The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-09 00:00:00

THE TRANSATLANTIC POSTAL SERVICE.

On the Ist of January considerable modifications
will be made relative to the ocean postal service
between Great Britain and the United OLAtell.7 the
British Government having entered into a fresh
contract with Messrs. Cunard and M'lver, and
having also for the first time granted subsidies
to the Inman line of steamers sailing from
Liverpool, and those of the Bremen Company,
which call at Southampton. Under the new
arrangements the mails will be forwarded on Tues-
days from Southampton by the Bremen Company,
on Thursdays from Queenstown ty the Inman Com-
pany, and on Sundays from Queenstown by the
Cunard Company. This latter company have dis-
continued the service between New York and
Nassau, and also the fortnightly service between
Queenstown and Halifax, which will be udder-
taken in future by the Inman. Company, while
the service between Halifax, Bermuda, and St
Thomas has been the subject of a special con-
tract with Mr. William Cunard, who will receive
£14,000 per annum from the British Government
for it. Under the new contracts with the British Go-
vernment, Messrs. Cunard, Burns, and M'lver have
agreed to compound for a fixed sum of £BO,OOO for
one year in lieu of the ocean postage ; while the In-
man and Bremen Companies have agreed to accept
the ocean postage, which will give to each company a
fluctuating subsidy proportionate to the numbers of
letters carried. This ocean postage is estimated by the
Inman Company to be worth £20,000 per annum.
These three contracts, however, are only good
for 1868, and will in all probability be subject
to revision after that period. The United States
Government have made the following arrange-
ments for 1868 :—The Bremen Company are to
leave New York on Tuesday, the Hamburg Com-
pany on Thursday, and the Inman Company
on Saturday, the Cunard Company retaining
Wednesday—their usual day from New York.
In this case the various companies will be paid
by the ocean postage, worth probably about £15,000
a year ; but the Cunard Company will have to hand
their receipts from this source to the British Post-
office. In addition to the subsidised line of steamers,
other fine steamers sail weekly from Liverpool to
North America. On Thursdays the Allan Company,
who receive a subsidy from the Canadian Govern-
ment, despatch splendid steamers to Quebec or Port-
land, which call at the north of Ireland on both the
homeward and the outward voyages ; while Messrs.
Guion and Co. and the National Steamship Com-
pany have powerful steam fleets plying between
Liverpool and New York, the vessels of the
former company sailing from the Mersey on
Saturdays, and those of the latter on Wednes-
days, and touching, when practicable, at Queens-
town. There are also recently established lines
of steamers plying to Boston, Baltimore, and
New Orleans from Liverpool ; but these steamers,
like those of the Guion and National Companies,
can only carry letters at the ordinary ship rates.
The Cunard Company, in addition to their regular
" mail" line sailing for New York every Saturday,
will despatch extra steamers on Tuesday to New
York, and also to Boston; and these first-class vessels
(not being under contract) also carry letters at the
ordinary ship rates, receiving Id. for each ; but the
Cunard Company, in respect of these extra vessels,
come under no possible obligations or penalties, and
merely promise to sail them with tolerable regula-
rity, making the voyage in about 12 days. It will
thus be seen that there is now rather more than
daily correspondence between Liverpool and New
York, &c.—Liverpool Albion.