Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), Wednesday 25 July 1860, page 3


A NEW SOUTH WELSH VIEW OF THE

.- ' - MAIL QUESTION. ,

[FROM THE EMPIRE.]

The or in on that the Panama route must could merely a lople 1 as they settle 1 postal line of com-limitation between Port met on an 1 England if the interests of Western Australia and New Zealand receive due consideration has become afternoons a'" discussion concerning the issue mounts of di

feel it to let the sky If it conviction of most of those the Colony and in the mother country who have devoted attention to the subject the ideal time to be de saved from a comm miCution travels mg such a cluster of productive and advancing states and colonies as The islands of the Pacific the West Indies and the parts of America bordering on the isthmus and crossing the great lines of traffic between the eastern and western shores of North America and the Western coast of South America can lies did he over estimated And in the event of war both con England and any of the Lui of eau powers an event which present maiden ewes tender not mipiobablo-the line by Egypt and the Mediate and in would almost cer army bomber

copte 1 while the friendly relations between the British Empire and the United States of America which to say the least are less likely to be altered than those existing with the nations of Em one-word enable us to in To use of the stars and stripes a route d fl tg for the maintenance of the Panama line in other words Brother Jonathan would be ready to cry pilot his own vessels in so profitable an enterprise as the line is sure to love In the Assembly the Executive Government, and the mercantile community among ill in fact who have devoted attention to the subject there is an increasing in family in favor of this line and the recent proposal of Messrs. Pearson Coleman and Co to nuclei tale for I stibstVy of 2670 000 from this colony the conveyance of mails by that i onto within six months after acceptance of this office

seems to him the accomplishment of this most desirable object within a it ison able distance of time We of list no heart action on the part of the Legislative Assembly will delay the attainment of

the result But as two or three months must

elapse before the question is submitted to the Le gislature it can scarcely be less than six months from this time before the requisite assistance can be conveyed to the com] any who have offered to undertake the service Then even if no unforeseen contingency should interpose it is only on the two mutation of another six months that they will be bound to commence operations What are we to do meanvvlidci1 We must either consent to whatever arrangement the Victorian Government are willing to make with us and stand before the world in the position of a subsidiary district or make use of the means within our control to open another line of communication We have already pointed out the p acticabdityand advantages of a line from Sydney toSmgapoio both for ourselves and the colonies of Queensland and New Zealand and wobeheveit is only necessary to keep them before public attention to ensure ageneialappioval of that house We have many concurrent proofs from nautical men familiar with the whole passage of the safety and ease with which steam com-indication may be maintained via Torres Straits between this port and Singapore To these has been added the testimony of Captain Denham Ofhual informations to the Government by an officer in her Majesty s Navy sent out for the purpose of surveying the Stunt! confirms the views which liieicaiitili captains had formed in the course of sev or al years experience in those waters

The actual experience it is considered that steamers leaving Singapore on the anvil of the English mail-steamer and coming through Torres Straits would probably leave Sydney some days before those which take the mail on board at Point de Galle and come round Cape Leeuwin, canaries at Melbourne So that we might expect to be generally advance of our Victorian neighbors, instead of being always two or three days behind them we depend on the Point de Galle and Melbourne hue we cannot make sm e of time enough townswomen letters when they do amve 01

course, the Melbourne people will consult their own interest, and convenience in the matter; and it would be a serious detriment to their commercial operations to delay the mail five or six days longer than they require for the sake of accopimpflatüig us. We cannot claim or expect such an amount of consideration there. was no ungoueroiisjoalonsj' that renders us averse to fall into a secondary position as a mere appendage of Melbourne ; fair and honorable emulation is fitted to benefit both colonies; and a languid acquiescence on our part in an arrangement degrading to us, would be depriving our neighbors of a healthful stimulus; and be injurious to them as well as to ourselves. It is not as groundless sensitiveness on the part of New South Wales, but a motive which is of vital consequence to the progress of Australia, that induces us to seek a channel of communication with Britain other than that in which we should appear, per favour of the colony of Victoria. But besides the loss of prestige which, to some hard-headed commercial reckoners, may seem but a fanciful evil, there would be the substantial and serious inconvenience of the want of proper time to answer correspondents, Have we not had enough of this already ? "

under the arrangement now brought to a close the people of this colony have been all along at a great disadvantage as compared with those of Victoria. Seldom has it been possible for any beyond the immediate precincts of Sydney to answer their correspondence by the same mail which brought it; and sometimes the citizens of the metropolis have not been allowed this advantage. Arid now instead of any improvement, the proposed new arrangement will expose its, if we do not open another line for ourselves, to still greater inconvenience. Are the people of this colony' willing to submit to this for a year or two? Would they not rather fully justify the Government in taking immediate steps to secure the opening of a postal communication with Singapore ?

From the terms of a despatch which has reached the Government it appears that, by the new arrangement with the Peninsular and Oriental Company, the July mail was not to leave Sydney until the 22nd of the present month, leaving Melbourne on the 28th, so as to catch the Calcutta steamer at Galle. The August mail will leave Sychiby on the

22nd of that month, and that will be the last vessel from this port, as at present arranged. It is to be presumed, therefore, that the Ottawa will be detained till the 22nd for although there is nothing to prevent the agent of the Company morn sending away the usual mail on the 14th, yet it is scarcely probable that this course will be adopted when the 22nd is named iii the official. despatch. The minute of the Executive Council, of the 6th April last, and which we have already more than once referred to 7, sufficiently' explains the views of the present Government in reference to the then proposed change in the contract, and also with reference to the Panama route. While not prepared to advise that the colony should be a party to any contract binding it to support the Suez.: route for a series of years, The, Executive Council were yet opposed to the absolute rejection of the Company's proposal, but were willing, to subsidise, so long as it was used by' this colony, that service which should be approved of by the colonies most interested in the Suez, route. This was fair and liberal enough ; yet we see that the Company have left the New Sqipih 'Wales mails to be carried in some way not at all provided for by their arrangement with the Home Government. ' c

We gather that Ministers see no difficulty in making a temporary, arrangement; for the con- voy-ance of the mails to Singapore" by way of Torres' States, provided that any local company! is prepared to make an offer. The Australasian Steam Nayffiatjou Company has three or four screw vessels suitable for the service, and it will be gratifying to' unearthed some ftmuigouiGntliiis been, made to carry out, the suggestions offered respect-ing the eastern i parte by Australia, until the Panama line can be established,