THE Wellington Independent. THURSDAY, 9th OCTOBER, 1862. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1777, 9 October 1862, Page 3

THE Wellington Independent. THURSDAY, 9th OCTOBER, 1862. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION.

Amongst the most powerful agencies of modern progress in the present age may be ranked Steam and the Electiic Telegraph. The first bus bridged over the ocean, brought Dations into closer communication, stimulated the operations of commerce, and uot only promoted to a very great extent the advance of colonisation but in the colonies themselves has been a mate' rial aid to their internal prosperity and developenient. While such have been some of the benefits accruing from " steam power," the practical application of Electricity in the form of the Telegraph has been, though perhaps not of greater utility, yet infinitely more astonishing in its effects. Time and space have been virtually annihilated by this mysterious essence : with the speed of thought, intelligence has been flashed to and fro between every centre of civilisation in Europe, Downing-street has been placed within talking distance of the steppes of Russia, and even a message of peace and good will from the descendants of the Anglo-Saxon race in the new world, was once transmitted across the broad Atlantic. In the neighbouring colony of Victoria, the Telegraphic system has beeu developed to an extraordinary extent. Not a town, not a village, not a mining or agricultural district, there, but what is thus brought into daily, indeed almost hourly communication with the metropolis — and the rise or fall of markets — the latest intelligence from the gold-fields, the arrival of important news from the old coun * try, or the Otago diggings, is known almost simultaneously throughout the length and breadth of the colony. New Zealand, as the youngest of Her Majesty's possessions, has not as yet, except to a very slight extent, adopted this useful agency, but a feeling has long existed amongst commercial men and others, that the time has now arrived to take action in the matter, and towards the close of the late session, a Southern member, Mr. Cargill, introduced the subject by moving the fallowing resolutions in Committee of Supply ; That in order to meet the requirements of the public service and of the various private interests within the colony, it is essential that Electric Telegraphic communication be established at the earliest possible date, between the several Provinces and the seat of Government. That the Government be recommended whenever the state of the public revenues will permit, fco take the necessary steps for obtaining the constructiou of such lines of telegraph as will accomplish the above purpose, either by constructing the same at the public expense, or by granting a guarantee of reasonable minimum dividend to private parties willing to undertake the work. That this House will sanction the expenditure of such sums of money as the Government in its discretion may incur in giving erlect to the foregoing resolutions. In the discussiou which ensued at the time, it was contended that although the scheme could not be carried out in less than eighteen months or two years, yet it would be advisable that the Government should enter into the preliminary arrangements at once, and thus clear the way for future practical action when the requisite funds could be advanced. It was regretted by the Postmaster-General, Mr. Ward on the part of the Ministry, that a sufficient sum could not be placed on the estimates for that year — to carry out the object, and the Colonial Secretary, Mr. Domett, gave a distinct pledge, that the moment the revenue would permit, it was intended to initiate some plan on the subject. A suggestion was then made that if the General Government, were thus favorable the provinces might undertake the first operations, and afterwards get reimbursed for their outlay, from the general revenue. Ultimately the resolutions were agreed to, and at that stage the matter at present rests. Looking to the fast increasing wealth and population of the South, to the daily augment ing importance of the trade, with this and other provinces, which has thus arisen, as well as to the isolated position of the various settlements, we cannot conceive anything more conducive to the future welfare of the Colony, than the establishment of such a means of communication, and we earnestly hope, that ere long, we may have to record, the initiation of some practical operations designed to carry out the object in view.