Shipping News.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 381, 28 June 1856, Page 6

Shipping News.

AEKIVKD. ■ 27th Jane, schooner Grufton, 60 tons, Everiughain, from Otago. Passenger, Mrs.. Evexiughaii). SAILED. 27th June, hri«r Mountain Maid, 192 tons Peacock, /or Nei.vjn. Passengers: Capt. and' Airs. Home and two children, Miss Peacock Jlnssr*. Paviu, Uuike, Brvant, ilollelt, and Jliiier.

EXPORTS. In the Mountain Maid, A. J. Alport, agent, 3 tons cheese, 2 kegs butter, 1 10 sheepskins, 300 bushels wheat, 9 bales wool, 9 hides.

The Royal Charter.—The arrival of the Royal Charier at Port Phillip, after a 59 days' run from Plymouth, demonstrates convincingly the superiority over all other means of direct coramuiiicatio'ii with Europe, of the combination of an auxiliary screw with the sailing qualities of a clipper. "Scientific men who have devoted their attention to the subject have long made up their minds that such a conjunction of steam and sails would prove the most effective and reliable plan for securing, with certainty, rapid voyages between distant ports, unbroken by any intermediate stoppage. The Royal Charter was an experiment on a truly magnificent scale ; and the run which she has achieved, satisfactorily and completely affirms the principle sought to be established in her construction and application to this particular service. Il is a matter of rail congratulation for all1 the Australian colonies that the-resumption" of .direct steam communication with England has been accomplished under such favourable and encouraging auspices. Fifty-nine days from port to port is the shortest voyage which has ever been .made between England and Australia. There is reasonable ground for believing that even this period might be reduced by several days, and we do not despair of seeing the voyage from any English port to Melbourne performed by vessels of similar construction with the Royal Charier in fifty-five, and eventually in fifty days. The liberality ami promptitude with which Victoria and South Australia have voted the sum requisite for the monthly packet service, promised, by the last despatch from Downingstreet on the subject of Australian postal intercourse with England, induce us to h'»pe that the Royal charter may prove only the herald of a regular fleet of clippers with auxiliary screws which shall bring us every mouth, with the certainty of the Collins and Canard packets between Liverpool and New York, the political and commercial intelligence of Europe. It is calculated by the Lords of the Treasury that £ 150,000 a-y ear will suffice for the establishment of a monthly packet service between Liverpool or London and the colonies of Australia and New Zealand. Of this sum Victoria alone has voted £72,000 ; South Australia comes forward with £12,000, and the Legislature of New South Wales and Tasmania will be prepared to bear their proportion of the general burden. New Zealand has voted a liberal amount for a branch mail service to Sydney, and will no • doubt contribute in good time towards the common object. There is, however, no need of. hesitation or delay in the immediate establishment of monthly direct steain~ communication between England and Australia. The Home government will pay a moiety of the whole expense ; the other moiety being contributed by Australiaand New Zealand. Our colony, as we have seen, has already voted the entire amount required from this side of the world. We have the means of paying foi a regular and rapid intercourse with Europe; and we have a proof, in the voyage of the Royal Charter, how that intercourse can be established and maintained. The material prosperity and social happiness of these colonies are in a great measure dependent upon their nearness, in point of.time, to the «reat European centres of commerce and intelligence. It is, therefore, with no ■unreasonable delight that we hail the arrival of a ship from England which demonstrates the practicability of a. system of communication, at short and regular intervals, with what all English colonists still call " home."— Sydney Empire.

Birth.;—At Lvitehon, on Thursday, 26th inst, the wife of Mr. James Tregear, of a son.