The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-20 00:00:00

THE STE.IMAR GOLDEN AGE.

Details lately received sof tile passage of the American
paddle-steamer Golden Age, from Liverpool to Australia,
iurnish interesting suggestions regarding the ultimate
prospects of rapid communication, not. only with the
gold ccflonies, but the Cape of Good Hope. This
steamer, which was capable of carrying 1,200 persons',
and had just made one of the best trial trips ever
known across the Atlantic, left Liverpool in Novem-
ber last, with a small number of passengers, and an
unremunerative although a considerable cargo, the
Post-office authorities having refused to pay her the
slightest extra sum for taking a mail. Sh'e reached the
Cape in 26 diys and a half, thus making to that point
the shortest passage upon record. Indeed the difference
om any passage previously known is alleged to have
been as much as e4.flit days. At the Cape she was de-
tained 10 days coaling, but she nevertheless reached
King George's Sound po as t 2 effect the entire passage;
from Liverpool to Australia in 61 days, including deten-
tions, and in an actual running time of 47 days. Con-
sidering that iu future trips the advantages of experience
would enable distances to be saved and greater speed'to
be attained, the possibility of the communication .to
Australia being regularly brought within 50 days,, even
by the Cape route, seems consequently to have been .
ddmonstrated. According to the statements of the com-
mander, Captain Porter, he made the whole distance
to the Cape with four furnaces blocked off, and with
a consumption (if only 30 .tons of coal per day, five
days' consumption remaining. upon arrival in pfirt.
By less economy, therefore, greater results might
have been accomplished, and it is believed, morever,
that 300 miles might he saved by stopping at Goree to
coal. Taking these things into account, Captain Porter
asserts that the Golden Age could regularly performthe
run from 'Liverpool to the Cape in 23 days. These points
having been determined, the question arises as to the
probability of the benefits which they show to be within
reach being speedily established. If the Post-office had
offered a fair remuneration to the Golden Age for the
conveyance of a mail, the loss by her experimental
passage would possibly not have been such as to deter
her ownersfrom a continuance of the undertaking ; but,
as it is, there ia,not only little prospect of its repetition
on her part, 12ut also the certainty that the want of
encouragement she experienced will long prevent any
othe companies, English or American, from venturing in-
dependently on this branch of enterprise. Hence the pros-
pects of future steam communication between the colonies
.and the mother country arediscouraging. The Australian
Pacific Company and the Royal Australasian Company
have entirely abandoned the field, and have either sold
sv e
de soeul sbot
frucl h
iafrttehr
ee d
Gtheenme r o the
reG owv ecr no mm epna tn,
yw,hai it
their
may not eventually find it more tempting to keep such
vessels as the Gulden Fleece in the transport service
rather than to send them on their original destination.
The only hope of a more encouraging character ap-
pears to lie in the opening up of a route from Sydney to
Liverpool tid Panama, or Nicaragua and New York.
Supposing proper coaling arrangements to be made,
Captain Porter considers that the Golden Age could
reach Panama or Niaisagua, from Sydney, in 27 days.
Thence to New York, by the existing steamers would
occupy eight days, while from New .York to Liver
pool to average time is 11 days. The total from
'Sydney to Liverpool would thus be 46 days, or
allowing three days for stoppages, 49 dip. The
chief probability of such a route being established
consists in the fact of the link between Sydney. and
Panama being all that is required to bring it into
existence. Whether the New York Company, to whom
tl.a Golden Age belongs, intend now to carry our their
olLzinal plan of pu!ting it. into operation remains Wel:
ascertained. During the present demand
it is probable that that vessel may immediately bt:
sought for other purpoies, but there is strong
for.stre _
anticipate that, sooner or later, by the natural
may
cies of commerce, the route question n
gr crow into
the most important line of traffic between the omen"
and southern hemispheres. •

Arr ociaistvtrmsa.—ry
neostteicreclsayfrobmeinartg
articled
the
so
iirteonuisti opening of ADMISSIONofO
renewingF term,
the '
clerks seeking to be admitted, and from attorneys de.
their certificates, were given in the
Court of Queen's Bench. There are 119 notices to be
admitted this Easter ,term ; 24 being added to the list
by the judge's order, and 95 to be admitted in Trinity
term next. There were 23 notices to take out and renew
certificates this Easter term—one being from Mr. W.
H. Barber, whose repeated applications to be reinstated
on the list of attorneys have hitherto been rejected by
the Mr. Barber intends to make his application
this judged.stim
time to the Lord Chancellor.
RUSSIAN PRODUCE. -The London markets for Rue-
sian produce yesterday were. rather=, ower,- it =tiling
thought that the regulations' of tee-Government :with
regard to the trade both of British subjects and, neutrals
will allow some quantity to come forward..
• DAY 01' HUMILIATION.--The Lord Mayot has issued
acJirc?.9.kmation requesting his fellovo-tit 4'4)4 dose
iheir shops on Wednesday, the.26th, for the better eels.
bration of tip
by. fast and bumiliatign ord tiued fpr that