Tur, establishment of a second line of trans-Pacific steamers, is an event in the history of foreign trade with China not to be lightly passed over. Great as has been the development of inter. course with Europe within the decade, that: with-America has been still more marked. The recovery of the States singe their, recent international troubles has, in itself caused an increase of trade, while the necessity. of additional labour to cultivate the plantations of the South itself more felt as, day by day, ital and energy continue to flock southward. The opening of the Pacific railway, in itself one of the most remarkable works of the century, is daily increasing the wealth and importance of the, Pacific ports. Ready intercourse is, leading tothe peopling of the vast districts between the' Missouri and the ocean, remarkable alike for their mineral and agricultural wealth. Whatever may be the fature-of the Chinamen in California arid the West, they havea present contrived to make themselves an important.element in the economy. of the. States, and much of the traffic carried across the Pacific is Chinese or on Chinese account. The Central Pacific Jloes not, however, seem to be destined for long to have a monopoly of the transcontinental traffic. The inhabitants of the" States themselves. are anxiously pushing, forward lines both to the north and, sonth, while the Dominion Government of Canada is in the field, witha proposed line to British Colambia." AMI these lines only open up vast districts now unpeopled by civilized man; and these districts, while able to supply China and Asia with many commodities, will likewise be dependent on this. side of the Pacific for many necessaries of life.. The experience won by the' P. M. 8. 8. Company,: we. are glad to see, is sufficiently gratifying to warrant the establishment of the. new line, and as its steamers will be built on principles which already, in the case of the voyage from here to England, have proved successful both in speed and economy, we trust that we shall be able to look forward to a similar result on the Pacific route. We know what a useful spur opposition of this nature has proved to our own P. & O. Company, and we trust that the result will be no less successful in the other case.
Fair competition is never to be deprecated, and we therefore wish the promoters of the new Company. every success.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.