THE PANAMA MAIL SERVICE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3515, 21 October 1868, Page 3

THE PANAMA MAIL SERVICE.

The Wellington newspapers are very indignant at the idea of losing the Panama service. The Independent of the Bth has the following :—" The question whether the Panama mail service is to be continued ha«, since the arrival of Captains Hall and Blanc, been excitiog some discussion here. The Panama Uompauy have lost heavily by the contract-, and would have no objection to cancel it provided that they could secure a quid pro quo for doing so. New South Wales does not at present reap those advantages from the bervice, postal and commercial, which she anticipated sha would do, and would get out of the arraugpment if she could. The N w Zealand Governmeut is hard-pressed for inoDey, and disposed to think that the Panama service is a luxury that the colony might dispense with. Under these adverse circumstances there it great danger kat one of the moat important enterprUes irhioh

have been undertaken of late years,and in thesuccesi of which this colony is more especially interested, will be abandoned. There is no use in disguising this ugly fact, and the best thing that Wellington can do will be to look at it boldly in the face. There is no doubt that the Panama Company have up to the present time been great losers by the undertaking ; there is no doubt that as a mere postal service Sydney has not at present reaped those advantages which she fondly expected from it ; and there is no doubt that New Zealand at the present moment can ill afford the large subsidy which she has annually to contribute. We must, however, protest most strongly against any proceedings intended to alter, disturb, or annul the existing contract. As a passenger line the Panama service is fast becomiug what its warmest supported led the public to anticipate. Nor are the commercial advantages which New Zealand and Australia enjoy from closer and more speedy communication with South America and the Uuited States, by means of this service, to be underrated. In both those respects the service promises to be productive of the beneficial results wbich were predicted from its establishment. As a postal service it is of great benefit to this colony, and every year it will become more so. New South Wales cannot withdraw from the contract without the assent of New Zealand, and we feel quite Rure that neither will willingly consent to give any compensation to the company for cancelling a contract which, if they are such heavy losers under it as they lepresent, they would gladly cancel without any compensation at all. The company deserve great credit for the enterprise they have exhibited in establishing the service in to efficient a manner, but they will show a lamentable want of it if they abandon an undertaking at the very time there exists every prospect of its proving successful. As for the General Government con* sentiog to cancel the contract, or giving compensation to get this accomplished, the thing is not to be thought of. It would be well if our Chamber o£ Commerce— if Buch a body sull exist* —^poke out on this matter."