The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-07 00:00:00

tract postal service, whether the fact were so or not,
they sent a flat refusal. The Government said in sub-
stance, "If you do not like the contract, surrender it;
but if you do not wish to surrender the whole, surrender
the best part of it." This conduct was unworthy of
the Government. (Cheers.) The letters addressed by
the directors to the Government were characterised by
great moderation, justice, and fairness ; but the answers
of the Government to the directors were dictated in that
sic voleo sic jubeo. manner which Governments at times
assumed so well. (Hear.) They did not attempt to
give any reasons for The line of conduct adopted, but the
special report of the contract packet committee showed
the considerations on which relief was refused. In re-
spect of these reasons, he must say he had never read
anything more inconclusive, illogical, or irrational.
The request was that inquiry should be instituted
whether it was possible to carry out the con-
tract or not. The question was not one of price,
but of tonnage. The select committee said :—" We
have ascertained that the rise in the rate of freight has
been very considerable, and that the difficulty of pro-
curing available tonnage is still on the, increase." But
they added, "Thii,' however, does not appear to us to
afford a reason,
timedi ofs in
terms of a contract so recently
entered into as that under
consideration." If these reasons were not sufficient to
peg i
justify the Government in entertaining the question, he
should like to know what reasons would be. Then it
was added :—" It is very probable that the rise which
theirns entering with or modifyinghas taken place is greater than the contractors calcu-
lated upon at the t
ntotheir theagree-
ment ; but it is the essence of all contracts that the con-
tractors should incur the-risk of all such occurrences
This was true ; but it was not the essence of all con-
tracts that impossibilities should not be taken
into
ac-
count. No court of equity' in the world would bindacontractor to 'do that which it was impossible to do.
Impossibilities were always taken into account, but not,
it seemed, by the Government. The report proceeded :
—" We consider that it would be a most dangerous and
improper proceeding to release a public contractor from
att agreement for no other reason than that it had turned
out to be unfavourable to him." Now, this was not
the ground upon which the request was made. The re-
port, indeed, took no notice whatever of the ground of
the application—the possibility of obtaining tonnage
for the conveyance of coals ; but the committee
made it appear as if the company, on finding the
rates of freight were running against them, became
anxious to shirk their responsibility. This ' the com-
pany did not do. The Government, however, acted
like the Egyptians of old—they required bricks to be
made without straw. The committee went on :—" We
therefore think it would be perfectly right, and, under
ordinary circumstances, the natural course, to decline to
enter into any inquiry as to the possibility of obtaining
tonnage to convey coals to the company's stations, and
to call upon them absolutely either to fulfil their con-
tract or to pay the penalty of 35,0001." He (Mr.
Goold) had never read anything more unjust or unfair.
' (Hear, hear.) The company were indebted for nothing
to the Government ; but they had always found the
Government ready to take advantage of their services.
If the Government wanted, troops to be conveyed to
Rangoon or to the Cape, the company took them free.
For such services the company received a private letter
of thanks. But the Government had taken into consi-
deration:" that this application On the part of the com-
pany may possibly afford an opening for the revision of
the contract altogether, and may thus, perhaps, enable
the Government to make better terms for the public."
But they added, "We do not, indeed, think that it
would be to the advantage of the public that the
contract should at once be wholly broken, because,
while it is essentially necessary to make immediate pro-
vision for the continuance of the monthly mail service,
there is great doubt as to the possibility of making an-
other contract at so short a notice on•equally favourable,
terms." He (Mr., Goold), after this, thought the com-
pany might be inclined to say, " Thank you for nothing."
(A. laugh.) But really the course taken by the Government
ought not to be allowed to rest, •His own opinion was,
that the directors should have surrendered the contract,
and then the gentlemen sitting at the Admiralty would
have discovered whether it was easy to organise a vast
and complicated service, spreading over the most distant
parts of the world. (Hear, hear.) He had heard it
said that the company depended for its prosperity in a
great measure upon its public contracts. He did not
believe it, and he should be sorry to believe it. (Hear,
hear.)