THE NEW SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE.

Evening Star, Issue 3334, 27 October 1873, Page 3

THE NEW SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE.

The following part culars are given respecting the steamship Macregor, which is to leave Sydney with the English and American mails on the sth December. 1 he Maegregor is a screw steamship of 2 051 gioss tonnage, and 1,526 registered tonnage. Her engines aro of 1120 horse power. She was built at Kimrhorn, in Fifeshire, last year, and is 528 feet long by TH feet beam, the- depth of her hold is 24 feet 9 inches, and she appears in every respect to be a firstclass vessel. If Victoria had agreed to give substantial assistance to New Zealand, and if Mr Parkes had not been prompt in making and announcing his contract with Mr Hall, it is probable that a Vogel-nm-B«rnaide arrangement would have been come to. But New Zealand was scarcely prepared, almost singlehanded, to run against New South Wa'es. Mr Vogel is personally very friendly with Mr Samuel, and though he would not accept the offer Mr Samuel took to New Zealand, he commended him to Mr Bussell, and left very largo discretionary powers in that gentleman’s hauls. Consequently, when Mr S tmuel arrived in England ho found the New Zealand representative not only willing but anxious to come to some agreement, if a sufficient concession were made to New Zealand views, but anxious at the. same time to incorporate as much as possible the results of hia American negotiations. We only know by telegram the outcome of these conferences, and we have yet to get Mr Samuel’s despatch giviim his reasons for the course ho pursued. The Assembly therefore is asked to approve his action, although somewhat in the dark as to the reasons that have influenced him. For the sake of getting the New Zealand support, he has compromised the question of terminus by dividing its advantages. I his is a tax on the contractors for three reasons first, because no New Zealand port gives

equal facilities with Port Jackson for repairs or for coaling; secondly, because no New Zealand port c«n offer a coal freight to San Francisco ; and thirdly, because, it will be very expensive to run a 2000-ton boat on a coasting service, where the traffic is too small to furnish any remunerative freight The political influence of the Canterbury and Otago Provinces, however, is so groat that the Government is obliged to i siat on this point. Wc are at the present moment in ignorance as to whether Mr Ha 1 is sharing his contract with the Scott and Burr.side party, and we are still further in ignorance as to whether the lat'er, in order to facilitate their getting an American subsidy, have stipulated that the boats shall be built in America, and run under the American flag.— Argun's Sydney Correspondent.