The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-09-26
From New South Wales.

The a. S. N. Co.'s s S. City of Melbourne, J. w.
Brown, Commander, arrived at this port on the 10th
inst. from Sydney Aug. 30, via Kandavu the quick
est time yet reported. After taking on board a few
tons of freight and a number of passengers, she
sailed for San Francisco at l A. NJ, on Thursday
morning.
We quote paragraphs of interest from the Sydney
Morning Herald of the 18th
Since the departure of the last mail steamer by
the Pacific route, the organization of the Mail
Service has undergone an important change. Mr..
Hall, the contractor, left by the MiEddO, but
without leaving any sufficient provision for the
continuation of the service. His attorney has full
powers, but was without the sinews of war. 1t has
since transpired that, owing to the unforeseen
expenses occasioned by casualties, the charter
money for the different vessels engaged has not
been punctually RENTED, and that the owners had
sent ont instructions to withdraw the vessels. The
contractors agent having been formally applied to
by the Government to know II he was in a position
to continue the service, and having admitted that
he was not, the Government undertook to supply
the omission itself, and has accordingly made a
special contract with the Australasian Steam Navi-
CATION Co. to carry the mails for the present trip.
The service, therefore, may be considered as in q
transition state the contract previously existing is
in suspense, but it may not have been absolutely
terminated. The Government has confined itself,
for the present, to a temporary arrangement for
two reasons,--Grst, because New Zealand is equally
with itself n party to the contract, and New Zeal
and is not represented in Sydney by any one with
whom the Government could take counsel, nor is
there at present a telegTaphic line to that colony
that would enable the Government to be oOmmuni-
Gated with directly. Mr.. Vogel has been appealed
to send up q plenipotentiary, and has promised to
do so. Under circumstances the Government of
New South Wales has acted to the best of its judg-
ment in the interest of both parties, but at the
same time has done only what was necessary,
pending communications by letter with the Gov
eminent of New Zealand. Another cause that
operates to keep the service in a temporary condi-
ton is the fact that it is at present unknown how
far the English capitalists, who are parties to the
permanent contract, are DESTROYS of Vacating it,
and until their decision on that point is known no
fresh contract can be well entered into.
The misadventures which have befallen the ser
vice by the stranding of the lMdcgregOr and the
Tartar, are greatly to be lamented, but such acct
dents might happen to any service, and in fact they
happen to. most services. The opinion that prevails
in Sydney is that the English capitalists, who are
parties to the contract, have been unnecessarily
alarmed. and have done themselves a wrong by
backing out Of an enterprise which contains
within itself an abundant promise of a future
profit. 1t is thought that if they had been in full
possession of all the facts OF the case they would /
have seen that the anticipated loss incurred in the
first instance would be more than redeemed by
spirited persistence in the enterprise. The passen-
ger traffic that has already been diverted to the
new route has astonished every one, and it would
have continued to increase if the vessels had all
been adapted to the service, and the arrangements
for the comfort Of the passengers had been salts
factory. But the vessels having been hlrriedIy |
selected and brought on to the route, and having
been originally designed more for cargo than for
passenger trauc, IL was lmpOsSIoie 10 tDlDTOUtSe I
such accommodation as passengers are entitled to
expect. With vessels however adapted to the line,
and the organization of The line completed so as
to enable the voyages to be performed with reg1-
laTity, no such complaints would arise. By the
almost universal testimony OF those who have
taken the Pacific route, it is, in every way, prefera-
BILE to that by way Of Cape Horn. being both less
disagreeable and more interesting and as the flow
of passenger traffic to and fro between Europe, /
America and Australia. is annually increasing, the
trade. large as it is. has already shown that 1t must
steadily increase. 1t will be a matter of cOnsid-
cradle regre. if those gentlemen who took up this
contract should prematurely drop it and lose their
money. because we should desire that those who
come forward to carry out a contract on our
behalf should find a fair reward for their capital
and their enterprise. II, however. they withdraw,
the service itself will not lapse There are others
who have been watching its development with no
little interest, who are perfectly cognizant OF its
capabilities. and who are quite ready to accept its
responsibilities. So far as the Government of this I
colony is concerned, it has announced its resolu-
ton on no account whatever to allow the service
to lapse, and We have every reason to hope that
the. Government OF New Zealand will be equally
resolute. The local steam feet, with the assistance
OF such vessels now running in the Pacific service