THE OVERLAND TELEGRAMS.

Evening Star, Issue 2938, 19 July 1872, Page 3

THE OVERLAND TELEGRAMS.

The A }’{/us of the 3rd inst. speaks in the following terms of the receipt of the first direct telegraphic message from England :—The great event so long and anxiously expected, and so much delayed, occurred yesterday morning, when the first direct telegraphic message from England, transmitted by submarine cable, land line, and estafette, was receiver! in Melbourne. The message was received about ten o’clock, and by eleven a second edition of the Argus was published, and eagerly bought up by curious inquirers after English news. The excitement was very considerable, but it must be confessed that it received a somewhat severe damper when the singularly commonplace and uneventful character of the intelligence transmitted became fully known. The fact is, however, that the telegram published yesterday morning v/as not Baron Reuters telegram at all. To enable the reader to understand this, we must explain that the arrangement made with Reuter is for the supply of a daily telegram of general European news for the use of the Australian Associated Press. The telegram will be in the main the same as* that forwarded by Reuter to % press,' and it is the business pf Reuter’s Indian agents to sped it on to Australia. The proprietors -of the An/us, however, have an agent in Loudon, who is instructed to send a special message supplemental to Reuter’s whenever he may think it necessary. It was this special message that arrived yesterday, the message from Reuter not laving come to hand, [t will be seen, however, that the absence of Reuter’s general news message was to some extent compensated for by the arrival, later in the day, of an Adelaide telegram founded on a message of English news transmitted by Mr Tpdd from Daly Waters. The materials for this message are gathered from the Java newspapers, and though some of the items contained in it have more the air of the sensational than the credible, it is undoubtedly interesting. The statement that the London and Australian Steam Navigation Company, which it will be remembered was promoted by Sir Spencer Robinson and Mr Reed, C B and from which so much was expected, has not been floated, is confirmed by information received from another source, and is authentic The news from Mr 1 odd’s message would have come down to a later date had it not been for an untoward accident to the cable, which, however, it is hoped will soon be repaired and communication promptly rwtuaca.

With reference to the announcement in the latest telegrains from London, that a cable was about to be laid from Port Darwin to Normantown. the Argus _ says : From our telegraphic intelligence it will be seen that some difficulty lias arisen between the South Australian Government and the Anglo-Australian Cable Company. The company would appear to have repudiated the penalty paid by the sister colony for the non performance of her portion of the contract within the specified time, and have come to terms with the Queensland Government for laying another cable between Port Darwin and Norraantown. The South Australian Government, however*, rely upon the fact that they have actually paid the penalty. The establishment of through communication will, however, probably remove the difficulty. It appears from our Australian files, that the first through message was the following, dated London, June 22, and received by Messrs M‘Arthur, Sherard, and Copeland of Melbourne and Sydney, from their London partners :—“ We congratulate you and shake hands with our partners in Sydney and Melbourne.”

Spealdng of the accident to the Port Dar-win-Java cable, the Argus says : Telegraphic communication has unfortunately become interrupted between Java and Port Darwin, owing to the submarine cable getting out of repair. The nature and extent of the damage have not as yet, it appears, been fully ascertained, hot it is expected that in a short time the necessary repairs will be effected. Mr Todd sees no difficulty in the immediate establishment of a weekly estafette. The mishap to the cable, it would appear from Mr Todd’s telegram, took place on the 25th June, so that, had the telegraphic agents in Bombay been on the alert, we might have received a much bettor instalment of English news than that which came to hand. Mr Todd intimates that, should any important intelligence arrive before communication being restored, he would endeavor to forward it by extra express.

(For continuation of news see fourth page.)