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

POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT.

SIXTH REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED TO
INQUIRE INTO THE MANAGEMENT OF THE POST-
OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
' In considering the different branches of the service of the
Post office we have particularly directed our attention to
the packet establishment on the home stations, as well on
account of its extent and importance, as of the large annual
expenditure which it occasions.
A Report on all the packet stations, with the exception
of Dover, was made in 1830, by the Commissioners of Re-
venue Inquiry, and four of these stations were again con-
sidered in 1832, by the Committee on Post communication
with Ireland.
Your Lordships will not, we trust, deem it irrelevant, if,
in the course of our remarks, we frequently refer to these
Reports, while we re-consider many of their suggestions,
and the manner in which those suggestions have been car-
ried into effect under the present system of Post-office ad-
ministration. It will remain for your Lordships to decide
on the best mode in which the packet service can in future
be performed, in order to secure the regular and rapid
transmission of our domestic and foreign correspondence,
without any unnecessary charge on the revenue.
There are altogether twenty-six steamers belonging to
the Post-office, and attached to the different stations. We
subjoin a return of their tonnage, power, and the expense in
their building and outfit, which amounts to 273,018/. 4s. 9d.
On looking .at the Teceipts and expenditure during the
last four years your Lordships will perceive that the total
annual loss to the Post-office averages 38,739/. 3s. a-year,
without taking into consideration the original, cost of the
packets, amounting to 273,0184
We considered it to be our duty in the place to ascer-
tain the nature of the control exercised by the General
Post-office over the management and expenditure of this
branch of the public service.
The Accountant-General informed us that the only exa-
mination the packet accounts were subjected to in his de-
partment, was to see that there were proper vouchers for
the expenditure, and that the receipts agreed with the daily
bills ; he had nothing to do with the propriety of the ex-
penditure. " The only person in the General post-office
who superintends this part of the public service, is Mr.
Freeling. He generally examines the accounts of the
agents, and sees that there has been no improper expendi-
ture, or that things have been duly authorised."
After we had seen the form in which the packet accounts
and documents were transmitted to the General Post-office,
arid examined the several officers through whose hands they
passed, we found that it was quite impossible to obtain in
London any satisfactory information relative to the manage-
ment of the stations.
It did not appear to us that the superintendence exer-
cised by the London office over the Packet Establishment
had the effect of producing a substantial check over the ex-
penditure, the control of which seemed to be almost wholly
left to the agents at the several stations.
Under these circumstances we submitted to your Lord-
ships that it would be desirable to institute an inquiry at
the different stations, in order to obtain the necessary infor-
mation on the spot.
We, at the same time, requested that you would sanc-
tion the appointment of a naval officer to assist in this in-
vestigation. Your Lordships having approved of our
proposal, Captain Evans, R.N., was recommended to us
by the Lords of the Admiralty for this purpose, on ac-
count of his skill and experience in the steam service of
the Royal Navy ; and we accordingly directed him to pro-
ceed, in conjunction with our Secretary, Mr. Gardiner,
to the several packet establishments. The evidence taken
by these gentlemen in the course of their inquiry will be
found in the Appendix, as well as a Special Report which
we directed them to make on the Holyhead station, in con-
sequence of information which we received from them dur-
ing their stay there.
We shall proceed, in the first place, to submit to your
Lordships our observations upon the several stations, and
shall then subjoin such general recommendations as appear
to us to be expedient.