THE NEW MAIL SERVICE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3774, 12 March 1874, Page 3

THE NEW MAIL SERVICE.

COMPLIMENTARY DINNER AT NEW YORK TO

THE PROMOTERS.

(TTfew York Enening Post, Jan. 19.)

A complimentary dinner was recently given at Delmonico's by MrR. W. Cameron, the eminent Australasian shipper of this city, to the Hon. Saul Samuel, PostmasterGeneral and Vice-President of the Executive Council of New South Wales, and H. H. Hall, Esq., United States Consul at Sydney, and Managing Uirectorof the Australasian and American Mail Steamship Company. When the cloth was removed Mr Cameron introduced his guests in a few well chosen words. He remarked that Mr Samuel was theonlyrepresentativeof the Colonies forming the antipodes of this country who had ever visited New York in a public capacity. The occasion, in his opinion, was of more importance than a casual observer would be inclined to credit. Mr Samuel arrived in this country to settle a postal treaty with this Government, for the purpose of establishing a monthly communication between the United States and .the New Britain of the Pacific. It was only seventy-six years ago since Governor Phillips, the first Governor of Sydney, entered that Colony, which had now, with the younger Colony of New Zealand, granted for a period of seven years 400,000d015. a year to establish this line of steamers, and that on the failure of the Webb steamship line, which failed for want of sympathy and support from this Government. He complimented the Governments of New South Wales and New Zealand on tlieir liberality, and predicted for it the happiest results. Mr Samuel informed him that when he arrived iv Washingten he:was met by Postmaster Cresswell in such a liberal spirit, that within forty-eight hours everything was brought-to a satisfactory conclusion.—(Applause.) The Chairman regretted that the United States had not taken the initiative in this matter ; but the step was now taken, aud he was sure that fro>n this country it .would receive-every sympathy and encouragement.', He concluded by introducing Mr Samuel, the guest of the evening.

Mr Samuel, who was received with applause, said that iv might appear somewhat strange that two Colonies like New South Wales and New Zealand should es'ablish a line of postal communication with the mother country, Great Britain, by way of the United States, and that they should assemble to do honour to the representative of that community. It might appear presuming on the part of these Colonies to take so prominent a position as this step indicated j but they desired not only to open up communication with the mother country, but to enter into commercial' relations with this great Republic.—(Applause.) It was not a question that admitted of doubt that trade would increase if the United States was willing to trade with them. He did not desire to discuss political questions, but he thought that in this country if they would accord the same freedom of trade as they did in everything elsej that spirit of enterprise which belonged to the American character would arrive at that acme of perfection which he believed would prove most advantageous. He was sorry that he could not say all the Colonies acted together in friendly commercial alliance with uniform customs and duties ; but he looked forward to a period when they would become one dominion. The population of the Australian ■ Colonies was only 2,000,000, but their annual imports and exports were £24j 000,000. Their resources were immense, and they produced everything in the shape of natural productions, and all that they required for their development was increased .population, which time would bring. By the line of steamers which they had just established, commnnication between Australia and New York could be had in 32ft instead of 57 days, and the route was in itself one that would receive greater passenger 'traffic than any other. Their earnest desire was to open up commercial relations with this country, and he was sure the result would be beneficial to each.

In proposing the health of H. H. Hall, Esq., United States Consul at Sydney, Mr Cameron could not resist expressing the admiration he felt for that gentleman's tact and ability in having carried off the honours and profits of this new line from the other aspirants. Mr C. knew that Mr Hall had most creditably represented his country at the antipodes, and was much respected ; he also knew that next to the granting of the subsid3', Hr Hall deserves the credit of the early establishment of this most important line.

Mr Parke Godwin, in reply to a toast to the Press, as being along with Commerce, one of the great . circulating agencies of tlie world, said that he had been greatly instructed by the speeches of Mr Samuel and others. His knowledge of the great settlements among the islands of the sea was limited, and he was surprised to find to what an extent the resources of t ose far off Colonies had been developed. He had, like many - others, associated with their names the traditions of the book". Otaheite was to him a place where mission iries were sent, and who were sometimes served up baked ; the Fiji Islands were the homes of cannibals, and' as for Now Zealand, he thought of it only in connection with tattoed men, or the solitary wanderer of future time, -who, according to Macauley, was going to sit on London Bridge and contemplate the ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral.—(Laughter.) But now how great the change ! Splendid steamships were running from one to the other, carrying the traffic of the nations and dropping pleasure travellers, who were seduced by the luxury of the climate and the charms of the scenery. He had just been reading a daily gazette, published at Auckland, in which he found every evidence of tho highest prosperity and of the most retired enjoyments of life. They had cricket matches, for example ; they had theatres and concerts ; they paid rates and talked politics ; and what was the surest witness of all, at least in his professional eyes, of the highest attainments of social being, they supported daily newspapers, not only crammed with news, hut with those noted pages of good paying advertisements. Is there any condition of society which has gone beyond that ? —(Laughter.) . . . The statistics of trade over which he had cast his eyes seemed to him nothing but marvellous. The exports and imports indicated a productiveness and activity that, so far as he remembered, had never been surpassed. Our own Western States, of whose rapid advances we are all so proud, and which do seem to go forward in all the elements of population aud wealth with a more than locomotive celerity, have their rivals, if not their superiors, iv those remote islands, a few years since utterly unknown. The Yankee of the Western AVorld is not alone thego-ahetd representative of the race. Hehid his c impetitor in the Briton of the seas. His wondew and miracles of energy are no longer a peculiar distinotion. He must share the honours with others ; and was, no doubt, glad to meet his equal, for the rivalry was a pacific and beneficent one, advantageous to all alike, and he hoped it might continue until, under the influence of freedom and education, the uttermost island of the sea should have become the inheritanse of contentment and Christianity.—(Applause.)

The guests present were E. M. Archibald, C. 8., H. B. M. Cms d-General; Pierrepont Edwards, Esq., Vice-Consul; General Chester A. Arthur, Collector of the Port; Hon. Thorn is L. Jame?, Postmaster of New York: Hon. J. K. Hackett, Recorder; Parke Godwin, C. C. Norval, L. E. Chittenden, late U. S. Treasurer; W. Butler Duncan, of Duncan, Sherman, and Co ; W. It. Travers, It. W. Forbes, Alex. Irvin; J. M. Laidlaw, Ag3nt Bink of California; Messrs Street, Ha oh, Maillor, Artell, Benjamin, Goldsmith, Tufts, and others.