The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-30 00:00:00

SUPPLY.

On the vote of A 1,209,000 being proposed for the packet
service in the Post-office Department,
Mr. COGAN said he could not understand why the sum
for the Galway and New York packet service should be ex-
chided from this vote, while the sum for the contract for the
Holyhead and Kingstown packet service had been included.
Mr. LAING explained that in the case of the Galway
and New York packet service the ships had not been
tendered to be surveyed. Besides, the circumstances
under which that contract had been entered into had been
referred to a committee for inquiry. The report of that
committee had not been printed and circulated among
hon. members, and, as the subject would come under the
discussion of the house, it was thought advisable that the
vote for that contract should not be included in the present
vote, but should be brought forward as a supplementary
vote.

• Mr. W. WILLIAMS said this vote was increasing every
year. Upwards of £600,000 was taken out of the pockets of
the people for this packet service. He was aware of the im-
portance of speedy communication to all parts of the world,
but as it was the commercial world that derived the benefit
they ought to be made to pay a higher rate of postage. The
produce of this service was utterly inadequate to meet its
expenses. There was, for instance, paid for mails to the
West Indies £238,000, and for conveyance of mails to the
Cape of Good Hope, £32,400. For the mails to Australia,
the Government of that colony paid one-half the expense.
Why should not that also be the case in other colonies ?
Thenthere was £175,000 paid for mails to the United States.
That required investigation. He hoped the Government
would not again enter into contracts of this kind without
the sanction of the house. He would have divided the
house on several of these items, but the contracts had al•
ready been entered into.

Mr. COGAN said that these contracts were not hitherto
carried out in a satisfactory manner, and he hoped a diffe-
rent course would be pursued in future.
Mr. DUNLOP was very glad to hear the recommenda-
tion made to lay these contracts in future before the house.
Those contracts, however extravagant, which were already
entered into should be carried out, but in future a different
course should be pursued. He would not go into the Gal-
way contract at that .moment, but the report of the com-
mittee would be presented to the house on to-morrow or
Monday.

Mr. CHILDERS thought the question of contracts re-
quired the most careful consideration on the part of the
house, though ho admitted it was ono which should be
solely left in the hands of the Executive Government. He
wished, however, to know when the Government intended
to make those colonies pay a portion at least of the ex-
pense incurred in carrying the mails, especially such
places as Canada, Australia, and the Capo of Good Hope.
The Post-office authorities had charged an additional penny
on newspapers to India sometimes since,•but instead of be-
nefiting the revenue thsre was really a reduction of a very
considerable amount.

Col. SYKES complained that generally the amount of
these mail contracts was more than it ought to be.
Sir V, NAPIER thought the mail packets should be