Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-28 00:00:00

NEW SOUTH WALES

Our dates are to the 25th of May. There are
several interesting items of news, with which we
proceed to supply our readers :
THE Perisma. Bourn To Ausruala.s.—A. very full meet-
ing of the Sydney Chamber of Commerce bad been
hold for the purpose et rec-iving a proposal from Mr.
Wetton, who had recently arrived there, as the agent of
the Royal Miil Steam Packet C :mpany of Lonctpn, to
negotiate with the Government for the opening up of a
steam postal lina with Europe via Panama. The offer of
the Company was to undertake the service once in eao
month, calling at Auckland on the outward voyage from
Panama, and at Wellington on the homeward voyage
from Sydney, in consideration of a subsidy of £50,000
per annum if under a contract for seven years, and
£60.000 per annum if under a contract for five years only.
Mr. Dillon B:11, an of leer of the New Zaalan I Govern-

ment, accompanied Mr. Wetton, and was the bearer of an
offer on the part of New Zealand to cantribute £15.000 per
annum—its estimated quota towards this subsidy. The mat-
ter thus opened was very fully discussed, and ended in an
almost unanimous decision to urge an immediate accept-
ance of the offer on the part of the New South Wales
Government ; with this view several resolutious were
passed, and a deputation was appointed to lay them before
the Governor-General. It was shown, incidentally, as one
of the main inducements to close with this offer, that the
company would expend full £90,000 per annum here.
And, amongst other recommendations of this line was its
superior cheapness for passengers. There was a prlbs.
bility, it appeared, of the rate of passage-mosey being
made so low as even to render the steamers available to a
considerable extent for emigration. Two years was
mentioned as the time which must necessarily elapse before
the steamers could be actually laid on. Some days el er
the meeting, the gentlemen appointed waited on his Ex-
cellency the Governor-General, and were by him favoured
with the following reply :
" Gentlemen,—The g ivernment is fully alive to the
importance of securing a monthly communication with Eng-
land by the Panama r one, and is about to pl tee itself in
communication with the government of the other Austra-
lain colonies,for the purpose of ascertaining from them the
conditions upon which they may be willing to contri'mte
towards the subsidy of the Royal Mail Company. Should
the replies to these communications be favourable to the
scheme, the government will be prepared to reccommend
to the Legislature to make the necessary appropriation to
carry the measure into effect."

His Excellency entered fully into the sui)ject, and ex-
presso 1 the deep sense entertained by himself and the
members of the Executive Council, of the importance of
the question. He also intimated his intention to confer
with the Home Government, with the view of soliciting
their co-operation in the scheme.
The Sydney MOning [Jerald has a long article on this
matter. It conc'udes in the following words :
" The advantages resulting to this colony from the
opening up of the Panama route would be very great. It
would connect us at once with Isl)rth and So ith America,
as well as open up a new road to Europe. It would increase
the commerce and renown of our harbour; it would help
to develop our coal-fields, and give greater volume to the
stream of immigration. These are advantages not to be
despised, and which are worth some sacrifice to secure.
The parliament, unfortunately, is not now in session, and
the government would probably not venture to conclude a
definite contract in the absence of a positive expression of
opinion on the part of the copular representatives. But
when the Assembly meets again we cannot doubt that the
proposal of the Mail Company will receive the attention it
deserves, and we can hardly think that it will be peremp-
torily rejected.
The ilfebourne Argus thus alludes to the subject :
"The project of the establishment, by way of Panama, of

a second lino of steam communication with England
meeting with very favourable reception in Melbourne,
although it comes before the public at a time when trade
is depressed, and all spare enthusiasm is engrossed in the
political movements of the day. It is certain that when
the plans of the West India Royal Mail Cemnsny are
submitted to the examination of the pub'ic of Victoria,
they will meet with great consideration, awl, if they are
found to be practicible, with hearty support." Although,
therefore, says a Sydney paper, much depends upon the

- _ .
view which may be taken npon the qaesiion in Vlctoria,
there seems every disposition in that quarter, so far as
we can judge, to co-operate with us liberally.
PoLtrrcAL.—Since the closing of the Legislature, the
history of political movements in the colony present;
almost a blank. There have been no political demonstra-
tions to show the set of party feeling, save only such as
have been displayed at party gatherings and festive demon-
strations: The event in 'th political well which has
caused most exeitement and interest is the retirement of
the present Attorney-General, and member for the South
Riding of Cumberland, from public life altogether. Next
in importance, says the Sydney Morning Herald, is the
address of M. CAvper (member for the city and morainal
leader of the Opposition) to his constituents—a demon-
stration convened by Mr. Cowper himself. M.. Cowper.
without entering into the political principles which
separated him from the present administration, adverted
largely to personal detai!s relative to his own
entrance into, and exodus from office, and generalise.)
very vaguely on the general policy of the country. The
demonstration, though a popular one, was a failure—it
ceased to operate as soon as it was over, arid the senitfrent
that remains behind is as damaging to Mr. Cowo,T's retort-
_

tation for ability as it is to his co-asistercv. Mean whil,•,
the members who represent the country districts have been
making tours, holding forth on account of their steward-
ship, and feasting and being feasted among their c mstitu-
tuents to a great extent. Nothing, however, which eln
cicvelape the mind of the country has been elicited. It h.:s
been made entirely by partisans. No grave. s'early,
organised movement, asking for reform in our legislative
institutions, has taken piece, nor do we think ilia all the
noisy declamation of platform orators will startle the pul•-
lie from their propriety, or from the plain and rational
ptudenoe of judging if their present scheme of government
works well, before they throw it away in favour of another
untried speculation.
THE RAILWAY INTEREST.--The RailVely o,mmissioners
purpose reducing their scale of charges to the extent of
ene-fourth. We hail this redaction o' fares wi•h gra
pleasure as a step in the right direction A still larger
reduction than this wouli, we are satisfied, haves been more
productive of revenue, as well as nior. beneficial to the
public ; but it will be easy to make such further reduction
at any future period, should the commis-i iters see that it
can be done w:th safety. We do not know whether they
have considered the other question which we forrnotly
drew attention to—the necessity for establishing a nation
upon the land given expressly for that purpose by Mr. T.
W. Fisher at Petersham. There have been strong remon-
strances upon this subject from the residents end lan'io eener,i
of the neighbourhood, and a vary little inquiry, we are
informed, would show that the establishment would be a
largely remunerative one.
FREE TRADE /1. PROTECTION.—For a considerable time
past there has been a newsplper cont oversy going on
between the advocates of protective duties and the free-
tratrs of New South Wales, and there was a public
meeting held at the instance of the former in the Lyceum
Theatre. The Mayor presided, but before as•utning hie
preeidential eleties? he strictly guareleel himself from

any supped dent/fication with the objects of the
meeting. There was a series of resolutions affirming

the expediency of prof-etion, upon which soicral
amendments were moved by free-traders. The meet-
ing was a very noisy one, lasting from about half-past
seven p.m. until a (parer to eleven. Each set of
speakers maintained, by argument, their own doctrine,
and it is pretty clear that, s) far as argument went, the
fta e-traders had the best of it ; but the original resolutions
were, nevertbele-s, all carried.. "An excited nubile
meeting, however," aye the Sydney Morning Herald," can
have no weal-founded pre-etittous to delioera ive power
['he noisiest party hare al+rays the best of the contest.
And there are few who attend these demonstrations that
nauso to can,ider and we'gh the arguments which they
he tr. They go to sach me,tings prepared to sapoert, by
raising their hands and their voic?s, a particular pro-
position, or set of proositions, which they beleve to
be beneficial to their own interests. In a contested
qtr-stien such as thiq, consequently, the decisions of
such an assemblage as that on Tuesday evening would
be worth but little evitn had it been more unanimous
than it was. We are glad, however, to see that a large
assemblage of eiczens can be got tog-ther to hear argu-
ments upan questions of political or s ;clad importance. It
is a sign that they are no longer open to those charges
of universA ap ;thy wnich have hitherto, with bat too
much apoarnt truth, been levelled against them. We
should like to see this cynstion of protection an l free trade
practically illustrated by a calcnlat'on, in detail, as to
what eaeh working man would have to pay for food,.
cl .thing. and other articTes of necessity or 11xurv, provided
that protective duties were imp sei (As they must be, if
imposed at all) upon every imparted article which can be-
produced here."

THE S'ASON.—X Sydney paper of the Ilst date says :
Tne rair,s which have prevailed during the sammer
Wison have increased as the winter has a lvanced. Is was
.x,ected that the moisture of the semen, when dry weather

usually prevails, would be coonterb danced by the dryness
of the semen, which is usually characterised by moisture.
Such, however, has not been the case. From nearly all
parts of the country, the information is that a superabun-
dance of moisture is the universal experience. • Rains
falling, rivers rising, and cre,ks overflowing their banks,
tend to deluge vast tracts of the country, and saturate the
sail to an extent rarely experience in Australia. The re-
sult of this state of things is that all those agricultlral
products, to which an excess of rain is not positively
detrimental, have exhibited a fruVulness which is rarely
equalled and never surpassed; and the announcements of
extraordinary yields are many. Among others, one of
the local papers gives the name of a farmer who succeeded
in obtaining from cna acre of land upwards of eight tons
of a product which is quoted in Sydney at £3 to £lO per
ton. The cattle, too, throughout the country, exhibit the

improving influence which "the rains have had upon the
pas ore lands.. Mobs of catle are sent to market,
which are described as superior to any bred in the
s)me districts for a considerable period. In some leciities
;he continued rains have had the effect which might be an-
ticipsted in causing increased demand for land for age-,
cultural purposes. The loeA organ of one of the princiaal
towns of the interior announces an increased demand for
agricultural farms, in the same paragraph which speaks
of the enlargment of the town by the erection
of houses of a Superior character. The reverse of this
cheering picture may be stated to consist in heavy roads,
the moisture so swurating the otherwise not very efficient
pahlic- thoroughfares, the traffic is rendered difficult on
nearly all the lines of comrnnnicetiou. The metropolis and
the country towns experience this evil in muddy and
greatly impeded streets. In some districts of the colony
;he almest impassible state of the highways has led to
considerable inconvenience, the squatters and settlers being
unable either to get their pro luse to the towns with the
requisite facility . and speed, or to procure the necessary
supplies for their stations and establishments. Thus, in a
word, it could be said the colony is blessed with a
superabundance of nature's favours, at the same time that
she is placed at a disadvantage for the want of those
-ids e'r4 appliances whica art and labour alone can
supply.?.