MISCELLANEOUS. THE EASTERN STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY. (PROVISIONALITY REGISTERED.)

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 546, 9 July 1851, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS. THE EASTERN STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY. (PROVISIONALITY REGISTERED .)

Capital one million two hundred thousand pound*, (with power of mciease,) in 60,000 shares of £20 each, to be incorporated by Royal Charter or Act of Parliament, hunting; the responsibility of sbaieholders to tbo amount for which thay subscribe. The object proposed by this company is to aftbid to the public more frequent communication, increased facilities, and greater speed, under economical management, in the conveyance of Mails, Passengers, and Merchandize, between Europe, India, and China, and to establish similar communication with Australia, Java, and other pnrta of the East. j At the present time steam communication between England and the East is confined to one direct line in each month foi mails, passenger*, and goods, maintained exclusively by the Peninsular and Oriental Company, and one for mails, (curving passengers indirectly",) conducted partly by vessels oi Her Majesty's Government, and partly by those of the East India Company. There is no communication whatever by steam with the Australian colonies or Mauritius, and no efficient line, either on the coast of China, or between China and Calcutta. Jt is proposed to remedy these deficiencies by supplying another direct communication once in «veiy month, foi mails, passenseis, and meichundize, with all p.n ts of tlio East, in addition to the service now undertaken by the Peninsular and Oriental Company. The published coi resnonc l euce between Her Majesty's Government and the East India Company on this subject, shows that ti« fiovornnieut is sensible of the advantages which voald iet»ult from competition in this bianch of the public service, while expeuence proves the necessity of enlarged inteicouise with our Eastern empire, alike m a mercantile and political point of view. Under these circumstances it is considered, not only that the ppiiod has now ai lived when inci eased means of steam communication with the East are demanded , but that the public is entitled to the benefit of the many lmpiovements tending to speed, economy, and comfort, which have been introduced during- the last few years into the construction and equipment of vessels built for ocean steam navigation. Jt is also obvious that the increased and daily increasing 1 requirements of the trade with our Indian and Australian possessions, China, and the Islands of the Eastern Archipelago, admit of those facilities being afforded, consistently with a remunerating return for the capital employed ; * point on which the directors are so well satisfied, that they are prepared among themselves and their friends to subscribe a considerable proportion of the capital. It will be observed thai, in the selection of directors, care has been taken to obtain the co-operation of parties interested in the tiade with the East, as well ns of other important interests concerned in the development of the pioposed undertaking ; and it will be the object of tho Directors to conduct it on principles which will ensure to the shareholders an adequate leturn, and to the public the fullest atteulion to their interests. It is therefore proposed that the Executive Management shall be subject to penodical election, thus pi actually leaving the administration in the hands of the great body of shareholders, while the accounts will be kept uttder the supeivision of a public accountant, in order tfeat the shareholder may at all times be made fully acquainted with and hare confidence in the real condition of their affairs. The views of the company are heartily supported by the Austrian Lloyds, (which association has agreed to take a large pecuniary interest, and is represented by two directors in the company), and also by the several railway companies having their general teinunu* tit Plymouth, the proposed port of airival and departure of the company's vessels. A biief statement showing the present steam communication with the East, and the improvements pioposed to be introduced into it, accompanies this Prospectus. The deposit to bo paid on the allotment of the shares will be 2s. per shaie, being after the rate of 10s. per cent., the amount prescribed by the Act 7 and 8 Vie. c. 110. This sum will be leturned to the sh.nohoMeis (less the expenses inclined) in the ovent of the Direct™ a iiot succeeding in making satisfactory arrangements consistent with tho objects which they have ni \iew. A dued, embodying the piovimons which the law ipquires and the Dnectoia may consider pioper for the regulation of the company, and for dinying out the objf-cts in Mew in the proposed or any modified foim, ■will be prepared with t',<* sanction of ihi> dnectora; and if any shareholder fth-ill f.nl to execute the >snm° for one ruo.'.th after the publication of a notice in the Times newspaper, calling on the propriftois so to do, Jus shares, with the depc-iK paid thereon, will become forfeited to tbe use of the company.

The arrangements for the mails are at prefpnt as follows :■ — Ist. The mail of {lie 7th of each month for India leaves London on that day, vi.'i Marseilles, -whence it is c.nned to Malta and Alexandria by ve«'i"k of H-r Majesty's government, and iioin Suez to Bombay by those of the East India Company. 2nd. The nvi'l of the 'iOth and 24th of each month for India and China, the only one which convey-, m.uli, passengers, and merchandize, t'lioughoul, leaves Soutliamptoa on (he 20th, and is overtaken at Malta by a light mail leaving London on thp '2Uh, vji IVlnnseilles, both proceeding together fiom Malta to Alexandria in the vessels of the Peninsular and Oriental Company. From Alpj-amh la to .Suez the mail is under the charge of the Egyptian Government, nnd from Suez iq again carried forward by the Peninsular and Oriental Company to Aden (whence (he Bombay poition is conveyed to itb destination in the vessels of the East India Company), and thence to Ceylon, Madras, and Calcutta; at the first of which places the mails for Singapore and China are trnnsfened to a branch bont. In addition to ihese services tbf Peninsular and Oriental Company have recently offered to undertake a hnefiom Singapore to bydney, in connexion with a main lino from Sues! via Bombay and Co_ylon, and a Lianch line from Calcutta. The speed they propose is 8J knots an hour. From the foregoing it will appear — Ist. That theie is only one dnect monthly'liue for mails, pas«f>n<jeis, and goods, to Coylon, Madias, Calcutta, and China. 2nd. One for mads only to Bombay in the first instance, and for passengeis indirectly. 3rd. None to the poits on the coast of China. 4th. None to the Australian Colonies. sth. None to the Mauritius. 6th. No direct mail between Calcutta and China, the letters from the former place being generally detained about twelve days in Ceylon.

To remedy this very insufficient state of steam communication in and with the East, the Eastern Stojm Navigation Company proposes to establish — Ist. One additional line for the mnils, passengers, and merchandise, for India, China, and Australia, to leave Plymouth on the sth of each month, nnd to be overtaken at Alexandua by a second despatch, leaving London about the 10th for Trieste, whence the mails and passengers will be carried to Alexandria by the boats of the Austrian Lloyds. From Suez the mails, &c, will be conveyed in vesspls of the Eastern Steam Navigation Company to Ceylon, Madras, Calcutta, China, and Australia. It is not intended to interfere with the direct communication between Suez and Bombay at present maintained by the vessels of the East India Company ; nor wifb that carried on by the Peninsular and Oriental Company. 2nd. A line for mails, passengers, and merchandize, to leave Singapore for Australia on the arrival of the London mail oi the sth. 3rd. A eimilar line to leave Calcutta for Singapore and China, an time to afford Indian passengers the opportunity of proceeding to Australia in the vessel from Singapore. 4th. Sufficient and regular communication for mails, passengers, and goods, between Shanghai and Hong Kong, in China (touching, when not interfering with the mails, at intei mediate ports) with the view of ensuring regularity in the conveyance of letteis and constant local intercourse. /itli. A regular monthly communication, if desirable, between Aden and Miuntius. (sth. It is intended that the average rate of speed of the vessels of this Company shall be not less than 10} knots an hour.

The Caiini7at> in Paris. — We read in tlie Gazette dcs Trihunuux — "M. G , a superior employ^ of a public administration, attended one of the recent masked balls at the opera, and while seated alone in a ]jox was joined by an elegantly attired domino. Presently he got into conversation with her, and she wan very polite. After a wljjle bljecon&ented to accept

a siipp"!, and then took ofl her mask, U'iio !>a\- that '.ho vms youn» and beautiful, and demanded <o he allowed to visit her, but she ie(u-cd to v/ve hrn her adiho , because she «sI»G was mar. led. SheaKo f,)ib,ide lum to follow hei. Sh'>, howevei, piomised to «nte, and a few days after ho received a letter, in winch, after stating that her husband was absent, and that she was going to a ball the next evening at Boir • pet with ono of her femnle fiiends, she gave Imn peimission to accompany her, and said that bei fiiend would present him to the family by whom the ball was to be given, as a relalive. The place ot appointment sho fixed at 11 o'clock -at myht, at the corner of the Rue Lafitte, and said she would be in a carnage. At the time appointed a carnage diove up, and the gentlemen, who was waiting, entered it and found his chaimcr and her fripnd. The vehicle drove ofl rapidly and the gentleman got into such a delightful conversation that lie did not notice the direction taken. All at once the cainago stopped, and t he ladies sa) ing ' Tins ia the place '' alighted. Ihe gentleman v/as surprised to see no house and to find himself in a deswted load, but befoie ho could speak he was seized by three men masked who knocked him down, and seizing him by the throat Jold him that if he moved they would strangle him. They then took his watch and money, and even shipped him of his clothes, after which they and the women entered the vehicle and drove rapidly oft. Mi. G— — wandeied about some tune, and at last found himself in the village of Bobigny. He knocked at the door of the house occupied by the deputy mayor, and that person onheaiing his story gave him hospitality. The deputy mayor also sent the gendaimes in search of the thieves, but notwithstanding all efforts they have not yet been discovered."