SYDNEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 360, 23 October 1858, Page 6

SYDNEY.

The Mail Sebvice. — The Legislative AsBembly have voted £50,000 a-ycar for ten years towards establishing a Mail Service between England and Australia via Panama. It is proposed to run this mail solely on the

responsibility of the home country and Sydney, each guaranteeing one half. Victoria it appears is doing the same as regards the Ceylon route, thus there will be ere long perhaps a fortnightly communication. Sydney receiving the intelligence first by one route and Victoria by the other. The Empire of the 28th August writing on the above vote, which was then only in embryo has the following observations, which as reference is specially made to New Zealand, will be read with interest. " A message was sent down to the Legislative Assembly last night, transmitting to the house copies of the minute 9 of proceedings of the Executive Council on the subject of the address recently adopted in favour of establishing an independent line of steamers between Sydney and Panama. His Excellency invites the Assembly to appropriate a sum not exceeding £50,000 for a period of either seven or ten years, for the establishment of this important service. Assuming that the Government adopt the opinion of the Assembly, as conveyed in the address of the 10th instant, that this colony ought to offer a subsidy sufficient to secure the independent possession of this service, we fear £50,000 will be too small a sura in itself for the purpose. If New Zealand will give £20,000 the united amount, however, will probably induce either the Cunard or the West India Company to enter upon the undertaking. And perhaps it will be best to open negotiations with New Zealand for her contribution as an independent party to the contract." The Empire. — At present there exists in Sydney but one daily paper, Mr. Parkes having, after a most severe struggle to overcome the difficulties with which he has been surrounded, been at last compelled to stop the publication of the Empire, resign his seat as member for the North Riding of the County of Cumberland, and place his estate in the hands of the Insolvent Court. This unfortunate climax to an undertaking in which Mr. Parkes has spent upwards of seven of the best years of his life, can be but looked upon as a serious circumstance, affecting, as it must do to a certain extent, the political position of the colony ; for no one will doubt that the cessation for a time of a powerful liberal organ, just at the period when, as the representative of liberal opinions, it is so much wanted to assist the passing of the Electoral Bill in the Upper House, is nothing less than a calamity to the colony. Mr. Parkes has addressed his late constituents and the public through the columns of the Sydney Morning Herald. The deepest sympathy for its proprietor is expressed on all hands. Many reports have been circulated as to who is likely to carry the Empire on ; but nothing at all definite has yet been arranged.