The Sun.
London, England, 1836-05-24 00:00:00

DOVER.

Dover is now the only station at which the Post Office
have a packet establishment, for the transmission of the
correspondence between this country and foreign States.
There is a double line of communication between Dover

and the opposite coast, and five packets are kept for the
performance of the service. Three of them arc employed
in the conveyance of the mails from Dover to Calais ; and
the other two maintain a communication with Ostend, to
which place mails are now sent four times a week.
This station differs from the five others, inasmuch as the
arrangements with respect to both these lines of communi-
cation have been made subject to treaties with the French
and Belgian Governments.
The packets to Calais convey only the niails from this
country ; and the French Post Office delivers its owo mails
and dispatches at Dover. By the treaty with the Belgian
Government for increasing the number of communications
with Ostend, the Postmaster-General undertakes the con-
veyance of the mails by sea, both gbing and coming ; and
the Belgian Government engages to pay 10001. a-year as its
proportion of the expense.
It appears by the Return made by the Post Office, that
the expenditure at this station has considerably exceeded
the receipts during the last four years, and that an actual
loss of 17,945/. 3s. 10d. has occurred in that period.
The expense incurred for repairs of packets on this sta-

Lion for the three years ending sth january; 1834, has
amounted to 16,2291. The repairs of the Dover packets
are principally executed in the Thames, whilst all the other
vessels belonging to the Post Office are repaired at Holy-
head. On enquiring into the controul exercised over this
large expenditure, we find the effects of the system, which
we have already described, of the Post Office relying al-
most implicitly upon the vigilance and ability of the agents,
strongly exemplified by the state in which we have found
the management and acccunts at Dover.
We shall, in the first place, call your Lordships' atten-
tion to the manner in which the stores are received and
issued.

The coal is procured by contract with a house in Lon-
don, and has been latterly supplied at the rate of 9.35. per
ton, which includes the expense of laying it into store at
Dover. The price has been reduced considerably since the
contract was made ; but it is a running contract, and has
not been thrown open for some years.
When the coals are delivered, neither the agent, nor any
one on the part of the Post-office, attends to ascertain
whether the quantity corresponds with the charge in the
contractor's bill. The agent always relies on the meter's
account as correct ; which, however, it is stated can be
hut little depended upon, as even in the case of coals sup-
plied to private individuals, it frequently found to be inac-
curate. But if there is no sufficient check upon the quan-
tity of coal received in store, the check on the issue of.coot
is still less complete. The coals in store are entrusted
to Philip Brayley, a person who is employed by the Post
Office to ply for passengers. He receives no allowance
from the agent for his care of this store, or for super-
intending the delivery of the coal, but has occasionally
a small gratuity from the contractors. Brayley is seldom
present when coals arc issued, but is in the habit of
giving the key of the store to a carter or porter, who puts the
coals into bags, and takes them to the vessel. They are not
weighed or measured by any one, but the carter forms an
estimate of the quantity from the size of the bags, and
charges for putting them on board according to this esti-
mate. From this charge the monthly account of coal is
made out and transmitted to the Post Office.

Coals are occasionally purchased in Calais and Ostend.
The price paid at Calais is 335. 101 d. a ton. The agent
for the French Post Office packets lays in the best New-
castle coals at about 1/. per ton. Tile price paid at Ostend
for coals of very inferior quality 4235. An offer has been
made to supply them at 18s.
All stores of ordinary consumption (with the exception
of coals), are purchased from tradesmen in Dover, by the
mates, engineers, or firemen of the packets, without any
demand being made, or order given, for the supply of these
stores.

The tradesmen's bills are collected quarterly by Mr. Nor-
wood, the Postmaster, who officiates as clerk to the agent.
As soon as he has made a list of them, and ascertained the
amount, he receives a checque from the agent for the total
sum. He does not consider it his duty to make any obser-
vations as to the charges.
'rim accounts are not examined with a view to as-
certain whether the stores charged have been actually
supplied, nor are any observations ever made on the prices.
The bills are not certified by the commanders or other
officers, and the agent acknowlegdes that the only check
he has " is his dependence upon the honour of tradesmen,
not to charge for more than has actually been delivered."
The quantity of stores supplied to any vessel can-
not be ascertained from the accounts, and there are no
other means of knowing any variation that may occur in the
price of small stores, but by inquiring. of the tradesmen
who supply them.
The private Steam Companies at Dover find it advanta-
geous to obtain their stores from London, whilq the mates