Wellington Independent. "NOTHING EXTINGATE; NOR SET DOWN AUGHT IN MALICE." SATURDAY, 26Gth OCTOBER, 1867.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2589, 26 October 1867, Page 4

Wellington Independent. "NOTHING EXTINGATE; NOR SET DOWN AUGHT IN MALICE." SATURDAY, 26Gth OCTOBER, 1867.

Tiik only subject of any interest to New Zealand which lias been referred to in the Imperial Parliament is that of the steam postal services. Towards the close of the session, Mr Laird, in the House of Commons, elicited from the Government that no notice had been given to terminate the Peninsular and Oriental Company's contract for the Australian mail ; while in the Lords, the Earl of Carnarvon obtained some* more detailed information on the same question. It will be remembered that, while the Earl of Carnarvon held the seals of the Colonial Oflice, he invited the several Governments of Australia and New Zealand io take into consideration the whole question of postal communication with the mother country, at the same time conditionally agreeing that the Imperial Government should pay half tho subsidy required for a joint service. It is natural, therefore, that though out of office he sliouiil be interested in the future fate of a scheme which he himself suggested, and hence has arisen his recent action in Parliament. Possibly Lord Carnarvon may have been misreported, as it is difiicult to understand how he could have made somo of the assertions contained in his speech. JTe says that an Intercolonial Confei-cnce had been held at Melbourne, and that proposals were there agreed to for a threefold service by way of Sue/,, Panama, snd Torres' Straits, to which it was desired the Imperial Government should contribute half the necessary subsidy, but he altogether omits to mention that the suggestion for combination on the part of the colonies, and the promise of aid, originated with himself. Ho makes it appear that the scheme is a purely colonial one. and that the Imperial Government is in no way bound to entertain it, when in reality the very reverse of this is the case. Lord Carnarvon is therefore not in a position to say, " that he did not wish to recommend the increased expense which the payment of such a subsidy as that required by the colonial scheme would entail," nor can he with reason urge after his former action, " that he saw many strong and reasonable objections to it." Of course, it may be said that the scheme agreed upon at the Postal Conference was more extensive and involved a larger cost than that suggested in his despatch, but the tact remaius that the Imperial Government had given a pledge to the colonies of paying a moiety of the subsidy required for the mail services, and unless the scheme adopted was unreasonably extravagant, they were bound in honor to fulfil it. Apart from the forget fulness he displayed, Lord Carnarvon seemed to be to some extent in favor of extending the postal services with Australia and New Zealand, and pressed upon the Government tho necessity of giving that attention to the subject which its importance demanded. The Duke of Buckingham, in replying, committed the Government to nothing, but said that the proposals agreed upon at the Conference were so large and comprehensive as to deserve serious consideration before either being rejected or materially modified. " The question," said he, " would have to bo considered very shortly, and he had to point out to the noble earl that there were other considerations mixed up with it besides the expense of communication with Australia alone, and which would require some little time from various departments of tho Government before any decision could bo arrived at. lit? could assure the noble earl that the subject was one the magnitude of which was not likely to be underrated by the Government, and | thai; the Government wore quite aware of the importance which wan attached, and rightly attached, to the proper adjust- 1 ment and extension of the - present system," "Wo gather from this, that nothing will be done till the next session of the Imperial Parliament, and meantime, it would therefore be well if the colonies interested were to press their case on the Colonial Office, fortunately, as we notice hy the Argus, the Yictox'iau Government have agreed to let the question-.as to the terminus of tho Suez line -be left to the decision of the Federal Council, and thus one difficulty is, for the present removed, which threatened to prevent united colonial action. Let tho latter be adopted,

and it will be found, as the Home News siivh, " that colonial opinion haa greai weight in Doivning-strcel;, an« if it be firmly expressed it will carry the Colonial Office with it."