New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-30
STEAM on THE PACIFIC.

EXTENSION OF AMERICAN COMMERCE.
PROPOSED NEW STEAM LINE FROM SAN FRANCISCO
10 NEw-ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA, CONNECTING
WITH THE HAWAIIAN. NAVIGATOR. NEw-CALEDo-
MAN, AND FIJIAN IsLANDS-THE BRITISH AND
AMERICAN INTERESTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CONSIDERATIONS FROM A NATIONAL POINT OF
VIEW.
fPRox AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or THE TRmUNEl
LONDON, Oct. 1G-A matter which in its i'm
portan bearings upon American interests is OF consider
able consequence has just been under consideration in
high official circles here. allude TO the establishment
Of steam communication between San Francisco and
New-Z ,aland and Australia, connecting with the
Hawaiian Navigator, NewCaledonan, and FDian
Islands. representatives from NewZeaiand and from
tho colony Of New South Wales, OF which the city OF
sydney is the capital been here for the past two
months consulting Lord Kimberley the British Minis
ter who has charge OF Colonial affairs, and
otherwise negotiating for four weekly steam
mail service on the route Indicated. The whOIe
question of mail communication between England ana
her wealthy possessions Australia has recently been
the subject Of bitter controversy among the different
colonies The Western Colonies, with the City Of Mel
bourne at their head captured the suez route that 10 to
say they entered into contract with the great PENN
sular and Oriental Steamship Company which has a
virtual monopoly or that route, ami excluded from It's
advantages New South Wales and the Eastern Colonies
This left the latter alternative but to open the route
via San Francisco, which possesses for them several
important advantages enjoyed by the Red Sea chan
mel Of communication, in that 1t is tar peasanter TO
travel is shorter and what is important, it
opens arid the innumerable and beautiful Islands OF
the South Pacific promising fields for the extension OF
commercial enterprise Moreover 1t Is seen that the
control OF the steam line lines which occupy this
route will largely carry with it the control Of the
vast trade that will surely spring up.
Hence the visit OF the gentlemen aforesaid to this
country for the purpose Of perfectDg their plans The
question as TO whether the line should be American or
English was the which presented the greatest
difficulty II at the outset that America occu-
pied strong position in regard to the matter aud there
WAS every reason to suppose that she intended firmly
70 assert ANY claims that position gave her President
Grant had recommended the subject TO the consider
alton OF Congress. PostmastcrGeneral Creswell ana
Secretary OF the Navy Robson in their last annual re-
ports point ont the manifest interest Of the United
states in that direction and the subject was favoraby
reported upon by the Committee upon Post Roads
Then the primary object of the coonsts Is the trans
,nisson OF their English monthly mails, and as, OF
eourse that object cannot be attained without the as
distance OF the United States Government and that OF the
Trauscontinontal railroads. it is obvious that the Amer-
can interest In the question could not DO altogether i
pored here although, as the sequel VIII snow, IL 10 tDe
| end met with very sc1ryy treatment
NJ, T'hos Russell the Commissioner from SewZea
land very strongly favored the line being an American
ono He made the trip across by the Pacific Kali
road-an advantage not enjoyed by his colleague from
! New South wsles. While In America Mr. Russell be-
came 40 convinced that the line should he operated In
America that he entered into conditional contract
with Gen A. T. Burnside aud bis associates for II knot
service TO performed by Amercanbuiit IRON propci-
lers specially ventilated this 1ne-weather route
The sole condition thai remained On doubt was that the
contract should be approved in London by the repre-
| sentative Of New South Wales This approval Mr.
Russell has done his in good faith 20 obtain but
without success II turned that the Prime Minister
Of New south Wales hr Parkes was In league with an
English Steamship Company, aud Woald near OF none
other Strangely enough. this Company is Just now
represcnted Ia Iondon'by an agent who sgns himself
"H H. Hall, United states Consul at Sydney IL tne
! gentleman really holds that Office. which 90
strongly entails upon him the duty OF et.enu
| Ing the influence Of tho United states nas
II Is 90 say least, extraordinary that he should De 10
far away from tue scene OF his Official duties engaged az
the principal instrument In subordnatng his country
flag 20 thar Of the British II would as Secretary
Fshs official eve may well be directed toward this gen
teman 1t is certain. # AL English Consai were 10 ACT