THE PACIFIC MAIL CONTRACT.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 681, 31 May 1870, Page 2

THE PACIFIC MAIL CONTRACT.

[By the courtesy of the PostmasterGeneral, we, last night, received the following telegram from Wellington : — ] A very large deputation waited on the Postmaster-General, to ascertain the views of the Government on the . resolutions passed at a late public meeting, about the Calif ornian mail service. Mr Pearce presented the resolutions and other papers, and made a few remarks, the substance of which was that the deputation were not hostile to the Government, nor mixed up with those who condemned the Government for entering into the contract with Mr Hall, nor was it pledged to support any company. The Postmaster-General, in reply, said he was glad of the opportunity of explaining a subject about which there had been much misrepresentation. The contract with Mr Hall would cost little or nothing, if the reduced cost of the Suez service be taken into account. He was anxious to enter into the contract, because there were reasons to suppose that, otherwise, the line would go by Fiji, and New Zealand would be only a branch. The contract, at any rate, could not be a loss. The firs* service was a success, and it was not his fault that the vessel was crowded. Mr Collie called on him at Auckland, and said he understood that in San Francisco there was a fight going on between Webb and Hall's friends. Halliday, Bremar; and Co., and Webb, wanted to dispose of the vessels which the Pacific Railway had put out of employment from Honolulu. Mr Hall wrote favorably, and it was quite possible he had already arranged with Webb or Halliday, subject to the approval of Government. Hall's contract was so stringent that he could do nothing without the consent of the Government. The Postmaster-General did not wish to be sanguine. He would say no more than that it was quite possible that a satisfactory arrangement would be made. He congratulated the deputation upon their public spirit, but he was not sure that the action taken was not injurious. First, it was a pity the Colony should be mixed up with the local jealousies of Melbourne and and Sydney. Secondly, Mr Collie had been led to expect that his large demand was reasonable, whilst he (PostmasterGeneral) had been assured that Mr Collie could not expect such an amount, even if Mr Hall's contract broke down. Touching the opinion of the Government, they looked on securing a direct service as the most important, and the port of call as a secondary matter, at present. They are quite content with Mr Hall's contract, but would, if allowed, like to see the steamers, after touching at Auckland, proceed to Wellington, Lyttelton, and Port Chalmers, with branch steamers from Manukau to Melbourne and Sydney. The Port Chalmers dock would soon be completed, and this would be a thoroughly Colonial service. The Government were determined to have nothing to do with any service which did not place New Zealaud in the direct route. If the route was to be by Fiji, let some other Colony arrange it. He tried at Sydney to persuade the contractor to proceed from Auckland to Wellington, Lyttelton, and Otago, and he was sure that was the best route. He presumed that Wellington would not object to vessels going on to Lyttelton, instead of to Melbourne. The Government would not agree with the resolution that it was of the highest importance the route] should be to Melbourne, and would not invite Melbourne to prejudice the present contract. He would not consent to a subsidy such as Mr Collie asked. If Mr Hall broke down, he would do his best, and he believed the United States would stipulate for Fiji, but the New Zealand Government, would adhere to the direct route. Mr Pearce thanked the PostmasterGeneral for the information. He was not authorised to speak for the whole deputation, but he thought he might confidently say they would be highly pleased with the steamers calling first at Auckland, and then at the other New Zealand ports ; that they were not bound to Mr Collie, and prepared to insist on a direct route.