STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES. House of Commons, July 25th.

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 485, 7 December 1850, Page 3

STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES. House of Commons, July 25th.

On the motion for going into Committee of Supply, Lord Naas rose to mo\e that an humble address be piesented to Her Majesty, praying that she will be graciously pleased to order such measures to be taken as will ensure the immediate establishment of regular steam communication with her Australian colonies. The noble lord proceeded to call the attention of the house to the delay and uncertainty which arose in the transmission of intelligence from the Avstralian colonies to this countiy, and to the fact that the members of the Government were frequently indebted to the colonial newspaperi for important information which reached tliU country before their own official despatches from those colonies. In the year 1847 the average length of the passage was 121 days, and in ISIB it was 119 days. From this it would be seen that the ordinary time for conveying 1 letters and communications from this country to Sydney varied from 120 to 130 days ; but if the plan which he were about to propose were adopted, or something like it, the passage would be reduced to 70 days. Three routes had been suggested for this steam communication. First, the western route by Panama, a distance of 11,6V0 miles; second, the southern route by the Cape of Good Hope, a distance of 13,630 miles ; and thirdly, the eastern route by Singapore, a distance of 12,099 miles. The fiist route, however, although the shortest, was objectionable on account of the wiint of trade on the Pacific, and the difficult sea voyage between Panama and Australia. The second route in his opinion, was decidedly the best, as it would include many intermediate poits and places of importance, and would be the best adapted for the purposes of emigration. The third route by Singapore would take in the preient overland mail to India, and it bad this advantage over the others, that it placed India in direct communication with Austialia; but really for hia part, as the sea part of the passage would have to be performed by sciew iteamers, he could not see why both this and the Cape route could not bs adopted together. The Legislature of New South Wales had voted tome £6000 towards carrying out the scheme of postal transmission between that country and England, and calculated that the revenue which would be derived from such transmission would amount to d 620,000. Van Diemen's Land was also ready to unite in the same object, in the full confidence of the great benefits which would result to that colony and the mother country, and so likewise in respect to the other colonies. A quicker and more regular commu* uication with England, would prevent the mai kett of the colonies being o»er*tockod with commodities, which was one of the greatest evils to which they could be subject. He thought it quite clear that the greatest advantages woull result to this countiy as well as to the colonies, in a commercial point of view, if the regular and rapid steam communication which he proposed was established. ! Lord J. Manners itconled the motion; 1 he Chancellor of the Exchequer s-iid he should be obliged to oppose the motion of the noble lord, but he preiumed his object had been effected in calling the attention of the house to the subject. The house was well aware that he was as (ltt&iious as any one to effect a lapid and regular communication with the colonies, and he only regretted that he would not be able before the end of the session to announce that some definite arrangement had bsen made to accompli&h that object. Last autumn teuders had bfen called for, giving the greatest latitude as to the routes, the modes, and the means of effecting that couaaiun'ca'-ion > aud several

were sent in. But the ioute considered the most advintageoua to this country, as well as to the colonies, was that by the East Indies ; because not only would the communication sought for with the colonies be by that means obtained, bur the trade between the Australian colonies and the East Indies and China would be also fostered and developed. This would be a triple object effected. The offer matte by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company on the subject was so advantageous to the country and the colonies, that he regretted exceedingly he was not able to accep it. There was already a line of steam communicition in the hands of that Company, which he (the Chan" cellor of the Exchequer) should call the Calcutta line. This service was carried on under a contract that would expire in tw> years. There was another line in the r hands also, wliich he should ca'l the Bombay line, which hill been originally from Southampton to Bombay, but the llrd Sea and Indian Ocean portion of which had been discontinued, the East India Company performing now the service from Suez in their own steamers. The payment of these services was £100,000— the cost b. ing about £110,000— of which sum half wns defrayed by the East India Company, the other half being contributed by Her Majesty's Government. The offer of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigition Company was to the effect that if the Bombay line was conceded to them they would carry the heavy mails, as they were termed, from Southampton by Alexandria to Suez and Bombay, Thence to Singapore, where it would branch ona line to Hong Kon?, and another to include the whole of the Australian colonies. It then proposed to establ'sh a line of pacl.cts to Calcutta. The whole to be performed ior jC 1 05,000. The present arrangement, however, being made with the Eait India Company, no other could be entered into without their assentHe had been in communication with that body upon the subject since the beginning of the session ; bat he was sorry to say they had declined to assent to the arrangement proposed. The deputy chairman was in the house, and he, no doubt, would state the reason? which actuated them. At present there was great inefficiency in the existing arrangements as regarded the Indian mail. One ground of refusal was said to be the necessity for keeping up the Indian navy; but that waß scarcely a valid argument. All through the correipondence which had taken place, he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had considered ihe interest of the India Company conjointly with that of this country and the colonies. He had proposed that the payments should be made two-thirds by Her Majesty's Government, and one third by the Indii Company. The only other objection was, that to give the service to the Peninsular and Oriental Navigation Company, would be to concede a monopoly. On that point, however, he reserved to himself the right of dealing with the Calcutta line as he chose, when the con'ract should expire. He could uot sufficienily express bis regret that he was not able to effect an arrangement so advantageous as that which was proposed ; but he hoped that before the expiration of the existing contract the East India Company would be induced to reconsider their decision, and accept this arrangement. He had done the best he could, and he would continue to do so, to effect the object in view ; if he should fail, the fault would n«t be his, but that of chose with whom he had to deal in the transaction. Sir J. Hosts concurred with his friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer as to the advantages of steam communication with the Australian colonies; but he complained that the right honorable gentleman, instead of confining himself to the tenders that had been sent in to that effect, to the proposals that had been made on the subject, to the routes that had been laid dowiii and to the other matters in question, had, as regarded the East India Company, taken a course at once uncalled for, and he would add, unfair, (Hear, and Oh). When the right hon. gentleman made allu« sion to the proposition for having a line from Singapore to Bombay, he suppressed a most important fact. When steam communication to India by way of the Rfd Sea was first thought of, the first question was with whom the carrying out of the communication between Bombay and Singapoie should rest ? Political considerations of great importance were mixed up with the question. It was submitted to the cabinet of the day, and they dettrmined, on account of the important considerations involved in the question, that the communication between Singapore and Bombay should rest in the hands of the East Indie Company, and be performed by the East India Company's navy. Upon that distinct understanding, that this should be the condition precedent, before the East India Company entertained the proposition, a steam navy was established for this service, the East India Company contributing largely towards the expense. Now, he asked, was it fair when granting this service to the Eut India Company as> a condition precedent, that as soon as the communication was established that this company assisted by Government, should try by indiiect means to get rid of this condition with the East India company ? When the communication was first established, there were two what the right hon. gentleman called heavy mails. O. c was abandoned, and why? Not fci the sake of the public, but because it was found to be a useless expense. The Peninsular and Oriental Company stated their case to Government, and the right honourable gentleman assented to their petition, and the line was abandnoed. He rejoiced that the Peninsular and Oriental Company had got a beneficial contract ; the company was com«posed of enteipi'ising men; they encountered a difficulty when the means of overcoming it wai not well understood. They had reaped a fair reward, and had got a large profit from their contract. But as the company had enjoyed a good contract for so long a period, neither be, the bouse, nor the country would be willing to subscribe to the proposition for extending the contract unaltered for ten years longer. In two years the contract would expire. The East India Company suggested that it should be renewed— but only after the terms were fairly discussed. The right honourable gentleman had told the hou"e that the company were willing to do the additional service for £5000 a year if they got a renewal of their ontact. Why if the company did the service for nothing, on that condition, they would have an admirable bargain. The meaning of offering this was the company might continue to charge the same rate to Singapore. If the right honourable gentleman renewed tiie same rates to Singapore, the company could affjrd to go to the other parts (or next to nothing. It was the renewal of the contract to Singipore, at the present rates, that the East India Company resisted, and would ledst, and he trusted the house would support him in resisting anything of an indirect character. The rates to Singapore was the gravemen of the case, and the great object in getting the contract to Singapore lenewed for ten years was t> be able to continue to charge these rates. If the Oriental Company got four-fifths, or, rather, five-sixihs of the wlnle way without compelit ot, what w<is the use of saying that, for the remaining one-sixth ; competition should be established ? The proposition was ridiculous. The East India Company were leariy to ace-ide to anything reasonable or fair. The risjht lion, gentleman ought to have come to them, and laid, kl We wish to hive a certain route to China, India, and Australia, which is

t . the best route ?" But he did no such thing. He had forgotten to mention that when the Peninsular and Otiental Navigation Company abandjned one line to Singapore, that the East India Company built four of five additional steamers at their own expense for this service. Now what was the communication that was to he established by the'jPeninsular and Orientinl Navigation Company ? It was only postal. He wanted to know whether such a communication would satisfy those parties on whose behalf petitions had been presented? there had been deputations from Liverpool and other great towns, stating that they were decidedly opposed to the scheme. They did not want postal communication only ; but they wanted a merchandize and passage communication round by the Cape of Good Hope. No perso.i of small means could i»o by the present route, He did not say the charge was too high for the route. > out he said the charge was so high by that pnrtirlar route no one could go by it to Austi alia. N>i meichandize was carried that way, and only a few parcels. If the route was continued to Australia that way it was preposterous to suppose it could ever pay. What all disinterested parties wanted was to see the best line of communication established between Australia and thi* country. If the East India Company viewed the question in a selfish light they would rather have the route by Singapore, —but they wished for the bern, cheapest, and most efficicious route between India and Australia, aud when such a route was proposed (hay would lend it all its aid. He complained that the right hon. gentleman hid held up the Eist India Company to obloquy for frustrating his efforts to establish a, steam, communication with Australia. The fact was, the right hon. gentleman had com foiward with a pet project of his own, and was not in good temper with the East India Company because they would not full in with his views. The East India Company had not seen a single tender; all they knew was that the tight honourable gentleman had decided something, and that he wished the East India Company to adopt it. He should move to have the correspondence laid on the table, aud when that was done be shonld call the attention of the Hause to the right honourable gentleman's argument, that everything was belter done by a siugle company than by many conpanies. Now, in the public papers of that diy he saw an Admiralty advertisement fur a contract for a communication to the CapeWhy not let the two services, as a communication, with Australia by the Cape was also desired, be dove by one company, if one company c»n, a3 asserted, do the work cheaper ? He contended that the offer of the Peninsular Company bad no connexion with the Australian route— and because the Eist India Compauy resisted it they had been held up to public odium as resisting a project for the public advantage. The Eist India Company never did oppose anything calculated to ensure public benifit ; but they were not willing that that should be exacted w h eh had been previously conceded to them on grave political considerations. Mr. Anderson, from his position with respect to the Peninsular and Onental Navigation Company, must trouble the House with a few remarks on the statements made by the hon. baionat opposite (Sir J.Hogg). He first bagged to say he corroborated the statement made by the right hon. baronet the Chancellor of the Exchequer relative to the proposal laid before Government by the company for establishing steam comma* nication with Australia, for connecting colonies with India and the mother country by auxiliary lines Of steam, which was considered to be likely to tend to the advantage of commerce. TIII3 propos.il hid no connection whatever with the exisiiug lines of communication with Calcutta. The proposal was an entirely distinct and separate proposal. He could not hope to make the House lully comprehend the intricate details of the question, without 11 very hrge map to show what paits were to be connee'ed, and why they were to be connected. He would explain why it was advisable to establish steam communication with Bombay, Singapore, and the Australian colonies. Proposals had been put forward, for the la^t three or four years, for establishing- steam communication with Australia. The communication was fouud to be very expensive, owing to the conditions laid down by the Government. The difficulties were financial, and the question to ba solved was, how the service could be performed cheaper. He might here remark, thai the supeiior cheapne s of contracts by steam vessels aiosu from the companies carrying goods and paisengers with the mails, It was the duty of his colleagues and himself in locking at the question to see how best they could combine the greatest amount of goods and passenger traffic with the maili. "To effect that object they proposed to establish auxiliary lines for postal communication witii the Australian colonies and China — thus opening up new places for trade and merchandise. Tuey determined to extend the lines to Bombay, and thtre the company stopped, because theie the communication was in the hands of the East India Compiny, whose vessels were vessels of war. After consideration it was deemed advisable, in order to carry out the proposed plan, that the service from Singapoie to Bombay bhouU be performed at a cheaper rate. The right hon. baronet had stated ihat the communications established by the East India Company had a politic il object. Now hs believed it would he found that those communications had been established on a recommendation of a committee of that house, of whiih committee Loid Glenelg was the chairman. The practicability of a route by the Red Sea was then considered very uncertain, and that it had better be left after a time (0 privute enter* prise. The East India Company only established the communication temporarily until such time as private enterprise could be induced 10 come forward. Ha did not see, therefore, that the liist India Company had any just grounds of complaint in this matter. As far as regarded the charge of monopoly brought ac,ninst the Peninsular Steam Company, and their alleged excessive profits, he would just state, that when those questions were raist-d some tiros ago, the company readily exposed their books and accounts to Government inspectors, who made a report thereon, showing that tha allegation^ could not be sustained. Sir J. Hogg denied that he described the company as monopolists. Mr. Andeison said the hon. baronet had said nearly the same thing when he ca'led on the House not to extend a monopoly by acceding to tbe lequest of the petitioners. He begged to deny that any monopoly existed. The old route was open as before, and the public had the option of goins; by the E-s 1 ; India Compiny's splend-d vessels via Cape of Good Hope. So, in fact, the Ptninsular Steam Company weie throughout expose I to an active competition with a fine line of the East India Company's s earners. In oider to meet that competition, theJPeninsular Steam Company had been obliged to reduce their fares twenty per cent., and this would show that the public was in no great danger fiotn monopoly. The company had oft\ red to give 350,000 miles of steam communication for the same sum wliuli it nosr cost GoTernmcnt to pro Tide 75,000 miles ; and \hj company, by thsir proposition, sought tj effect much good to coniiu-ice by closely connecting Ausira ii ,ltidu and China, with ths mother coiiiitry Mr. Aglionby \\a not sure hs could support the us ilntion in it« piesur t bhape, though he was favour* all: to ii l 8 principle. I' would be bitter to avoid dis«

cussing the question until the papers were laid on the table of tin? House. If the noble, lord would leave out the word "immediate," lie would feel dispoied to give ihe proposition his (>unpoit. Mr. Simeon regretted that the forms of the house would not permit him to lay on the table ibe numerous jdiiions on the sulj ct wish which he had been enttusted. The Anst aliyn colonies were strongly in favour of the proposition for rommiinicntion with India and the moihei country. If the tight lioiiourable gentleman found the difficulties in the way of communication insuperable, or likely to delay the boon sought by the colonies, he trusted lie would turn his attention to some other mode of communication, cither by the Cape or the Isthmus of Panama. (Hem). Mr. F. Scott legittted that the forms of the hoiue prevented his laying on the table a petition most numerously signed, and containing the .signatures of more influential parties in Ihe city of London than perhaps were ever appcndul to any other petition. Four years ago he presided over a Committee, which sat many to consider the best line of communication between Australia and Great Biituin, and the result wus a memorial to the Government on the subject, and from that time to t lie picbent most pressing lepresentations had frequently been mrvde. WliiUt he could not excuse the East India Company for the course they had pursued, neither did ho think the Government had regaided tbe interests of this country to the extent they ought to have done in permitting such a long delay. The petitioners regretted tlat although there wai a line of steam communication from this country to almost every other country, still that steam communication had not been extended to the Australian colonies, by tbe trade of which it is most imperatively required. When he considered the gnat importance of the wool trade of Außtralin, he could not but regret that the squabble between the Government and Ihe East India Company should prevent that speedy communication which was so desirable, and that speedy knowledge of the state of the market which was to the utmost importance in a commercial point of view. He was not prejudiced in favour of nny particular route. Although he thought the Cape line had its advantages, lie thought the line suggested by the Government would alford the greatest number of advantagia as a postalline of communication, and it had this further advantage, that it was altogether completed with the exception of tint portion at the fuither end. The hon. baronet (Sir J. Hogg), m alluding to the large sums of money paid by the Bust India Compunv, took no notice of the \asl sums which they leceived. Sir J. Hogg.— The Government received all the postage. Mr. Scott. — Cut a considerable sum was paid by them for the conveyance of the mail between Suiz and Bombay. He could not help thinking thii position asbumed by the East India Company was one calcu. luted to make the House and the country inquire carefully into the teuew.il of their charter. (Hear, hear). 'Ihe interests of the Australian colonies were of too much importance to be juggled away by a dispute between the Government and the East India Company, Mid he trusted the Government would not allow the interposition of nny del iy in a matter of such impuit. ance, but that they would take immediate steps to overcome the obstacles which now existed. Mr. Macgregor said a petition had been entrusted to him, which was signed by almost every conameicial house in Glasgow, on the subject of a speedy communication with the Australian colonies. He thought the directors of the East India Company hdd not acted wisely in rejecting the ofler of the Government, and trusted they would ieconsider the question, and endeavour to do all in their power to extend steam navigation with Australiii, the necessity of which was eveiy day becoming more apparent. He thought tbe wisest coinse would be to leave the matter in the hands of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, believing he would take such measures as were btst calculated to cany that communication into effect. Mr. Divett was glad to find that the public would linve an oppoi tuuity of knowing why the East India Company placed itseli as a stumbling bosk in the way of this important measine. It had general'y been stated that ihe honourable Baronet whs the great obstacle, and his sjKecb fully confirmed the report. Air. Wyld thought the line proposed by the Oiiental Navigation Company, and sanctioned by the Government possessed gteat advantages. The expense of a portion of the line was paid by the Mediterranean traffic. The traffic from lioinbay to Sutz belonging to the East India Company, and that was the only pan of the line which presented any great obstruction to the cairyiug out of this important plan of steam communication. Lord Naas, in reply, said he did not intend to di» vide. The amendment was then negatived without a division.

Singular Charge against an liush Peer — n the Court of Queen's Bench, on Wednesday (June 19), wat tried " '1 he Queen v. Lord Dunboyne." It was an indictment b.ou^ht by certiorari from theCpn« tral Criminal Court, for misdemeanour under tho Art for registering biiths, deaths, and marriages, which provides Unit any person wilfully making a false statement , for the purpose of such stnlement being re P ister eil, shall be subject to tho penalties attached to perjury* The evidence showed that Loid Dunboyne, now eighty, years of age, wai piivalely mairied at Paddington Church, on the 28th August, 1 812, to Mrs. Mary Anne Vincent Vaughan, the marriage being kept secret. Next year, however, they were publicly mart- ed by license, at St. George'?, Hanover>-ijquare, which wag announced next day in the newspapers, and Lady Dnnfooyne was duly recognised tluncefcrtb. On both occasions the |iarlies were respectively described as a widower and a widow ; and, a« they weie in reality man and wife wben ihe license was obtained for the second marriage, counsel contended that the titles of widow and widower were Uu i n false — Sir F. Kelly, fit the defence, contended that, by the Marringe Act, which was made part and parcel of the Registration Act, no indictment would lie after three years fiom the offence, and this indictment was found a,\ years afterwards, viz., in 1849.— Lord Campbell doubted that the indictment could stand, but was unwilling to withdraw the rase from the jury. — Mr. Cockburn addressed ilie jury for the defence, denying that willul or corrupt falhchood h,id been c-mmitterf, and called for thu de lendanl's mquital — Lord Campbell summed up, and said that, before the jury could convict, they should b,e Bamfied that the defcndHiit had sinister motives. In this case, if a second niairiage were to take place nt all ne did not know how it could be otherwise] regibtered, for tho parties could not be regibtered as L ( >rd and Lady iJunho^ne' Die case would be difk>icut il a bad molive excited, as the dilrtuuliiig orinjuiyof diildrm or olheii. Lord K'don's case was in point. Loid £>dott married in Scotland. lie afterwaids mained m England, and (lie deeciiplion in England was. not as Mr and Mrs. Scott, but as John Scott and Elizabeth iJttrlecs. If the juiy fell thai thcte was t\p conupt motive here, they would acquit the defendant. — The jury, after a few miuu'.OH' consultation, fourd a verdict of not guilty.— fidm'/UKjfi Obsvivo June 21.