AUSTRALASIAN POSTAL SERVICE WITH EUROPE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 23, 9 June 1868, Page 3

AUSTRALASIAN POSTAL SERVICE WITH EUROPE.

4 (From the Argiw,' May 22,) Tho ngltatlon among iho " Imnlcorn, morclmnlfl, und otlicr» connected with Auntnillit," liii Londonyln rOftpcofc to (ho lii<!ouvonl<iic<!« attached to tho now poutal arnin^citicntN for tlilrtoon mallfl per annum, \n an nuw.h foil, horo nn at homo, although it butt taken no publfo ehnpo. TJilfliH not BiirprlHing. 'J'ho whole ftffiur appoivrn to bo a decided muddle., and liiflteivd of ItUfiliuißfl tnuiHucUonw liolng at all faoiUtntod by tho extra mull in tlio your with which wo nro to bo favoiirod, tho very royorflo npponrs to ho tho caso. Under tho old contraot,ono groat advantago waii nt any ruto enjoyed— tho mails wcro <le«patcliort and bo. camo duo upon almost proalnoly tho sumo (layn in onoh month, thoro hclnK but ono or two exceptions In tho courno ot the year. Now, tlio »nallfl arrlvo and nro aont away on different datcß in every' month. At first flight thin mny appear a vory trldlncr matter, but really it in not ho, oinco it iinii noon tho conntnnt praotlco of bankoro and buaiucHO men to muko tholr financial arrftiigcmcnts in accord-

aiiflo wl(h,t]io flailing of tho mall steamer, and whon this took plnco on tho Bnmo day in ovory month tho mattor was both simplified and faoilitatod. An it is, tho period allowed (In tlio caso of lottery sent via Maraeilloß) for preparing replies to Jotters in manifestly itiflulllolent, and tho ronuk will bo that a largo portion of tho cor* ronpondenoo will Imvo to stand over for lour woolutj thus, in effect, Increasing tho postal distance of Australia from England by twouty-elghfc days. Tho groat bulk of tho correspondence from Aufltralla is forwarded via Southampton, and thin docs not arrive until aoron days aftor tho flailing of tho out* going otoamor, and ono day after tho doHimUili of tho mall via Marnolllofl, ho that by far the groatcr portion of tho poonlo of the colonicA will Imvo to wait for ropllos to their letter* at least; tlirco woolca longer than wnn formerly tho oaeo. Ono oxtm mail in twolvo months is a vory poor compensation for the liioonvonionco And confualon wJileh this alteration in tho system must inovitably occasion. Tho wholo of tho oiroumstanccs of tho ci^e, and tho inconvonlonco which will bo cntuilud upon all tho colonies by tho now arrangonwtnts, point to tho necessity ol! securing for Australia a fortnightly mail, via Oalle. lOxparlonoo has shown us that tho Panama route is nlmoofc uttorJy worthier to thin colony, With eomo porsonfl tho proposition for an oeoau mail systom, rla tho C/ipo of Good llopo, finds oonsldcrablo favour i but, though ÜBOful as nn auxiliary in tho intercom of Inimigrfttion, it hart yet to bo shown (hut by thin route tho service could bo performed In tho noeosnary tlmo without tho oxnondituro of an enormous num. Whatovor onango Is mado, tho two objeots to bo Icopt prominently in view arO) a tiliortcning of tho tlmo occupied in tho transit of tho mull*, and an lucrcanod frequency of communication. Tho great advantages wliloh would bo Rained would amply componfmto for tho extra co»t, and wo trust to «co tho meroantilo community, together with tho Govommont, tako uoiivo stops In tho matter. >