The Evening Star MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2359, 24 October 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1870.

It is not surprising that our accounts of the affairs in Europe are so incomplete. The wonder is they are so full, considering the most important of them hapjiened only seven weeks ago. in looking over the telegrams, we cannot see that immediate danger to the general peace of Europe that was intimated in the first telegrams- There are records of war and rumors of war—elements of discord in every quarter of that Continent. Many of these reports were for stockbroking purposes ; many emanate from timid, credulous men j many from political partisans j many from secret societies bent upon overturning existing institutions. They *aaiy be the mutterings of the storm ; let ua hope not. So far as Great Britain is concerned, republican demonstrations are |4pt.hiug now j but there,

there are too many interested in retaining things as they are, and the mass of the people are too well affected towards the throne to warrant the belief that Royalty is in present danger. A little relief from the catalogin' of horrors that has reached us, appears in the account of the confab between Su George Grey and the Editor of the News of the World, with whom, in the phraseology of North America, he was “ interviewed.” Sir George must feel amused that in democratic America the most commonplace utterances of England’s aristocracy are regarded with such reverence as to be worth recording. Here is the report i Sir George Grey, who for so many years ably filled the Viceregal office of Governor in New Zealand, arrived in San Francisco on last Wednesday evening, September 7tb, per the Pacific Railway. Sir George is accompanied thus far by the Marquis of Sligo. General Sherman was their fel ow-passen-ger over the transcontinental railway. Nir George proceeds to-day to New Zealand. The Marquis of Sligo visits South Ameuca. Knowing Sir George Grey's conned ion (as Vice-President) with the Atlantic and Pacific Steamship Company, which was formed some time ago in London with a view to carrying out a first-class steam line from San Francisco to New Zealand and Australia, and understanding the consideration due to the opinions of so high an authority on Onioned matters generally, the editor of the A ewe °J the. World was glad to avail himself of the opportunity which au introduction afforded him to learn Sir George G ey’s views in reference to the San Francisco route, the portion of the interview in which the readers of this journal are interested is given hereunder. . The customary introductory salutations being over, Sir George remarked, in answer to inquires, that he had enjojxd his trip overland exceedingly. It had been one succession of agreeable surprises. He bad often heard and read of the comforts of American railway traveling, but he had totally failed to realize them until he had made this trip. Of the elegance and comfoit of the Pullman Palace s’ccping, dining, and drawing-room cars it was impossib’e to speak in terras of the high praise. There uas nothing like them in England. You could eat and sleep in them with all the comfort of a first-class hotel. When he was about to start he had thought it necessary to take his valise containing a change of linen, etc., into the carriage with him. The conductor assured him that it would only be in his way. and would be much better in the luggageroom. Sir George said he supposed the “ luggage-room ” meant a separate away at the end of the train. -To his sur* prise he found it was a snug apartment adjoining the drawing-room, to which access could be had at any moment, and that all you who had to do to obtain, at any time, what you might want, was to desire one of the many neatly dressed and obliging colored servants in attendance to bring it for you. The cost of everything, too, was reasonable. He had kept an exact account of his expenses so that upon his arrival among his colonial friends he might toll them all about it. Lord Sligo had be n a great traveller over all the world, but he confessed he had never enjoyed anything so much as the trip overland from the Atlantic to the Pacific by the tra: scontin ratal rai’w.iy. r l hc conductors of the trains were altogether a different class of 1 parsons to those usually employed in a similar capacity elsewhere. You at once felt that they were educated gentlemen with ’ whom it was a pleasure to travel and converse of the scenes through which you were passing. A conductor’s principal duty in England is to use the brake and give the signal for s‘arting at the various stations. Here the conductor has charge of all the : servants, and his special business is to see that everything provided for the comfort of the passengers. Instead of being couped up in a small box, as in England, here the train is a series of elegant rooms fitted up with lounges, i tables, etc,, and you can promenade from one end of the train to the other. In short, the whole thing was a marvelous revolution in i traveling. Editor ; “ In what time do you believe, Sir George, the through trip from England • to Sydney ought to b r made ? ” Sir George Grey: “There is no ivason why it should not be done in thirty-six days. 1 have considered the matter carefully. I am satisfied it ean be accomplished in that time. On my way I renamed a day at New . York and half a day at Salt Lake City, and yet I arrived in San Francisco on the seventeenth day out from EngUnd. Steamers running between here and the Colonies equal 1 : in speed to those on the Atlantic would enable the whole distance to be done in thirty- , : six days. Before leaving England I had reason to inquire into this subject.” Editor ; “Some time since I received a prospectus of an English steamship company which proposed to occupy this route, in which you were named as the ice-President.” Sir George: “ Yea, the organisation of the company was perfect, but when I saw the matter was being taken up in this country and that a subsidy to an American line was likely to be granted by the United States Government, i]t was useless for us to : proceed further. Our desire was that the route should be opened up, and, personally, I do not care by whom that end is accomplished so long as it is made a success. I look upon the opening up of this channel for travel and commerce as the greatest thing that has been done f r our race for many a year. Ypu and I know that a great nation is -fast growing np in the Colonics. 1 look upon it as a great thing to unite together the English speaking people of the old country, ai American and of Australia.” The colonists who travel over this continent will learn much that will be of special advantage to them in a new' country. Yes, the success of this route is hound to be great. The colonists themselves do not yet realise its full value. But they will awake to that before long. Every man who makes the journey this way is bound to he an enthusiastic advocate of it.

Editor : We propose to do our beat to supply the Colonies with the latest news. Sir George : Until I came here 1 never thought of that, but I can ace how thoroughly you can accomplish it. In San Francisco you have every morning a full account of European news of the clay previously as we have ja London. I have preserved, as a curiosity, a copy of a paper I obtained iu Salt Lake City, -which inf nned me of all the war news of the irght previously, as fully as if I had been reading the Times in London.

Sir George Grey at considerable further

length expressed his views in reference to the Californian line to the colonies. During his stay, Sir George visited the various sights worth seeuig in our State, with all of which he expressed himself highly delighted. Upon his arrival in the colonies, Sir George will doubtless speak for himself at greater length upon the subjects hastily treated of in this ntorview.