D.—No. 7,

Beamish, Esq., M.P., D.L.,-—Resolved, That the Committee of Merchants of Cork, concurring with the Harbour Commissioners, arc of opinion that the Australasian and Pacific Company (Limited), having for its object a monthly steam communication between Quecnstown and Australia and British Columbia, via Panama, would prove most important to the interests of the City of Cork, and ought to be warmly supported ; and that, therefore, our President be requested to ask his worship the Mayor to summon a meeting of the merchants of Cork, and other citizens, to consider the prospectus of the Company, which has been submitted to the Committee of Merchants, with tlie view of giving the project the support of this locality. Cork, 19th October, 1858. Sib,— I have directions from his Worship the Mayor of Cork to forward you a resolution, passed at a meeting convened for the purpose of considering the project of a direct communication between Queenstowu and Australia, &c. I have, 4c., John Feanklin, Mayor's Secretary. Pkoposed by Lord Fermoy, seconded by Sir William llackett, and resolved unanimously; " That this meeting heartily approves of the direct communication between Quecnstown and Australia and British Columbia, and pledge themselves to co-operate with the promoters of the Company having that design for their object."

Enclosure 2, in No. 10. AUSTRALASIAN AND PACIFIC COMPANY (LIMITED). (Incorporated 11th December, 1858). OBJECT OF THE ENTEBPBISE. This Company is formed to undertake the conveyance of mails and passengers to Australasia and New Columbia, originally proposed in its behalf and approved by the Lords of the Treasury; as appears in an answer to that proposal by letter of Sir C. Trevellyan, of the 22nd September, 1858, of which the following is an extract:—■ " The present intention of their Lordships is to combine the two services (Australasian and New Columbian in one contract. Ample notice Avill be given so soon as a final decision has been come to." Since then a Special Commission has arrived from New South Wales, with instructions to offer £50,000 a year for 10 years (declining any contribution to the Suez Mail) for a line of packets to run only from Panama to Sydney direct. This is to be engrafted on the West India Mail Service, the deficiencies of which for its special object are so loudly and continuously complained of—for irregularity, inconvenience, and overcrowding, as well as for cxhorbitant charges, the cost of a first-class passage to Aspinwall being no less than £66. The latter project was framed in haste, anteriorly to the receipt of the communications of this Company to the Sydney Government, and on the erroneous assumption that the Suez Route would be exclusively supported by Victoria and the southern colonies. But advices have been received from Melbourne giving the most encouraging promise of co-operation from that colony, and there is every reason to hope that the more comprehensive design of a general system, which will give cheap and efficient intercommunication between all the Australasian Colonies, New Columbia, and the mother country, will be ultimately approved by the Legislature of New South Wales. Eventually, there is little doubt, all the colonies concerned will coalesce to provide an ample compensation, by Mray of subsidy, under the contemplated subvention for which the Company is now ready to contract. The fact is not to be disguised, that the only serious competition Avith the proposal of this Company is based on the existence of the West India Mail Service, it being prima facie supposed that the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company can embrace the vast business to be opened by the New Mail Route without any addition of expenses. When it is known that the accommodation of the ships employed by that company is altogether insufficient for the duties that they have now to perform, as will be made manifest on official inquiry, that error will be corrected ; and as they have perseveringly, from the commencement of their original contracts, mismanaged their lines, and instead of affording facilities, increased their charges,—furthermore, in regard to the conduct of the late Suez Contract, their intervention resulting in a disgraceful failure, it is scarcely to be asserted that they are competent to undertake an extension of the Mail Service, involving the principles of cheap conveyance for passengers and of despatch and regularity for mails, so adverse to their subsisting practice. It is on this ground that the Australasian and Pacific Company (Limited) solicits the consideration of Her Majesty's Government and the public for their undertaking, intended to afford the best accommodation for the middle classes of emigrants and settlers, as well as the acceleration of correspondence—the former to advance the prosperity of the Colonies, and to preserve their

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