The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-07 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

We take the following from the overland sum-
mary of the Melbourne Argus of Jan: 17 :
" The Columbian, with the Australian mails of
January, takes her departure to-morrow morning.
The Salsette, with the English mails of November,
arrived in Hobson's Bay on the evening of the Bth
inst.

" A proposition by the Peninsular and Oriental
Company to alter the route of the mail steamers
from Mauritius to Galle and to give a fortnightly
service for an additional subsidy of £25,000 a-year
was received in Melbourne by the last mail. Un-
less accepted the company declare their determina-
tion to retire from the contract, on account of the
returns from freight and passengers being insuffi-
cient, with the subsidy, to cover their expenses. A
meeting of the Chamber of Commerce has been held
to consider the project, and a resolution has been
unanimously come to, recommending the change of
route to the Government, and suggesting that,
should the other colonies be unwilling to accept
their proportions of the additional subsidy, the
whole cost should be borne by Victoria.
." In this colony it is the unanimous feeling that
the change of route and the additional ser-
vice will be of great advantage to the public. The
old route via Gale has always been preferred to
the present one by Mauritius, as being not only
shorter and more convenient, but as uniting us
directly with India and our Eastern possessions.
And it is also felt that the time has arrived for a
more frequent intercourse with Europe. The Pen-
insular and Oriental Company,-whether rightly or
wrongly, has been accepted as the only possible
instrument for securing to these colonies the bene-
fits of a regular and speedy steam communication
with Europe ; and although some delays have oc-
curred in the performance of their present contract
the service, on the whole, has never been so punc-
tually executed. Should the terms now offered not
be accepted, it is probable that we shall have to pay
more for a future monthly service than we are now
asked to pay for a fortnightly one. _ _

" Parliament returnee to business on the 10th
inst., after the Christmas recess.

" The intelligence of the wreck of the Royal
Charter has been received here with profound sen-
sation. The A rgus telegram from Aden, published
here on the 13th of December, had announced the
arrival of the vessel at Queenstown, so that her
subsequent rate was peculiarly painful to the friends
of the hapless passengers.

" The -volunteer move rent is progressing most
hopefully in this colony in spite of the stupid
and dastardly opposition which it encountered
from a certain class at its outset. A very respect-
able force can now be mustered for the defence
of the colony in case of invasion, and, though it is
yet practically unarmed, it is expected that a suffi-
cient number of Enfield rifles will shortly be at its
service. In connection with this subject, we may
mention that the receipt of an order from the War-
office, directing the immediate discharge of all sol-
diers from the 40th liegiment who have served a
term of 10 years, has caused much dissatisfaction
among the colonists. We are not in a position to
spare any portion of our military force, and it is a
very paltry economy which would make our small
army still smaller by the withdrawal of som:.i 70 or
80 soldiers.