Saturday MORNING, 31st JANUARY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1824, 31 January 1863, Page 2

Saturday MORNING, 31st JANUARY.

WHEBE IS THE MAILf We are not Irishmen, or we should say that echo answers, "Where?" To our at present somewhat uncomplaisant mind, echo appears to answer "Rail," or something verj much like it and if ever we had cause to rail at the mail arrangements, tte certainly have so now. We lately gave the Postroaster-Geueral credit for the hest intentions, and looking to the very large subsidy granted to the Aldinga, we fully believed that the contractors in Melbourne would carry out those intentions satisfactorily We noticed that if the mail did not arrive in Melbourne soon after its due date, it rested entirely with the " convenience " of Messrs McMeckan and Blackwood when it should be sent on ; but after what we had heard from other sources, coupled with the enormous subsidy, we were fairly entitled to suppose thatan honorable understanding bad been entered into that the delay at Melbourne should be but nominal, though for obvious leasons they might object to have it so inserted in the contract. It now appears that £13,000 a year (to say nothing of the extra £2qO for each detention of oue or two days, ar the case may be) is to be paid for the mere trip, to and from Melbourne and Otago once a month, of a steamer which heretofore found it profitable to run on that line without any subsidy at all ; and that if she does not bring the mail we have no other recourse but to trust to the chapter of accidents for it. What has occurred dining each of the last two months, is just as likely to occur half a dozen times more during the year. There is only one remedy, and that is to induce the General Gorernment to insist upon the mail being imme JialelysenC dowu by an extra steamer, when it arrives at Melbourne after the Aldinga has sailed ; or to give notice to cancel the contract, It is far to good an one for the contractors to suffer to be cancelled if they can possibly help it. Ths Otigo route lias -lately almost stank in the nostrils of the public, so many have been the mishaps. All the provinces that could creep out of it have done so. Auckland, Nelson, Taranaki and Picton now not only receive their mail via Sydney, but send it back that way tlso ; audit is only -the three East coast provinces that are now dependent' on the Otago route. That route is the cheapest and best if properly managed ; but so ill has it been regulated that Wellington aud Canterbury, its heretofore strong advocates, have now the mortification of seeing it rendered more aud more expensive aud inefficient. Meantime until the contractors are obliged to send the mail on to Otugo whenever it nnives, we shall always be liable to see the Northern and Nelson provinces receiving their mails as they have done the last two months — i'roin a fortnight to three weeks before us. The now overdue mail will probably not reach here until the return of the Airedale, on the 10th February. .