The Express.
London, England, 1853-04-27 00:00:00

AUSTRALIAN MAILS.

Lord WHA.RifeielPiEasii ii.;Folitmuter•General
whether any and what arrangements had been made for
the postal service to Australia, in consequence of the dies*.
lutmo of the contract with the Australian Royal Mail
Company
Vault:lot CANNING said the noble lord had somewhat
overstated the deficiency of communication that existed
with Australia in consequence of the termination of the
untrue with the Australian Steam Packet Company. He
maw queenly observed, which was no doubt correct, that
there was a communication already secured on alternate
months by the overland mail, branching off at Singapore.
That communication was undisturbed by the termination
of the contract with the Australian Steam Packet Company,
inasibuih as it rested on the Peninsular and Oriental Steam
Packet Company, and he had no reason to doubt that they
would fulfil their engagement. So far the communica-
tion with the Australian colonies was secured by
the shortest route, which had at present been employed.
In regard to the supple of another alternate monthly
communication in consequence of the failure of the Austra-
lian Strain Packet Company, he must be allowed to remind
their lordships that upon the secession of her Majesty's pre-
sent government to office they roved, as stated in the speech
of the Chancellor of the Exchequer a few nights ago, that
the engagements to which the revenue of this country was
liable to early on the packet service amounted to no less
than 800,00 W. a year. It need no argument to show that
that sum for the purposes to which it was applied was enor-
mous. It was time that a certain amount, he was sorry
to say not so large an amount as they might
aspect, was returned to the revenue in the shape
of pastas. ;
_but it was not only the amount of this sum
that weighed on government, but it was the fact that the
great majority of the contracts under which these sums
were to be paid were contracts for terms varying from 7.9.
10, and 11 years. Consequently, unless in the case of some
such accident as happened to the Australian Steam Packet
Company,whereby,from the satire failure of the contract the
government has it in their power to put an end to it, the
government mast keep up this expenditure (or that number
of years. Her Majesty's government turned their
attention to the subject, and lost no time in ascer-
taining whether some measure might not be taken
to relieve the menus from these heavy payments.
While this investigation was being proceeded with, the op-,
portuni:y arising from the failure of the Australian Steam
Packet Company occurred. They thought it their duty to
devil, some effective system which would be more marital-
eal,, and would satisfy all the wants of the community both
in this country and the colonies. Having this object ia '
vieW,her Majesty's government determined that it would not
be consistent with their duty to accept any overtures to en-
ter into long contracts such as that which had just lapsed,
sad accordingly one or two offers made on the pert of other
companies to take up the lapse of service of the Australian
Stearn Packet Company had not been accepted.
The course which her Majesty's government thought to
pursue was this—they thought, as in other cases where
ships were employed, so the carriage of the mails by pri-
vate enterprise might be *ailed into requisition. With this
view, it was their intuition to issue, by advertisements, in-
citations to tender to carry one or more mails in alternate
months to the Australian colonies, It was the intention of
government to prescribe the price which they were willing
to pay for this service, and the only item on which tenders
would be asked from the carious essesercial and shipping
firms who entered into the e would be as to the
time within which the service aeatZ he yeefereaml. It was the
intention of government to tie up these pub sslerel bete
the engagement with es few stipulations se peasibie, asp
escape seek as might he sesessmy for the pummel
departure of the ship, aad the soh essmyerice of the malls.
Idelikict to thew sdiliess„ the Pipping company which
would undertake le whits the is the shortest Pm
wield maim the seatreet.. Whetherder Majesty's mem-
smut would ester into a melesse Pe am Pis Iwo or
tree voyages, Is a matter whisk west lima ea Pim-
sad whisk might dosed es the Sesame which
miglt ho ressived ; but wider se elesemelweere would
',serenest at roast mane to ester kW a kes sea
Gapes eagagemeat he a member et yew, essilflag
the revenue wit ma Pm isms as were sew paid seder
Um 'persist spasm of sesqpks esstrarts. There was no
Sesta this wee to a seeleis agree ia the eater* of as expe-
riment, awl shitemk he APpretly mord= of mem, it
war still a persPlar PP the Mem yid* pswesteset
might think peeve le eihr might set he emit se the
shipping later'st weld be dimiend to weep, bet if seek
were the am be eslldipslel se iessevosissee *kw le the
salads', or to the seem esselry, bosom the istiesseres
betimes Ragbag mad Aseleella hal peers se vapidly
sad benne se missive within the kW be,
smiths, that even if the gemmiseat were dyed
to resort to the ant of pariliemep whisk ambles them so
employ any ship emiliag Res Pi mashy to seamy letters,
them was little Put that Pew Paid be scarcely say in-
Matealemile awl May. Is the aurae of three swaths of
the proses; year the umber ef vaseh that had PR the
English pens Pe Australia emesated te no lees they 70 a
mach, assay of low baths perPresed previous voyages
at a great rate of= andsemiat a rester rate eventhenstesasses. hes if Ps we skald arias, sad
the isparimeed width gevermaset wee Pest ee 'make with
a view ef sikelellow the premise et the heavy sapeame is
the eselesep lbw seed be se Par la the part a/ kis mottle
*WI and the pules that say swims lametvesiesse would
asichine te OA milk, se is Asetrslia.
Berl ef lA3DWICLB said it wee supposed that
:arm of assumed camels might be employed whisk sk
be weed le line of war. We isibewd a larger tied
of vend le be SA by the watreelss bet it tamed at
that the swam tke vessels bed set peeping
arm d,
asainest. sod lbey weep impales et bele. awed.
la se Weenie was &see properellea made
A. the armies et thee. vends or to we whe-
ther they woes towable of be eke seek armament.
l Wispy es web
eld bees list it it bed buss *seeds sowesery
e ewe lbw w WWI, Med. 79 Smits
the root eldest Glthus Semen timid be set le approach
led to escape lien skips el waft Thy amid he by so
means armed ships, but Amnia be Wet IP Weed and safety.
He did set WA es the ewe sew sled Set Own was say
difficult, la main anespessels Ike re bless. When
the fine was pall tie metre* was el ea sad. Be believed
the fines
by
weld set be aeon Ikea 1110.11811, aai
he believed the whole of the astseels up,
that same mCrhi he wavedw list year.
Earl OUT emliseed that a great 'mistake had bees
made is set seleisatly ',dosing the seat at whisk bitten
wee seat to the osiosies. The charge of ewe Palm each
letter was se Pik that lettere were only mat spesisl
OSIMISMIL If deg damped a penny per the
eine as Is this ammehy, believed the freight would
anneal to shat Mt a Ws.

Viassisat CANNING said he believed that paying *s
hie wield by is mew maim the government of tbiew-
trams. la word to the robanisa of postage, it should be
remembered that the robed= to ea* peasy in this swats
had bees attended with ass..., became of the
opportunities et ending beton, but that circunistanas did
set apply to the uses=.. when they had to deal with skips
sad steamers, whereas hen they had to deal with raUway
companies.
In answer to questions from Earl TALBOT,
Viscount CANNING said it was not intended that they
should limit thameslves to one route in their sommanication
with Australia- With regard to the second question, at this
moment there wee a proposition for the redaction of the
postage with Fresco from her Ildejeety's governmeat, to
which he bed received no answer, but to which her Ma-
jesty', goveramest was perfectly willing to accede if the
French 'overwrite was willing.
THI ART OF NAVIGATION.
Lord WROTTZSLEY this rose, is parmanee of

notice, " to direst the attend= Of the hose; to s NM&
pondenat between the United /Wm government, her 31..
piety's government, sod the lime Iliety, in referents, to
• comprehenalre mahouts far laweilsig the art ofrign=
tion, in which the United Statiasgensentosst have
the co-operation of her Majesty's * Moult en
plan be had is view would add tog=st Monday
in the departments of meteorology andott=y to nit
extent which it was hardly possible to . Tao
United States having sanctioned the adoption of the plan in
oheir own country had, with the view of making it an
effective as possible, invited th• co-operation of the prier
el* maratime nations, and especially this country. The
prepoeition having been made to our government, it MB
been refericd by them to the Royal Society and to the
British Assecistion for the Advancement of Science, and I
had received the sanction of both those bodies. It was Inn
that this project had not been adopted by the government.
It was ant entertained by the last government, mad It Wail
not entertained by the present government. Rs oadholot
12= that a phis of this simple and impeeeene MOM
bandied Mang from department to departing* leg
fourteen months, and at this moment they were hardlyenere
advanced than they were at the beginning. Tim late
jp.verament had some claims on the gratitude of men of
winos, sad he should be sorry to ignore the claims of the
present government. There wee only one cause of mis•
giving among ow Oedema in the present government, and
that was th• ant of the primal gut Lord el the Admiralty in

hiving auspendid the naritime survey of the British coast.
Ile hoped that that survey would be resumed. He sow
came to the plan which be to bring tinder the eon-
*lactation of the House. It was instituted by the eon
doctor or the laberatory at tic national olszi,rvatory, at
Waahingtoo. in the Coifed States, wise Ent ceived the
ids• of requiriag &lithe na Asters of memairtilo vessels tO enter
is their log boobs is addition to all the information which
thou deco mints usually eentain.Ml semant of all phenomena
they might observe at sea whichvould be 'rendered availa-
ble for the improvement of hydrograpby, and generally Sr
the advancement of science. The plan was that the log-
books containing these reports should be all sent to the
Observatory at Washington, and that the data so furnished
should be collated and employed in the construction of new
sad improved charts, which should be =geared at the ex-
pense of government, and furnished to the masters of ves-
tals in return for the material so supplied. The custom-
house officen were directed to give circulars containing in-
structions to the masters of vessels, but no fruit
came of this measure. The gentleman he had referred to,
however, collected • number of logbooks, and discovered a
new and improved route to Rio. It was tried, and the
voyage which had been usually made in 41 days was made
is 29 days. From this time the whole aspect of affairs
seemed to change. Materials flowed in in abundance, and
now there are upwards of a thousand masters of ships en-
gaged night and day in recording these observations. The
observations were regularly brought to the Observatory at
Washington, and all the facts up to November, 18.51, were
published in • book which he now held in his hand. It
appeared that in the old route to Rio, vessels were in the
habit of going as far east as the 19th degree west longitude
for the purpose of avoiding a current which set in from
Cape St. Lucar. It was shown that it was possible to sail
in • great circle a great part of the way, and instead of
stopping at longitude 17, it was possible to cross in, and
save 00 miles of the distance. The noble lord then re-
fined to the manner in which these charts are made;
and concluded by thanking the house for the kindness with
which they had heard him, and stated that he should be
happy if he should have persuaded them that the matter
was worthy of their attention ; for he believed it was the
bounden duty of this country, which had risen to so high a
position in science end in art, to hold out to them a foster-
up hand. (" Hear, hear," and cheers.)
Earl GRANVILLE said that the interesting, useful, and
in some parts amusing statement of the noble lord, fully
justified the house in expressing, by their cheers, how un-
necessary it was for the noble lord to apologise for bringing
the subject before them. lie would, without trespassing at I
any length on their lordships, endeavour to show that his
noble friend had not taken • calm and philosophical view of
the proceedings of the government and the Admiralty, with
reference to this plan, as well as of the views entertained
by the governmeat with regard to the promise of science.
With respect to what had been said by the noble lord of
the neglect of a subject, appeared to him (Lord Granville)
connected with the welfare of all mankind, and more especi-
ally of a nation—a large portion of the inhabitants of which
had devoted themselves to maritime pursuits ; it would be
Ken by the papers which bad been laid before the house,
that in furtherance of this project, • book which had been
received by Lord Palmerstsn was directed by him to be
sent to Sir John Burgoyne, Ind which had reference to
the taking of meteorological observatioas. He (Lord
Granville) received information on the subject at the
Foreign-odloe on the 19th February ; and, five days
after, he directed:Mr. Addington to write to Sir John
Burgoyne for further information, in order to the promo-
tion of the object in view. The matter then feli into the
hands of the late government, and although the corre-
spondence did not go on quite so briskly as was desir-
able, yet by reading the correspondence, so far as could
be gathered from what they had written, it would appear
that it was the desire of the government to promote the
subject. Then on coming to the share which Lord Claren-
don had in the matter, it would be found that eight days
after he had received the observations of the American
government with regard to the opinion of the Royal Society,
he wrote to the Treasury, requesting that they would take
such steps as they might think right and proper in
order forthwith to carry out the object in qua
tion. (Hear, hear.) The subject was now before
that department, not a very idle one just at present, with a
view to the carrying oat of Lord Clarendon's report.
Several questions were, however, to be considered. In the
first place, the superintendence of the plan and the persons
to whom it was to be referred ; and there was also another
point, namely, that there was a quantity of valuable matter
relating to the subject deposited in our archives which was
in a very undigested state, and which it would be desirable
to have digested and arranged. The matter could not be
under the control of existing boards, and it was not
Setcraidble to create irresponsible boards for the purpose.
There was one important aossideration, which had bees
mentioned by his noble kind, end that was that, except by
accident, none of our saws es based ness-of- war possessed
the instruments seesessay hr monies ebeserations of this
kind, and that defidensy was greater still in the merchant
service. He had thus shown that this subject had
received the Antietam of the government, and that they
were anxious to pie It every possible montane*. His no'ble
friend bad made wee marks of • curious character on the
alterations whisk When made in the surveys carried on by
the navy. He (Lied Granville) was able to state that no
survey had been stopped, or any home survey nu-
except that at the mouth of the Thames, which had
e sacral embh is course of twisty years. His
noble friend mil that survey could trot be finished on
sessnat of the shiltia. sands. It was clear that you could
an have a yompstail survey en shifting sands, but it was
the istsetien of the remanent that the survey at the
meth of the Thome MOM' be sostiend from time to
time. With regard to lite meditation olio:pease in the sur-
veys that were to be somisd on, that would be effected
by an employing pat eeptains, but substituting for them
medics, who, to this bosom of the navy, were found fully
able to carry on the serve3rs is a competent manner. He
thought it was imps/bat, both for the interests of the sei-
sms elks es entry leneU, es well as with • view to the
obeminlng of ieseseable mosey gnats from the repreenta-
tires of tie people to the ether house, to show that economy
had been cimod. (The noble earl, with referees*
to this pan gusted • passage bass • smash of Sir J.
floasebell. Mesh he urged. is Abb. "bat essatmy
ia malibg ems ss • virtu, ms miaow is ggsa • sod
that every too mach asked was so anenrown
away.") He Merl Granville) fully essearredia that opinion.
The British Atesetatioa had kept is view the grineiple of
easesmy
in asking, nod hem 1836 every s..floads. from
that moiety odd
the Royal Society bed lose sitessfally
=dto by the lO.ornioa Ge The
eVI then refereed le so shormalsa of Dr. wbswel
to rapid le the miaow given by gmesmasmit is 11112 to
the des* of misses, sod which woo Is the albs that,
"kg that mime sa aolortakiag bad him sabred on
he a sum of the luswitriel ebbe. sembissel with the
=of • and survey mil end observations in
puts anis world; whisk was a scientific opera-
tion far prpasisi anything whisk had bees before at-
tempted, egad was sash an we as Basso might have de-
signed." At • lass wise Lied J. immil by ens of his
lost ow hod pooled 1,0001. a year Is be awned of the
Rope Iludety. which had bum nest fruitful
in mend IBM" sad he believed that the re-
emsrohos of Hama and °them were billy
owing Is S part Wl* regard I. Pulligc=
NNW oisbg so_ efillsa in the most Of the
Mom of Malt" of 18.51, they had elm they had
Tests
ham la efts home a absatthe breach of the Beard of
, he Mesh bed essursd the valuable samba sf
De. Ploy kir. Mb a they
vivo le Os premed= se sslobles
sensation, me aa= of SAIL a bad bola graded
for Monti& repass end hr eh LL besmostion from
saw ennntrise mod am sidmatille ssimelsa la this country.
Moro was maim wiallso Mesh, *sigh • moll sop,
be thought moil be Moss haw m important ethos, and
the wu sa sal whit* had Imo mods by dm I
Cssessittes of Emnangmes thosliso of the Privy Osnooll for &Main
the means toe stems of obleabg at • mail ex-
pose memstions iabinsisals. soled
only MA with to this poommena.
while many was dm es emboss moo
who demised ask lima to the mole of wham,
it was Wooden duty of the goommassa to
in
swig
_milmse Ins powsinsani fa agleam which
ems erased ea an *a plod* Mesh lb* goomment
wove doghouse of ponsirring, mad yet le amid doing that
whisk mold be MOW does by individuals without them,
and Isabsg minor meats to that eelf-ainion which had
whined so many *Meets In this country. (Hear, hear.)
Lead COLCHESTER shortly explained tbi course taken
by the Board of Thee end the lf under the
i.e comma Me tbewstlitsil:44% the noble
Iced they had niased every anxiety to
do, end e=hh gradiessima at finding Xhat the pre-
sent government blooded Is like up the subject.
Lord MONTRAGLI seemed to the assistance given to
ecientile Ann by the cane meat of Lord Melbourne in
1836 sad ISM when he was nanected with the Treasury,
and urged that it was • mistake on the part of the public
to suppose that the promotion of scientific pursuits was
attended with great expense, whereas, in fact, the expense
woo to ho counted, not by thousands, but by hundreds of
ponds. He also drew attention to the indirect but imper-
taat result which would be likely to attend observations
of the kid now proposed, which invited the co-operation
for ON common object of all the nations of the earth.
The subject then dropped.
The LORD CHANCELLOR presented a petition from
the managing committee of the Metropolitan Law Associa-
tion, praying for reform is the mods of keeping accounts
la Chaacery and in the Accountant-General's office.
The house then adjourned at 20 minutes to 8.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TITZSDAY, APRIL 26.
The Braman took the chairat a quarter to 4 o'clock.

NEW MEMBEitS.
Mr. Kaoott took ths oaths and his seat for the borough
of Athlone, on his re-election after hie appointment as
Bolicitar•Gsneral for Ireland.

Mr. B. T. WOODD took the oath/ and his seat for the
borough of Knareabossugh, in the rooms of Mr. J. P. B.
Westhead, whom election bas been declared void.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
TalaD BRADINOS.—The Edinburgh High-street and
Railway Station, dc., Bill ; the Great Orimsby [remot-
a:tent Bill; and the Wakefield Market Bill, were read •
third time and passed.
BILLS OnDIkID TO MI RIAU A num.—The
Noroich Waterworks Bill • • the Stalordshira Potteries
Waterworks Bill; and the Roseendale Waterworks Bill,
whisk had been ordered to Be upon the table, were consi-
dered, and ordered to be read • third time.
BICOND RICADIIIOII.—The London and South Western
Railway (Basingstoke and Salisbury Branch) Bill; and
Poole Harbour and Port (No. 2) Bill, were read a second
Um..
BERMONDSEY REGULATION BILL.
Mr. BRADY sa;.d be had allowed his name to be placed
at the back of tay bill, booms it bad been represented tv

him as a measure calculated to present those scenes by
whack churches were desecrated on Easter Mondays and
Tuesdays. Finding. Bowater, that it 'would be iaadequate
to the purpose he had in view. he should take no further
part in the prosaction of the bill.
jar. rELLAI'I' should oppose the bill. It was not
the act of the perish, bat of an individual; and there had
been epetiiien against it signed by 950 a the parishipnen
Bermendpsy, rated altogether at so lees • sum than
62;000t. • year.
Sir J. V. SHELLEY hoped that the house would not de-
part from its usual course of reading all private bills a w-
and time, unless there was some very strong and potent
I objection against them. The object of the present bill was
I to provide for the bolding of vestry meetings on secular sub-
jects In some other place than the church. That some such
measure was necessary mad hardly be disputed. Only •
short time ago • very excited vestry meeting was being
held in Bermondsey Church, when • corpse was brought in
to be interred. The meeting had to make way for at and
to suspend their proceedings until the service had been
read; after which they resumed their discussion with as
much warmth as before. It might be true that 953 persons
bed signed • petition against the bill, but the pepulazion of
the parish was 50,000, and the object of the measure was
to procure for them • better representation in the vestry
than that which they now possessed.
Mr. FRENCH thought it would be very strange if the
bill were proceeded with when both the hon. gentlemen
by whom it was brought in bad expressed their wish to
abandon it.
Sir W. MOLESWORTH said the bill professed only to
affect the pariabioneis of Bermondsey. They had disowned
it, and indeed it appeared to emanate only from the solicitor
who had brought it in. He should, therefore, move that it
be read that day six months.
Mr. WHALLEY thought the house could do no less
than read the bills second time, and refer it to a *elect
committee in the usual way. It the fact was, as had been
stated, with respect to the non•coneurrence of the parish-
ioners, its promoters would never be at the trouble and
expense of proceeding further with it.
The galliry was then ordered to be cleared, but no divi-
sion took place, Mr. Oldest Rh., who had charge of the bill,
having withdrawn his motion for the second reading.
Shortly afterwards Sir J. V. SHIILLET asked whether the
hon. member for Pontefract was in order in withdrawing
the motion without leave of the house ?

The SPEAKER said the only question had been whe-
ther the bon. member (Sir J. Shelley) himself would put
the home to the trouble of dividing, and he had not done
so. (Laughter.)
Sir J. SHELLEY remarked that this incident ought to
make the house very careful of what the y did ; for really he
had certainly not heard a word of what had been going
on. (A laugh.)
The London and Finsbury Improvements and Railway
Bill was read a second time.