The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-04 00:00:00

!THE AUSTRALIAN MAIL SEkPICE.

(Ffrom the Australian. and New Zealand Gazette)
e have been favowed with the following infor-
m tion_with respect to the Australian steam pustal
setvice via Strez
At a meeting of th-e committee of the General A4qo•
ei4tioi, fur the s, bald on Deo. 10, the
re,oluti n, were ag. cal :
r • 1. T.,a; for the Efficient per:ormance of the postal
service betwt en Suez and Melbourne six first class steam
Alps are required, of 2,200 tons bard n at least, and to
beicar,ble of p,rforruittg, when tested for speed, noL less
tbkn 12 knots p.'r hour.
•

!" 2. Dia" for the perforiparret of the postal service
between Southampton and Alexandria three first class
stdamshipo, l'f not les4 than 1,250 tons, cud capable of
still greater opted than • he preceding, are required.
3 That, nndei sianditig the European and Austra-

grin R a 1 Mail C. bav, joint d the Royal Mail Steam.
packet Co., and that the contract entered into by the fn..
nu jr for carrying the Australian mails is to be performed
with the combined resources of both companies, a d. pu.
tr4ion from this association shall seek an interview with
the directot,: of the said companies, and ascertain from
them whether they ate prepared to carry on the contract
in compliance with the foregoing

" 4 That, in the event of a sufficumt guarantee being
given that these c nditions will be faithfully complied
wito, and that no reasonab!e expense bo spar.:4 to secure
the efficient perforwance of the contract, this association
will write to the Governments of the various Australian
col )oies, recommending them to take no steps on account

lofipast negiect to terminate the exiting contract.
'"'s That the bor. secretary st-nd a copy of these
reigolutions to the chairman and directors of the Royal
.4ail. Steam-packet Company, requesting them to ap-
Fliint a day to receive the deputation.
_ . .
'‘ ' W.-C. WENTWORTS, ChaTrman.
! "'JAMES A. Yuua Hon. Sec.'"
'The commltee received a reply from the secre-
tdry of the Royal Mail Company, stAing that the
directors would he, haply to receive the deputation
o 4 the Ist in .t. ; and, aococelingly, on Vrniity the
tlowing g:n 1-men—Mr. W. C. Wentworth, Sir
C Nicn ko
o!soti, Ar. W. Wesrtii, Mr. E. Ste-
r ens, fir.. J. A. Yon', Mr. A. L. Eider, Mr.
T bias, Mr. H. G. Ashurst, and Mr. F. A. Du
O—hail an interview with the board. After
i
some conversation, in tho course of which the di-
r3ntors gave a most explicit a.surance that they
the
would
vv 'hid t‘xeit ttermsetres to the utmost to carry out
th service in an efficient manner", worthy of the
tv:legstrii-ta:datnhdatr, iassinegoeimnpae ortanov of
b e fivebe.
en the mot ter country and Australia, they
t
possible,
there
ships placed on the gal ion between Suez and Ans-
troA—viz., the Victoria, Australasian, European,
Cdlombian, and Emen. The Victoria was taken
uri some time since to convey troops to India, and
thp Australasian has only recently left on the
sable service. Both of these vesela will imme-
diately on their being released from the Govern-
ment service be placed on the line between Suez
aid Melbourne. 'The directors, however, stated that
thby intended to place six boats on the line, as they
felt that number to be absolutely necessary for the
efficient execution of the service.
___

',We also understand that the committee of the
General Association intend to recommend to the
Legislatures of the various colonies the continuance
of the contract to the Royal Mail Company. We
trust that we may therefore congratulate our readers,
and all interested in our Australian colonies, upon
the pleasing prospect that the service will at length
bo placed upon a satisfactory footing. A very slight
consideration will show that the delays and disap-
pointments which have occurred with such singular
ill-fortune have arisen from an attempt upon the
part of the original acceptors of the contract to exe-
cute a difficult and complex service too hastily be-
fore the line could be efficiently organised and the
proper arrangements made. We therefore hope that
under the new regime these steps will be at once
taken, and then we shall have very little doubt of
the success of the Overland route.

FIRE AT ROTIIERHITLIE-DEST.RUC7ION OF
GOVERVM ENT BOATS AND OTHR.R PRO-
PEATY.

A very destructive fire happened yesterday (Sun-
day) mot 'ling, in the premises belonging to Mr. J.
Thu wpon, government ship builder, Horseferry-
stairs nothethithe. The property in question
stretched from the land side to the edge of the
river Thames, nearly 200 feet ; it was two stories
high, nearly 60 feet wide, and contained not fewer
than 16 large boats, built for the British Govern-
ment, and a great amount of ships' stores,
whdst piles of timber were stored in the open yard.
Adjoining this, on the south side, stood the private.
re,idence of C +pt. Smith, the superintendent of
the works, winch was several floors high. Between
these buildings was the thoroughfare leading to
the Thames, termed the Bot seferry, and on the
east side were the premises of Mr. Geo. Marshall,
shipowner and merchant, and within a few feet
were the premises belonging to Mr. G. Thomas, a
shipwright.

About two o'clock yesterday morning police-con-
stable No. 174 of the M division, whilst proceed-
ing along his boat, noticed an unusual body of
smoke proceeding from about the centre of the
boat-builiting houses of Mr. Thompson. At that
time no fire was perceptible ; but the smr ke hover-
ing so long over the roofs, convinced him that the
interior of the main building was in flames ; and,
without delay, he gave an alarm, and sent off for
the necessary attendance of engines and firemen
belonging to the neighbourhood, but before even
thos,i situated vnt,lin a mile on the laud side, or the
steam-float at Rotherhittle had time to get on the
way, the fire rushed forth from every window and
loophole in Mr. Thompson's factory ; and by the
time the engines arrived, .pile after pile of timber
and vessels, together with a dwelling-house stand-
I ing on the ground, became completely enveloped in
flame. The firemen, under the personal directions
of Mr. Braidwood, the superintendent ; Mr. Hen-
, derson, the chief officer of the D motion ; Mr. Rol-
loway, the engineer ; and Mr. Connorton, of the
Westains o
l a
Kentnci CompanyOffiee' noten t
ytioelwdiog
orka;nybuwtattehre,
n
the gratings of the sewers were pulled
up, and the
hose of the engines were dropped
mains
ff
theE g
through the aper-
tures, and by that expedient the laud engines were
fed with water, whilst the two powerful steam-floats
kept pouring many thousand tons' weight of water
per minute on the flames ; but the fire .could not be
entirely extinguished for six hours. The origin cf
the fire is not known.
The following is the official list of damages :
" Mr. J. Thompson, ship boat builder, Hot seferry-
stairs, Rotherbithe. Two timber buildings, of two
stories high, about 150 feet deep, destroyed and
contents consumed. The stock of tim tier and boats,
some finished and some partly so, very severely
damaged. The windows in dwelling-house burned
and pulled out ; rest of building and furniture
damaged by fire, Rat r, and removal. The build-
ings and their contents were not insured, but the
fund' urn Vi a insured in the County Fire-office.
' Mr. G. Thorn:is, iu the same pla..x?, shipwright.
Timber 'libiing, 70 feet, destroyed. Insured in the
Sun Fire-office. Ditto ditto, Capt. h (private).
Toe side ai.cl front windows and roe.f considerably
damaged by fire, sad furniture by water and re-
moval. Ditto ditto, Mr. George Marshall, ship-
owner and merchant ; the old stores partially de •
stroyed. Insured in the Imperial Fire-office. The
fire was extinguished by the engines and firemen of
the brigade, &c., namely ; the two steam-floats,
four engines of D, one of A, two of B, and that of,
the West cf England office."

SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY, EXETEMHALL...._raydrt 'el
' Crt atiOU" is to be performed on Friday next, the Bth
of Janua, when Mr. Sims Reeves will 'Dias big first
appearancery this season, together with Miss Louisa Vining
and Mr. Santley.