One result of the discovery of gold in Australia has
been to in- spire eagerness to promote steam communication with that region into certain City interests which have hitherto been not even lukewarm on the matter. There is no lack of charity in saying that we should have had ocean steam communication with Aus- tralia long ago, had not the merchants recoiled from the accele- rated transmissOn of bills unaccompanied by a corresponding acce- lerated remittance of produce. The prospect of golden freights accompanying the bills has reconciled them to the idea of mails by steam. But not even a golden spur appears able to quicken the movements of Downing Street. The Australian public has long been clamorous for ocean steam-mails ; a Committee of the House of Commons has reported in favour of it ; the Secretary for the Colonies professes to have had it "under consideration.' But all that has yet been done is an advertisement from the Admiralty for tenders, in phrase so vague as rather to deter than invite applicants. Does Government mean to dawdle over this business till the Americans step in and take it out of our hands, as they propose to do with their New York and Galway packets ?
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