TELEGRAPH TO AUSTRALIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 645, 12 January 1859, Page 3

TELEGRAPH TO AUSTRALIA.

(From the "S. M. Herald.") Among the' minor papers printed during the present session was; one-containing a .petition,from Messrs. Brett and. Carmiohael, -. relative to the con. struction of a submarine telegraph between India

and Australia. It is rather an ungrammalical production, but the compilers perhaps have lost the art of expressing themselves, in continuous English from their incessant use of that incoherent congeries of-words known as a " telegram." The purport 6f their petition, however, is clear enough, notwithstanding tlioir utter disregard of the exhortations' dfLindley Murray. They wish, like the proprietor of; the patent pills, to caution the public against imposition. They hasten to inform the Colonial Government that theirs is the old original establishment, and that they; have no connection with the shop over the way. This petition of theirs has been called forth by the fact that a similar petition was presented last year by some other parties, who, being first in the field, have stolen a march on Messrs. Brett and Carmichael.

! These gentlemen claim to have been "individually and jointly the promoters and pioneers of oceanic telegraphs "—to have laid twelve hundred-miles of cable in European waters, as well as to have contributed to the'success of the Atlantic line. They assert that for some time past they have had their eyes on Australia, as is proved by correspondence to which they refer, and they offer, in consideration of; a joint guarantee from.-the Australian Governments of,five per cent, on the capital, to unite Australia with England. They are prepared to lay the cable either direct from Ceylon to Western Australia via Keding's Island, or by way of Singapore and Batavia. They give the preference to the latter line, as uniting the greater number of important places. ■ . .; i. „

; The colonists are hardly in a position to determine the relative merits of the rival claimants for the privilege of uniting India and Australia. The men and the systems are too little -known here for us to form a satisfactory opinion as to their worth. The old established firm may have the most experience, but ;the younger, parties majrbe in possession of newer and more improved processes. But though hardly competent to decide who is most trustworthy, the time has arrived when our Government Ought to take some decided steps to forward telegraphic enterprise, and not to leave it to the chapter of accidents.

There is no longer any reason for delay on the ground of doubts as to the practicability of the project. No such difficulties intervene as existed in the case of the Atlantic line. No such continuous length of cable is required. There are convenient stopping places all along the road. The execution of the project is a mere question of money; the difficulties are exclusively those of detail. It is not more certain that steam vessels can run from Suezito Sydney, than that a cable can be laid from Singapore to Australia.

i . Nor can the amount of capital necessary, or the difficulty of obtaining it, be regarded as an obstacle. Considered in relation to their convenience, telegraphs are not expensive luxuries. In fact, there is ;no modern invention which yields such wonderful results, for so small an outlay. Submarine cables are necessarily more expensive than overland wires, but even they cannot be charged with beingruinous in .their cost. Capital is abundant in England at the present time, and in the general distrust of speculative investment that has been caused by Jrecent failures arid mismanagement of joint-stock banks, there is a predisposition towards all investments that have a guaranteed dividend. The 'ocean telegraph companies which the Government , has already patronised, filled up their share lists directly they obtained a guarantee. A joint Australian; guaranteeof five per cent, would call forth instantly, all the capital, that would be wanted for an :Indo-Australian line. That there must be a guarantee ;of some sort is obvious, for the profits are too doubtful to tempt capitalists into the speculation on its own merits. : And we presume that the most vigorous advocate of Government abstinence from public works would not wish us to deny ourselves the" advantages of telegraphic union with Europe, until it was so certain that the wire would yield a profit that a subsidy would not be needed. A joint guarantee by all, the Australian colonies would be no great burden to any of. them separately. It .would be atriflecompared to what we pay for tardy steam communication.

But if the colonies are to unite in this matter there ought to be, some movement towards union. It is high time that the Governments began to cor--y^»v^"^:np,..thalsMWeQt.^and in; such a point the Governor-Tjeneral mignt •- witn propnety^aise- the lead. Federal action not 'havin^yet .onmmAnceA each colony;-must be separately consulted. Irall could be induced to express a, willingness. to bear a fair portion of the guarantee, there would only remain then to determine the details and fix the* terms of a contract. The settlement of these points might then be referred to the British Government, who, as in the case of the. postal contract, might also be willing io bear half the expense. If there should be any difficulty in getting the colonies to co-operate (which we do not anticipate), New-South Wales is in a position to : enter by itself into an agreement, and to indemnify itself by its control over the wires. The East Coast is obviously the best route from Singapore to Melbourne and Adelaide. The whole coast from Port Essington southwards is at present under the Government of this colony, and, until the threatened separation of Moreton Bay, will remain, so, . The Dutch.Netherlands line extends, or is to extend, from Singapore to Timor, with stations at Batavia, Samarang, Sourabaya, and Coepang. Our local Government is competent to make one contract for an extension all the way from Timor to Sydney. There is, therefore, no real difficulty in the way of some immediate steps being taken to start an enterprise which is both practicable and desirable—nothing but the vis inertia to which all Governments are more or less subject. ;