructions JClic barque Lizzie lie dale was towed to town on Trida} last, and commenced discharging the next morning She will probably leave m ballast foi New

castle, where it is expected she wall load coils for San Francisco Ihe Ladstock finished dis charging on Friday evening last and was towed to the Bay on Saturday She is bound for àevv castle, there to load coals for Portland, Oregon ihe brig Hector finished discharg n(, a week ago and has been sold by Messrs Alfred Shaw and Co to James M'MiIIan, of this city At E resent she is loading eo ils for Rockhampton,

ut will, when the hurricane season is over, be employ ed in the South Sea Island labour traffic

PASTORAL

The past month has been mild and dry all over the colony, and, although midwinter, the temperature has been much higher than is usual at this season of the year So far as the coast lands are concerned, there has been very little frost, but on the higher lands of the in tenor frosts in some places hav e been frequent, and such asare here considered sev ere The rain fall for the same period has been very scant, and the little that has fallen has becninthunder showers, and limited to sm vii areas Die un usual mildness of the temperatme is one of tho strongest indications of coming rain, and a good dow npour would in most places be w el come The pastoral interest, however, in this colony ia contented with i very moderate rain fall at this season of the year so long as the vvatei supply holds {,ood, and in most poitions of Queensland the supply is exceptionally plentiful, pat ticularly in the far West, where the whole of the country is used for grazing

As might be expected m a season bo favoui

able to graziers, fit stock of all descnptions is more than usually plentiful, and pi ices rule lower in our colonial markets, in consequence Pnme bullocks mo fetching in the southern markets from £S 10s to £1 i per head, in our Sucensland maikcts they seldom reach even

io lower figiu c A largo proportion of the cattle selling in New South Wales, Victom, mid South Australia aie fiom this colony, and invariably they tiavel overland, in many in stances over 1000 miles The pastuiage of our Western lands h is fairly vv on for itself the chaiactei of being good foi fatteningpuiposes, and cattle and horses fattened on it travel long distances, with cn cful drov mg, without losing

much in condition

The lambing season is ncaily over on the sheep runs, and the icports i caching us ne all satisfactoiy, telling of unusually luige averages with few losses feheaung opciations aie about to commence on some stations and there is eveiy leison to expect a good clip Theie isa bettci supply oflaboui now than was the case a few months back, still, though so large a number of immiai ants has been norning into the colony for some time past few of the new anivals find then waymto

the uiteuoi

Useful w oi k is being done on many stations in the mattet of watci conscivation In some places undei ground supplies of good w der aie being tapped by tho aitesian well system of bonng, ai d in otheis dims aio bcniL, con stiucted by one oi othci of the vauous patent earth scoops, which have found then way to tho colonies Hie lattoi plan of eonsciving water is working its way steadily into public fivom, being, as it is moic gcneially atlapted to tho rcquiicmcnts of squ ittcis and bush«csi dents With a plentiful supply of good laboui works of this naturo aie likely to be multiplied almost indefinitely

Most of the meit picserving establishments ate now paiticulaily active, the vvintei season being not only tho most fav ourablo foi then woik, but it being also the time when failing pastures awaken anxiety on the part of owners toiealisc on the fat heids the sumniei wcathei has pioduccd Vciy little appi ehension is, howcvei, at picscnt manifested by stockowneis on account of their piospects, for with /.niss and water in abundance and bush fires few and fin between, the outlook is very blight

Hie Queensland Mercantile anil Agency Company, Limited, report is follows, undei date Brisbane, 1st July -The past month lias, foi its mildness, been nltogethoi exeep tional A "dropping wintci " geneiilly en bures some immunity from frost, vv hcreis a v cry dry one is, as a rule, chainctensed hy more than oi dinny seventy June, howevei, has passed without a drop of lain, yet the days hav o been warm and gcmil, and the nights mild The harsh westerly winds, so trying to vegetation and to stock have not yet visited us, and, except within a few localities, the thor mometei li is not reached w ltlnn four degrees of free/mg point Under these fav ourablo con ditions the glass lias retained its substance, and stock hav o hold their own well We have yet two months in which stock may be ox pected to waste, and owners of fats are, of course, anxious to quit them, but tho number avnilable is limited, and a recovery from the depressed prices ruling during the greater part of the month his ah cady commenced Good cattle ne likely to advance steadily in value foi the next two months A few days' ram, notwithstanding that it would almost certainly be followed by frost would, just now, be very welcome, the country duung the past few weeks hiving he como v cry parched

Business in station piopcitics continues vei y dull The Tianscontinental project has ovei shadow ed the colony, pi odncing a feeling of uneasiness and uneeitnint} which has com pletel} paralysed business in pistol al pi o pcrties In a few da} s Pal Lament will have pionounced its verdict, and, should it be m uccoidance with general expectation, the now Pailiament is unlikely to bo asked to deal w ith the question is thero can be no doubt that the sentiment of the countiy is distinctly and in ereasmgly hostile to the land print schemes of the Government When this mnttci is definitely settled, we ma} look foi icnevved | enteiprise in pastoril matteis md a ¿ladual

rccoveiy of values The gcneial outcome of the conti ovei Hy points to some increased de maud being made ni on the squatters m lctuin for some equivalent aclvanti0e of temne and, as the piesent contiibution to the revenue fi om pastoial tenants is recognised as inadequate m the existing conditions of the colony, we imagine such acli likens has been preshauowed will meet with little opposition

Wo noticed in our report last month the ontci piising boi ing opeiations un lei taken by the Messrs S and J Bi/nell on then Vi ulgec goura station, ni the Win rogo distnet We have since icecivcd a most interesting account from these gentlemen of tin 7 rogrcss of their cntci prise Al a depth of 200ft somo niuvling chuñe/ment stopped the vv01k, and when the îods weie drivvn it was found that the eoic band, with fifteen diamond" and somo locls, lind become detached 'Ihesc cannot be le covricd till a suitable apparatus arnves fiom Sydney rortunitcl}, however, befoie the leeidcnt a most bountiful supply of excellent watei was struck, which rose 105ft 111 the bott

m a few minutes The boro hole is put down in a small shaft oft. Gin z 2ft 6m , winch is to act as a reservoir from which two paddocks will be supplied by a windmill In comment-ing upon the great good fortune that has attended their first bore, the Messrs Bignell write - ' Wc do not bebeve w e a-e going to do this every time we put down a hore, out rather look upon it as a fluke, and w ould advise people to wait uutil we put down another before they rush into the expense of ordering this costly little instrument " A £ox of cores is to be sent to the Government geologist who, we trust,

may publish auch comments on them as may serv e as guidance to others inclined to emulate the plucky example set by the Messrs Bignell

All the industries of the colony are in a thriving condition, except, perhaps, tin mining, w hich at Herberton is depressed from the high rate of carriage and of labour

Wool-Being between seasons, we have no transactions to report in our market Our latest advices from London inform us of the closing of the May June series of sales During their existence 331,400 bales were catalogued, and of this quantity 31 2o0 were withdrawn, a portion of which (20,000 bales) has been cat ried ov er for the third series, cora mencing 21st August At the opening of the past series the market was quiet, and con tmued so till the 7th June, wl en some activity was shown in tlie competition for the better class of Australian combing wools, prices for w Inch became farmer Good grcas) and scoured combing, and hue ciossbreds realised }d over closing rates on last sales Greasy crossbreds, coarse descnptions, and mfeiier gi easy were Ad to Id below lates of last sales, as were also washed or scoured crossbreds, coaisede scriptions, the market at the close was irre-gular

It may mteiest our constituents to know that since sepai ation from New South Wales in 1SG0 to end of loS2, the total exports of wool from Queensland amount to 420 01 Î,bl31b Of this quantity 210 529,2001b were exported direct to Great Britain, and 210,0S5,3231b to Sydney and Melbourne In 1S00 the exports were j,007,1071b , whilst in 1&>2 the quantity had risen to 24 703,1491b , oi an increase of nearl) 400 per cent

Up to and including 1S73 the greatest pro portion was exported nAS)due), but from that year matters changed, and since then nearl) three-fourths of the quantity exported has gone dnect to Gleat Britain from this port >o doubt tins has been brought about by increased facilities oifci ing foi shipment from Brisbane by shippers availing themselves of the mail service and also by the establishment of late )ears in Brisbane of agencies of several large and influential companies, winch offer good inducement for exporting wool through their agencies at moderate rates Exports of vv ool from

Queensland ports for 5 monts ending Slst Ma> 1SÍ2 to Great Britain di

rect 9 2G1 ltblb To New South Wales

and Victorian ports 2 361 7291b

-11 62o S311b Exports of w ool from

Queensland ports for 5 months end ing 31st May 1S83 to Great Urilaln di

rect 11 ufo 9°21b To New South Wales

and Victorian porta 7,102 SC21b

-18.G6S 7811b Increase for5 months 7 0i2 9j01b

Freights on wool to London -By mail steamer Greas) wool, ^d per lb , washed xvool, gd pel lb By saihng vessel Greasy wool, A_d per lb , washed wool gd per lb

Freights on tallow to London -By mail steamer, 70s and 5 per cent primage, b) sail ing v esscl, 60s and 5 per cent primage

Marine insurance -By mail steamer or sailing vessel, 27s Od , W A , less 15 pei cent, by mail steamer or sailing vessel, including fire and flood nsk 30s , less lo per cent

Exchange diafts, selling, on London -At thirty days, li per cent, at sixty days, ¿ per cent _

AGBICCLTUllAL

PuniFIiS being proveibml grumblers, have had some reason to complain of the weathci during the past month If it has been mild enough to allow of good giovrth in their ciops it has boen too di) to encourage growth, and hence they have giumblcd Notwithstanding this, the season until now has been exception ally good, and cultivators certainly have no right to complain, foi, with veiy few exeep tions success has attended all xvell directed offoits

In the wheat distucts some of the grain m dry localities was sow n late, hut whei e it w as put in cal 1 v it is now x cr) sti ong and making a good show for a ci op Lai 1} sow n oats and baile) arc either in eai oi pushing fast on for it, ow ing to the unusunll) mild weatbei Green foddei of all kinds is now abuncinnt, and there is also a pi etty full supply of luceme oaten, ami othci ha) icad) foi maiket The late ciopof mai/c, which is mostly harvested, tin ned out well, and is fetching about a fan iiguie in the open maiket fai mci s receiving for it some thing like 2s 3d peí bushel Potatoes are i athel scarce, owing to the drj vveithci in the autumn, when the seed should haxe gone in If i am should fall now a spi ing crop w ould be pianteel to come in before Christmas Othci t oot ci ops, w lth the exception of sw cet potatoes are not so extensivo!) gi own as they ought to be Ciops of au owl oot nie now leady foi lifting, and they pt omise an exceptionally good jield Ihose who have cmbaikcd in the in dusti) of glowing and manufactuiing this article find it to be a pa) ing business The coffee ci op is now about leach, and in some places is ali cady gatheied, but Qucenslanei coffee up to the present has not been heaid of in the mar! ot, although it pi omises to become an article of expoit in the not veiy distant

futuio

Ihelaige sngai industry is moro than ordi naiil) pionusing this yeal, owing to the good grow ing weatbei of suimnci, and since that the exceptionally mild vvintei Trost has shown itself m some of the iuoio exposed situations, but as yet m such a light form as to bo actually more beneficial than otherwise Bx pcrienced sugai planters say that slight fiost by checking growth increases the density of the juice, niiel this c mses a larger } îeld of crys tnlhsablc sugar from the ton of cane Tho plantéis are still disquieted and alaimed at the aspect of the labour question Although much has been said and w ritten for and against black labour on the plantations it is becoming moro deeply leahsed continually that without it in some form tho sugai industi) cannot hold its ow n, and it is to be hoped that the Paihament about to be elected w ill deal w ith the -mestion in a piactical mannei European labour is totally unsuited foi the work, besides being un reliable Hie Indian coolies, from all accounts, arc about the best The introduction of Chinese iii sufficient numbers to giv e relief is gencially îcgarded is the least satisfactory solu tion of the dithculty, as the Celestials would be sure m time to enter largely into competition with other and higher brinches of European labour, to the gre it dctinnent of the latter In joinci) and cabinet making, as well as in market gai dening, the Chinaman often elbows out the Luropean, anti ho does the same to some extent in trade South Sea Islanders aro suit iblo enough if there wore enough of them to be had, and as a rulo thoy settle down to plantation vv oi k x ci y contentedl) But a difti cult) has long been found in keeping up tho suppl), and as the sugar industry is extending xcry rapidly tho demand foi suitable labour is greatl) on the increase Cn slung is now going on at all the mills in the colony, and theie is ever) prospect of the largest yield of sugai b) some thousands of tons that has yet been produced in the colony so that the quan tit) available foi expoit to the Southern colo

nie« will be considerable

The Queensland Mercantile and Agency Compan) in their last îcport write -Die sugai piospects nre most encouraging, and it is tolciably certain that this seasons out put will exceed io,000 tons Hie value of this hal vest will notbefai short of a million ster ling, and when it is icniombeied that this the produce of a relatively small portion of the allu vial nicas ulong our coast, which a few years ago gave no icturn, the {.icat cxpansixencss of oin nation il wealth will be fully recog niseel Die weather dm ing the past month vv is, m all disti icts, gem ii and suitable foi the sugai f,iow ci Even on the Southern j ivers the fiosts have kept iw ty, and towards the Is oi th line wann, almost hot, davs have been geneial-the thcimoinotci fiequcntl) rcgistei

ing is luchas SO" in the shade at noon Hie nights baie also been mild foi the time of the )cai Hie crushing se ison his fully com mencod Although at Macl ay the effects of frost do not force an call) commencement x et most of the old established nulls aie now bus) Hie nine laige mills which ire now near completion, will piobibl) not begin operations until the end of August A large arc i of cane Wusleft is stand ove i from last season owing to the carty commencement of the autumn i uns, and it is upon such cane that the mills aie now at work lhe density is good-04 and 10 per tent-hut the canes art decidedly dry, the autumn growth on this

stand ov er not having been as great as usual, with the exception of such as was on scrub lands Our reports from all districts are still of healthy crops, and large returns are ex pected Bundaberg yields are said to be very heavy-over two tons per acre-and the output from this one new locality is estimated by the local papers at 7000 tons The de Barran apparatus for the manufacture of sulphurous gas which proved so successful when tried during the past season at Gairloch, Herbert River is exciting a good deal of attention At the River Estate, Macka}, the process has been adopted for the list fortnight and so far with most unqualified success-a clear, hard, bright white crjstal being the result equal in quahtv, according to the opinion of many to that produced b} the more costly and trouble some charcoal filters The apparatus is so exceedingly simple and inexpensive that it is bound in time to be almost universally adopted It cannot be denied that the further progress of this industry has received a decided che(^j}->-iir..the ] ohtieil stand taken igainst the ropei y Bout ot coloured labour hy an in fluentpy^gy ticil section >o plantation of my extent h jijeen organised during the last six months neither li ive any sales of existing pro perties been effected noi new mills commenced other than what were determined upon i yeal ago Su"ar manufactories and estates have proved to be most attractive investments to capitalists and it leems probable that addi

tional capital would flow into the same channel if a reliable supply of coloured labour could be depended on \\ liat»ver may be urged against the intioduction of coolies, we doubt if my section of politicians will delibentely injuie an industry that has assumed such important proportions as the sugar industry

MINING

Perhvp» the chief mining event of the month has been the revival of the Rise and Shine United ¿old mine, Kilkivan Eirlv in the year heavy runs fell and completely filled the mine Much money and time weie wasted in pumping by horsepower, the effect being scarcely appi enable In Ma} the directors purchased a "No 1 Pulsometer patent steam pump which stnted work on 2Sth May, and, pumping at the rite of 1SO0 gallons per horn it bad m six da^s thoroughly cleaied the mine of all the wat« It h s since been working one shift per day On üth ultimo the mine hav int, been allowed to drv work was commenced, and on the 9th the fiist reef was broken down Gold was undei foot and dip ping to the north On the 23rd a local directoi telegi ipi ed to Brisbane - Splendid gold cut last niLht in the <X)ft level 90ft noith from lower level gold The reef itself i» e timated to yield at least 4oz. to the ton A jil lv ate telo"iani 3rd instant stated that 20 tons of stone had been raised Of this, 13 tons vv os ci ushed w it'i the result of ISOoz of amalgam Shares are rapidly advancing, Three months a0o packages of scrip went beg ging at Sd , to day none can bo obtained for

even 3s

Gympie is showing signs of improvement

Some of the older mines are furnishing stone of

hotter quality, and seveial newer ventures are

giving indications of good promise The Wilmot Extended Company's mine is a notable instance Explorations are being carried on with spirit, and fresh patches of gold bearing stone and nch specimens nre being sent up the shaft daily One small patch alone was estimated to contain 60oz gold Halls lease reported a sensational crushing of 62Soz from 63 tons The piospects of the mine are indica tive of future ci ushings of a similar character A rich belt of stone is being traced south, and is being got fi om a less depth than 100ft, so that the mine may be considered as yet in its infancy, as lowei beds of slate remain to be developed HiePhonixmines,though}ielding large cakes have dropped slightly below the average The total yield of the No 1 north Pheonix during May was 12b2oz fiom 120S tons, while that of the Phoenix p c was519oz from 04S tons The Glaiimircs have maintained their av erage

A large amount of "dead work has been done at Chaiteis lowers of late The average yield has boen ou the whole satisfactoiy, but the quintit} of stone put through has been rithci below the usuil quantity There is, however, cvci} prospect of immediate increased production Sevcul of the best mines hav e completed such dead work as will permit the putting on of largei numbers of men whilst otherj that hav o been sinking in the blocks are on the eve of staking the íeef The Day Daw n and Wj udhain block shaft is at last sup posed to hav e cut the f ootvv all of the reef The actual thickness of theioef is between lift and 12ft Tho total depth of the shaft is now 4S4ft Hie quality of the stone is, without doubt, ex collent, and estimated by some to go 3oz to the ton and by others as high ns 7oz per ton The Rise and Shine cnishcd 2Ó0 tons foi a yield of 1S707, and paid a dividend of £400 and £430 fiom machinery account Hie Day Dawn p c h is had tw o splendid crushings-340 tons y îeld mg boSoz , and 3S5 tons S70oz In each in stance a Is dividend has been declared, the, tw o making a total of £2400

The pumping machineiy at the Crocodile Cieek Alluvial Companys chum, in the Rock hampton district is now at work Once the giound is diaincd splendid letmns aie ex pected The Cm nan on Cistle Blackfellows Gully, is i aising stone estimated to }iold 5oz

to the ton

Alluvial gold of splendid quality has been found at Midgi ive

Bv this ni ni boat ov or 53 tons of silvei ore will be sent to London by the Ravenswood Silvei Mining Company Ata modélate csti mate the valuo of this shipment is £1000 lho future of the mining industi} of Ravenswood, when it is connected by the branch line with Townsville, will bevor} grand

Other fields m the colouy have sent m re ports quite up to the av erage

PUBLIC WORKS

AP4.B.T fiom the railways of the colony there are compaiatively few public works of any magnitude in pi ogress lu Brisbane the old Woiks offices have been pulled down, and aie giving place to a three stoned building for the Surv 0} or General s department, w hich has been greatly hampered for want of room The Minister for Works and Mines has with his ofhecis, settled down in the old Grammar School buildings m Roma sti cet Some addi tions to the police court and a small increase of accommodation at the Colonial Stores com

pletc the list of Government works in pi ogress in Brisbane Tenders will shortly be invited for additions to the Colonial Secretar} s ofhec, which have been required for some time past, as the premises occupied by this de partment are the oldest and most inconv cnient Gov ernment office in Brisbane Steps are being taken to invite competitive designs for a large building of three stones to occupy the whole section bounded by Queen, G coi gc, Elizabeth, and William streets These vv ill take the place of the old Ticasury, at one time used as a mill tary barracks and the offices of the Auditor Goneial, the Registrar General, the Chief In spector of Stock and Brands, and the Govern ment Lithographic Office, and will probably afford accommodation for most of these, as well as for the Works and Mines Department Outside of Brisbane a large number of w orks are in progress but they are mostly of minor importance Messrs. vowles and Quinn have made a good start w ith a fine hospital of brick, which they are building at Charters Towers, to cost about £7000 the foundations being nearly completed Tenders hav e also been accepted for additions to the police station at the same place The following is a list of works for which tenders have been accepted, and many of which are in a forward state -Post and telegraph office, Southport, police stations, Walkerston, St Lawrence, and Cairns, hos pital to industrial school, Toowoomba, lockup ind police station, Lton , post and telcg-aph office, Cleveland, hospital, Holberton, lockup and police quarters at South Brisbane, Durundur, Hemmant and German Station, and police station and lockup, North Rock-hampton. Work is also proceeding on the removal of the old post office at Mackay and the erection of a new telegraph office and tower on the site. Tenders have been invited for court houses at Tennin-gering, Gin Gin and Roma (additions);

police quarter's at Stanthorpe and Allora, and sergeant's quarters at Ingham. Plans are being prepared for post and telegraph offices at Ayr, Emu Park and Mount Britton; lockup-keeper's quarters at Mackay, and court-houses

at Isisford and Harrisville.

Since last summni} the new gaol at South Brisbane has boon taken ov or by the Gov ern ment and tenanted It 13 m cv ei y 1 espect moro suitable than the old buildings, which were erected in the early days of the colony, and w ci e not adapted to the climate lho old -*aol is to bo used m futuic as a Voluntcei annouiy and ordnance stoics and the residents in the noiL,hbom hood ire hopeful that be foic long the high stone will which sm rounds the bmldingb vv ill be remov ed md a neit railing substituted In its piosent con dition the w ill is of very little use, and quite out of pi ice as an om uneiit, but by pulling it down the stone might be used foi other pur

poses. The bulk of the prisoners are now sent to an island in Moreton Bay, where sugar cultivation and other useful occupations arc carried on, the gaol in town being reserved for short sentence prisoners and men awaiting trial

RAILWAYS

GOOD progress has been made in railway extension since our last monthly summary, though in one or two instances for xarious reasons the works have been interrupted to some extent. This is notabl) the case with the Oxle) and South Brisbane branch, which is many months behind contract time, and upon which work has been stopped for some weeks, owing to the financial embarrassments of the contractors It is expected, however, that in the course of a few da) s arrangements xv ill ho made for the completion of the Une Meantime, the branch to connect this lue with the river, neal the graving dock, is making good pi ogress, and the contractors have begun the erection of one of the 10 ton steam cranes procured for com emcnce of the expoit trade at this point, which in view of the extensive character of the wharves being erected and of the fact that th«\ will have direct îailwa) communication with the coalmines and with the interior of the colon) is likely tobe very largely drawn into this channel It is of course important that the railwav should bo ready as soon 03 the whaif and v harf branch is completed, and efforts will be made to secuie this Tendéis for the line fiom South Brisbane to the Logan weie íeceivedon the 22nd The work attracted a number of contractors, no less than fiv e tcnelci s being i ecciv ed of w Inch the low est was that of Messis Fountain and Co ,JÇ.35,29S 10s , which, as the section is 14 miles Go chains in length, is at tbe"rate o£ £23S2 per mile It is likclv that this tender will bo accepted, but the decision of the Cabinet has not ) et been made known Nothing lias yet been done tonrds erecting the tiamway which is to connect the piesent terminus in îiorth Brisbane with the liver at Petries Bight, but the motors weie landed a few days bro from the ship Ladstock, and the carnages have been on hand for some time The vvoik will be delayed some months as the crisis in Par iiament will pi even1-the plans being approved before the end of this ) ear or beginning of next On the Biisbane Voile) branch the cuttings aro nearl) all finished as fal as Tem vale, but the bridges bnllast, and fencing are in a rather backward state The branch line from Toowoomba to Highhclels will shortly be opened foi tiafhc , the plate li)mgand ballast-ing are completed, and little i emaius to be done be) onel a small quantity of fencing Indeed, the contractoi entertained a number of his friends on a trip up the line to Highfields a few da) s ago On the Wai w'ck to Killarney branch all the cuttings have been completed for a distance of ten miles There are two pile engines at work, and the bridges are being got vvell forward A large quantity of --leepers are being bi ought from the Stanthorpe extension, a good quarry for ballast has been opened about two miles up the line and a considerable quantity has been brought to the vv ork Work on the Roma ex tension towards Mitchell is approaching com pletion The chief obstacle to the immediate opening of the line is the non completion of the Amby Cieek bridge This consists of seventy spans, for fifty of which the piles have been driven, and some of the gndeis are fixed In about a fortnight the road wül have been laid to the end of this section on the eastern side of the Maiauoa Elver, and the line will then be complete, with the exception of the deviation at Arab) Creel which williemam until the bnd"e is completed The station buildings at Muckadilla and Hodgson are making good progress, and most of the gate keepers' cottages along the line have been put up It is moie than probable that the line xi ill be open on the l«t Septembei, so that it ma) bring down the next shearings, and tins will probabl) be done The line fiom Roma to Mitchell will travel se one

of the finest stretches of downs countiy in Queensland, it is a succession of gentle undulations, pnncipally plains with heie and there clumps of trees oi open forest lheie is a busy little township at Amby Cieek, and another at the head of the line Tenders foi the next section of the Westei n

line will be opened on tho 27th instant Tins xvill include the big budge which is to span the MaianoaEixei, togethei with the appioachcs, and will extend to the vicinity of Moiven It is computed that the bridge alone cannot be built m less than eighteen months, but of course the countiy bey one! can be i cached b) means of a deviation Only one tondei-that of Messis Fountain and Co-was íeceived for the construction of the fast foul miles of the Kilkivan blanch of thcMaiyboiough Railway, includingthc bl ulge ox cr the Mai y Rix ei The immediate consti notion of cv en this small nor tion of the mlwaj will be a gi eat convenience to settlers in the diiectioii of Kilkivan Since the budge over the Mary it Miva was xvashetl aw a) the ciossmg at this place has pioveda great olstacle m the xv ay of leaching the Mary boiough Railwa) fiom the distuct tying to the west of the M n y and extending back not only to the ncighbouihood of Biooyar and Kilkivan stations, but to Boonara and othci places on the Bmnott wateis lhe constiuction of the branclnailway acioss the mci will of course îemove this iliinculty, while the timber ti ade that will be opened up must pi ove an important feedei to the Maiyboiougli Railway It is likcl) how ev ei that fi csh tenders will hav o to be invited On the line fiom Bundaberg to Mount Perr) (section No 2) the two headings of the tunnel which forms the heaviest work on the line met on the 19th ultimo, aud were found to be ni good line and ioxel, and the tunnel is now being taken out to its full size. It is about an eighth of a mile in length, and goes through gianite This section will carr) the Une to Mount Pony The con-tract time capaes in about ten weeks, but there is an enoimous amount of voik still to be done, and indeed not moie than three miles of the plates bax o yet been laid On the Central line work is progressing, and it is ex-pected that the extension fiom Bogantungan to Pine Hill-twenty five miles-will be open by the 1st of September Pine Hill is on the east bank of the Belyando River, and, as pointed out in the last annual report of the Commissioner for Railways, when the line is opened to that point serious obstacles to dray traffic, caused by waterless roads and the rough route over the Drummond Ranges, will to some extent disappear, and important re-sults are expected, facilitating the carriage of goods westward. Work is also being carried forward on the extension of the Nor-thern line from Charters Towers to Norwood, sixty nine and a- half miles. The contractor is Mr. John Robb, and the price £99, 201, or £1427 per mile, exclusive of permanent way material, buildings, water supply, supervision, &c. Some progress has been made with the undertaking, an effort is being made to get the department to open the line to Balf' s Creek. 25 miles west of Charters Towers, and this will probably be done about the end of October. Tenders have been called for the Ravenswood branch of the Northern line, which will connect this flourishing goldfield with the port of Towns-ville by a line twenty -five miles in length, leaving the main line at a point fifty five miles

from Townsville

Mr H C Stanley, Chief Engineer of Raúwa)s, Southern and Western cbvision, has just returned fiom Euiopc, wheie hohasbr»em spending the tw elv e months'leav e of absence granted to him last j ear Mr Stanley's many friends will be glad to hear that the main ob-ject of his tup has been fully answered and that he returns to Queensland thoroughly re established in health Dilling his absence, too, he has visited many points of interest in Great Britain and on the Continent, and has «eon much that will doubtless assist him in the futuie dischaigc of his duties While m the old countr) he appeals to have taken the opportunity of seeing whatever was to be seen in connection with railwav s and i oiling stock, and amongthe placesxisitedwerethelocomotive w orks of Messrs Dubs and Co , Glasgow, where sev eral engines for this colony are at present being constructed, and Messrs Kitson and Co slocomotivevvoiksat Leeds Special atten-tion was paul b) M> Stanley to the jnanufac turo of non and steel, and m this connection he went ovei the works of the Steel Compan) of Scotland, near Glasgow, and Sir John Brown and Co s w oi k= Shefhclcl He had f idl oppor-tunity of --eeiiig the manufacture of steel by both the Bc-sco ei and öiemen's process, as well as the operations of tolling nils and castmçaimour plates foi vessels of war An oppoi tunity xva= also taken of xisitmg some of the principal ceuties of buck making m Staf foi Ishire, We t Bromwich, and Wakefield, neir Leeds A.s was to have been expected, the lailway construction in the xicuuty of London, anil particulirlv the metiopohtan uneleigiound woiks between the Mansion House and the Tower, to complete the circle of the line lound London, were closel) observed by Mr btanle), as they compuse some of the most difficult vv orks that canbcundcrtliken Healsotrav clledov er sev eral of the lines m Scotland, and picked up some useful hints as to their management, particu»

lariy m the engineering department At Wor ¿ester ho paid a v îsit to tlio vv orks of Messi s M'Ken7ie, Holland, and Co , wheio he ob tamed a good deal of useful mfoimation io carding nilway signals and intei locking apparatus, which Utter isa speciality of this firm. It is then interlocking apparatus which has hoon mtioducod and used with such good effect hcic Mi Stanley found that it is now one of the rcgulitions of the Board of liade that all new îailways shall bo supplied with tliis appaiatus, and that its uso is now the rulo at all st itions except a few w aysido places, *s the companies freely adopt it for their ovv n ?ake A um tluough Trance, Switzerland, and the north of Italy alf01 dod un oppoitunity of judging of the state of the railway S} stems in those countries and the St Gothard tunnel, nine and a quat lei miles in length, was by no moans the least lnleiesting feature of the journey Ovei tins hue Mi Stinloy travelled on the engine, so that he had full oppoitunity of seeing the w onderful spiral tunnels and other enginccung achievements with which the line abounds Whilst m Italy, Mr Stanley took the oppoi tunity of inspecting the road nil ways, of which Milan is the centic He wa«, however, gieitly disappointed, and descubes thom as a bad kind of tramway, tho vehicles travelling not moie than five or six miles an horn Ihe English lines aro the best which Mi Stanley saw, and next to them come the French, but the Swiss íailvv ays were not so well managed, though they appeared in the matter of population and traine, as well as of the cuives mid glades adopted, to approach moro nearly than other European railwn}s to our position in Queensland The gauge in Svnteciland is 4ft Sim , with the exception of some small hi inches which act as fcedeis

THE OPENING Or PARLIAMENT.

THE sixth session of the eighth Pal lnment of Queensland was formally opened by his Excellency the Acting Goveinoi (Su Arthur Palmor) at noon on lucsday A gi eat deal of interest vv is taken in the proceedings b} the general public Ihe opening ceremonies, as usual, took place in the Legislitivo Council Chambci, and theie was a lirge attendance both within the building an I outside The galleries of the Council weio literally packed with spectators while the whole of the available spice on the flooi of the Chamber excepting the uont row of benches, which was reserved foi membeis was occupied hy ladies Their Honoui s the Acting Chef Justice (Mr Justice Harding) and Mi Justice Pimg to nether with the Shei iff (Mr Halloran) and the Von Aichdeacon Glennie, occupied scats to the left of the Presidents dais , Lady Palmer and Lady M'llwiaith weio also seated close to them Outside of the Patliamont buildings, as soon as the Voluntoeis forming tho guard of honour amved, at about a quarter to 12 o'clock, the public began to assemble in large numbers, and by the time appointed foi the opening a very considerable assemblage had gathered togethci along the îoadway without tho onclosuie The guard of honour was supplied by betw ecu eighty and ninety of the 1st Queenslaudeis, under the command of Cap tain MTiulane, and headed by the legimcntal

band

At eight minutes to 12 o'clock the Hon D T Roberts, Chairman of Committees of the Legislative Council, took the President's .hair, whereupon the Cloik of Paiha monte (Mi W H Radford) lead the pi o clamation summoning Paihament together foi the despatch of business

At slx minutes befóte noon the fust gun of a »aluto fired at the battery in the Queen's Park announced the depaituie of the Acting Govoi nor from Government House, md a minute oi two Inter he di ove up to the mun ciitianco of the Puliament buildings lecompained by his Privitc Seciotuy (Mi Henrys), and his Aido-de camp (Mijoi Moore) and followed by a guard of mounted police, un 1er the command of Inspcctoi Lewis As the eiunge was brought to astandstilltheVoluntceispicscntcd aims, and the band pi v}ed the Nitioiml Au thom His Excellency it once ptocecded to tile Council Chambci, followed bv Colonel M'Donnell Mnjoi Adams, Captains M Pallano and Bun eil, Lientcn mt Gartside, and the membeis of the Council Aftci tho Acting Governoi had taken his scat on the dais of the chambci, the Ushci of the Black Rod, by com raandof the Acting Pi csident, summoned the membeis of the Legislative Asseinbl}, who took up scats outside the bar of the Council

His Evcelli NCi then lead the following

Ol*\l\c SlLECII

HONOTJHVBLr Gi.MLIlMEN' OF li» LEOISIA

iivi. Com.eir, vm> Glntlluev or nu, Llguslativl Assxmuia,

1 have much píeosme in meeting }ou foi the purpose of submitting to youl consideration and decision vauous weighty matteis affecting the intei ests of our country

I am suie you will join with me in an ex piossion of sonow and legtet at the death of oui late Governor, Sir Aithur Kennedy, whoso long and useful lifo in the sei vico of his coun tiynas ensured foi his menioiy vieil mciited

appreciation

I have been advised by her Majesty's Secic tary of State foi the Colonies that Sir Anthony Musgrave has been appointed Governor of tho colony, and will leave England foi Biisbane about the middle of August

I have to congiatulate you upon the very piopitious season with which the countr} has just boon fivotired Our ngucultural and pastoral puisuits have been conducted with moie than common success, while our mining industries have held their own The rapid influx of population has beneficially stimu lated production and trade, while the manner in which immigiants, as well as largo accès sious of excel îeneed colonists from other parts of Australia, have boon absorbed into our varied industries affords undeniable pi oof of tho soundness of oui piosperity

An agi cement has been made with a com pany for the constiuction of a line of lailway fiom Chaileville to Point Parker, on the Gulf of Carpentaria undei the provisions of the Railway Companies Pielimmnry Act of 1SS0 lins agreement will be submitted for your sppiova and ratification Your latification of an agreement undei the same Act for a line floin Chaileville to the New South Wales bolder will also be sought, and I trust both agi eements w ill commend themselv es favourably to your calm and dispassionate judgment

For somo time past the imminent danger of annexation bj a foieign Power of the adjacent island of New Guinea has caused my Govern ment much concern and uneasiness Ulti

roately it was determined by |a formal act of annexation to establish permanently British elaims to the possession of that country Ac cordmgly that portion of New Guinea east of the 141st meridian and the adjoining islands up to the 155th mendiin were annexed on the 4th of April last This action has not yet received the sanction of her Majesty, but theie can be no question that, however dis tasteful to some of our countrymen at home further extensions of territory may be, Now Guinea and the adjacent groups of Pacific Islands must form pu t of the future Australian nation The course taken by my Government has, in my opinion, furnished the best possiblo lecunty agnnst future embarrassments, and I »m happy to state has received the hearty endorsement of the sev eral Australian colonies I may add that, at the instance of the Victorian Government, concerted action has been taken with the object of inducing her Majesty's Go

Tornment to annex those islands m the Pacific

whose interests are deemed in many respects identical -with those of Australia,

Correspondence has been continued with the Indian Government in reference to the regula tions under which eligible labourers from that country may be introduced for the more effectual prosecution of tropical agriculture in tins colony The difficulty has been to frame régulations which while meeting the views of the Indian Government, would furnish ample »afeguards against injurious competition with Eui opean labour, and secure the return of the labourers to their ow n country These objects, my Government considers, have been at length secured, and th cgulations will he submitted for your approval

In the event of these regulations being adopted and the labour wants of the colony being thus adequately supplemented, a happy »olution of the embarrassing questions arising out of the employment of Pacific Islanders and a still moie objectionable class of labourers, the Chinese, will have been pro vided. Although my Government believes that recruiting by Queensland labour vessels is ns a rule legitimately and humanely conducted, and that the islanders aie in vanably well treated in the colony, it is unfortunately too true that recruiting is not cntiiely fiee from abuses, and that insuperable difficulties aro encountered m endeavouring to legally establish the guilt of offending masteis of vessels The'-e occasional abuses have iciiously but unjustly compromised the reputa turn of our colony abioad, and my Mimsteis are confident that evciy well disposed colonist «[ill participate in the satisfaction they feel at the piospect that ere long the possibility of SUm} ahuses will hav o ceased to exist

The report of the Under Secretaiy foi Lands, which will be laid before you, shows that the desiie to acquire land m almost every district

of tho colony continues unabated Wlulo a gicatei arcabas been selected dmmg the past year than during any jcu since 1877, it is not giatitying to find that the quantity under cultivation still foims a veiy small pioportion of the amount alienated

During the past year the piogicssof public vvoiks has been nccclci ited Plans ino bting pi opal ed foi lmpoitant public buildings for which nioiio) has been already voted, and con ti acts havo been let in England foi tho gun boats piovided foi in last ) eui s Estimates, for the defence of the colon)

Plans and sections of various lines of railway will be submitted for your approval.

An accident on the Sandgate line having excited strong doubts in the public mind as to the safety of our railways, a Royal Commission has been appointed to inquire into and report upon their management.

The Government of Victoria having invited a coiifeience of delegates from the various colonies to consider the adv isableiiess of Aus tialisia joining the Postal Union, a senes of meetings was held in S)dno) last month at one of which au affirmative íesolution was earned, Queensland dissenting, but the terms of the pioposal as agi ced to by the other colo nies are, m the opinion of my Mnustci s such as to preclude hope of tlieir otfei to join being accepted

Arrangements bax e been made foi cxpedit ing the future transit of English mads by way of Toi ros Straits so as to ensure then dcliv cry at Bl isbane from London m foi ty four dil) s or simultaneously with the mails leceivcdb) the Peninsular and Oriental Service Anew and moie advantageous contract foi coastal mails, concluded some months ago with the Austral

asmn Steam Navigation Conipanj, also takes effect on the 1st of Jul)

lho increasing prosperity of the colon) the attractions of the Torres Straits louto, and the special means adopted by the Government for disseminating trustworth) information in the mother country, have tombined to make Queensland moro popular than hcrctofoio among the emigrating classes The demands for passages have been of lvte*so numcious that the Agent General has been obliged, by the want of means of tiansit, to reject many eligible applications Airingemcnts havo therefore been made vi lth the British India Company for a fortnight!) bei vice up to the end of the present y ear, without an) additional expense bo) one! the guarantee of emigrants at contract i ates M) Ministr) ucmnchgrati

fled at this condition of affairs, and have good gi ounds for hope th it the increased facilita» for reaching our shoies, togothei w lth the fuller know ledge of the atti ictiotis of the colon) no« obtained by intending emigrants at home, will result in an inciease of lninngrition and a

decrease of cost

Conespondencc baa been renewed willi the

Imperial Government with the object of making arrangements to cpnipletc the survey

of oin coast

GUMLIAU \ Ol' THE LLClbLAlIX h ASöl'XfULX ,

lhe finances of the colony mo m a sound condition and my Ministers expect soon to place before you an account of the opciations for the )ear, which will disclose a giatifymg sui plus

At the close of last session the loans authoi iscd by P irliamcnt w Inch had not been placed on the market amounted to £3 733,000 Of this amount £2,500,000 w is sold in London on the 9th May Hie price lealiscd was £07 Is 2d pel £100 debenture Before this portion of the loan vi as floated a promise was given by the Government that an Act for the Inscnption of Stock in London should bo passed A bill in f ulhlnicnt of this undei taking vv ill be submitted to ) ou at once

Provision will remine to be made to aug nient certain Loan votes foi Public Works and

lmnngiatiou purposes, which aie oi w iii shortly

be exhausted

Provision for the redemption of debentures to the amount of £1 010,000, issued in 1S64 w ill i cquiic to be ma Jo this session, and a bill w ill bo mti oduced foi the purpose

llic Estinivtcs foi the ensuing yeal will be dul) submitted, and will, I think, bo found to be fiamed with due repaid to olhciency and

economy

HoxotntAiui GF\irLXt*îs op hil LtaisiA

tim Council \\d Gfmllxilv oi iiil, LkCISLAHU AisSLViUIA,

Owing to the lapul but uneqnnl settlement of population, a redistnbution of the elec toi ates has become essential to secuie mois ev only balancea leprescntation of the varioiiB distncts and mteiests m the colony If the business of the session will allow time for pasi

inga llcdistnbtition Bill, my Mimsteis will submit such a mcnsuic m due com se for your consideration If not, an Additional Members Bill, pi ov ldmg for the moi c glai mg inequalities of lepiesentation, will be mti oduced as soon as practicable

lhe following other measures will also be submitted to your judgment -

A Bill to Consolídate and Amend the Laws legiilntmg the Silo bv Retail of Intoxicating Liquois within the Colony of Queensland

A Bill to Consolidate and Codify the Laws i elating to Bills of Lxchangc and Promissor)

Notes

A Bill to Consolidate and Amend the Laws i elating to the Insane

A Bill to Amend The Pastoral Leases Act

of 1SG9

A Bill for the Protection of Oysters and the Encouragement of Oyster lishenes

A Bill to Amend the Law íelating to Juries A Bill to Amend the Law relating to Leases

and Sales of Settled Estates

A Bill to a end The Oaths Acts

A Bill to amend the Law i elating to the Rights and Liubibtics of Married Women

A Bill to provide for the Construction, Maintenance, and Management of Works for the Storage and Distribution of Water

A Bill to amend The Customs Act of 1873

A Bill to amend and consolidate the Laws relating to the Distillation of Spirits

Ihese various measures I submit for your consideration with the greatest confidence in your judgment, believing that you will be guided to )our decision by a desire for the happiness and prosperity of the jieopie of

Queccnsland

At the conclusion of the Speech his Excel

lency returned to Government House, the same ceremonies being observed as on his arrival, and both Houses of Parliament adjourned till half past 3 o clock m the afternoon

THE LAST HOURS OF SIR ARTHUR

KENNEDY.

We have been courteously favoured with some extracts from a letter written by Miss Kennedy to a friend m Queensland containing a narrative of the last few weeks in life and the death of her honoured father. The letter is dated,

"S S Orient,

"Red Sea, 5th June, 1883

"From the day we left Aden ro) father began to fail unmistakably, but he enjoyed life, and though feeble found evening amusement in taking the chair at musical and theatrical cn tertamments, and pla) ing whist for hours daily On Saturday, 2nd June, Sir Arthur was un usually feeble, but the extreme heat (90 day and night), seemed to account for this He slept on deck in bia chair for four hours and woke saying he had enjoyed the best sleep he had enjoyed for the last six months He dined on deck at my desire, but took nothing except some jelly and champagne At about 3 o clock he said he w ould go dow n to the saloon Cap tain O Callaghan and I helped him down On arriving theie I was struck by a peculiar ex pression in his face, which alarmed me I gave Lm champagne and ice, and sent Captain O Callaghan to ask the doctor to come and sit beside me and obserx chun whilst talking to me Tue doctor did so, and I followed him out of the saloon and asked him what he thought He replied, 'I dont like his look but the only thing to be done is to keep him quiet ' I said, 'He had better go to bed ' This was at 8 30 p m The doctor said, ' Yes, but give some stimulant before undressing ' I then returned and coaxed lum to go to bed, as he looked so tired He looked at mo gently and wonder ingly, and I led him to his cabin There I undressed him and helped him into his berth He was so feeble that it was difficult to d9 so, yet I feared to alarm him b) seeking help Captain O'Callughan stood outside the door The heat was intense I fanned Sir Arthur but he did not seem to notice it, and I thought he was sleeping, so I stood fanning till 11 30, when I asked Captain O'Callaghan to get the doctor to just look at him befoi e going to bed The doctor carne, felt his pulse, looked anxious and said, 'I will sit up with you,' I pro tested, and said I w ould send for lura if he was wanted He said, 'I can't leave you' Something in his tone alarmed me I said, 'Is there danger He îeplicd, 'Yes. but not immediate ' I asked again, How long will it be'1 He lepbeel, 'Im possible to predict, a man of his iron constitution might lost weeks-months ' He w ent aw a) and shortly 1 eturncd He Captain O Callaghan and I watched from that horn until 2am, when he said, ' The pulse is feebicr, it can't be long now " At 3 30 my father gently bieathed Eis last, never having changed his position from the time of lying

down. No pain ; no consciousness j no change of any sort in his face.

At 10 a.m. that Sunday the last solemn rites woro performed by a Church of England clergyman on board.

You should have seen those strong bravo men with streaming faces and you would know how to the last my father had endeared himself to

all.

I write fully to you so that you may tell all who caro to know. We expect to post this at Suez on the 7th, and to reach Plymouth on the 21st." _

THE TREASURY STATEMENT.

The revenue returns for the fiscal year more than justify the passage in tho Gover-nor's Speech which anticipated a gratifying surplus. The actual credit balance on 1st July was ¿'311,594, or nu amount equal to 13"07 per cent of the gross revenue. The surplus of 1881-2, ùt will be remembered, was ¿245,040, the whole of which was ap-propriated to public works last session. Ami

as the result for 1882-3 was obtained with-out forcing sales of land, it is all the more satisfactory. In another light the returns are gratifying. Tiley show that the increase of revenue has been .£281,594, or at the rate of 1V80 per cent upon the amount received during the preceding year. There is but one cause of uneasiness, which is the growing demands we are making upon the British money-lender. It would be only prudent on the part of the Government to ease the loan fund by applying the surplus

revenue to works which would otherwise bo carried out on loan. "We are spending far too much borrowed money, both on Immi-gration and public works. On the former there is some hope of reduction by requiring immigrants to defray a, por-tion of their passage money now that the colony is becoming popular as a field for immigration. Still, so long as wo can find employment for the new comers and they are of the class required by the colony, their introduction is a highly re-munerative investment even at .£16 per head. This charge ought, however, to be borne in part, at least, Tjy current rovenue. Indeed, it would be wise so far lo recognise Die Wakefield principle as to appropriate a much larger proportion than heretofore of moneys derived from land alienation to the introduction of immigrants. The rents ought to go far towards the payment of interest, and if they are insufficient means should be taken to augment them.

Our present loan expenditure exceeds £1,200,000 a-year, which means that in ten years at the same rate we shall increase our public debt by £12,000,000. Perhaps such a contingency would not be alarming but for the apprehension that a European war, a com-mercial panic in England, or a succession of bad seasons in the colony might at some awkward moment temporarily exhaust our credit. On Tuesday evening Mr. Griffith saiil he could not discover any good reason xvhy we should borrow so large a sum as £2,000,000 ahead of our requirements. But the reason is obvious. With such a sum in

hand we can always seo the way clearly foi two years, and this enables our people to make their business arrangements with con-fidence. But if we borrowed from hand-to month merely, the colony would be in continual danger of an abrupt stoppage of immigration and public works, and this peril would make banks and capitalists timid inadvancing money to private persons. By borrowing two years ahead we minimise so far as possible the danger incurred by the Government iii spending over £5 a head of borrowed money every year.

Although for twelve months past we have apparently been carried along on the ilood tide of prosperity, it would be folly not to lay duo stress upon the fact that the'bor-rowed money circulated, amongst us has been at the rate of nearly £2 per head of the population in excess of the loan disburse-ments of the preceding year. The total loan outlay for 1881-2 was .£882,740, while for 1882-3 it was, as before staled, £1 ,204,373. The actual increase was ¿'321,633, or at the rate of over 30 per cent. If the drain on the loan fund continues to increase at the same

rate, which wo know is the natural tendency in such cases, the borrowed money spent in 1883-4 will amount to £1,(537,947, and in 1884-5 to £2,227,007. This may seem startling at first sight, but experience teaches that the spending of money, espe-cially by Governments, is like the letting

out of water. Had our industries not been prosperous last year, had any of our staples failed, or had the Governmentbeen compelled tofindemploymentforthepeople, the enlarged loan outlay might not have called for notice. But at a time when all industries are pros-perous, and the demands of the labour market could not be met, the enlarged ex-penditure becomes a serious matter. Nor is the gravity of the situation lessened by the fact that the ordinary expenditure has increased by £228,081, or, including surplus funds expended, by £265,680, which is about 14 per cent ; so that while the loan expen-, diture has increased by 36 per cent, and the ordinary expenditure by 14 per cent, the

accretion of revenue has been at the rate of barely 12 per cent. It may here be re-marked that the surplus of 1881-2, amount-ing to £245,040, having been set apart as a special fund, appears in the expenditure of 1882-3, but has of course been excluded

from our calculations.

Tub Registrar-General, Mr. Henry Jordan, has just resigned his office. Mr. Jordan was appointed to the Registrar-Generalship by the Macalister Ministry in October, 1875, in recog nition of his previous services as Immigration lecturer and Agent-General in England in the early days of the colony, and also, it is pre-sumed, for his subsequent services in the Legis-lature. His resignation, it is declared, is the result of the recent interference of the Under Colonial Secretary in certain details of man-agement of the Registrar-General's Depart-ment. That officer, it seems,' appealed to the Colonial Secretary himself against this inter-ference, believing, as he said, that it was not intended that the management of the depart-ment should be taken in any sense out of his hands. Ho was informed, however, that he was in future to consider himself a subordi-nate to the Under Colonial Secretary, and was no longer to address the Minister but the Under Secretary. Mr. Jordan, considering ho could no longer continue successfully to admi-nister the business of his office if he were under the control of a gentleman who could not be expected to understand the several Acts of Parliament, for the correct administration of which the Registrar-General was mado in-dividually responsible, asked that he might be allowed to retire from his office on being paid one year's salary. This was conceded by the Government. The vacancy thus created has been filled by Mr. W. T. Blakency, Deputy Registrar General. It is only common j'ustice to add that the business of the Real Property branch of the office has been much more ex Keditiously and satisfactorily performed bince

Ir. Jordan has had it under his own entire control than previously.

Doubtless there are many of our readers who will regret to leam that death has dis-solved the long-established firm of Jacob and William Low, graziers. As we gather the facts, Mr. William Low, who was G1 years of age, and had been for thirty-seven years a resi-dent of the M'lntyre River country, sailed from Melbourne on the 14th June last in the Lusi-tania for Europe. He was then in ill-health, and suffering from what was thought to be a bad cold, but which developed into pleurisy. HÍ3 principal object in going home was to take possession of some property which had been devised by an elder brother to Mr. Jacob Low, but which had been made over hy. him to Mr. William Low as a gift. Thelatter arrivedin Lon-don very ill, and was put into a hospital, where he underwent an operation. He was then sup

posed to be recovering, and left for Scotland. There, however, his condition grew worse, and on the 2nd May last he died on his property at Welltown, Blaugowrie, Perthshire.

THE FROZEN MEAT EXPORT TRADE

The steamei Fiado, now lying at the Queensland Freezing and Expoi t Compan) s est iblishnieiit at Queensport, was leccntly xisitcei b) sev ci al gentlemen fiom Biisbane, including the lion the Pienucr (Sir Thomas Mllwraith), the Hon A Aichei, Colonial lieisuiei , tho Hon P Foi kins, Mimstei for Lands, the Hon B D Moichcad, Postmastei General, mil the lion C E Oluibb, Attornc)

Gencial lhe party left Biisbane by the steamer Kate shoitl) after 2 p m , ind i cached Queensport about au horn latci

The stcliner Fiado, a vessel of 9S3 tons register, is undet charter to the Lastoi n nuil Austiaban Ficsh Meat Company, which was formed somo time ago in Sydne) foi the purpose of sending frozen meat fiom Anstiaha to tho Dutch settlements of Jav a and Swgapoi e Mr John Bingle, the present chan man of tho board of du ectoi s of the company, w ho as a mci chant w as sending tinned me it to Bntuv in, found that inquines weie being mado there foi Austi alian frozen meat As a ícsult of this, Mr li H Willis, who was piescnt on luesda), and was one of the promoters of the compan), w is sont on a visit to Batavia anil tho adjoining settlements and lcpoited fnvourabl) on the maiket He found that, besides the nicicantilo establishments of the Dutch, there was a militaiy foi ce of S000 men w ho had to be fed, ns w eil as a 1 n gc mc it e it mg native population of Malays mel Ainbs, and a number of Chinese As v consequence of this lcpoit the nucleus of the E vstern and Austi alian Fiosli Meat Compan) was foimcd, and Mr Willis was sent to Lnglaud to piouuo the nccessniy machmeiy Hie Fiado was charteied and fitted up with freezing chambeis and a poweiful Boll Coloniin michino eipablc of piodueing 50 000 cubic feet of cold air pei hour, and of fi oozing a bullock tluough ni four days A fiec/iug establishment has also been fitted up at Jav i, with a machino cap ible of piodueing 70,000 cubic feet of cold air pei hour, and a ship (the Scioto), piovided with fieczing luaclunci), to be stationed as a receiving hulk at Siugapoio, is on bei way fiom Ln/,land She is accompanied by a steam tendu, to bo used foi deliveiing the meat to tho shipping and othei branches of tho Eastern market The maiket for fi o¿en meat in this direction is supposed oo be almost unlimited and the com puny, if they can got a sufficient Biippl) of meat, will probably extend then operations to the gi eat pi esidencies of India, ami moto pai tieularly to Calcutta

Queensland being the colon) most Überall) provided with a suiplus snppl) of meit tlie company natiually looked in this diiection for then cal goes and the lindo was sent on bei maiden trip in this ti add to Bush mo She bl ought out a gcnoril caigo, and w is expecteel to go hence to Bowen to lovel with fio/en meat at the Poole Islnnd Woiks Heie, how

ever, dithculties were mot with that have greatly mci cased the expenses of the compan), and delayed the dcpiutiuo of the fust ship inenls The Poole Island Woiks although opened some time ago, have not it ii] pears, yet been woi king successf nil), and the lindo was unable to get a cargo fiom the io Aiiangc ments were then made to piocuie a ti ml I shipment from the Queensport Woiks

but, the capacity of the frce/ing macluuciy at th it place being small, much delay has been caused in getting the steamei away and when she is despatched she will not tike much moie than half the meat that she could cany Sho ai rived hero on the lth ultimo and after elis chaigmgher caigo went alongside the whnif at Queensport In older to facilitate opcia lions as much as jiossible frcr/ing lias been carried on both on board the ship ind it the Queens] oi t vv oi ks Hie vessel is fitted it pie sent with two fiee/mg clianibcisin the foi w aid part of the ship, and space is ivailablc foi idditional chimbéis ift if at any futuie timo it is found dosnablo to mci ease the meat cau)ing capacity of the vessel lhe piescnt chambeis ue capable of holding ibout 050 eui

casses of beef, but she is expected to le iv e on the pi csont ti rp w ith only about 100 bullocks, 1000 sheep, and a few c lix es She w ill leav o foi Batavia with this caigo in about ten di) s and, if satisfactoi y ni rangements can be mado foi a futuie supply eithet at Biisbane, Rockhampton, oi Bowen, she will ictuiii to this colon) immediately for anothei cargo One of the pi mci pul dilhculties th it has stood in the way of tho flecking establishments started in Queenslunel has been the wnnl of moans foi getting then meit away lhe foimntion of the Lastei n and Austi alian Fresh

Meat Company has supplied this want and foi the siko ot this new mclustiy, which bids fair to assume veiy laige proportions in lhe futuie, it is to bo hoped that the company will iccoivc evciy cncoui ugement to continuo the ti ade they have commenced

The party, accompanied by Mr Gcoige Banken, one of ibo ilucetois of the now company, in st visited the slaughtciing shed at Queensport, vvhcio sheep weie being killed piepaiifoiy to being put into the fieezmg chambeis lu ordci to msuto the sulo of the meat in the Listcin maiket, the Fiado had to bring from Batavia three pi tests who have to superintend tho killing of the beasts lhe Malays, being Mohammedans aie expressly enjoined bythen law to abstain fiom blood, and insist upon tho attend ince of a pnest oi hadji at the slaughter mg place to see that the beasts aie piopeily bled He is also supposed to pei foi in certain rites, which consist mainly in the icpetition of the name of the Supicinc Being Two pnests atood by md cut the tin oat of each sheep as it was bound icady to be slaughtcied, but in the hurry of the work, the religious liles, which wore at hist pei foi med, seem now to bo dis poiiscel with The chief hadji, who glories in tho name of Said Abdullah bin Alocic Al Attas, is the responsible personage, and he sees that each c ireasa, after it is fio/en, is wrapped in a sheet, on which is biandcd his name and a certificate, in the nativo language, that the beast has been killed according to the require ments of the Islam religion After witnessing the killing opciations the coinpiny saw a quarter of a bullock, which had been ten days in the Queensport liecnng Works, sawn m two This operation had to bo performed by means of a cross cut saw, the meat being as hard as a solid log of wood A similar piece of beef was then taken from one of the frce/ing chambers of the Fiado, md treated m a like manner This beef bad been in the chamber three days and a half, and as in the other case, was found to bo perfectly hardened thiough Some of the company ventured down into one of the chambers, where tho frozen carcasses, wrapped in their calico coverings, had been stow ed

The visitors were also courteously Bhown, by Mr Beardmore, the manager, over the other portions of the Queensport establishment and were invited to test some of the company's pre served meats Several samples were submitted, comprising corned beef, tongue, luncheon beef, &c , and these were unanimously pronounced equal to meats tinned m any part of the world It is satisfactory to learn that for theso manu factures of the company there is a brisk de

maud in the home market

The party wero landed at the Queen's wharf, on their return, at about half past 5 o clock

That the New Guinea annexation scheme was no new idea has received further proof The Hon A O Gregory, M L C , in speaking on the subject in the Legislative Council, on Tuesday, disclosed the fact that in 1855, during the Crimean War, he received confidential in structions from the Imperial Government in regard to the island of New Guinea, and had the war with Russia been much longer con-tinued those instructions would have boen earned out Being confidential, the details of the instructions were not given

Another craft intended for the pearl fishing industry of Toi res Straits was launthed from the yard of Air H M'Clccr, Kangaroo Point, on Wednesday last The new boat is carvel built, with a counter stern, her length being 40ft overall and 34ft on the keel She nas a beam of 10ft Gin , and a depth of hold of 5ft She is a keel boat, and will draw a little over 4ft of water when loaded, lhe craft has fine lines, and has a very yacht-like an pearance She is planked with kauri pine, tho deck being of the same material She is sheathed with copper up to the waterhne, is very strongly built, and is on tho whole a superior craft The new vessel, which is to bo called the Cocoanut, has been built to the order of Messrs S and J Clark, who a few days ago despatched to Torres Straits two other xcssels of a similar sire, and built in Sydney The Cocoanut will be sailed up to Thursday Island by Mr Stcvo Clark, lately captain of the Gunga, who has entered into partnership with his brother James m the pearl fishing trade, and is about to take up his residence on lnday Island, adjacent to Thuisday Island This is the second boat Mr M Cleer 1ms built for the bl others Clark, and the thud he has turned out for the pearl sholl and beche do mer fisheries of Torres Straits Mr Steve Claik, a good judge of boats, is thoroughly well satis faed with the latest addition to his fleet, and is of opinion that, of some forty oi fifty now being built in Sydney for a Bimilar purpose, she ia decidedly the best.

ARCHIBALD PORBES ON THE

KANAKA IN QUEENSLAND

Till, following letter appe ired m the Sydney

Mail .

Let mc tell of what I saw concerning tho mannei of life led by the Poly nesi in 1 iboureis dining then engagements on th siigai planta tions I have heiud this seiviee denounced tis "slavery md I own Iliad expected to lind some abuses 1 v lsitcd, pi ob ibly tin ee foin ths of the pi intations in the Mickay distucts, quite at rmdoni, I omitted to seo nothing that 1 could îegaid as hiving any biaimg on the subject, and I used with all assiduity the ex pel leuce some pmcticc lins given mo inyitliei mg md sifting evidence

I fancy the Polynesi m is naturally achociful blight sort of chap If he be not so at home

he soon takes on this complexion when he comes to Quu nsl md When \ou look nt lum, ho guns îesponsively , when you speak to lum,

he smiles all ovei Ins head Ho is i like iblo follow, and has an instinctive politeness and coidiahty He will inn of his own uecoid to open a gate foi yon, oi to hold your horse He seems a willing woikui m, and he docs his woik it once with a light he lit md a manifest mtoiest ni it His employeii unanimously uecoid lum a good linne Ile gives little double, they say he needs no issiduous watching to keep lum honi idling, uoi stimulating to keep lum lively in his task Ile is nu nidipcndcnt fellow in his way-he is a man mid will li ive his lights like aman, but let lum lnivetliciu md tie it him fi nul ly nul f urly, and theie m nothing about lum of whit the Ameucaiis cxpicssivcly call

'cussednoss ' llicie is a good do ii of the feudal instinct in lum He becomes ntt idled to his iuustei if the lattci is a good consi delate niastei, with i land woul foi 1 is bench m m ami a eonsidoi ition foi lus w elfin e Aftei he li is gone homo fi oin m engagement, he very often ictiuiis to a second on the same plantation, and, when fi lends meet on the quiet idle Sundays I am ussiued that their gossip is mostly as to the lelative incuts of their respective plantations, and that gi cat is the vaunting of the fellows hailing from those which have an estib lished repute foi excci>tionally good ti eil ment But it is not easy to sec how inywhcie theie can bo bad ti citaient, the kanuka knows his rights to a tittie and cvciyilny oxpeuenco shows that ho is not the min to mike any bones about complaining to the local Poly ne sum Piotectoi, if lie consulcis himself wion"cd Putting ovtiy othei cheek ii ' mist ill ti outillent to one side, the / ice »ia tina of self mteiest must be pu Amount with the employ ti iu,ainst doing despite to his lnniiki Ihe k m ikn has cost the employ el A.22 10s to bung lum fiom his island to the plant ition md his tci in of seiviee is only foi thice ycais, lfho is ill, he costs the pi intei m hospit ii ehiuges md niedi

tal ntl end mee and Ins w iges inn on just the same as if he wcie well Hi is too costly a commodity to be tiaslud wv ly by my lllusiigo oi neglect Bul theie tue men so constituted as to be guilly of this 1 md of tulse economy, if left to themselves indso the law stöpsln with the most dctuleil and st undent c nuctnieiits foi the Poly nesiiin s w elfin e and an independent local functional y to tike care that these enact monts tue fiillilled ihe Poly uesi m in Queens land faics nitiniteh bettei than the fal ni labourer in Lngland These aie his daily i at ions lill) bl ead oi iloui, lib beef oi mutton, So? augu, \o¿ tea lib potatoes Pci w cok lJo<! tobacco, 2o¿ s lit, loz so ip Com pure this plcntcousncss with the oiitmc vi diet of the Scottish luboiucr, Pat's loujoin potatoes, honest Giles s sciup of msty bacon oi hunk of cheese' Contiastit with the stun simplicity of the Butish suldiei s îiition-)lb meat (with bone) anil lib hie id1 1 have seen the d ly when I'd hive boen thankful foi a Queensland kanaka us a thuin, foi the sake of his ampins i niions aftei he had citen md was filled Otu Polynesian fi lend, accustomed at home to dicss stuctly in the fashion set hy our lust pin cuts bcloie the full, finds himself the posscssoi of m ade quato wiudiobo supplied and tnuintiuncd by the pi tutu Ho is comfortably housed and supplied vv lth bedding, his i itions tu o cooked foi linn , ho has whitliiewood lie needs, when sick ho is sont into hospit ii mil i dottoi

whom the pi intei pays, attends him Should he die, his mastci li is to p ly his wages up till tho day of his death into the hands of tho Government olheml It is that olliti d's busi

ness-he is called' piotectoi' oi ' nispcctoi," indifFeicntly-to use tveiy effort (hy keeping his cms open foi îcpoits, hy listening to toni plaints floin tho plantation hands, mid by fie qiicnt puaonal visits thiough the plantations) to put in foict to its minutest details, an Act that acorns to leavo no loophole foi abuse Ho is authoi iscd to employ a hiwyu to pi osecillo for offence against kanakas, and to defend kanakas in cises wheio theie is a doubt of then being in the wrong He can bung to bcai a gi cat ltvciiigc of influence in cases that he may not think sliong enough to bung into court Poi ox imple, dilling tho twelvemonth the Mnyboiough olheml has been in ofhee, ho has pioeuicd the diseh u go of tlnee oveiseeis, whom he lind convinced lum self weio guilty of petty ty i anny This the boys icvolt n"ninsfc vvith the utmost piompti

tude Ihoy aie willing enough, but they will not bo dii\cn A chineo blow shuck hythe ov ci sect bungs an immediate com pi ant to the piotectoi One can easily iecogniso the tone mid spuit of goodhumouicd independence among the fellows 'Ihoy have the port of manhood, they look you squ u e in tho face, with no suggestion of captiousness, they have the air of mon "whall talc dunts frao nobocly, '-and they dont, except ottasionally from one miothei Duung non wollong bonis tlicy aie fice to do as they list go whcit they please They have the Satuiday half holiday, when they delight to st i oil into town Sunday is then day foi fulfilling then sou ii duties, doing a little sporting on the wiy Hie Poly ncsian gentleman stirtson a visit to a fuendof his own island on some neighbouimg planta tion, with how and iriow m hind md enlivens the road by letting fly, with no pu tittil ir effect at hiith buds us lit can stalk up to Hu countiy roads and bush ti icks me ilive all Sun lay with knots of theory kanakas having a good tune in their fashion, Hie law averts from thom the curse of ilcohol Hie public in detected in selling liquor to a kanaka foifeits his license for life, and the tivcrn in which the offence li is been committed is summarily and permanently cut off the list oi public houses On the whole, I do not be hove that any ser vants can be bettor cared for by their masters and more sedulously and stringently piotccted and fostered by legislation mid its enforcement, than arc the Polynesian islander* at work on the sugar plantations m Queensland

Charges of abuse in the " recruiting" of the islanders occasionally lind circuí ition I sup pose there must be a substratum of ti nth in at least some of these, but this I know, that a more categorically stringent pic cc of legislation than the Act of the Qticcnslmd Pnliament under which the recruiting is conducted never came under my notice It is simply n onclad, and I would have saul that under t ahuses were absolutely impossible but that el edible men testify to them occasionally With the cross guards of Government agon's on board the ships, endowed with the fullest powus , of an immigration agent at every port, cluigcd to in vestigate eveiy whisper of accusition, with a leaven m every shipload of boys w ho hav e already served an engagement, can speak English, and are quite fearlessly outspoken, it is sti angcly purling to seo how abuses can be poi petratcd, and yet moro so how, if perpetrated, they escape detection and punishment Two schooners with cargoes of recruits arrived at Maryborough during my stay there, and I visited both It is impossible to praise too highly the condition presented by these vessels White eniigiaiits might well envy the accommodation afforded Well cared for in all respects, the passengers-I know not how else to call thom-were as cheerful a set of follows as one could wish to see If there was a kid napped man among them, all I can say is that in the Polynesian Islands dissimulation must have become a fine ait Since I wrote the above, I have discovered a curiously and I must add stupidly weak link in the chain of Government precautions against abuses in the pursuit of "recruiting" Tho Act, as I have said, is ironclad, and one asks oneself how abuses can occur when a Government agent, charged to prevent such abuses, accom pames every lcciuitmg ship Naturally one assumes that to secure his efficiency, to strengthen his hands m interposition, to make his position an assured one, that functionary should be aimed with detailed instructions to cover and rçuidc him in any and every contin gency It is mci edible, but nevertheless it is true, that there aie no such instructions A Legislature has taken the trouble to pass an Act of the minutest stringency, the efheacy of which is blunted at the most important point of it by an inexplicable omission to dehne the duties of the functionary in whom is vested the protection of the colony's good name In a recent speech the Premier told his audience that the colony could not afford to have its

good name injured by charges of cruelties in

the kanaka trade These bo " prav e 'orts," but come somewhat lamely from the mouth of the Minister whose official duty it is to contribute

to the protection of the colony's good name b) issuing mstuictions without which the Govern mont agents' functions nre vague, and the whole machinciy of piovention left luunper feet cllicicnc) It is the Muustei himself who is responsible foi thus spoiling the good ship foi want of a hnpoi th of t ii

Basking as the Quccn«lanel sugai ihstncts confessedly ¡ne, in the sunshine of piospcrity,

thei e is httlo of th it sei cue contentment « Inch ought to be the comp imoii of pi ospi i it) 1 ho pi inters ¡ii e pel tin bed bj au impe iidmg deni th of Poljiiesian labom in the Miela) legion the seal cii y ilieidy niales min) plant itions short handed In almost evei y constituent) in the colony the ' colom ed labom ' question is not less a binning one than the "'lianscoiiti nentul itself Singuliuly enough, the plantéis trouble and the constituencies' c«¿ks &rffi dovetail into each othci , paiadoxical though it appear, a íelicf that ma) bo suggested for the foi mci would do much to icmove the lnttci Iheoicticall), the axiom "It is a free countiy, is a x ci y pi etty one Piacticall) it is violated habitu illy b) law, by mnstcifulness, by common consent It w ould be a bad clay for the maiket gudenei in the outskirts of London who should import Chinamen to hoe up his eclciy ndgesand pull his lhubaih You in Austialia handicap the Chin un in with a pi etty still admission fee and ni addition dneetl) lestnct the Celestial imminiution ' Fico countiv' as j ou pleise, in the way of luimlcss bunkum, onl) Austialia is a white nmn s continent Hie kanaka to be cmplo)cd in sugai cultuic is the onl) exception-I put the Chinaman aside as a soi t of accident And on what principles has the exception been made in favour of the kamik.' Fust, because tho woik to which the law anns at îcstnctinc; lum "tropical oi semi ti opicnl agi lculturo is labom winch tho white m in cannot pcrfoi ni, secondly, because the induati) which he i eudoia possible! is a fountain of wealth and prospciit) to the colony, and tlurcll), because, wore it haply possible w ithout lum that industry could not hold its own nLiunst competition with othei regions where coíoui ed labour is used m sugar culture In a word, Queensland must io linquish sugar culture if she is to exclude

coloured labour.

Sugar cultuic is the umquo lndusti) which piescnts those conditions, hence the i xception in its fix oui, the indulgence accoidcd to it

lho squattoi hnnkcicil after culoul ed ltbour once but his was woik that the white man could do and so tho sqiinttti cliseieetly smothered his longing So long us the nitin tion of tho law ib complied with, colouied labom on the sugnr plantations tikes tho bro id out of no vvluto's mouth on Hie con trar), it makes bi end foi m my bundi ed white men Mackay dining the last )cai has iib soi bed 1500 white imuuginhts, twenty of whom would hive stiflued but that colouied hiboin makes sugar gi ow ing possible Mu)boiough lings with the clang of hammers wielded by whites engineers, making sugai mill niaehinei), which coloured labom lins called into iequiBi tion But when theio is an evasion of the m tcntion of (he law this is quite nnothei matter, then two things happen-a deni th of I minka labour for tropical oi semi hôpital agucultuio and an intelligible discontent on the part of the white man that the black man, unresti itted to Ins own specified métier, is made to ti euch ou his held

And unqiiestionabl) all over the sugai countiy there is this evasion of the law s intention Lhe Act (section 7) distinctly specifics th it the plantel sh ill satisfy the Muustei that the lslandeis ho is liitiodueing no intended to bo employed in "tropical oi semi tiopical agilcultuio only " Itistiiu the mten tion may have existed, but it certainly lins been departed fi om Wheio 1 xisitcel m M uki) I was avowedly ¡in imcstignlor as well ns a guest so 1 sfi vii not be iiceuseil of liifiini ing hospitality in telling of whit I saw I heit is no plantel s lions« m the Mntki) clistntt wlicicin Polynesi ins nie not doniestit seivnuts When in the house of the membei foi tho elis tuet I found n black gul making my bed T could devise no eli un of sophistiy whcicby this opcuitiou could come within the sphcio of "tiopical oi semi tiopical iigncultiiie At Ilomobush 1 saw eoiuminglcd in one whuling bustle of singiilm activity, kanakas, Chinamen, Clugilese, anil while mon, pulling and hauling and toiling and moiling in lho swift consti ne tion of a colossil sugiu mill Evciywhoio 1 saw the blncknici cniplojcd is cartels, not only of cane, but of iticwood of Bundi íes-noting as gtoonis and occasionally even in handici afts, such as bl icksmith s woik Now none of these things can be Bind to come within the langt of "tiopical oi semi tiopical agiitultuie It is clem to mc that tho indulgence of colouied labom has been ictoi dod by law to the sugai

plantet only to the extent of its utilisation in woik which the while man cannot peifoun , to use it otherwise is an abuse of the law an in fi ingénient on tho w lute man's field of lndusti y, mid an unfairness to othci indiistiies which mo tied up lo1hccinplo)iiientof white labom Hie sugar plantel will ictoit that ho thus utilises colouied labour because it is cheap, becauso it is i diable, because it averts fiom him the nsk of being left m the lui cb m a cntieal moment by a stnko of tho pestilent white nmn The îcply is conclusive In the lim! place it is an evasion, if not a specific violation of the law Again m îcply to his plea of cheapness, I quote himself against himself that his net profits ax otago ovei 20 pei cent so that he is scat tcly entitled to an appeal udmiun torilmm foi exemption from paying white mon white mens wages foi while mens woik As legareis the danger of a stiikc at a ci isis, why should his bo the favoincd mdiistiyto tscapt fiom this contingency' A strike maybe elis astrous to the contiattoi, or to the squnttei in the middle of his shem ing, but they have alike to "face the music and witstlc out the dilh cully with the whitt employe It is one thing, I hold, to bo pi íviltged specially for a reason, and anothei to abuse that privilege by going outside the spctifitnlity

But it is not against the excess of his pim lei,e on the p irt of the suf,ar planta that the white heir of Australian labour tan plead his only griev ince Win n the kanaka s terni of engagement is over, if he does not elect to go bick to his island he becomes a man ' utlaigc " " It is a free i ountry for lum now m i canty, except that he cannot 1 believe, hold land It 13 not quite a ince experience for the "new chum white immigrant who may be asking for employment in a Mackiy store, to bo told by the kanaka shojmiiin that there is no open iii(,forhim Anumber of these ' time cxpneel ' kanakas arc, it is true, employed on wa¿cs on the suf,ar plantations and to their employment there in other departments than the woik of Btriet agiiculturc there cannot be tnged the objection of even a constructive evasion of the law lhe "timo expired ' kanaka is clean outside the provisions of any kanaka legisl i

lation except that when he may tire of his liberty to ' boss himself, ' his passage back to ins island is defrayed by tho planter who imported him A kanaka in this posi

tion, with an untrammelled rui¡,e of the labour market and to whom 10s a week is affluence is Himjily the thief of tho birthright of a white man Abandoning abstractions, and looking the practical isstio squarely in the face this is what it focusses itself into I cannot behove that the debhel ate intention of the law was to endow the "time expired ' kanaka with the privilege of being the ciiartored libertine of the labour market Had it meant so to endow him, why should it have so specifically exacted a pledge from the planter to restrict to ' tropical or semi tropical agriculture" the kanaka he imports on engage

mont

Bo this as it may, the law calls for amend ment, in fairness equally to the white labour, m fairness to the employer of labour, who is debarred from importing kanakas, in justice to the whole community outside of the sugar grower , and in the tatter's interest as well, if it

be worth while to thora to have quiet enjoy- j mont of their exceptional privileges, and, yet | again, if they ai i* to find Polynesian labour in a Bufhcicncy to fulfil their legitimate exigencies The law needs amendment in two details First, the fulfilment of the importers' pledge to employ Polynesian labour only in "tropical or semi tropical agriculture " must be rigidly enforced The inspectors or protectors, now ever these olbcials may be designated, must bo bidden to sec that there shall be no moro bed making, table waiting, boot cleaning, groom mg, cart-driving, &,c , done in the plantations by people who aie under specific engage ments in " tropical or semi tropical agncul turc " Then the time expired kanaka should be abolished altogether Ho need not necessarily be summanly bundled off to his isiand But his alternative to this deportation must be, that as soon as his term expires ho must enter upon another He ma) îemain m inrpcluuin, and this will be a not unfair economy to the plantel , but he must " take on again," to use the old soldier's phiasc Ho must bo constantly "undei engagement" in the avocation that alone gives bim a locusstaudi on Queensland soil Thero is no flavour of slavery in this, ho nii¿ht be free to lot hira'-elf out to the highest bidder among the plantéis This is just in effect what the Scottish farm servant does in the "feeing maiket" The sailor lives hi» nautical life "under articles" If the kanaka levolted against signing fresh articles when tho old were out, why, theioad home would be open to bun.

THE IMMIGRATION DEPOT.

Some days since we received a communica-tion from a resident in this city, writing over the signature of "Colonist," and passing severe strictures on the accommodation pro-vided at the Central Depot for immigrant». Assuming the statements made by our corres-pondent to have been based on information supplied him, and not on personal ob-servation, wo deemed it just to the depart-ment to send a reporter to tho depot to make inquiries us to the treat nient immigrants receive, and then to publish a report made on actual observation. S weeping charges, such ns our correspondent's letter conveys, seldom do good, and even' when the charges cannot he substantiated, or can bo easily controverted, their ill effect is not much lessoned. Our re-porter writes as follows :

Acting upon your instruction I proceeded to the Central Depot, situated in William-street, on Tuesday* afternoon last. Interviewing the matron I asked to be shown over that portion of the building under her supervision. I was taken into a large, well-lighted, and well-ventilated room, the western and southern windows of which overlook the Brisbane River, and command an extensive and pleasant view. Thcro were tables and forms in the centre of this room ; piles of mattresses and blankets were neatly arranged around it ; tho walls were as white as a liberal application of lime could make thom, and a general air of cleanli-ness mid good order was noticeable throughout the place. This room and the whole of the rear apartments on the ground floor aro re-served for the single girls. The lavatories and bathroom were clean and well-arranged, and in tho kitchen everything was tis clean and bright ns could bo desired. I made some in-quiries concerning the mattresses and blankets, having looked in vain for anything else upon which censure might bo made, but was in-formed that every day the bedding was well aired, mid that the blankets were frequently steamed and cleansed. Talking with the matron of the depot, under whoso rare the single girls aro placed, 1 received some useful information. It appears that abo has accom-modation for sixty girls, but very rarely has moro than fifty in the depot, and then after the night of arrival there is a mate-rial decrease, some girls going to friends and others direct to service. There is some-times a crush when a largo number como in Into in the evening, and on the Saturday evening previous to my visit fifty-seven girls had to be provided for. Many of the girls coming out are remittance immigrants, not more than perhaps 50 per cent requiring to seek service direct from the depot. These aro all a good class of young women, and many, no doubt, become domestic servants, engaging privately. Occasionally there are a few full paying steerage passengers among tho young women, mid by the last ship which arrived there were several, ' all of whom obtained good employment, one being engaged at a loading millinery establishment at two guineas per week. As to tho food supplied to the young women whilo in the depot, there can bo but one opinion after inspection, and that is -that it is of excellent quality, and liberally provided. Paney the allowance being for each girl per day-lib. bread, lib. potatoes, lib. meat, and a good ration of tea, sugar, salt, and a supply of soap 1 Now this allowance would bo enough for almost tiny man in jçood health, and the girls, taking their meals in the form of a mess, lind that their supply is more than enough. To use the words of the matron, " We have more Uinii wo want of everything supplied." if any improve-ment could bo suggested it would be the supply of milk for the lea. With very favour-able ideas concerning the lodging provided for the singlo women, I proceed downstairs and seek the warden who shows me over

TUB KAllIliY IJU.AU.TEUS.'

nero there seems to be, as might be well imagined, a considerable amount, of confusion, and a stuffy smell. There are not many people left in this part of the depot, and, I am sorry lo say, cleanliness docs not appear so much sought after as on the upper floor. Ono matter attracted my attention, and that was n notice posted in » prominent part of the room ¡stating that 2d. per day was required from each family lo pay for cooking. Who authorised this levying of a special rate I do not know, hut it appears strango that when a supply of cooked food ia supposed to bo provided the recipient« thereof should bo charged specially for tho cooking. Tho vvardsniau says that ho anti his assistant have too much to do, while immigrant!) aro in, to he able to attend to the cooking, and that poor people are not charged. In this place the married couples ure allowed to remain during the clay, uni between 8 and 9 o'clock overy evening tho husbands have to go down to the single men's quarters. _ This some of them object to, and force is occasionally required lo rcmovo them ; thoy do not like being separated from their famines, and do all they can, from swearing to quoting Scripture, to show that the authorities are doing wrong. It would bo scarcely reasonable lo expect tho authorities to provide a »emirate apartment for every family, and that is tho only way decency could bo maintained and an undue huddling together of the sexes prevented. I made in-quiries here also about the bedding. The mattresses aro stained and dirty, and the blankets tho same, and much worn. It appears that those blankets aro never washed; when time permits they aro aired and betitcn, but that slight attention is not paid them when one shipload of peoplo comes in closely on the other. I do not go beyond tho murk when I say that tho blankets »re de-cidedly unclean and by no means such as people of cleanly habits would care to use. This could easily be remedied, for the cost of duplicate blankets would not bo very considerable. At any rato tho washtub is vory much needed for thom ; in fact, the whole surroundings in tho quarters allotted to the families might bo with advantage kept in better order and with a due observance of that virtue which we arc bold is next to godliness. Here I had the opportunity of seeing the quality of the rations served out. The sugar is nearly white, a fine dry quality; tho tea is fresh, and of a quality such as any house-holder would be glad to use ; the bread is as good as any baked in the city, and tho beef and mutton such as we ordinarily sec in butchers' shops ready for customers. The same ration as the single girls get is here given out to adults, and tochilurcu half ration. Infants reccivcmilk and delicacies according to tho order of tin medical officer in charge.

HINOLE MKN'S QUARTERS.

The room allotted to tho men is about 60ft by 3flft., and about 12ft. high. It contains 100 bunks, audsomctimes that number of occupants. The place is dark, dingy, and dusty. The only ventilation is through a few small barred windows, and I do not wonder that a good many men sleep out on the grass in the yard in preference to this close crowded place. Th« bunks are of boards, and the bedding a blanket. The boards were probably ¡it one time clean, but no one looking at thom at the present tim« would be inclined towards the probability. I had heard that the single mon sometimes com plained that their rations were not given out; this is true, for the wardsman finds it necessary to observe one of the ap-proved rules of the department-that until the wards are cleansed there shall bo no food served out. The regular ration is then supplied. Though single men should be able to rough it a little, and only remain a short time in the depot, there is no reason why they should not be accommodated where they could sleep with some degree of comfort ; and, if nothing but starvation will cause them to observe cleanliness in their ward, then there is a good application of the short commons system required.

From what I have here stated it will bo seen that some of the internal arrangements of the depot might be improved upon, and when, the alterations such as I indicate as necessary aro made, there will bo but little cause for com Èlaint on the part of any of the newcomers to

Irisbanc.

THE Argus and the Australasian proprietors have despatched on an exploring expedition to New Guinea a special correspondent, well equipped and well qualified. Tho gentleman

who has boen entrusted vvith this important' mission is Captain William E. Armit, F.L.S., who was for many years an officer in the Queensland native police. He has had great experience in dealing with native races and is an accomplished bushman, and therefore well qualified to lead an expedition for the explora-tion of a savage country. Captain Armit is also an able writer, no has contributed valuablo papers to the London Linnean Society, of which ne is a member, on Australian natural history, and his entertaining description of his adventures amongst the Queensland blacks aro familiar to readers of the Australasian. _ Cap-tain Armit has been engaged for some time in makinghis preparations, and these having atia*t been completed he sailed yesterday from Cook-town for Thursday Island, in route for New Guinea. His movements will ho as expeditious as his arrangements aro complete, and in all probability Captain Armit will bo the first special correspondent to set foot upon tho shores of New Guinea,-Argus.