SIR HENRY BARKLY ON POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS.

Press, Volume IV, Issue 472, 4 May 1864, Page 3

SIR HENRY BARKLY ON POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS.

(From the S. A. Register!) By the brig Zista wo hare received Mauritius papers to 13th February. On the 12th of that month Sir Henry Barkly submitted two important minutes to tie consideration of the Legislative Council, having ■ inference to the ocean postal arrangements and to the prevalence of vagrancy in the island. We give the former entire: — - H In submitting for the consideration of the Legislative Council a despatch from the Colonial-office, covering copies of a correspondence which has re•ulted in an offer from the Peninsular and Oriental Company to continue the contract for the postal service between Mauritius and Suez, on payment of £6,000 per annum in addition to the present subiidy, from the date at which the contribution of £12,000 per annum now paid by the Reunion Government sliall be withdrawn, I am enabled to supplement this information by a communication from Hα , Majesty's Consul in that island, ■bowing that that withdrawal will not take place earlier than the Ist of next July. Aβ the existing contract with the Peninsular and Oriental Company for five years certain is terminable after tho Bth proximo by a year's BOtice given at any time on either side, the opportunity appears a favorable oue for reviewing the whole question of postal communication beyond set, In the arrangements for this purpose, four principal objects ought, it strikes mc, to be kept in view, in the following order :—First, the swiftest means of transit for mails and —if attainable at no greatly increased expenditure —passengers to and from Europe. Second, frequent and regular communication with Jnriia. Third, the same with Australia. Fourth, and with the Cape of Good Hope. The first three objects appear on the whole to have been tolerably well secured during the hut five years, at a cost to - (lie colony of £30,000 per annum by the contract ■till in force. This cost will be raised to 36,000 if the offer now under reference bo accepted ; a serious no doubt, compared with the extent of our fnmnMid resources. At the same time, it must not be lost sight of that, if the arrangement with the Peninsular and Oriental Company is maintained, the opportunities of communication with Europe and with the East will be doubled on tho establishment of (he Reunion Branch of the Messageries Imperiales '—presuming as we are entitled to do, that the times d mini and departure are fixed for alternate fort- ■ Hits, and that mutual facilities are afforded to the poUicby the two boards of management. Even in this view, it may be felt that £6,000 is a very Urge annual addition to the already heavy outlay of this colony for its postal service. The Council will . remember however, that it was prepared a few y«m ago to incur an outlay of £8,000 beyond the £24,000 then paid for the conveyance of the niailg to Aden, on condition of the steamers going on to Suez, so that the comparative augmentation would be really but £4,000. It is, moreover, open to consideration whether the service which this extra £8,000 was designed to cover, is aa essential as formerly, now that besides the line from Gallo directly connected with our own service, a weekly steamer from Bombay, as well as two steamers of the Messageries Imperialea, each month will call at Aden on their way to Suez. At any rate, it can scarcely be regarded is a point of such vital importance as to justify abandonment of the contract oa the score of economy, instead of curtailment of this portion of our expenditure. If, therefore, the board have any hesitation in placing at the disposal of the Imperial Government the increased annual subsidy demanded by the Peninsular and Oriental Company for the continuance of the service on its present footing, I recommend that I be authorised to propose payment of the same subsidy as heretofore, on the understanding that the stipulation for the steamers going beyond Aden be cancelled. The company cannot with consistency object to revert to the former system for they eoneeeded the extension as tho greatest possible favor to the colony, estimating the cost of the coals alone at £12,000, and basing on that estimate their first demand of £13,000 per annum. Should they, however, decline the offer, or, further rtill, refuse to be bouud by more stringent conditions than those of the existing contract, to - perform the service regularly with boats of adequate power and capacity, I feel confident other companies would be found willing to tender on even more favorable terms. In proof of this, I beg to lay over a letter sent in by Messrs. James Hurst, jun., and Cα, of this city, on behalf of certain parties in London. It is quite possible that until the requisite fleet of steamers could be got together, the necessary - - establishment organised, and sufficient experience twined of the nature of the service, no little inconvenience might occur to the public from the change. Soch at least has generally been found the case on •toting new undertakings of the sort. But on the other hand, it must not be forgotten that though, eader the contract with the Peninsular and Oriental Company, the homeward mails have been, with rare . exceptions, punctually dispatched from hence, the outward have on an average reached us three days fcluadtime, as more particularly dwelt on in a memorial recently presented to mc by the Chamber of Commerce, of which, and of the reply thereto, I think it right to annex copies. Having thus recommended **>»* appears to mc the best course under the circuni•taares, and suggested the alternatives which, failing «t»migr t be adopted, it may be well for mc to point out **** a prospect exists of a more satisfactory solution of ti» question than any yet alluded to, in the projected ••Wißehment of a second monthly linio of steam - lestal communication between England and

Australia. It is known that enquiries as to the cost of such an additional service were about a year ago addressed by the Imperial Government to tha Peninsular and Oriental Company: who, in reply. named so moderate a sum that the principal colonies concerned were prepared at once to acquiesce in the arrangement. The Lords of the Treasury, however, object to enter into any engagement for their quota of the subsidy, unless the rates of postage to Australia be raised, and the scheme remains consequently in abeyance for the present. Should it be resolved to carry it into execution, I apprehend that it would meet the views of the Australian colonists if the intermediate mail were despatched to and from Aden via Mauritius, thus restoring the direct communication with this island which they formerly enjoyed, without as before interfering with their still more important correspondence with India and China, the postal requirements of which would be met by the mail via Galle every alternate fortnight. To our daily increasing trade with Australia such a proposal would be of grc»t advantage, nor does it appear | probable that serious opposition would be offered to it by the Peninsular and Oriental Company, if it were put forward by the home authorities with the concurrence of all parties — for Port Louis is far more safe and commodious as a station for their steamers than the already overcrowded harbor of Galle, and the voyage hence to Sing George's Sound and back can be made at all seasons —as they may easily ascertan by appealing to their most experienced commanders —quicker and with less expenditure of coal, than against the adverse trade winds and monsoons which have so constantly to bo encountered in the present passage. It only remains to allude to the fourth desideratum of postal facilities in connexion with the Cape of Good Hope—a matter of growing importance not only in itself, but as opening up the means of independent communication with England on the one side and India on the other, through lines of steamers playing or about to ply by that route. The sanction of this Council was obtained some months ago to the payment of of £3,000 per annum on certain conditions to the Union Steamship Company towards the expense of a monthly service, via the Red Sea, to Mauritius, Natal, and Cape Town, but no olHcial intimation has yet been received that the design has been matured or is likely to be executed. I could have wished that it included a branch from hence to Galle, for our postal system can never be considered complete until that link in the chain of intercourse has been supplied by some means or other. Its importance will be more strongly felt than ever when the submarine cable—the last portion of which left our shores this week—shall have been laid across the Perisian Gulf to Kurrach cc and the telegraphic circuit between Europe and India thus completed. The accomplishment of that object will enable us to obtain intelligence by the wires at least v week earlier by way of Galle than by way of Suez, and I trust that no difficulty will be experienced in arranging with one of the Indian steam companies trading round the Cape for a participation in this boon on very moderate terms. "Hjstkt Bakkit."