PROPOSED MAIL SERVICE BY WAY

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 7, 2 December 1862, Page 3

PROPOSED MAIL SERVICE BY WAY

OF PANAMA. The following letter, addressed by the Postmaster General of New Zerland, to Capt. Towns, president of the Sydney Chamber- of Commerce, is given in the (Sydney journal* :— Sydney. Novemher 11, 18G2. My dear Captain Towns,— Knowing the deep interest which you have always taken in the subject of ocean postar communication j and especially in the establishment of a lin£> to connect Australia with Great Britain by? «nay of New Zealand and Panama* I hay« much in conveying to ,jou an outline of the wishes *nd intentions of fie colony of New Zealand; in the matter. As you are chairman of. the Chamber, of Commerce, the subject will most appropriately, through your means be brought before the commercial public of Sydney, to whom it must be of great importance. You know that when New South Wales was first preWred to- subsidize a line of steamers to Panama, 'JNew Zealand was not in a position to give very important assistance to the project, though the interests of that colony were identical with those of New South Wales. I am happy to say that Jfew Zealand is now able to give, and has, by a late act of her Parliament, granted a sum of £ 30,000 a year for five years in furtherance of the undertaking. The amount is, for so young a colony, Tery large; and, when compared with that(£so,C X)) similarly granted by act of Parliament of New South Wales, proves that New Zealand is willing to contribute in proportion to the special advantages which she would receive, and does not desire to have her mail service provided at the expense of others. The Government of New Zealand is anxious to employ the liberal grant of the Legislature to the best advantage; and they, therefore, before taking any other step, desire to know whether the Governors of New South Wales and Queensland are prepared to co-operate in the undertaking. In this matter, I now represent the . first-named colony. I observe by the public papers that the Peninsular and Oriental Company are likely to make an offer to the colonies to run & fortnightly line to and from Golleforan addition ef about fifty per cent, to their present subsidy. If this be so, the offer may be considered liberal; nevertheless, 1 ihink both New South Wales and Victoria, with Queensland and Tasmania, should hesitate before accepting it. New Zealand would certainly not think it worth her consideration, for reasons wbich I shall mention ; and South Australia would wisely require the previous fulfilment ' of certain conditions. There are special reasons in the case of some of the colonies; but a few cogent considerations apply equally to all. A fortnightly service by Suez would give us additional opportunities for writing and receiving letters. I ! do not think a pressing demand has yet arisen for J .jtUra improvement, unaccompanied by some other advantage. The fortnightly service by Suez would op§<n up no new fields of commerce. And would neither facilitate nor cheapen the passage from or to ■ the mother country. These are two great needs of ,ihese rising colonies. We ought to take every fi^eans in our power to introduce population and Capital from the old world ; we ought to remove every unnecessary obstacle to free movement, not in one diection only, but in all, and we ought to connect ourselves commercially with those great countries in the double continent of America, which are now almost sealed against our mercantile enterprise. A great link, one of immense importance, is now wanting between the Australian colonies and the western world, and it is for the completion of that link that we should now bestir ourselves, if we move at all. The Panama route has the ' "great advantage over a second line by Suez of giving us all the advantages of the latter, and ■greater benefits besides. It opens up new fields of trade ] it provides another and comparatively pleasant passenger communication with Great Britain ; and it gives us security against the sudden interruption of the service, which the breaking out of a European war might at any time compel. The Imperial Government, with this last important consideration before it, would certainly prefer the Panama route to a second Suez line, at the same expense — that is to say, it would give its Ehare of the extra cost to the latt .• (say some £35,000) to the former in preference. jfew South Wales would richly benefit by giving not only the additional contributions required for Suez but twice or three times as much for Panama. Queensland, as between these two routes, is affected by similar considerations. New Zealand would give nothing additional for the second Suez service, because its establishment would only do something towards placing her in a position of equality towards the mother country with that wr : ch the ether colonies now hold ; but she would pay her , proportion towards a Panama service to the extent 'of £30,000 a-year. With this, the latter service j should be as easily carried out as the former. There is reason to believe tltat' a "monthly service to Panama can be- Obtained^byNew^Zer' nd s : Tigly, : for a sum within her ; p6Wer~tp pay. Bat looking to the advantage whictir -.fle'-other colonies would derive from the c 'ablisbtnentof tbe Kne, it is but fair to expect them 1 to pay -8 proportion of the «ost. If. therefore, New; South Wales *nd Victoria desire to extend thpir ocean postal communication, I point out that it is better to do 10 across the Pacific than a second time to cross- the Indian Ocean. And if this be acknowledge*), I say that the opportunity to do so is now present, when New Zealand offers substantial help in the enterprise. — 1 am, my dear Captain Towns, yours very truly, Ckobbie Waed."