THE HIWKE'S BAY HEEALD.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 2, Issue 65, 18 December 1858, Page 2

THE HIWKE'S BAY HEEALD.

Napier, Saturday, Dec. 18,1858.

THE MAIL STEAM CONTRACT.

The contract entered into by Mr. Sewell with Messrs. Pearson, Coleman, & Co., and which is now being carried out "by the steam fleet of that firm, has excited great dissatisfaction in the two chiei towns of the colony. Wellington grumbles at being placed in a position secondary to Nelson, while Auckland loudly complains of being forestalled both by Nelson and New Plymouth in the delivery of the English mails. A third complaining party is now in the field — the province of Hawke's Bay. Unlike the others, it attaches no blame in the matter to Mr. Sewell, for its existence was scarcely known at the date of that gentleman's departure for England — its growth has been so unprecedentedly rapid, that the necessity for including it in any scheme of steam communication could by no human foresight have been anticipated. But although infantine in years, yet in commercial status it has reached the vigour of youth, and bids fair to attain the maturity of manhood. And, apart from its commercial position, — as one of the provinces of New Zealand, even although the youngest, it puts forth its claim — we think not unreasonably-^to a share of those great benefits that result from an organized steam communication.

The settlers of Hawke's Bay — feeling to the full extent the justice of those observations — will be glad to learn, on the authority of an Auckland newspaper, that a revision of the route is under the consideration of the General Government. The same journal (the Register} contains the following suggestions in this matter : —

If the plan, once contemplated, of having the steamers to start simultaneously from Sydney and Melbourne — the Sydney steamer proceeding round the North Cape to Auckland, Napier, Wellington, Nelson, New Plymouth, and thence to Melbourne ; the Melbourne steamer sailing for New Plymouth, Nelson, Wellington, Napier, Auckland, and thence to Sydney, the southern and inter-provincial com* munication being maintained by a steamer from Wellington to Lyttelton and' Otago; — if this system could be carried out, it would not only tend to remove New Zealand jealousies, but also to disarm those that exist between Melbourne and Sydney ; and, what is more, it would perfect the chain of inter-oolonial and inter-provincial steam communication.

This arrangement, howsoever it may suit the other provinces, would satisfy the just demands of Auckland, and would ensure to the new province a liberal quota of the advantages derivable from the /steam service. It would also, as our contemporary indicates, form a "belt" of steam around the northern island, which could not fail to exercise a material influence in opening up its territory and resources.