The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-30 00:00:00

THE MAURITIUS.

We have files of papers from Port Louis to the
25th of September. We extract the following from
the Overland Commercial Gazette of that date :
" The principal event of the past fortnight has been the
dinner given to the Governor and Admiral Grey by the
planters of the united districts of Pamplemousses and
Riviere du Rempart on the 16th instant. This is
the first time his Excellency has been in the country dis-
tricts, and he must have been gratified with the reception
he met with, at the same time nothing could have been
more gratifying to the planters then the appreciation of
their hospitality by their two distinguished guests. The
dinner was given at Labnurdonnais, the well-known estate
of the Hon. C. Wiehe, and his Excellency the Governor, in
a remarkable address in reply to his health, took occasion to
pass in review the contemplated changes in the system of
immigration. It will strike every one that, while there is
an anxious desire to render the employer less at the mercy
of the labourer than he is at present, the interest of the im-
migrant is not forgotten, and by the system his Excellency
proposes to introduce, combined with other improvements,
these new inhabitants are likely to become better :citizens
than they
,are at present, as they will be brought more under
Ethe influence of civilised habits, instead of being left to in-
crease and multiply like plants in an ' unweeded garden.'
" While we are on the subject of improvements which
have emanated from our present Governor, we must not
forget that the comprehensive andpractical observations con-
tained in his minute to the Chamber of Commerce on steam
communication, now that the subject has again come before
the Imperial Government, have not been lost sight of by the
Lords of the Admiralty in their arrangements for the
service to Australia ; and if we are fortunate enough to
...obtain a service which will connect us with Australia as ,
well as Europe (and hereafter nb- Cape) not a little ',will
be due to the able advotacy of that project by his
Excellency. We said at the time that the minute of
,his. Excellency and the report of the Chamber of Com-
merce were as seed sown which in time must bring forth
fruit. The time is come quicker than we expected, owing
to circumstances which, however unfortunate for the Aus-
tralian Company, are full of promise for us. We cannot
help referring to certain passages in the Governor's minute
which, although considered by . some persons out of the

colony as somewhat partial as regards Mauritius, are now
being admitted as the impartial truth. It was the informa,,
tion it contained that was required coming from so high an
authority which has been a heavy weight in the balance in
our favour :
" Looking at the 'geographical position of Mauritius.
said his Excellency, there is no doubt that it must soon be
acknowledged to be the convenient centre of two most im-
portant lines of European communication, one from Aus-
tralia and the other from the Cape via Aden and Suez. The
disclosures which were made in London in 1856, when
different routes from those countries were under investiga-
tion, amply prove the superiority of this island, as one of
paramount importance.
" Again ;
" Once make Mauritius an attractive centre and medium
of communication, the continuing prosperity of this little
island must be permanently and inevitably insured. And
now that the opportunity offers, advantage must be taken
of it with broad, slid-bold views; and the enterprise must
be undertakon-and accomplished with as much courage as
is consistent ewith circumspection and security.'
" The opportunity only offered as far as our contract

was concerned, and it required a circumstance like that

which has lately occurred to completely open the question
to the Imperial Government. The Australian Company have
now been compelled to give up the contract of the monthly
service via Ceylon, and since it has been carried on for the
time by the West India Mail Company no better result has
been obtained. On the 28th July the steamer Victoria, due
sth July, had not reached Melbourne ; and the new steamer
Australasian was obliged to put back to Trincomalee after
leaving Galle for Australia on the 21st of August. This
fine large steamer cannot be repaired at Galle ; she could
have been docked and repaired here and made ready for the
next voyage, as a prudent company would have had a spare
vessel ready to replace her. She will now have to go to
Calcutta, and the July mail will be lost to the Australians,
as it will only be received by the steamer Columbian, with
the August mail. This accident, added to others, confirms
the opinion already formed, that it is impossible to perform
a voyage of 19,000 miles with one vessel, that a sttaion is
necessary between Australia and Suez, where steamers of
any size can be repaired, and that if the boisterous weather
can be avoided without prolonging the distance, greater re-
gularity will be attained. Mauritius appears to us as if
placed on the middle of the Indian Ocean as if expressly for
the purpose. But, independent of the geographical position,
this island enjoys as a station, independent of the ad-
vantages it enjoys of offering means of repairing vessels
which no port possesses in these seas, our commercial rela-
tions with Australia are now become important. 30,000
lons, or more than one-frrth of the present crop, the
largest ever made, will be despatched to the Australian
colonies, and New Zealand is also becoming a customer. A
branch of a Melbourne Marine Insurance Company is esta-
blished here (the Victoria Fire and Marine Insurance Com-

pany), and a branch of the National Bank of Australia is
also about to be opened. The next step is that which we
are about to reach—viz., a direct, regular, and prompt com-
munication by steam with those colonies. We have said
nothing of our future .consumption of the products of Aus-
tralia.

"Her Majesty's ship Boscowen, with Admiral and Lady
Grey on board, left on the 13th inst., after having partaken
of the hospitality .of the inhabitants, and freely offered that
of the Boscowen. A brilliant ball was given on board that
vessel, which was well attended, as such fetes are rare here ;
the Boscowen being a much larger vessel than the ships of
war that usually come to this port.

Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston are receiv-
ing visitors at Broadlands. The Right Hon. Sir Jlamilton
Seymour, Mr. and Lady Margaret Beaumont, Mrs. Lane
Fox, the Hon. F. Byng, Adm. the Hon. F. W. and Mrs.
Grey, the Hon. Mr. and Mrs. W. Cowper, Viscountess
Jocelyn, Mr. Chichester Fortescue, M.P., and Mr. A.
Seymour, are among their guests.
Lord and Lady Willoughby de Eresby, who
arrived a few days since at Grimsthorpe, Lincolnshire, from
Drummond Castle, Perthshire, are expected in town to-day.
The noble lord and lady contemplate passing the approach-
ing winter at Torquay.
Lord and Lady Cranworth have left town for
Holwood Park, Bromley, Kent.
Lady Farnham has left' Claridge's Hotel for
Farnham, county Cavan.
The Right Hon. J. W. Henley left London yes-
terday for Brighton.
MINES.—The reaction in the Mining Market
would appear to have commenced. in earnest ; and the busi-
ness transactions of the past week have been to a very
large amount in almost every description of . stock. It is
also satisfactory to notice that speculating for the account,
"upon which we animadverted a few months ago, and the
evil effects of which were so disastrous to the market, has
alraost disappeared ; and the business now dol. is • doing IA vOna
fteo piirclaaes for cash,"—Mining Immo,