STEAM COMMUNICATION

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 420, 12 November 1856, Page 7

STEAM COMMUNICATION

BETWEEN ENGLAND, AUSTRALIA, AND "SKW JSFA.LAND. We publish below tho corrospoiuier.ee between

the Government* of Victoria sml Now inland, relative to steam ,eo;nmnmcation between the two colonies. The last advices from England definitely announced the new ■mail service as intending to commence its complete operations in January. I. (Government of T ictor'ui to the Government of i\W Zealand.) Chief Secretary's Office, Melbourne. 3rd September, 1856. Sir, —Re.forrimr.to your letter, of the 31st of May last, by which you inform this Government of the acceptance by the Government of j^ew ZealAiui of the proposal contained in the 'Treasury minute, of the 27th November, 1855, for the" re-establishment of Steam Postal communication between England and the Australian Colonies. 1 have now the honour, by desire of his Excellency Major-General Maearthur. to transmit a copy of a letter, with, its enclosures, addressed to the Chief Secretary, by the Hon. the Treasurer of this colony, in which proposals are submitted to initiate measures for the establishment of Branch Mail services. A similar communication has been addressed, this day, to each, of the other colonies interested. and I in to convey the request of his Excellency the Officer, administering the Government, that bis Excellency the Governor-General of Xew Zealand may he pleased to cause this Government to be put in possession of the views of the Government of that colony as speedily' as niav be. *' ■ ."■■-■ I have the honour to be. Sir, Your obedient servant.. (Signed) J. Moobe, Under Secretary.

Enclosure in above. Treasury, Melbourne, 25th August. 18-55. Sib.—With reference to the Treasury llinute, of the 27th November. ISS 5. on. the subject of Steam Postal ..Communication with England, we may shortly expect to -hear that steps have been taken by the Home Government, for carrying out that, object. Upon the -supposition that the proposal contained in that Minute will! be-adopted in its main features, and that the communication, ■willbe by steamers, monthly calling at King i George's Sound, Melbourne and Sydney, and that Melbourne will be- the central point, from Avfaieh branch steamers will cany the mails io '■ to Van Dieman's Land.. South ■ Australia, and j New Zealand, and that these colonies will be j desirous of participating. in the advantages of | that proposal, it: will be necessary that some j arrangement should be entered into between this Government' and- the Governments of all the the colonies contributing towards the expense of the entire contract, as to ths. manner hi which the branch services should be conducted, and tenders for the 'performance of those services . obtained. With this view, I have prepare i some conditions upon which i would propose that tenders for those services should bs called for and contracts taken,, and I would suggest that they be suDmitt-td to the Governments of the colonies interested, -for ths purpose of ascertaining ■whether their-views coincide with those expressed, and of obtaining their concurrence generally in- the plan proposed. in the case of I\sw Zealand, it will be necessary to be in formed to which port in that colony tho Central Government would wish the mails to Le conveyed. As the Great object to be attained by Steam Poi-Ui Communication is to brintr the course of po»i b«itwc«i Ev.-zh.vA and each of the Ausiiah;m colonies --yniins the H'Went- possible number of d::ys. I have prepaid in inn condition* that the^ branch st^ani-rn. kLkH le prepared to s;ill whhin a iew hours of the arrival" of the mail ship. As the day of the arrival of tho mail ship wii be at -all riiues unt^rtnin, .such « amdhion will. I have Tio doubt, causa a nnidi j?ivi:i-vr cxp.j:i.;,i ia the sever:*] bran-li s-rvi.-o; (:nore psrticuiru'iv in.iluit beiwe^u J!.eibounic anu Xo-.v ZoaLiri) than if the ves.-u.-Ls ]jyriunain^ tl;oso were iiiereiy re<]U!mfto nzi'ltm "a st^.ii.'d <] ; -v m each iJiOUih : but H i^jjX-r.rs to n-j! i'i<:l' -t'^: advantages to be o:-:}.-:-':l;-d iro;n a rujii'l iso-i,il co'.nrnunication with K;i^;aud wiii fiior-..- tLaji conipeiisatH; the Jru-r;;a^/'l c-j:-*. (Biy:ied) Cif Aiii..i-::s Sr.Ai/KN. T!i«j Hoijourabie The Cki«i\Sc-j;.-'^.:.vv, ;>k-iLou.-..--.

Steam .PoHa? Communication with .England on the term* laid down in the Treasury Minnie, of'27th November. 1855. It is proposed,— "'That, upon the receipt of advices from England of a contract having been entered into on the terms o( the above minute, tenders for- the conveyance of the English Mails from Melbourne to Hobart Town, Adelaide, and some port in New Zealand, bo invited by the Government of Victoria by notice in the 'Government Gazette, to be delivered within one month of tho date of the Gazette in which the notice did appear. *'■ That representatives of the Governments of New South Wales, Van Diemairs Lund, Western Australia, avid New Zealand should meet the Government of -Victoria iv Melbourne, on a day to be named, and that the tenders should be opened in their presence and decided on by them. " That steamers* only shall be employed for these services. " That they should take the mails from the mail ship in tho port of Melbourne, at the Contractor's expense, and proceed on their voyage within hours after the arrival of the mail ship from England, under penalty of £20 for every hour's delay beyond the : hours above mentioned. '" That the tenders shall state the tonnage, power, and description of the vessel ; the number of days proposed for the voyage between the departure from the Port of Melbourne, and arrival -at the port of destination : and the sum for which the service will be performed once in each mouth. " That a penalty of £50 shall be incurred for every day or portion of a day, on the voyage, beyond the maximum number allowed. "'" That the branch steamers, on their return voyages from Hobart Town, Adelaide and Auckland,. to . the Port of Melbourne, with homeward mails shall leave their respective ports in time to catch the homeward mail ship in the port of Melbourne, and put' the mails on board, but so that notmore than the maximum number of days allowed for the voyage shall intervene between the time of' departure of the branch steamers from their respective ports, and the stated time !of departure of the mail ship homeward from the port of Melbourne : and that a penalty of £200 shall be incurred should any branch steamer arrive too late to put the mails on board such mail ship. " That the contract be for twelve months."

(Government of New Zealand in reply.) Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, Sept. 20, 1856. Sir, —-I have ■ tlie honour to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. Under Secvetaiy Moore's letter of the 3rd instant, with enclosures on the subject of the Steam Postal Service. In the general purport of that letter His Excellency's Government concur. The particular questions submitted for their consideration are, —whether they agree in the proposed conditions of tender for the branch services : and to it i i t m 2\t\> Zc i! md the in ni si oi'd be Cf 1 t \ ' il s' v elVnc/v hnn ncnt dc io me to i join 'oi tut tnc tu. io o ] t on- »o the p ] l t Co 'I' >v> o ' udi.l, \ q)t th it it i Ml s*ji ' I tn t*- 11 c stc iiti should imi i i ])0i ji Vn c auc1 v po^s jh five <-' v ]> ) i'l d t)i ten ix djiu so i; not tin* tii t t cunmtiic to >> \ the ' \ i I ii vi 1 ' i tit \ud Indin i\ b mdo the ]) i f 11 i\ of in iK '* > A hit \\\ S \\C\\ iiknl er of 1 ( H t 111 O 1 (J 1 1 M JlTlt (}f > 'I ' i ' n 1) n 1> I nine to- ' < \< i 1 O !( _, IMI gOf ' < i ! ' v > I (tin-' of 1 < ' i 1 vsdso I( if ; ( but 1 T(' S ) ( (| ( ( lu V<; d ' i i 1 t < ol this" ' ' ill ll 1 Ml (11 Tiyc--1 i i n i f i i ourable ( 1 i < o tin on 1 1 1 r ) c mcuv 'i ii onsistl * liii i 1 i X usury 'f \ i 18 ; i I ii « (■~..C..J.) .1. (..5U01...L, Ujider Secretary.