The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-26 00:00:00

TRALIAN COLONIES.

On the motion for going into Committee of Supply,
Lord NAAS rose to move that an humble address be
presented to her Majesty, praying that she will be gra-
ciously pleased to order such measures to be taken
as will ensure the immediate establishment of re-
gular steam communication with her Australian colonies.
The Noble Lord proceeded to call the attention of the
House to the delay and uncertainty which arose in the
transmission of intelligence from the Australian colonies
to this country, and to the fact that the members of the
Government wet e frequently indebted to the colonial news-
papers for important information which reached this coun-
try before their own official dispatches from those colonies.
During last year on one occasion four or five months
had elapsed without any communication between this
country and the Australian colonies. In the year
1847 the average length of the passage
was 121 days, and in 1848 it was 119 days.
From this it would bo seen that the ordinary time for
conveying letters and communications from this country
to Sydney varied from 120 to 130 days; but if the plan
which he was about to propose now were adopted, or some-
thing like it, the passage would be reduced to 70 days.
Three routes had been suggested for this steam commu-
nication. First, the western route by Panama, a dis-
stance of 13,600 miles; second, the southern route by the
Cape of Good llope, a distance of 13,630 miles; and,
thirdly, the eastern route by Singapore, a distance of
12,099 miles. The first route, however, although the
shortest, was objectionable on account of the want of
trade on the Pacific, and the difficult sea voyage
between Singapore and Australia. The second
route, in his opinion, was decidedly the
best, as it would include many intermediate
ports and places of importance, and would be the beat
adapted for the purposes of emigration. The third route
by Singapore would take in the present overland mail to
India, and it had this advantage over the others,
that it placed India in direct communication with
Australia ; but really fir his part, as the
sea part of the passage would have to be performed
by screw steamers, he could not see why both this
ad the Cape route could not be adopted together.
, and
Ihe Legislature of New South Wales had voted
some 6,0001. towards carrying out that scheme
of postal transmission between that country and
England, and calculated that the revenue
which would be derived from such transmission
would amount to 20,0001. Van Diemen's Land was also
ready to unite in the same object, in the full confi-
dence of the great benefit which would result to that
colony and the mother country, and so likewise in re-
spect of the other colonies. A quicker and more
regular communication with England, would prevent
the markets cf the colonies being overstocked
with commodities, which was one of the greatest
evils to which they could be subject. He thought
it quite clear that the greatest advantages would
result to this country as well as to the colonies, in
a commercial print of view, if the regular and rapid
steam communication which he proposed was estab-
lished.
Lord J. MANNERS seconded the motion.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
should be obliged to oppose the motion of the Noble
Lord, but he presumed his object had been effected in
calling the attention of the House to the subject. The
House was well aware that he was as desirous
as any one to effect a rapid and regular com-
munication with the colonies, and he only regretted
that he would not be able before the end of the session
to announce that some definite arrangement had been
made to accomplish that object. Last autumn tenders
had been called tor, giving the greatest latitude as to the
routes, the modes, and the means of effecting that com-
munication; and several were sent in. But the route
considered the most advantageous to this country, as well
as to the colonies, was that by the East Indies; because
not only would the communication sought for with the
colonies be by that means obtained, but the trade be-
tween the Australian colonies and the East Indies and
China would be also fostered and developed. This would
be a triple object effected, The offer made by the Pe-
ninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company on
the subject was so advantageous to the country and the
colonies, that he regretted exceedingly he was not able
to accept it. There was already a line of steam com-
munication in India in the hands of that company,
which he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) should call
the Calcutta line. This service was carried on under a
contract which would expire in two years. There was
another line in their hands also, which he should call the
Bombay line, which had been originally from Southamp-
ton to Bombay, but the Red Sea and Indian Ocean por-
tion of which had been discontinued, the East India Com-
pany performing now the service from Suez in their own
steamers. The payment for these services was 100,0001.
—the coat being about 110,0001.—0 f which sum half
was defrayed by the East India Company, the other
half being contributed by her Majesty's Government.
The offer of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navi-
gation Company was to the effect, that if the Bombay
line was conceded to them they would carry the heavy
mails, as they were termed, from Southampton by Alex-
andria to Suez and Bombay, thence to Singapore, where
it would branch one line to Hong-Kong and another to
include the whole of the Australian colonies. It then
proposed to establish a line of packets to Calcutta. The
whole to be performed for 105,000/. The present ar-
rangement, however, being made with the East India
assent. Company, no other
been
thercoiun communication could be emnatenrieodatioinntowiwitbthtobuatt
body
upon the subject since the beginning of the session; but
he was sorry to say they had declined to assent to the
arrangement proposed. The deputy chairman was in
the House, and he, no doubt, would state the reasons
which actuated them. At present there was great
inefficiency in the existing arrangements as re-
gardedltitni,idlndian
n toba thene v
ylndianthenecessity u
tm *
that was
O nwefaosr
epoeiifllyg up
refausalvawtlbajdos
argument. All through the correspondence which had
taken place, he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had
considered the interest of the India Company conjointly
with that of this country and the colonies. Ile had
proposed that the payments should be made two thirds
by her Majesty's Government, and one-third by the
India Company. The only other objection was, that to
P
give the service to the eninsular and Oriental
the
exi st Ninag-
vigation Company, would be
expiration
abletcraon icoen to effect an de a monopoly.
On that point, however, he reserved to himself the right
of dealing with the Calcutta line as he chose, when the
contract should expire. Ho could not sufficiently ex-
press
he his
hoped
regretth a
tthat
before he
thewa was n
ar-
rangement so aivantageous as that which was proposed;
h
contract the East India Company
reconsider their decision, and accept
this
Ile had done the best he could, and he would continue
to do so, to effect the object in view; if he sh9tild fail,