STEAM COMMUNICATION.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 681, 23 October 1852, Page 3

STEAM COMMUNICATION.

[From the " Sydney Empuc," September 30.] Mr. Donaldson would not detain the House with many observations, considering the length of time that had already been occupied in getting through the previous business. The resolutions (as they were subsequently amended at the suggestion of the Colonial Secretary) were as follows: — "That with a view to the establishment of a more rapid communication by steam, with the mother country than that which at present exists, this Council resolves: — 1. That the sum of £6,000 per annum, for three years, be paid to the fiist Steam Company which shall establish a monthly line of steamers between Sydney and Great Britain, by which the course of post shall be brought between London nnd Sydney under 120 days. 2. That an address be presented to his Excellency the GovernorGeneral, praying that his Excellency will be pleased to cause to be placed upon tbe estimates for 1U53, the sum of £6,000 for this objeel ; and lequesting his Excellency to forward a copy ot these resolutions to the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies, for the information of her Majesty's Government." He felt it due to the House to give one or two reasons why he had brought tin-, motion foiward. The question of steam communication was one upon which nothing new could be said. It had been discussed over and over again in that House, and always with a liberal desire to advance the great object contemplated. The public out of <Joom bad also manifested a strong interest in the establishment of steam communration, and he was assured that any mea-ure which that House might adopt with a view of promoting this object would be sanctioned by the country at large. They had already tasted some of the benefits to be derived from this mode of communication in the arrival of the steamer Chilian with the important despatch foreshadowing ihe concession of tbe gold revenue; and then the anival of the Australian, conveying the still more important despatch by which tliis concession was made. (Hear, he.tr.) By the couveyanco of this timely intelligence the Executive and that House had been .spmed much aniio\aiicp, inconvenience, and dilliculty, which would most certainly have arisen it the management of the gold revenue had not been conceded to the Council. In moving in tl^is matter he was (lpsnous of encouraging the establishment of a line of steam communication, by winch Sydney, the capital of the Austialmn colonies, wruld be made the fiist port of arnval. He did not think they ought to i email) satisfied with the piespnt Cape route, by which 96 days must elapse before they tould receive their intelligence, nnd by which Sydney v\ns made the last port of arrival and the fiist of departure. The same objection applied to (he route by Singapore, but not to that by Panama, which was not only the most direct, but also the shortest. By this route Sydney would be the first poit visited, and as the distance would bo cousuleiably lessened, he contended that it was the policy of the House to offer every eiicoumgeiueiit to a line of steam communication by tins route. Without indulging in the bombastic talk of their we ilrhy neighbours of Victoria, he had no hesitation in saying that

tlie colony of Now Son h Wiiles possessed a laigor ; amount of fixed capital than all the Australian colonn • put together, (Hear, hear.) She was plso the oklf t . mid the most populous, and the seat of the cenu.il government. Jn evpiy point of view, therefoie, in which they could legaid tin 1 matter, Sydupy was entitled to the preferance, winch he now sought to obtain in the arnv.il and departure of mails. But even if tin. re wpie no other n asons for this preference he contended th.it so long as Sidney continued to be the i>eat of the (iovemor-Geiiei.il— t>o long- as they had a hou^e for him to live in, which was not the case in Victoria, Sydney was entitled in every instance to the psefeience of being (he fiist poit ot arrival. The lion, gentleman then piuceeded to state some reasons why he had limited the pioposed bonus to £6,000, and re lei red to tie Select Committee of 1846" as a precedent /or such a vote, and he aigued, moreover, that it was. the duty and inlerebt of this country to encourage the establishment of steam communication both by sea and by land in eveiy direction, and although his motion for a i.nlway between Sydney and Victoria had been tie.ited with great coolness by the House lie was convinced that the time was not far distant when it would be found absolutely necessary to carry this measure into effect. With regaid (o the several lines of steam communication that had been propospd he found that the route via Southampton, recommended by the Committee ot 1846", was 12,?<i0, that adopted by the Cha^au li?,8J0, and that by Panama, touching at ( hngres and numeious other places 12,490, whilst that via the Cape could not be much less than 15,000. Thus the route by Panama was the shortest oi all ; and as it would connect several very inipoitiint countries be had no doubt that it would be found the most advantageous to these colonies both in n commercial and postal point ot view. With these observations ho begged to move the lesolutions in their amended form. Air. iUiuray seconded the motion. The Colonial Secretary supported the motion. Having always tahen a deep inteiest in the establishment of steam communication he felt that he ought not to give a silent vote on this occasion. It was a source of gieat pleasure to him that he had been enabled to give his support to every measure that had ever been introduced into the House with refeience to this subject. Being peisuaded that the greatest advantages must arise irom this mode of communication he was anxious that every encouragement should be held out to persons to embark then capital in extending it totheae colonies. (The honourable gentleman then proceeded to suggest certain amendments in the wording of the resolutions, which will be found in the motion as above.) He did not think it was expedient to hold out a premium to any particular line, but merely to that line ot steamers which should perfoim the voyage fiom England to Sydney in fie shoi test time. He also suggested, that the course of post, instead of being 130 days should be fixed at 120, as there was every reason to believe that the passage by the Panamu line could be performed in that time. With regard to the loutes that had already been established he did not think it was fair to teat the merits of any of them by the first tups of the two steamers that had already ainved. Sufhcient time had not been allowed for developing the advantages of thet-e routes, and until a fair trial had been given he thought it was piematuie to h.izaid an opinion. For his own part he had always thought that tho route by Tories' Stiaits, as lecommended by the committee of 1816, was by far the most expeditious, and, generally speaking, the most advantageous, and he could not help thinking that they would he compelled eventually to lesort to it. In the first place it was the shoitest with the exception of that by Panama, and in the next place it was the least expensive, owing to the steamers required on ibis line being smaller than those required on any other, which was attubutable to the compaiative smoothness of the seas over which they had to travel. The facilities for coaling on this line weie also much greater, owing to the numeious Islands, which occuued at convenient dis tances throughout the whole length Although he was disposed to grant the sum asked for, he wished it to be distinctly understood ih.it the revenue was not in a position to hear any /urtherdemands that might ho made on it He also wished it to be understood that, if the revenue for 18 3J, should not turn out to he as large as that estimated, the Government would be compelled to exercise a discretion, and if necessaiy stop the progress of such public works as could be delayed with the least disadvantage. The motion, as amended, was then put and passed.