SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XX, Issue 1181, 3 April 1872, Page 3

SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE.

Tub Auckland papers give the main features in the mail arrangement entered into by Mr. Yogel and Mr. Webb with the Victorian Government, which are as follows :—(1).: — (1). Melbourne to bo the Urminus of the line. (2). Auckland to be the first port of arrival, and last port of departure, in New Zealand. (3). Tbe ocean steamer, on arriving at Auckland and landing the New Zealand mail and passengers, to proceed to Melbourne direct ; returning on the outward voyage by way of Port Chalmers, thenoe along the New Zealand ooait to Auckland, from whence she is to take her finaj departure. {I). The Victorian Government to contribute an annual subsidy of £25,000 towards the line. Mr. Webb oan now produce his agreement with the New Zealand and the Victorian Governments ; and it is not likely- that tbe Congress of. tbe United States will refuse a sabsidy now that Mr. Webb's position ia strengthened. Henceforward the head-quarters of the California mail company in New Zealand will be at Dunedin. Mr. Driver has been appointed agent at that port by Mr. Webb. A complimentary dinner was given to Mr. Webb whilst in Melbonrne, at which the President of toe Chamber of Commerce was in thechair. About sixty gentlemen were present. Mr. O'Grady, Minister of Public Works, referring to the San Francisco mail service, said :—": — " He might say that tho proposition which had been submitted to tlte Government by New Zealand, had been materially assisted by Mr. Webb ; and he sincerely believed that when tbe arrangements entered into bad been made public, they would meet the acceptance of the Parliament and the people of this country, because they had been entered into in a friendly spirit, and with a sincere and anxious. desire to establish the friendliest possible relations, not only with New Zealand, but with tbe United States of America. (Cheers). These arrangements were only portious of a Bystem which would, he hoped, be appreciated by the mercantile community of Melbourne and the people generally of Victoria, when the whole scheme or system was well known. We had enterprising competitors, not only on this continent, bat in New Zealand ; and if it were the aspiration of New Zealand to become the Great Britain of tbe South, the present Minister of Victoria, and he wasfture-tjbeir successors, would be anxious to see that Victoria retained her prestige in it commercial sense." Mr. Webb, in responding to the' toast of his health, said he was nrgently required at Washington, or he ' would willingly have prolonged his stay. He gave a history of his action in establishing the mail service identified with his name, and eaid :—": — " It is by the indomitable perseverance of Mr. Yogel, who determined that a postal service, should be, iv some way, opened between New Zealand and America, that we are indebted for the present service" Mr, Yogel, in the coarse of his speech, said :— From the large amount of consideration by Victoria for New Zealand in the late conference, he was glad to believe that there was now a prospect ■of the Califomian line being opened up under tbe joint auspices of the two Colonies. It wonld give him much pleasure to be the means, in conjunction with Mr. Webb, of cementing Victoria and New Zealand into a large commercial partnership. It would not be proper to anticipate tho -statements which would be made in proper course as to the nature of the arrangements, but those arrangements would be such as to give great satisfaction to the commercial classes — nay, more, to the producing classes of Victoria ; at any rate, they ought to give satisfaction, for they most be if very great benefit to Victoria. During the ten years -ending 1870, nearly one-third of tbe entire imports ofNew Zealand have come from Victoria. Very large advantage most havo been derived by Victoria from the trade, though no help had been given to New Zealand in tho matter of mail subsidies. The joint service to California wonld not only increase the trade between the two Coiomes, butenable them to look beyond each other, for -they had the prospect of an immense trade before ttiem with the United States, aud the innumerable islands of the Pacific. All classes of producers wonld benefit from the trade, but it ■wo^ild fee of especial advantage to the wool-pro-•docem, for it would bring them to a new market, And eoafelo U*ea» <a supply tho manufacturers of tho States.