The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-15 00:00:00

THE EUROPEAN AND A&STRALIAN STEAII
NAVIGATION COMPANY.

SOUTHAMPTON, TUESDAY NIGHT.
With a view of celebrating the c immencement of the
newly arranged mail service between Great Britain and
our importaat colonies in the South Pacific, which is to
be carried out in virtue of the postal eontract, conceded
not long &ince by the Lords of the Treasury to the Euro-
pean and Australian Steam Navigation Company, the
directors of that association have this afternoon given a
sort of impromptu entertainment on board their magni-
ficent and noble steam-ship Oneida, now fitting out in
the Southampton Docks for her first ,voyage to Mel-
bourne and Sydney, for which ports she is to sail on
Sunday next with the regular mails and a large number
of passengers, among whom are Sir Istsnry Barkly and
suite. It was at first intended that the Oneida should
this morning have proceeded on a trial trip, with a view
of officially testing her speed in the usual form at
Stokes Bay. This, however, was found impossible, ow-
ing to the coaling of the vessel not having been com-
pleted. In truth, a trial of this sort would be a mere
form, as the qualities of the ship have been quite suffi-
ciently exhibited during the late run from Glasgow to
Southampton. The Oneida will be the pioneer of the
company's operations in Australia, and, after her arrival
at Melbourne, will be employed between that port and
Suez, running in correspondence with othee steam-ships
on this .side of the isthmus, between Alexandria and
Southampton. The Oneida is to be followed, on the
12th of Nov., by the Simla, which vessel is one of the
finest in the service of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam
Navigation Company, and has just been chartered for a
term of two years by the European and Australian-Corn-
pany. The European and the Columbian, two other ships
belonging to this company, are now fitting out in the
Clyde, and will take respectively the mails of the 12th of
December and 12th of January. Besides these fine ships
the company are now building at Glasgow the Australasian
of 2,800 tons, 700 horsepower, the Tasmanian and Asian,
of 2,300 tons and 500 horse power, and the African, of
1,000 tons and 330 horse power ; but these vessels it is
not expected can be got ready for their stations before
August or September next year. The regular mail ser-
vice to and from England and Australia, nice Suez, will
not commence till February next, when the first home-
ward mail may be expected at Southampton. The com-
pany, as is well known, are bound by enormous penalties
for the due and proper fulfilment of their contract with
the Government, and great interest naturally attaches to
the progress of their operations, the establishment of a
rapid and efficient postal communication with Australia
being one of the most important social and commercial
necessities of the day. The company, since its success
in obtaining the Government subsidy, has shown the
most commendable vigour and energy in preparing and
equipping these ships, and it is to be hoped, not alone in
the interest of the public, and of the enormous mercan-
tile considerations connected with the question, that
success will follow their efforts. Although the Peninsular
and Oriental Company were the unsuccessful competitors
for this contract, we have great satisfaction in noticing
that, on being applied to, the managers at once placed at
the disposition of their more fortunate rivals one of their
most celebrated ships—namely, the Simla—which vessel
is to succeed the Oneida. We nnderitand further that
the European and Australian Company will be much
indebted to the Peninsular and Oriental Company for
facilities which will be afforded to them at their several
coaling stations in Australia and in the Red Sea,—all
these arrangements having been made and perfected long
since by the older company, which formerly had steamers
on the station, and which kept up establishments at
those places in anticipation of being entrusted by the
Government with the new contract.

Thus it will be seen that the European and Australian
Company enters upon its career with every promise of
success, to be derived not exclusively from its own
efforts, but generously aided by the experience and
resources of the largest and most successful
steamship undertaking in the world. No jea-
lousy ought to interpose to disturb the good
feeling which seems to exist between these two power-
ful associations, and the public interest, as well as the
prosperity of both, would seem to be advanced by the
most cordial co-operation.
About 3 o'clock a party of gentlemen, numbering
nearly 100, consisting of the directois and managers of
the company, many gentlemen connected with steam
navigation, and the principal officials of the port of
Southampton, eat down to a dejeuner of a most re-
cherche description, which was prepared in the main
saloon of the Oneida. Among the company present were
Mr. J. Orr Ewing, Chairman, and Mr. J. Galbraith,
Manager of the Company, Mr. R. Andrews, Mayor of
Southampton, Mr. W. S. Lindsay, M P., Mr. Mackay,
of the firm of J. Baines 'and Co., of Liverpool, Mr. R.
Hill, Major Campbell, Capt. M'Dougal, RN., Admi-
ralty Superintendents of Packets, Capt. Eogiedue, Su-
perintendent of the Peninsular and Oriental Company,
Capt. Stewart, Superintendent of the Australian Mail
Company, &c.
After the dejenner the CHAIRMAN proposed the usual
loyal toasts, which were followed by " the health of his
Imperial Majesty the Pasba of Egypt," is introducing
which the Chairman stated that the Pasha's great exer-
tions in favour of, and the interest he takes per•
sonally in, the progress of steam navigation and improv-
ing the transit of the isthmus were the reason for men-
tioning his name in connexion with the Australian en-
terprise.

This toast was responded to by Mr. Galloway, engi-
neer to his Highness.
" The army and navy" next followed, Major Camp-
bell's name being coupled with it.
" Her Majesty's Government," coupled with the name
of Mr. R. Hill, was the next toast proposed by the
CHAIRMAN, who complimented Mr. R. Hill upon the
great advantages which the commercial and social world
had received by his development of the penny postage
system.
Mr. ROWLAND HILL spoke to the toast, and stated
that the Government, in entering into this contract for
the conveyance of mails to Australia, desired to con,ult
only the best interests of the people of this country and
the colonies. Their only wish was to obtain the speediest
and most regular transmission of the mails between the
two countries. Something had been lately said to him
about the establishment of the ocean penny.pestage. tho
idea of which emanated from a friend of his, E!ihu Bur-
ritt ; and some remarks had been made on the fact that
an ocean penny postage had been already established
between the -United States and Australia. But the fact
was that, although only a penny was paid for the trans-
mission of a letter by sea, it was still subject to an inland
rate of lid. in the United States and another of 43. in
the colonies, making 6, d. for the entire transmission ;
whereas by the mail now about to be established from this
country the whole charge would be only 6d. per letter, so
that we in this country had in reality approached nearer
to an ocean penny postage than the United States.
"The Mayor and Corporation of Southampton," re-
plied to by Mr. ANDREWS, and some other toasts having ,
been honoured, the toast of the day, "Success to the
European and Australian Steam Navigation Company,"
next followed, and was responded to by
Mr. J. PENDER, of Manchester, one of the directors
of the company, who briefly declared that it' was the de-
termination of the comnany not only to merit the confi-
dence of their friends on both sides of the globe by de-
voting all their energies to the prompt and effectual
carrying out of the -oheme in its entirety, but so to
blend the interests of the colonists with those of the
mother country in the details and working of the affairs
of the company as to afford perfect satisfaction to both
in respect to the giantic mercantile, financial, and ex-
change transaction' which now pass between England
and ics southern dependencies.
Mr. ROWLAND HILL gave, " Success to the Australian
Colonies," .raying that to him the best test of the pros-
perity of a colony was the number of letters which it
produced, and in that respect Victoria, which only 20
years ago was visited for the first time by a European
settler, stood prominent among the colonies ! The
Australian colonies did not want assistance from the
G Pie riiment of this country; but no better mode of unit•
ing the sympathies of the colonies and the mother coun-
try could be devised than the speedy conveyance of let-
ters between them, and that was proposed to be done by
the Government in the present contract. He could also
say that, having known the new Governor of Victoria,
Sir Henry Barkly, from a boy, he koew that no
man was better fitted for the past for which he bad
been selected than he was. This toast was acknow-
!edged by Mr. Youl, of Tasmania, the secretary
to the General Postai Association of the Australian
Colonies, who expressed his gratification at what
had been done by the Government for the con-
veyance of the mails to the colonies ; the route chosen,
he believed, was the right one, being ten days shorter
than any other. As a proof of the necessity of a rapid
interchange of letters between this country and Austra-
lia, he stated that there were between 1,500 and 2,000
Australian children in Europe for the purpose of educe,-
tien, and how important it was that there should be an
easy intercommunication between those children and
their parents, and bow calculated the facilities of com-
munication between the two countries were to generate
in those children feelings and habits which would draw
them closer to England. Independently, therefore, of
its commercial benefit, frequent and speedy postal corn-
munication was thus productive of social and political
results which every colonist and every Englishman must
desire to promote.
Mr. YoLE returned thank: 4, and concladed by giving
the health of " Mr.votE vine., the chairman of the new
company,"
and addthe
ton merits f the route to Aus-
Alexandria, and Suez,
m
tralia by way of Souta, [
was p
t
daysradically quicker by ten
which he
that by way he contended,
of Panama or by the Cape of
Good Hope. then given, among
other toasts were
A variety of
which was that of "the ren-n'-'ll ar and Oriental Com-
pany.", due and the pro-
.'l c
acknowledged by Captain Eng e ~)sp.
Oaedin of the afternoon were brought to a I
The directors of the Australian C3rep7ny ate to be
entertained by the Mayor of Southampton at a public
dinner on Friday evening next.

RECEIVING A CRThIreEsAN
aidng
a jobbing jeweller, MEDAL IN PLEDGE.--T. Day!',
chapel, w t residing
charged at Backchorch-lane, White-
the Thames Police-court with
advancing ss. on a Crimean
in the Grenaiier Guard's" medal
bch'xigirg tl
a privato
the man rrif:rely left it for namedr Haylings. Davis sad
the tim:". The magistrate toll Davis
anda he lent him 53. at
is the authorities had
4atc:rnoi-.led to put a stop t:si the system of un!icensed
pa ,n brokers advancing money on Crimean
after the precept
penalty in every case that might occur me ?alai The
(viz., a flue of 200 would be strictly
eonforced.
lirti.lslfigTh AND. AIMED BURGLARS!'
last the house of Mr. Harrison, Stafford-
shire, Wad entered by masked and armed burglars.eofMr.
Harrison W2O from home at the time, bu
h
were tied to h.lir beds while the house was robbed. They
t
nnly succeJded in carrying off about Wr . A r..,1
reward of
111% bil4 boop. offered, for the capture of the thieves.