The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-06 00:00:00

NEW SOUTH WALES.

The following is from the Sydney 21forning flerald
of Feb. 11 :

The principal questions which have occupied the
Legislative Council have been the Bigamy Bill.
which the mover (Mr: Johnson) withdrew for six
months, in preference to submitting to an amend:
ment requiring'corroborative testimony of the wife's
evidence to be given in such cases. This bill,there-
fore, containing as it did a most important change
in the law, stands over for the session.

The Steam Postal question has lengthily oc-
cupied the attention of both houses. The
result appears to be . that both houses are
dissatisfied with the arrangements which have
been made binding at home, in respect to the route
per Suez, without any reference to the line via
Panama. Of course there has been some reference
to the offer of the colony in regard to the Panama
route, but great suspicions prevail that, if the con-
tracts as to the Suez route are as we understand
them, this colony is involved in an arrangement Of
expenditure which is far beyond any benefit re-
ceived, and which will probably prove injurious if
not fatal to the establishment of a line of postal
communication which could alone be beneficial to
us.

Resolutions, without repudiating the previous
offers of the Government, or any engagement made
under the. sanction of Parliament, but strongly,
conservative of the right of the house to enforce its
opinion- in favour of two lines, have passed both
houses. The inain political topic, however, which
has engaged attention has, been supply. Day by
day the estimates, which were to have been brought
down to the house in such a way that they could
not be disputed, but were to be passed in the lump,
have been discussed ; and, though ' comparatively
'few reductions have been made, they have been
made by the former warmest friends of the govern-
ment, and it is quite' plain that all confidence in
their economical ability or honesty is gone. It is
beyond doubt that, extend ed as the debates on
the estimates have been, were it not for the depar-
ture of some of the leading men of the opposition
party, the Cowper Bovernment could not be con-
tinued for one fortnight.
_ _

At a spebial general meeting of the Chamber of
Commerce on Tuesday, the subject of steam postal
communication was very fully discussed. It was
moved by Mr. Drury, "That it is the opinion of
this Chamber that the colony of New South Wales
ought not to stiliSidiSe any Contract for steam postal
communication which doeghot provide for the service
via Panama." After a lengthened discussion ,however,
the following amendment, proposed by. Mr. A. Camp-
bell , Was agreed to, "That this Chamber considers that
in the contract for a postal service re:::ently made
with the Peninsular and Oriental Company the
claims and interests of New. South Wales have been
overlooked to an extent which releases this colony
from any obligation to contribute towards its sup-
port, and that the wishes of this Chamber will best
be
.met by the establishing of aline of steam postal
communication between Sydney and Panama," it
was. also agreed to that the foregoing resolutions
should beternboclied in an address to be presented
to.tho chief secretary, requesting their considera-
tion by thri P4PPlltive government. This is a pretty
fair illustration of the feeling: which prevaijo in
commercial circles in reference to the mode in whioh
the home government has dealt with the interests
arid claims of New South Wales in the making of
the last contract. The only thing which, as it ap-
pears, will be likely to give satisfaction will be

the establishment of both lines; taking the gua-
rantee of New South Wales for the subsidy of the
Panama route, and that of Victoria for the subsidy
for the Suez route, leaving each colony to make the
best bargain it can with its neighbours.