The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 608, 4 September 1858, Page 5

The Lyttelton Times.

Saturday, September 4. The Colonists of New Zealand have long wanted Steam on the waters which encircle these islands, and now we are going to have it. 7n 1856 we had a taste of the advantages which regular communication amongst ourselves and with'.Australia would afford, perceptible even through the imperfect services of the William Denny and the Zingari; and for the last two years, being hurt by their withdrawal, we have looked with the greatest anxiety for the establishment of a complete and regular service. As is the course of nature in such cases, the vacuum created has, after an interval, caused a superabundant rush to supply the deficiency. When the New Zealand Government first went seeking for steamers it could find none. Owners of vessels would do nothing but at an exorbitant price; and the Australian Governments would not agree to connect us with the main postal line, then just established with England, unless we were satisfied to pay almost the whole cost, declining to allow us a bonus of more than onefifth part of the amount prescribed in the Treasury minute. Negotiations with Mr. Wetton, Capt. Gibbs, Mr. Maxwell Bury and | others for the performance of various services fell to the ground one after another. Finally, so late as February last, our steam p'rospects were almost hopeless: we had boats neither in esse nor in posse. In February, in England, tlie first practical offer was made by Messrs. Pearson and Coleman, who" undertook to place four steamers at our disposal for a subsidy from the Imperial Government of £14,000 a year, and from the Colonial Government of a bonus and guaranteed interest oh capital equal in amount to £10,000 per annum; an advance of £25,000 to be made by the Colony, secured on the boats, and repayable, by stoppage of the subsidy, in 2| years. At the same moment that we hear of this we find a boat placed on our inter-provincial trade by agreement with a gentleman in Adelaide. Soon afterwards we find a boat placed by private enterprise in the trade between Melbourne and the Middle Island. Immediately thereupon, the "Victorian Government becomes suddenly generous, and instead of denying our claim of £5000 offers to give us £6000 a-year to keep the communication alive. With assistance from the Southern parts of New Zealand, the Melbourne people calculate on keeping two boats on the station. An offer comes at the same time from Mr. Macandrew, of Dunedin, to provide two boats on easy terms. At this crisis the Panama route is again urged forward in Australia, by the adoption of which New Zealand would gain another English and Australian communication. Thus, we have no less than eleven steamers thrust upon us, besides the two active little boats which ply about Cook's Straits. Now, as practical people, the New Zealand colonists will not be led away by this unwholesome rush of proposals. The course we ought to take is evident, viz., to reject all offers which may clash with the interests of the English Company, whose proposition we accepted, and to whom our pecuniary assistance is pledged ; to make the establishment of that Company on i a sound basis our primary object, that no failure of theirs may throw fresh discredit on New Zealand steam projects ; to that end to see that the sort of service undertaken includes everything which may achieve the objects for which we pay, but nothing superfluous or hazardous ; and, in fine, to discourage any attempts by any portion of the colony to injure the interests of the whole.