The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-18 00:00:00

~:...:.

SUPPRESSION OP THE AUSTRALIAN
POSTAL STE.4.lkt SERVICE.

The following memorial has b,?sn rddressed by the
General Association of the Australian Colonies to the
Lords of the Treasury, urging the impolicy of the delays
proposed in their recently-published minute on steam
communication :
" TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS
OF HER MAJESTY'S TREASURY.
" The memorial adopted at a meeting of the General
Association for the Australian Colonies, held in
the City of London, on the 4th day of Marob,
1856 ; C. Wentworth, Esq., late Member of
the Legislature of New South Wales, for the City
of Sydney, in the chair,
" Humbly showeth,--
" That your memorialists approach your Right Ho-
nourable Board with the painful conviction that the great
Imperial question of steam communication with Aus-
tralia has met with unmerited neglect on the part of her.
Majesty's Government.
" That in the year 1852, after many years of previous
hesitation and delay, a postal steam service was at length
organised on alternate months, via the Capo of Good
Hope and the Isthmus of Suez.
" That the bi-monthly service, via the Cape of Good
Hope, was a mere experiment, undertaken contrary to
the publicly recorded opinion of the Right Honourable
the present First Lord of the Admiralty; that such ser-
vice was tried under two different companies and con-
tractors, and in each case was characterised by failure
and de.appoietment to the public.
" That the bi-monthly service via Suez was, during
its continuance, carried out in a mere regular and re-
liable manner, but that the route was vo devious, and
the stoppages so numerous, that the passage to Mel-
bourne occupied 64 days ; the speed maintained, if mea-
sured by direct distance, not exceeding six and a half
knots per hour, whereas the usual speed on ether con•
tract lines is ten knots or nautical miles per hour.
" That such last-named service, in the month of Nov.,
1854, was without notice 4holly suppressed, nominally
on account of the requirements of the war, but
your memorialists are prepared to substantiate that the
exicencies of the public service in no way rendered this
measure nesessary.
" That since the above period our Australian colonies
have been wholly deprived of all postal eteam commu-
nication, and the result has been that the transit of
letters bas been effected with extreme uncertainty and
irregularity, the outward mails having been delivered,
upon an average, at Melbourne in 84i days, and the
homeward mails, from the same place, in London upon
an average of 93i days.
" That your memorialists now collect, with extreme
regret, from your lordships' published minute, that in
lieu of immediately re-establishing a service which ought
never to have been discontinued, you propose first to
make a reference to the colonies, in order to ascertain
the exact amount of subsidy each colony is willing to
contribute to the cost of a postal steam line.

" That your memorialists beg respectfully to repre-
sent to your lordships that such reference must, under
aoy circumstances, be attended with a delay which can.
not be estimated at less than 18 months, even though
the various colonies concerned should then agree
amongst themselves as to the amount of their respective
contributions.

"That your memorialists in consequence feel it to be
their duty to impress ou your Right Honourable Board
that the colonies expect that their steam postal service
will be re-establish,d by the Imperial Government with.
out any further unnme:sary delay; and great di:appoint-
ment will arise if theta their just hopes are not realised.
"That your memorialists would urge on your lord-
ships that it the contract steam service between Liver-
pool and New York were casually interrupted the exe-
cutive would not allow a week to elapse without arrang-
ing: for its immediate resmuption ; but in the case of
Australia your lordship, have already permitted its mail
service to continue in abeyance for 17 months, and are
now about to protract its final ra-Establishment for a

further indefinite period, notwithstanding that its trade
with England is proved by Parliamentary returns to be
scarcely less important than that with America; and
the regular and speedy transmission of its monthly sup-
ply of gold, averaging a million sterling, would be 04
incalculable importance to this country.
"That at no period of our colonial history has the Im•
perial Government required, from any colony, pecuniary
contributions for postal purposes; and that. in the
present instance, to make the voluntary and munificent
offers for contribution of the Australian colonies a spe-
cial ground for indefinitely postponing the re-establish-
ment of their postal service, originally suppressed with-
out sufficient cause, does not appear to your memo-
rialists consonant with principles of equity or sound
policy.
"What if your lordships desire such contributions
they will be best secured by a Treasury minute, gradu-
ating the scale of poetages for each colony, according
as your lordships may find that the moneys voted by their
respective legislatort s are adequate or otherwise ; but to
refer the question in the manner proposed by your lord-
ships' minute will probably be to throw an apple of dis-
cord amongst the colonies, without obtaining therefrom
any practical result.

1‘ That your memorialists observe, with great concern,
that your lordships select no definite route for the con,
veyance of the mails, but trust to secure by a system of
pecuniary penalties their regular delivery within the con-
tract time.

" That your memorialists entreat your lordships to
remember that the very recent history of the Cape line
amply evidences that really heavy penalties are never
enforced, while lighter penalties, such as are provided
for in rho present notice for tenders, have been paid with
a smile by the cmltractors ; and, therefore, that a mere
system of penalties affords no practical guarantee of
any kind to the public fur the due performance of a
mail service.

"That your memorialists submit, with all respect,
that the right way to insure the rapid and due trans-
mission of the mails is not to rely altogether on penal-
ties, but rather to select the shortest route ; and, as is
usullly done in other branches of the contract packet
service, to insist on the employment by the contractors
of first-class vessels, ,with adequate steam power and
well tested speed.
" That your memorialists have satisfied themselves

that the shortest route is via Sucz and Diego Garcia ;
such being, according to official computation, 3,019
miles shorter than the pas:age by the Cape of Good
Hope ; and 2,338 miles shorter than that via, Panama,
the latter traversing 76 degrees of longitude mere than
the eastern route.

"That your mcmcrialists are also convinced it is for
nautical as well as other reasons, highly desirable that
the postal steamers, without touching at Ceylon, as
heretofore, should proceed from Suez to Melbourne,
stopping for coaling purposes only at the island of Diego
Garcia, a dependency of the Crown, situate in the midst
of the Indian Ocean, half-way bftween Arabia and Aus-
tralia, and possessed of a most excellent and capacious
harbour.

"That the r,-.ute via Diego Garcia being the shortest
of all routes 2,33 S miles, it is evident that, at the re-

quired rate cf ten miles, an hour, the mails admit of
being forwarded by it nearly ten days sooner than they
can be conveyed by any other line ; and if the rate of
speed were accelerated to 11 or 12 miles per hour, as is
quite practicable, the period of transmission would be
reduced in proportion.
" That your memorialists would alsn observe that,
viewing the geographical position of Diego Garcia, a
short branch might with facility be organised from this
island, whicia would bring the Mauritius and the Cape of
Good Hope into close communication with Australia,
and at the same time realise for the two colonies first

named a speedy and cheap steam connection with the

mother country, of which great advantage they now
continue wholly deprived.
"That if your lordships entertain any doubts as to
the superiorty of the route to Melbourne, via Suez and

Diego Garcia, your memorialists trust your lordships
will refer this question for the consideration of the 14-

dro.grapher Roy-al, in order that thus their confident
opinion may be corroborated by official testimony.
"That your memorialists are ready to prove that by
adopting this route, and insisting, at the same time, on
an average speed of 10 knots an hour from Stzez to Mel-
bourne; the mails may easily be delivered in Melbourne

within 44 days from the date of their leaving London.
" That by the same route telegraphic intelli,genoe from
Australia might he received within 42 days.
" That a trunk line to Melbourne, as being the most
central terminus for the Australian colonies in general,
is all that is atlpresent absolutely necessary - and that
it should be left to the several governments of Australia
and New Zealand to direct the organisation of the re.
quisite branch lines.

" In conclusion, your memorialists submit that the
wealth, intelligence, and great commercial importance
of Australia fully entitle her to the beat and speediest
postal service which it is possible to organise ; and they
would add that the just expectations of her population
will be satisfied with no less ; they contend that the
close union by steam of Australia with the mother coun-
try will be attended with great results, and they believe
that a measure so Imperial in its object merits at the
hands of the British Government at least the same de•
gree of support which, in the case of other and less itll.
port ant steam lines, has already so materially assisted
the development of oar commerce and the extension of
our civilisation.

" Trusting that this their appeal will meet from your
Right Honourable Board that consideration wbich they
feel it deserves, your memorialists earnestly pray—
" 1. That your lordships will, without further reference
to the colonies, withdraw the notice for tenders now
advertised, and invite tenders for the immediate into,
blishment of a regular and reliable monthly postal steal*

communication with Australia.
"2, That in order to obtain the eielivery of letters
in Alelboutne within 44 days front their leaving Lou.
don, yGu will select the shortest route—viz., that yid

Suez and Diego Garcia.
"3. That to secure a uniform speed of 10 knots an
hour in a'l weathers, you will not rely altogether oa
a system of penalties, but rather stipulate that th•
steam vcs,,els employed by the contractors be first-

class ships of 2,200 tons burden at the least, and be
capable of performing, when tested for speed in the
usual manner, not less than 12 knots or nautical
miles per hour.

your tuernorialists will ever pray, &c.
" Signed by order of the meeting.
"W. C. WEN TWOIITII, Chairman."

THE LATE COLONEL GORDON, OF PAEK.—The officer
and men of the Invcrne.:3s-shire reg,itvent have raised a
sub,Tziption for tho purpose of erecring a tablet to the
memory of their much-respected commander, Col. Gor-
don. A sum of 401. has been already subscribed. The
tablet is being prepared by Mr. Ness, Edinburgh. The
act is most creditable to the reOment, while it shows the
high esteem in which the deceased officer was held by
all under his command.--Banfshire