The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-06-25

The New stsa aaship Lines OF tho Pacinc-
Their Important Bearing Upon thu
Future.
BY late advices from Panama we learn tina.
the drst steamer Of the new line between Pana
ma and Australia, via New Zealand, will leave
the former port on the Gath instant for Auck-
land, to be followed monthly thereafter by a
vessel Of tae same class, thus shortening the
distance between England and Australia eight
days over the old route by way of the Isthmus
Of Suez.
The importance Of this line cannot now be
properly estimated that it is destined to grow,
and that rapidly, is certainty; for. not only
will II facilitate travel from Europe and the
United States but it will in very short time
be the means of developing the worth of the
numerous islands Of the South Pacific Ocean,
which heretofore have remained in the dark,
from the fact that they were shut out from
direct communication with civilization. 1t was
thought when the line was first prop osed that
Tahiti would be the stopping point, but the
miserable pittance of one hundred thousand
francs per annum, offered by the French gov
eminent, was not worthy Of consideration
when delay Of two days at least would be
ocoasioned by having to make that island
halfway house. This difficulty will soon be
overcome, however for the French government
cannot fail to see the importance Of having their
settlement in the Pacific placed in close com
munication with the rest of the world; and this
once accomplished it will not be long before
the other islands will become points of import
ance and the possibility Of making them valu-
able be seriously looked into.
The opening of this line is the Hrst serious
attempt TO have steam route across the South
Pacific. That Its Importance to commerce has
never before been discovered is strange;
for how the time could be shortened and the
passenger and freight business of the route
made remunerative would easily have been
seen had the matter received the attention it
justly deserved. Heretofore the British mails
to Australia, via the Isthmus Of Suez, have al
ways been irregular. Now they will be car
ried with the same punctuality as on other well
regulated sea routes, and the rates of freight
will be such as TO send across the Isthmus Of
Panama that which has until now been shipped
by sailing vessels from England and the United
States around the Cape Of Good Hope. Yam
kee energy and enterprise, although not inte-
rested in this new line, will be sure to profit
by 1t in the end, and we look with great conf
denoe to the time when our own steamers will
be trading between the islands Of the South
Pacific, where now only q solitary whaleman
or trading vessel appears, and our people be
located and carrying on business where now
only the savage and cannibal are to be found.
Tnis must be the ultimate result, and that it
will.come to pass in q few years we have not
the least doubt
Together with the South Pacific line we have
the new route between San Francisco, Japan
and China. which goes into operation on the
first of the coming year, and for which the Pa
ci6c Mail Steamship Company is building soma
Of the largest, most powerful and best fitted
steamships the world has ever seen. It is un-
derstood that the Sandwich Islands will BIO
called at by these steamers thus will the
North Pacific be traversed by feet OF ocean
steamships unsurpassed, and very much Of the
products Of China and Japan, that now take the
tedious route around the Cape of Good Hope to
New York, will find their way to the latter port
via San Francisco and the Isthmus Of Panama.
These two important lines arc but beginning;
they will soon cause others to spring,up, until,
within few years at the most, San Francisco
will become the great commercial centre, at
which q feet Of steamships will concentrate
from all parts OF the Pacific Ocean, and her
wharves will present an appearance scarcely
behind those Of New York. We look for the
most important results from the Inauguration
Of these two lipes, not only In commercial
point Of view, but as important assistants in
bringing within the pale of civilization those
parts Of the world that remain as yet almost in
q condition Of barbarism. There Is no telling
the amount Of good they will do, and we shall
hail with great pleasure the coming OF the day
that will enable us to publish the news from
Australia, China and Japan by the new routes,
for 1t will mark an important era in the pro-
gressive spirit Of the world
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DsrALcATroS AT acknowledgement iye
Washburne, Of Illinois, on Saturday last pre-
sented TO the House the facts relative TO the