NEW SOUTH WALES.

West Coast Times, Issue 137, 26 February 1866, Page 3

NEW SOUTH WALES.

Mail Route via Torres Straits. — We are informed that a gentleman interested in the I )utch settlements of Java and Timor is now in Sydney, with a view to promote the establishment of a regular steam postal service between this colony and Galle via Torres Straits and Batavia. He has already placed himself in communication with the Government; but it is understood that they, having become committed to some extent to the Panama mail contract, feel themselves precluded from entertaining the proposals of the gentleman alluded to, We understand, however, that the expediency of establishing a mail service via Torres Straits will be vigorously contended for ; and should

the effort of the Queensland Government prove successful in this maUeV, ho doubt there will be excellent reasons for giving the proposal an impartial consideration. The Dutch authorities at Java are extremely desirous to havo regular steam communication between the Australian Colonies and Batavia ; and there is little doubt they would cooperate with the Governments of the several colouies to effect this desirable result. In the event of tho mail service via Panama not realising tho expectations of ite promoters, the establishment jf a line of steamers via Torres Straits would, doubtjess, be of great importance to the trade of the colony and of Queensland. The Dutch-Indian Government have already a line of steamers running between Batavia and Singapore ; so that in the event of a regular steam communication between any of the Avis tralian ports and Batavia being'established, the communication by means of the P. and Q. Company's steamers from Singapore would be completed to Europe. The gentleman above referred to is about to proceed to Brisbane to confer with the Queensland Government in reference to t he proposed line of steamers. ' S. M. Herald.' Feb. 15.

Robberies still continue to take place in different parts of the interior. On tho 2nd instant, a boy was stopped and robbed of his horse by an armed man, on tho Sydney Road, four miles from Goulburn. On the night previous, Mr Saxby's storo was robbed at Gunning. At Cooi'adigbee, Tittle River, at Pulpit Hill on the Bathurst Road, at Pine Ridge, and elsewhere in tho interior, similar crimes have been committed. The bushranger Lloyd was captured by the police at Cudgegoing, a few days since. On Tuesday last four miners, with 150 ounces retorted gold, were stuck up by two bushrangers at Ironbarks, Wellington. They resisted, and were fired upon, aud ono miner mortally wounded. Tho bushrangers got possession of the gold and were riding away, when another man, who had seen the occurrence, loaded his gun and fired ; the ball took effect on one of them, and his body was subsequently found dead. The gold was missing, and the other man got away. Mr Marsh, police magistrate, who was in Dubbo at the time, was telegraphed for, and started immediately for Ironbarks. The occurrence took placo within the township.