The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-31 00:00:00

AUSTRALIAN MAIL ROUTES.

We have had the battle of the gauges and we now
have the battle of the mail routes with Singapore, Cape
Horn, Panama, and Cape of Good Hope for war cries.
The origin of this battle, which will be fought fiercely on
paper, is the struggle now going on for the carrying
trade between England and the Australian El Dorado.
Government has refused to complete the monthly mail
steam-packet communication with Australia until all the
routes to that country have been thoroughly tested, and
it is for a national prize that numbers are now trying
how fast they can get ships to go half way round the
world and back again. The distance to Australia is
about 13,000 miles, reckoning Sydney as the goal for
ships going eastward, and Melbourne for ships going
westward.
We have paddle-wheel steamers, such as the American
mail packets, which run regularly 3,000 miles without
stopping in less than 11 days. We have screw steamers,
such as the Bengal, which can average above 250 miles
a day. According to the rate or speed of the American
mail packets, the 13,000 miles to Australia ought to be
performed in less than 50 days, allowing for stoppages ;
and according to the rate of speed of the Bengal steamer,
the distance ought to be performed in about 55 days by
screw vessels. Now, the voyage out or home to or from
the farthest Australian ports, has rarely been performed
in less than 80 days.
The shortest route to all the principal Australian ports
is undoubtedly the Singapore one, and this has proved
to be the quickest one for the homeward race. The
Cape of Good Hope route has proved to be the
quickest for the outward race. The best route out
and home to meet with favourable winds, at pre-
sent known, is to go to Australia by way of the
Cape of Good Hope, and to return to Eugla'id by
way of Cape Horn. The Panama route has not yet been
tried. There are four competitors at present struggling
for supremacy, viz., the Peninsular and Oriental, the
General Screw, and the Australian Mail Companies, and
the owners of the Great Western steam-ship, and con-
sidering the splendid prize for which they are striving,
and the difficulties they have to encounter, there is
nothing like this contention in ancient or modern times.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company are trying the
Singapore route ; they have performed the homeward
route the quickest of any, and shortly expect to do it
in less than sixty days. The General Screw Company
have reached Australia in the shortest time on record,
and they have formed the daring project of corning home
by way of Cape Horn, and thus race-round the world
by steam, a feat hitherto unattempted. The Australian
Mail Company, after encounteriu,_, storms of abuse and
ridicule for their ill-success, are still manfully struggling
for the ,olden prize. Tne owners of the Great Britain
are celebrated for employing the largest steam %e-isel
yet engaged in this magnificent race. In a few months
the Au.,tra!ian RaciiiCi Company sail enter ea the
struggle, by traversing with steam the gi cat
Ocean.
There can be doubt but what the Cape of Good
Hope route, to and. from Australia, would be the most
temptin:2; to pas:ien,,ers, by which they would avoid the
heats of India, the tempests- of Cape Horn, awl the
elvers of Paama, but unfortunately the very winds that
as•ist steamer from .Alg-oa. Bay to Adelaide, fttadi
retoni it when proceeding in an opposite direction, and
such is now the iimiortiowe of speed lativeen the I:l,:tit
0)1,,11), at tile. Ar.ttpod-,e, and the mother country

t:lat

- -
Isettlter tropilical heats, polar storms, nor exp,o,ive
transhiprn-nts, prveot the conveyance of
gold, from enriching that corop,:ti.or
s!)aii natl oot the quic!:e.,:t Liute to an,l lion
Australil, I,rnven-::,: it hest regularly' in the shortest
spaca of time.

PO Lief INTELLIG ENCE.

- m -

Tr NNSION TIOU:-:E.—CLEVEV, DETECTION OF
:'r [c and, Pat,.
411 a,; PriMaws, well.dreped wen. %vb. have been
low.; known to the deteet;ve officer,: of the City p,10,',
were hri,nght in the custoily of George Seott, ono of the
itio,ractivo of the force, before the Lord Mayor, ehtsr;:ed

ivilai roblocr,

S.,ott sail, yesterday, at a quarter to three o'clock,
I was Ott duty at Linelon-bridge-wharf, I saw Busher
and Nicholls go on the dumb lighter•. I then saw Ni-
c bolls feel the front of the dress of a lady who was a ith
a gentleman. Busher stood behind the lady. They then
left the lady and gentleman and had some conversation
with Picket, who was on the lighter, and whom I then
first saw. The;• then all three returned to the lady and
gomleinan, Nicholls an I Busher going in front, and
Picket standin;.; close behind the lady and gentlemen,
and pashing them on to the other• two prisoners. The
lady and gentleman finding that they were so pressed,
moved to another part of the lighter. The three pri,o-
ners were then all left together, and at that moment
a Gravesend boat came alongside, anti a lady (Mrs.
Kir,:her) came on the lighter from the boat, having in
her hand a bandhov. Pusher then closed on her right
side and put his left hand into her pocket, Picket Icing
on the one side of hini and Nicholls on the other. As
soon as he drew Lis hand from Mrs. Kircher's pocket I
took boil of it, and said, "What have you got here?"
He made no reply, and I took this purse, with its con-
tents, out of his baud. I called the female hack, and
called for assistance, being then alone. I had Busher in
custody. and several persons assisted in taking the other
two prisoners, whom I pointed -out, saying to the two
prisoners that I charged them with being concerned in
picking the lady's pocket, a charge to which they :mule
To reply. an► quite sure they were all three acting in
concert together.

Mrs. Mary- Ann Kircher, widow, residing at Otter•
dean in Kent, and who clone up by the Gravesend pAcket
yesterday, and landed at London-bridge, proved having
lost the purge, and that the one produced was hers.
The Lord Mayor— Were you aware of your loss be-
fore the officer spoke to you on the subject.

Witness —I was not.
The Lord Mayor asked whether any of the detective
officers present knew the prisoners ?
Michael 114 y-don—l know Nicholls, and had him in
custody about six months ago for robbery.
Brett, the detective officer—l have seen Nicholls and
Busher together frequently. About a month ago I
turned them both uut of Cremorne Gardens.
Storey, the detective officar—l have seen Picket and
Busher together in a steamer.
Russell, the detective officer—l have seen them all
summarily convicted.

There were several other officers present whom it was
considered unnecessary to call.
The prisoners were then committed for trial.

CLERKENWELL. .ASSAULTING FEMALES IN THE
STREET.—Jo/n, Neaves. a master plumber, of No. 27,
Cole's-terrace, Islington: was charged by Mrs. Sarah
Ballard, a respectable married woman, residing at No. 2,
Coleman-place, Holloway, with having indecently as-
saulted her.

The prosecutrix having been sworn, said that on Mon-
day night about 12 o'clock she was walking with Mrs.
Bagneil, another married woman, a friend, in Barnsbnry-
road, Islington, on their way home. Their husbands
were a short distance behind them when the prisoner
and- another powerful-looking man came up, and they
seized hold of them in a most indecent manner. The
risoner held tightly hold of witness, and the servant of
witness and her trieild brought their IntAbamls; and
broLlter-in-law to their assistance, when the whole of
them were brutally maltreated by the prisoner am!. Lus
en7nnanion.

Mrs,

Matia Dagiloll confirmed thi3 testimony. She
waR aslnited by the prisoner's companion.
Mr Ballard, Mr. Bagnell, and other witnesses, all of
whom appeared with black eyes and other severe brutses,
gave confirmatory evidence, and added that the pri-
soner's companion had acted more violently than him-
self.

Mr. Corrie asked the prisoner who his friend and
cotppanion was?

Prisoner—His name is James Gooding, a bricklayer,
who does a little in the "jobbing way." He resides in
Holloway,
Mr. Corrie—l shall grant a warrant against him im-
mediately. What do you say to the charge ?
Prisoner—l am innocent of the charge.
Mr. Cowie—I shall fine you 51., or in default, one
month's imprisonment.
He paid the money and was liberated.
James Goodiny, in the course of the day, was brought
up on the
been warrant by Randall the officer, and the case
having clearly proved against him, he was fined
3/,, or three weeks' imprisonment. He also paid the
money with levity and swaggered out'of court.

SOUTHWARK.—DESERTION „
AT, with a m
William _Davey, a tall, fine-looking fellow, THE ARMY.—
nabe, charged
tary appearance,was brought beforWltloCo
of deserting
with being a deserter from the 4th R.
He was also charged, on his own confession,einient of Foot.
from the 82d foot.
Thomas Williams, a corporal, belonging
to
Regiment of Foot, said the prisoner enlisted two the 4th
ago. About ten months ago he deserted. Yesterday
afternoon, from information he received, he went on
board a steamer near London-bridge, and took him intoi
custody, among a number of recruits of the 79th Regi-
ment of Foot. He said he had just enlisted iu that
regiment, but was not attested.
Mr. Combe asked the prisoner what he had to say?
He replied that it was all correct. He deserted from
the 4th, and afterwards enlisted in the 82d. He de-
serted from that regiment and enlisted in the 79th.
Mr. Combe said he had acted in a very dishonest
manner, and no doubt such a fellow would be punished
with great severity by the military authorities. He
should commit him to II orseznonger-lane Gaol, where he
will remain until orders be sent from the Horse Guards
for his removal.
Committed accordingly.

AN INHUMAN FATHER.—A
man named Blanchard
in possession of a certain property,
appeared
before the Correctional Police of Ang last week
ouleme for keep-
ingte
leg in an outhouse, in great filth and with an insufficiency
of food; and for heating him cruelly. There could not
be any doubt of the main fact, as,
on information given,
some of the authorities of the place had found the min
in the state mentioned. Blanchard, in his defence, de-
clared that as his son was an idiot, it was necessary to
keep him out of harm's way, and that he had never
made any secret of his having him confined in the out-
house, which was open to the whole world. He denied
positively that he had ever cruelly beaten his son. as
alleged, and concluded by affirming that his co.mcienc3
(lid not in any respect torment hint respecting his con-
duct to the unfortunate young man: The Court, con-
si
del -,.. in Blanchard's conduct not to be such as befitted
a father, condemned him to six months' imprisonment.—
ealipani.