Ir is to be hoped that the discoveries of gold in West Australia will turn out aa rich as the telegraphic intellegenco about them seems to indicate, It ix not only desirable to have more gold in the world, but fresh and important mining fields in " thinly populated and extensive country like West Australin, would, by attracting large numbers of men all with many wants requiring immediate supplying, probably have the same in apiriting effect on trade which arose from the discoveries of the metal in Gnlifornin and the older parts of the Australasinn colonies. A rush of diggers now a days is of course different to what ocourred when wont to San Francisco or Melbourne thirty to forty years ago. The effeot of these great influxes of mei into countries where nothing was ready for them, if they were now repeated, would not be so great or so lasting. Quicker communication and more ample supplies of food and clothing would sooner bring matters to something appreriching oidivary conditions of life elsewhere, than wns possible in the fifties, But neverthelene, " diggings which would draw fow hundred thou-men to Kimberley Province, who would require to be supplied with necessaries from other paris of the Australasian continent, would have a good effect on the general trade of these, and this would benefit commerce elsewhere. The place of those who left Victoria or New South Wales for West Aastralia would promptly be filled by others from England and Earope, and thus a much needed stimulus would be totradoand shipping. Something of the Isind in needed to carry off the superfluous people, energies and products of the world. The benefits which large new supplies of gold will do would thus not be limited to the actual increase which they would make in the supplies of a previous metal.
West Australia la only a little better than an anivhabited country in all except a strip of Innd near these, Tis extent is in round figures 1,000,000 square miles; ita groutest length is 1,280 miles from north to south nud 800 miles from enst to west, while the occupied portion of the colony is about 600 miles length from north to south by ubout 150 miles in average breadth. It was first settled in 1829, but twenty-one years afterwards it had only 6,000 inhabitants, and in 1883 the whole popu. Intion only amounted to 81,283, and of these about one half resided in Perth, the capital, and in the town of Free mantle, The quantity of land alienated in the colony up to the end of 1883 was only 1,719,500 out of n total of 624,588,000 agree, The colony is eight times the size of the United Kingdom and ten times us Inrge us New Zenland, Grent tracts of the ov remain unexplored. Culonel Warbur= ton travelled over a Inrge portion of it, suffering severe privations, and he was followed in 1873-74 by Mr. Forrest, but the reports they gave of extensive deserts and the great scarcity of water were not encouraging. In 1879, however, twenty millions of weres of well watered country were discovered along the river courses of the north and north east territory, affording tot only good pasturage, but adapted to the cultivation of sugar, rice and coffee, And so lately as March Inst a new exploring party left Sydney for Cam. bridge Golf, near where the limits of the colony touch those of North Aus. tralia, with the intention of travelling across to King Sound on the nocthwest const. Somewhere vent, and to the north of King Sound is Port Cossack where it is tended to form submarine communication with the telegraphic system of the world, Although there is no doubt that in many parts of the colony the want of water will greatly binder and limit immigra. tion, it is probable that many fertile tracts exist, as yet unexplored, where sheep, cattle, and horses would be ex. cellent ly pastured, and others on which when and other grains could be grown. A large quantity of the lund well suited to the cultivate vine; districts; and the soil of others is adn ably adapted to the growth of the olive, and the caster oil plant. There is suid to be abundance of copper; lead is obtained and exported, and con! has been found in emall quantities. These resourcea in the parts of the country whish. Kaye been explored show that there is wealth and comfort to be had in West Australia, and a powerfal traction like rich gold fields would certainly lend ton very rapid increase of settlers of all kinds, The reports of previous explorers rather threw the colony into the shade, but of late, and before the gold fields in Kimberley came into note, the exploration of other portions was advoonted in Sydney and elsewhere. It is eaid that west of the telegraph track, which stretches from the hend of Spencer Gulf in South Australian to Port Darwin in the North: ern Territory, right eross the cent ent, there are 750,000 square miles of still unexplored country. All the explorers mention seeing largo numbers of bucks and birds, and it has been argued therefrom that, given plucks and birds, there is a fair country newer the desolate places, 'THY FRENCHMALL PAPERS, Tue Spectator is fat this week, It censures Mr. Chamberlain and Mr, Prevelyan for having joined Mr. Gladstone's government when they must have known what his Irish measures would be, and it draws terrible picture of the dangers of perse tion under Home Rule. Lhe other political articles are heavy and commonplace. But in the correspondence we find a curious instance given of the great influence which Mr. Gladstone's name has over the most inionated people in the world, the Liberals. At the General Ilection Member for Roxburghshire, fumelf against Home Rule, and ments then ngeeed with views, some taking part mau enthusiastic anti-Parnellite procession and demonstra After Mr, Gindstone''s intentions ities became surmised Me, BUlint threatened opposition to them, when the very men who demonstrated in November lust against Parnellisu at once called Unie member to account for daring to oppose anything which Mr, Gladstune favours, There will be a good dent of this sort of ate before M disposed of, inn sterile the political expositions in the Sulurday, Harbours of Refuge" good ao-sivan up of what has been done by private enterprise in forming large shipping rts out of inland towns. This article is on a motion which was made in the House of Commors in favone of government grants for harbours of refuge, and the sound political doctrines on the subject enunciated by Mr. Clmuberlain have delighted the Saturday, "8 much as the Spectator has. been pleased with hia ay list views on Poor Relief. Lhe Satur day introduces ite remarks by saying, The late debate on Harbours of Refuge wae principally remarkable on account of the sound doctrines which were promulgated by mmibers who fe sometimes inclined economic heres: riy conclus reagoue for ing to accept Mr, Dawa tiation, Me Lernin inforuied the House that the local expenditure on harbours within twenty yeara had been twice as great ay th collective outlay for similar purposes of all the other commercial nations of Europe, Companies and Dock Boards would never have engaged in th en if their flores had been superseded by national grante he Tyne, the Teer, the Clyde, the A the Humber are in their present ho map converted tly and ela bimeby.
ing memory, from a harbour of little importance, become the great fish-port great improve-have been effected Stock Companies, but often by local Navigation Buards have seen their way to recoup themselves for their expenditure by rates ippivg and on goods.. Parliament, Jund undertaken tHe fancy would have and a large portion of grants which might have been made would probably have been mis: vers of docks and harbours knowingly invested their money in unprofitable speculations,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.