The Sun.
London, England, 1839-09-12 00:00:00

MAIL CONVEYANCE CoNTRACT.

, 'Miler this title the House of Commons has
printed the agreement entered into by the Govern-
ment with Mr. Cunard for the conveyance of the
North 4-I.lrierican mails. It stipulates that the mails
shah be despatched twice every month from Liver-
pool to Halifax and twice every month from Halifax
to Liverpool. For executing this service Mr.
Cunard is to provide and keep a sufficient number
of good and efficient steam-vessels, furnished with
engines of not less than 300 horses' power. Mr.
Cunard also undertakes to convey the mails and de-
spatchei twice every calendar month to Boston from
Halifax and to Halifax from Boston, and when the
St. Lawrence is unobstructed by ice, from Pictou, in
Nova Scot;:a, to Quebec, and from Quebec to Pic-
tou, IY; good and substantial steam vessels, pro-
vide'l with engines of not less than 150 horses'
rower. The contract is very specific as to
those vessels being properly found, and pro-
vided with a sufficient crew of able seamen. The
/ Commisioners of the Admiralty ate to appoint
f the two days in each month when the steamers are
to leave Liverpool and Halifax respectively, and
1 ti.siey are to proceed, without loss of time, direct to
' the end of their voyage. The despatch of the mail
ivont Halifax for Boston is to take place as soon as
possible after the a;rival of the mail at Halifax,
which is I;kewise to be the case with the Quebec
mail after the mail has reached Pictoe. The Com-
missioners ',nay also alter the days of sailing at
theirp.l
r.sure, but they must give three months'
Itotic!'e. At the same time they may always delay
th.e departure of the vessel for not more than
twenty-four hours.
II at any time, from stress of weather of other
unavoidable circumstances, the vessel should be un-
able to reach the Mersey, the Naval Officer in
charge of the malls or despatches may order the
trial's erg be landed at Bristol, Faimouth, Pli mouth,
Southampton, Portsmouth, Dover, or Deal. For the
Nav•al Officer, who is to he sent in charge of the mails
ar,d despatches, the contractor is to provide a suit-
. al)le first-rate cabn, and suitable accommodation
for a servant, and is to victual the officer like a
cabin-passenger. If the Admiralty please to en-
trust the malls to the C. pain of an of the vessels,
it is authorised to do so, and the Captain will be
f hound to take charge of them. A boat of not less
than four oars is to be provided for landing the
officer and the mails. Any stoppage, delay, or
Plating back into port, not sanctioned by the Naval
Officer, will be subject to a fine of 100/., and a
delay of 12 hours in not proceeding on a voyage
from either Liverpool or Halifax after the ap-
pointed time, subjects the contractor to a fine of
500/., as well as a further 5001. for every additional
twelve hours' delay. A similar delay in the smaller
vessels carrying the mails from Halifax to Boston
will be subject to a fine of 2001.
Not less than fear of the large steam-boats for
the voyage R.tross the Atlantic are to be always
kept sea--worthy and in complete repair ; the num-
ber ei the smaller ones is not stipulated. The con-
tractor binds himself to introduce and adopt all im-
-erovements directed by the Admiralty or suggested
by the progress of science. To secure the good-
ness of the vessels, the Naval Officer in charge
of the mails, calling other persons to his
assi-stance, has full power and authority to survey
and examine the vessel whenever he shall think fit ;
and repairs which he shall direct in writing, must
be made as soon as possible, under a penalty of
1001. The Lords of the Admiralty, also, reserve
to thetraeives a power to survey the vessels and to
order any improvements to be made in them which
I tiey think expedient, and the contractor must carry
those improvements into effect to the satisfaction of
the Admiralty, or forfeit 5001. All these fines
and penalties may be stopped out of the money to
be paid to the contractor by the Admiralty.
In addition the contractor is to carry, if required,
two chief cabin passengers, from Liverpool to Ha-
lifax, or Halifax to Liverpool, for 301. each, and two
fore cabin passengers at the rate of 151. each ; and
each seaman, soldier, or marine, at 4/. The price
'.o be charged for such passengers 'from Halifax to
Boston, or from Pictou to Quebec, is to be, respec-
tively, 51., 31., and 21. Moreover, the contractor is
to take on board, and carry, free of charge, all small
packages, directed by the Commissioners ; and
naval stores not exceeding five tons weight, on re-
ceiving two days' notice that such stores are to be
sent.

In return for all these services, and maintaining
all these vessels, the Admiralty agrees to pay to Mr.
Cunard 60,000/. per annum in quarterly pay-.
merits. The contract is to commence on June Ist,
1840, or an earlier day if so agreed on, and to con-1
titiue in force for seven years from the commence-
ment, and thenceforward until 12 calendar months'
notice in writing, shall be given by either party.
No part of the contract is to be underlet, and no
Member of Parliament, agreeably to Act of Parlia-
ment, is to have a share of it. The whole con-1
eludes by Mr. Cunard binding himself in a pe-
nalty of 15,0001. to fulfil his part of the contract.
When this contract comes to be acted on it will
ensure a certain, speedy, and constant inter-
course between the mother country and the
colonies of North America, and between our
several North American colonies and the
United States, greatly to the advantage of them all.
It seems, therefore, a very wise plan, and as the
provisions we have quoted secure the adoption of
every improvement on board the mail packets, we
Cannot find any fault with the number of years it is
to last. The provisions for securing punctuality
and avoiding all kinds of delay, deserve ❑otice and
praise, as they will give to this service regularity and
certainty, and make every person feel a just reliance
ort,reaching the end of his voyage in a specified time.
We pretend not to give an opinion whether the sum
to be paid be large or small, but we would rather that
the contractor should make his fortune by it than that
such an enterprise should be nipped in the bud by
the parsimony of the Government. We presume
that the port of Liverpool has been chosen because
that combines, in itself, proximity and trade to
America beyond every other port. To carry out
goods and passengers must of course form the prin-
cipal means by which Mr. Cunard will be re-
munerated. In conclusion, let us state that the
outline of the agreement has already been pub-
lished, hut, nevertheless, we think an abstract of
the contract will be acceptable to our mercantile
readt rs.

SUDDEN DEATH.—On Tuesday morning, about
:even o'clock, a man named Geavcs, who kept a chandler's
:hop in Eaglecourt, Strand, was found dead in his bed by
the side of his wife. He had retired to bed intoxicated.
A surgeon was immediately ca!led in, but be stated life had
been extinct some Lours.

COMFORT OF CHILDREN.—CaII not that man
wretched who, whatever else he suffers as to pain in-
flitted, or pleasure denied, has a child for whom he hopes
um! on whom he doats. Poverty may grind him to the
(!ust, obscerity may ea,t its darkest mantle over him, the
~g of the gay may be far from his own dwelling, his
;ice may be unknown to his neighbours, and his voice may
tie . u..heeded be those emoeg whom he dwells—even pain
hut he
m*y rack his joint., and sleep may fl .e from his pillow;
has a
def!ing „ gum, with which 1)(:'. would not part for wealth
mputstion, for fame filling a world's ear, for the
luxury i
0 the higliet health or for the sweetest sleep that
ver sat upon a mortal's e) e'—Coleridge.
TURKISH
del y. the door was , ' ABSTINENCE.—After a half-lio ir s
~steonce inure thrown open, and a vene-
rab'e Old
r„v„,,.,.1 :,, 1
~:e1; he salaamed three rimes most
ne ,
..__,
~
~, ,
...
4, ; . ii, t.-, h • ~,:1t,,,i, decii:ling at
teen.t •nli.'.
.•
~,
,);,,
..i g.-..‘t!.tre of his ls.mcl, our invita-
clAlly due . d :',„ is , „1; -
~s'.':nlief .'x persuins, ali ~plent-
he r.iik and inoportat.ee of their c.'ii.l',7"'"'" and manm'c,
as his visit had but one object_
our convivial
Conceiving that,
to hob
eustoms—we immediately resented otirserve
ffered them
gasses. As one after one the
efficeravoefs, a
e xs ecveepwrtea loi)yn
the
filled our
declined,
the Effendi's
household passed round the apartments,
a goblet of Champagne, which they
with a polite but solemn smile—all
savage-looking Turk, with a must ferocious scowl, and
the largest black 13,,ard I ever beheld. He did notw9 and
con-
tent himself with a mute refusal of our offer, ,but, stopping
suddenly, he raised up hi; hands above his head, and
muttered some words in Turkish, which one of the party
informed us was a very satisfactory recommendation of the
whole company to Satan for their heretic abomination.
The procession moved slowly round the room, and when
it reached the door again retired, each member of it
sniaaming three times as they had done on entering.
Scarcely had they gone, than we burst into a loud fit of
laughter at the sat-we-looking fellow who thought proper
to excommunicate us, and wet-, about to discuss his more
than common appearance of diTust at our proceed'ngs,
when again the door opened, and a turbaned head peeped
in, but so altered were the-feautures that although seen
but the moment before, none of us could believe them
theartsame. The dark complexion—the long and bushy
were there—bot instead of the sleepy and solemn
character of the oriental, with heavy eye and closed lip,
there WAR a droll, half-devilry" in the look and partly-open
mouth, that made
bead-dress. He
eloozeiTost hiughable contrast with the
that
aistealthily around him for an in-
mg 41.,
_watt) expression Is7as right, and then, with an
I 'tall never forget, said, " I'll
taiw, )4,1,- ine, gentlemen, av it be pleasing to ye.''......
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• siV Barry Lorrequer
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