The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-05 00:00:00

1 PANAMA AND THE AUSTRALIAN MAILS.

Information received through a private, but perfectly
reliable, source indicates a state of relations between the
United States and one of the South American republics
which may lead to further complications of the difficul-
ties which the former Government has already on its
hands in connection with Central America. A law was
passed by the Legislature of New Grenada, on the 25th
of April last, imposing a tax equivalent to ninepence
per ounce on the mails of all foreign nations not having
postal conventions with that State, for transit over
the Isthmus of Panama. This enactment is held by
the Cabinet of Washington to be a contravention of the
treaty between the United States and New. Grenada,
and likewise a violation of the contract of the latter Go-
vernment with the Panama Railway Company. What
special motives have led to the enactment of this law it
is difficult to conjecture, with any degree of plausibility.
The American Government is said to be very indignant,
but the course which will be taken by it has not been
declared. There can be little doubt, however, that if the
Government of New Grenada will nut listen to reason,
more potent arguments will be resorted to. Some per-
sons in America fancy they can trace the hostile course
taken by New Grenada to British agency, and that
trouble will come of it in some shape or another. Deer
patches were sent on the sth to the American Minister
at Bogota, who was to be joined immediately by the
special commissioner lately charged, on the part of the
United States' Government, with the investigation of
the riot at Panama in April last, which constitutes an-
other ground of complaint against the authorities of
New Grenada. The official report has not yet appeared,
but it is understood that evidence has been obtained
which shows that the native authorities are impli-
cated in the responsibility of not crushing the riot at
the commencement when they had it in their power to
do so, even if they did not excite it. Since that
occurrence, and the subsequent accident on the line,
the business of the railway has gone on with its usual
regularity and success. Owing to the interruption
of the Nicaragua route, through the seizure of the
Transit Company's mules by General Walker, the pas-
senger traffic and the amount of treasure conveyed over
the railway have considerably increased. The gross re-
ceipts of the five months ending the 31st of May were
630,0005, And the receiptefor June would it was thought
raise the aggregate of the half year to 750,0005. A
half-yearly dividend of 6 per cent. was declared on the
30th of June, which would leave a surplus of about
300,0005. What pecuniary damage the company will
sustain in consequence of the late accident cannot yet be
ascertained. No suits at law have been commenced, and
' the directors are desirous to settle all claims amicably,
when the demand made is not exorbitant, though they
deny that they are legally liable to pay a single cent.
Their case is a very different one to those of the New
Haven and Camden Companies, in the former of which
the train was run into the river, the drawbridge being
open and the proper signal flying, and in the latter the
train was being run backward at great speed. The Pa-
nama train was going at a speed of 15 miles per hour
only, on a part of the line nearly level, and where
there is no curve ; so that the accident, whatever the
cause, could not have been occasioned by any fault of
toe driver. The growth of the freight business is re-
tarded by the absence of suitable auxiliary facilities in
the Pacific, the want of which has been felt since Le
line was opened throughout.
Several ptercte have been started for regular lines
from Panama both north and south, but no adequate
measure has yet been adopted. The company's steamer
Columbus, as we lately announced, will commence
running on the Ist October to Guayaquil and Buena-
ventura, and if the success of the undertaking is com-
mensurate with the expectations that are entertained,
t will serve to stimulate further enterprises in the
same direction. The success with which merchandise
of alt kinds has been conveyed from ocean to ocean,
,oth as regards economy and safety, proves that
nothing is wanted but additional means of maritime
conveyance on the Pasific side to increase this branch of
the business of the line to an amount which namely
admits of a limit. On the Atlantic side the state of
things is much better, and will be further improved by
the establishment of the projected line of vessels between
Liverpool and Aspinwall, tor the full employment of
which there is already a sufficient trade.
Tae trade of the west coast is increasing, and will con-
tinue to increase in the ratio of the facilities provided for
the transit of produce from the various ports to Panama.
Much of the Australian produce, too, will soon seek this
eligible route, by which it can be conveyed to England
much more rapidly and economically than by making the
circuit of Cape Horn. Though the business of the line is
not likely to be dietarbed by any difficulties which may
arise between the United States and New Grenada, yet
it would be desirable that the element of British influ-
ence should be introduced there ; and it is therefore the
inure to be regretted that the Government should have
rejected this route fur the conveyance of the Australian
wails. Tile answer given by Mr. Wilson, last week, to
the question of Mr. Gore Langton, as to the inade-
quacy of the vessels named in the tender of the contrac-
tors to perform the voyage between Suez and Melbourne
in the stipulated number of days, is far from satisfactory.
The cohditions of tender retuired that the vessels offered
should be capable of running 113/4 knots per hour, and
'.hose offered by the contractors are well known to be
Incapable of attaining to anything like tbat degree of
speed ; indeed they are set down by the owners them-
selves at only 91 knots, arid no vessels of the requisite
speed are at their disposal, yet the Government have
accepted the offer, and point in justification to the heavy
penalties which the contractors will incur by failure, and
not a penny id which is on any account to be remitted.
The Government may, as we have already said, by
those onerous conditions, have secured the public purse
against direct loss in paying a heavy subsidy for service
inefficiently performed, but the indirect loss that may
accrue from that inefficiency is altogether overlooked,
The contract may be sufficiently lucrative to make the
payment of penalties accord with the interests of the
cantractors ; but will those penalties be a sufficient emu-
liZtisation to the public for the losses, anxieties, and in-
couveniences which may result from an inefficient per-
formance of the service I The loss of a knot and a half
per bout will constitute a delay of six days in the arrival
of the mail at Suez or Melbourne, setting aside what-
ever other cause of delay may arise iu the shape 'of
monsoon and contrary winds. The penalty for six
days' delay will be 1,0501. ; it may suit the purpose of
the contractors to pay this sum, but the interests of the
public form a matter of much higher importance, and
these appear to have been entirely everlooked. Aud
then cones the qu-stion, what will Australia say ?
Later advices front the Isthmus, received by the Bal-
tic, state that a hostile feeling is springing up in the
minds of the New Grenadians towards the citizens of the
United States. The authorities at Panama have been se-
verely censured by the Government at Bogota for their
pusillanimity or- treachery in not suppressing the out-
break in April last before it became formidable, and they
are exceedingly angry and mortified at not being sus-
tained by the Government. Considerable excitement
prevails at Pancana on the subject, and manifests itself
among all classes of toe people. It is difficult to say what
tne issue a ill be, but it is not likely to interfere inju-
rieusly with the interacts of the railway, the neutrality of
the Isthmus being guaranteed by treaty. The American
Gaveretnent is now sending out supplies for the Pacific
squadron by the railway, and the present appearances
indicate that this route will soon take the place of the
Cape Horn Foote entirely, so far as the Government is
concerned. Nothing has yet been d,,ne towards esta•
Wishing& regular line of steamers for freighting purp ,ses •
from Panama northward, though there is a capital field
fur commercial enterprise in that direction. The railway
company has despatched two vessels from Liverpool to
Aspinwall, and are now loading the third ; but this is not
the province of the company, and if any respectable
Liverpool firm would despatch vessels with any degree
of regularity they would be certain to find the speculation
a remunerative one.—Liverpool Albion.

NEW PROCESS OP ST! REOTYPIIVG.

-THE .SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY

LAW INTELLIaENCF.—Ang. 4.

VICE•CHANCELLORS' COURTS.
(Before Vice. Chancellor Kindersley.)

GAY V. PICCO, " THE BLIND SARDINIAN MINSTREL."
Mr. Denney (instructed by Mr. Hutchinson) of Bar-
nard's-inn) moved, on behalf of the plaintiff, Mr. John
Gay, of Hart-street, Bloomsbury-square, for an injunc-
tion tolrestrain the defendant, Joseph Picchi, otherwise
Picco, "the Blind Sardinian Minstrel" (whose recent
wonderful performances on the whistle have caused con-
siderable sensation in London), from performing at any