The Sun.
London, England, 1835-07-01 00:00:00

POST OFFICE.

Return to an Order of the Honourable The House of Corn
mons, dated 31 March, 1835--for
1. A Return, in detail, of the whole Amount of Poundage
charged by Postmasters in Great Britain and Ireland upon
Post Office Money Orders, stating the Purpose or Pur-
poses the said Poundage is applied to, and the Amount paid
in London, Dublin and Edinburgh ; also, the Sum Totals
paid in England, Ireland and Scotland in each of the last
Three Years, ending Ist January 1835, and distinguishing
the same.
The Money Order Office is a private establishment, and the
business carried on by private capital, under the sanction of
the Postmaster General ; but as no accounts connected in any
degree with it are kept at the Post Office, no Return can be
made by the Postmaster General to the above Order of the
House of Commons.

F. FREELING, Secretary.
General Post Office, 3 June, 1835.
2. A Return, in detail, of the Amount paid to the Contractor
or Contractors for furnishing Mail Coaches in the United
Kingdom, distinguishing the Number in use in England,
Ireland and Scotland, in so far as this can be done ; also,
in detail, the Duration, Nature and Amount of the Con-
tracts, and the Name of the Contractors, and whether by
open Tender or by limited Tender; stating the Limits, if
any. and when the said Contract or Contracts were last en-
tered into and expire, and the Rate or Rates of Contract,
for the last Ten Years, ending Ist Januar; , 1835.
The expense of furnishing the Mail Coaches is paid, not
frem the Post Office Revenue, but by the contractors for
horsing them, at rates varying from 2id. to 3id. per double
mile. The Post Office has not the means of furnishing any
account of the amount paid.

The average number of Mail Coaches in use in England
and Scotland may have been about 250 per annum in each of
the last ten years. In Ireland about 74.
The Contract for furnishing Mail Coaches in Great Britain
is between the Post Master General and John Vidler for four-
teen years, from January 1822. The nature of the contract
is, that the contractor shall build, in a complete and work-
manlike manner, and to the satisfaction and approbation of the
Postmaster General, and furnish, as occasion shall require, a
sufficient number of Coaches upon the principle or construc-
tion now in use, or such other Coaches as the Postmaster
General approve or direct to be made or built, and keep them
in perfect and complete repair. The contract was not made
by open tender, but with reference to the price at which Stage
Coaches were supplied by other builders.
The contract in Ireland is between the Postmaster General
and Frederick Bourne and Peter Purcell, for five years, from
28th May, 1833, and was made upon competition by tender.
In addition to the mileage above mentioned, the contractor
in Great Britain has been paid from the revenue the following
sums during the last ten years, for cleaning, oiling and greas-
ing the Mail Coaches, and drawing them to and from the fac-
tory for daily examination :-
1825 £2,419 10 4 1830 2,311 12 2
1 .'26 2,427 17 11 1831
1827 ... 2,452 0 6 1830 2,208 15 8
1828 2,455 5 11 1833
1829 2,344 18 8 1834
FRANCIS FREELING, Secretary.
General Post Office, 3 June, 1835.