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Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 842, 8 April 1871, Page 2

The ketch Emerald sailed from Lyttelton for Westport on Saturday afternoon, and the schooner Janet Gray cleared for Charleston on Saturday, and was expected to sail on Sunday night. The .Anchor Line's powerful steamer Charles Edward arrived in the river yesterday at noon. Sbe left Nelson on Monday last at 5 p.m, called at Motueka, leaving at 8 p.m. Experienced Strong S.E. wind on the passage down, and arrived off Westport at 2 p.m on Tuesday, crossing the bar at 7 p.m. Landed the greater part of her cargo aud sailed at 10 p.m on Wednesday, crossing Hokitika bar at 9 a.m on Thursday Left at 10 yesterday morning, and crossed this bar at 12 She leaves this morning's tide for Wes'port and Nelson, where she is due on Siinrtay afternoon.

Yesterday, at noon, the p.s Dispatch towed to sea tbe schooner Ceres, for Newcastle. .She took over twenty -five passengers for Sydney. The steamer Alhambra did not arrive yesterday afternoon, although fully expected. She will most probably put in an appearance in the Hokitika roadstead during the night, and be tendered this forenoon, when she will come on here and take passengers for all New Zealand ports and Melbourne, via the Bluff. ■•'■•'

-The next steamer from Melbourne via the Bluff is the s.s Gothenburg, which we need not expect to be telegraphed until the 18th inst., as it is only lately she left the coast for Melbourne.

. We are authorised to state that it is the intention of the contractors, under the new arrangement which has recently been entered into by Mr Yogel on behalf of the New Zealand Government for the carriage of mails'by way of San Francisco, to run their boats direct to Sydney instead of to Port Chalmers during the first thirteen services. This, it appears, tho contractors are empowered to do by clause 13 of th« new contract. A branch boat of the same class as that which will be employed on the main Kne, will be in readiness at Auckland on the arrival of the incoming mail, and will bring on. tbe : mail to Port Chalmers, calling at Wellington and Lyttelton. No alteration will l>e made in the contract time for the coinjilerion . of the voyage between San Francisco ami Port. Chalmers, which is fixed at twenty-eight tlnys aud four hours, including stoppages. It is intended, moreover, that the vessel which arrives at Port Chalmers should be the one to take the mail to Fa,o Francisco receiving at Auckland any mail, passengi-rs or goods which may arrive at the latter port by the return boat from Sydney. No intimation has yet been received from the New South Wales Government of their. intention to subsidise the new service. Wbeth«?r they do so or not, the contractors intend, we believe, to continue the first thirteen services bj Sydney, with the view, it may reasonably be supposed, of coercing the Government of that colony into recognising the advantages of the services by contributing towards it. Unless a subsidy is granted for the carriage of mails to aud from Sydney by way of Auckland, no Syduey mails can be carried by the contractors' boats without the consent of the Po3tmaster-General of New Zealand, under, a heavy penalty. Otago Daily Times, April 1.