The Sun.
London, England, 1832-03-17 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PAPER.

FALMOUTH PACKET ESTABLISHMENT.
REPORT FROM VICE-ADMIRAL SIR PULTENEY
MALCOLM, K.C.B. TO THE ADMIRALTY, RESPECT.
ING THE PACKET SERVICE AT FALMOUTH,
DATED JANUARY 16, 1832.
Vice-Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm having proceeded
to Falmouth, in compliance with the instructions of the
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, dated 24th Dec.,
1831, to visit the Packet Station at that port, and to
make a particular and rigid inquiry into the whole system
of the Packet Service concentrated there, makes the fol-
lowing report of his inspection and inquiries for their
Lordships' information.
1. The Vice-Admiral having examined into the num-
ber of packets employed for carrying the mails to the
several stations, and having inspected the logs of the
packets in port, and conversed with their officers, is of
opinion, that, if the present system be continued (upon
which the Vice-Admiral will by-and-bye offer his obser-
vations), a reduction cannot he made in their number con-
sistently with the punctual despatch and return of the mails.
2. The expense, on ler all circumstances, of a hired
packet, and of a ten-gun brig, or King's packet, having
been ascertained, the difference is shown in the annexed
statements; and the Vice-Admiral having mustered the
crews of and inspected all the King's packets in port,
considers that a second master on board each vessel, in ad-
dition to her present officers, is much wanted ; that they
are in other respects properly manned, and that neither
their officers nor crews are capable of reduction, with-
out hazarding their safety, or retarding their equipment
or passages; hut he is of opinion that they are rather
too small for packets.

3. The Vice-Admiral having made a minute inquiry
into the whole scale of public expenditure at Falmouth
relating to the Packet Service, both as regards the
establishment of the Astraea ; the repairs of the packet
vessels ; the expenditure of stores and materials, and the
number and rhscription of artificers employed; and
having carefully investigated these several points, he has
no llesitation in stating that the establishment of the
Astrce I is efficient as well as economical ; that with the
highly judicious arrangement of Captain King, the re-
pairs' of the packets are made considerably cheaper than
they could be effected by sending the vessels to Ply-
mouth, for their defects to be completed ; that the ex-
penditure of stores and materials is comparatively small
(the strictest economy being observed in their consump-
tion) ; that the keeping of thirty-four packets in good
condition with so few artificers, who are paid no extra
wages for their work, is very satisfactory ; and that it is
not possible to make any alteration or reduction in this
system without detriment to the public service.
4. The Vice-Admiral, having made every inquiry with
reference to the employment of steam p.ckets to convey
the Mediterranean mails, as to the skill of the engineers
resident in the neighbourhood of Fahnouth, and their
competency for the repairs of steam-engines and machinery
connected with them, and having also visited the foundry
at Perran, within a short distance of the port, is enabled
to state distinctly, that the engineers are very skilful, and
quite competent for their repairs to any extent, which
could be executed for full one-third leas than the chargeis
made at Portsmouth or in the River Thames. They

could aka make excellent boilers at several places in
Cornwall ; but although they always manufacture all their
engines and machinery for the mines, it would be neces-
sary that they should have some experience in putting
up marine machinery, before they could be con-
sidered quite equal to the making of every thing
complete for a steam vessel. In the event of their Lord-
ships deciding upon the repairs of the steam packets being
inaee at Falmouth, the Vice• Admiral begs to recommend
Mr. Thomas Ward for the appointment of superintendent
of the machinery, this person being a particularly skilful
engineer, and being well known to Captain King, who
has had many opportunities of estimating his usefulness.
5. With regard to the question, whether the two
King's packets, and the three hired packets exclusively
appropriated to the Lisbon station, might not, with equal
efficacy, be superseded, by substituting two steam packets
in lieu, taking into consideration the delay occasioned to
sailing packets, by contrary winds and had weather ; and
also whether by combining the Lisbon and the Mediter-
ranean stations, three, or at most four, good steaming
packets might not he sufficient for the due performance
of both services ; the Vice-Admiral suggests, that four
steam packets, of between 100 and 500 tons, and of
140-horse power each vessel, would be quite sufficient
for these services, if the communication with Lisbon he
established for every alternate Friday, instead of weekly;
that the packet, however, going to the Mediterranean
should not take the Lisbon mail, nor should she any loop
call at Cadiz, her touching there being attended with mucti
inconvenience and delay; but she should proceed direct to
Gibraltar, and stop there two days to fill up her coals ;
thence to Malta and Corfu, and stop three days at the
former and two at the latter place, and three again at
Malta on her return, and two at Gibraltar ; her stay at
Malta for three days would be necessary, to clean and to
make good any defects in her boilers and machinery. The
stations for supplies of coals should not, at present, be
changed ; but when each vessel, from her improved capa-
city, could conveniently carry a quantity for twenty days
consumption, then Gibraltar should be the only depot far
them, which would be much more convenient for the
steamers, and would cause a considerable saving of ex-
pense ; and thu Vice-Admiral understands, that if the ex-
periments now on trial in the Echo and Flamer, succeed,
the consumption of coal will be lessened nearly one-third.
The steamer for Lisbon should go no further than that
station ; stopping there three days, and then returning to
Falmouth. She would carry an ample soppy of coals for
her voyage out and home.
By allowing fifty days for the Mediterranean packet,
and twelre for the Lisbon vessel to be absent from Fal-
mouth, the two services could be performed efficiently with
fiJur steamers, each steamer taking her chance of station,
as shown in the scheme marked (E.)
It may not, however, be thought advisable at present to
stop the steamers communicating with Cadiz, still there
can he no doubt, that even with her calling there, four
perfectly efficiently vessels would be equal to the perform.
ance of the ditties of both stations. But the Vic,-Admiral
begs to submit for their Lordships' consideration another
arrangement, which, under all eircumatanc-s, could not
fail to be advantageous to the public service. A speedy
communication now, between England and Greece, is cer-
tainly very desirable ; and it is not improbable that it will
soon be important, that a direct conveyance to and from
that country should he established. The plan, therefore,
should he, that the present strain packet from England
should go no further than Malta, should stop there three days,
and then return to Falmouth ;th a steamer of 100 horse
power should be stationed at Malta, to take on the mails
and despatches arriving by the packet, as well those for
the lonian Islands, as those for Greece ; and that her route
should be from Malta, to Zante, Patras or Corinth (the
latter place in pref-rence, it being only a six hours journey
from Napoli, where his Majesty's Resident real 'es), Ce-
phalonia, Santa Ahura and Cortia ; returning by the same
route, so as to ensure her being again at Malta in time to
meet the following month's packet from England.
A comparative estimate of the expenses between steam-
ing and sailing vessels for the Lisbon and Meditterranean
services, the Vice-Admiral has been able to form, pretty
accurately, from the documents he has had before him,
from the informa'ion be has obtained, and from his own
personal observations ; and lie has no doubt of the result
being in favour of a steam communication.
• - - -

6. The regulation now in force, by which the
officer commanding one of the Mediterranean steam-
packets, lurnishes the vessel at his own cost, and draws a
large portion of the passage money even from King's offi-
cers taking passages on board King's ships, and proceeding
on the King's service, is only fair towards the officer, and
is not disadvantageous to the public service ; but the Vice-
Admiral submits, that their Lordships should reserve to
themselves the authority of ordering a passage in each ves-
sel, for two officers, upon their (the officers) payin,, at
the rate of his. a day for the time they may be embarked ;
and this authority should also be given to the Commander-
in-chief, or senior officer in the Mediterranean, and it
should be applied likewise to all the King's sailing packets;
it should extend also to the Lisbon steamers (when they
are established), and their Commanders should pay to the
Government one-half of the whole amount of the passage-
money received on each voyage, as is required from the
Commanders of the Mediterranean vessel. It is desirable,
too, that it should be understood that quarter-deck petty
officers may always be afforded passages in the King's
packets, and be victualled according to the King's regu-
lations.
The manner ire which bullion is generally stowed away
in the packets front South America is the best adapted to
their capacity ; and the Vice-Admiral is of opinion that
18 tons (about 692,300 dollars) is the greatest weight of
treasure a packet, whether a King's or hired packet, may
with safety convey across the Atlantic. It appearing that
these packets often take out from Falmouth, each ten tons
of quicksilver, the Vice-Admiral thinks it too large a
quantity, and that they should not take more than seven
tons ;'considering that the vessels are quite full of provi-
sions and stores on their sailing to last for their whole ab-
sence from England; while on their voyage home, how-
ever, their stock is but just enough fur the passage.
7. The Vice-Admiral having made a rigid inquiry as to
what extent a contraband trade is carried on through
means of the Picket Service, is satisfied, that with the
exception of a few boxes of cigars, and small quantities of
arrow root and tapioca found amongst the seamen occa-
sionally, and which are almost always seized on board the
vessels immediately on their arrival, there is nothing con-
traband brought home in the packets ; and it is a fact,
that the value of the seizures altogether made in the dis•
trict of Falmouth, and lodged in the Custom-house, does
not exceed 3801. at each quarter's sale.
8. Having informed himself thoi.mghly on the several
points connected with the system of the Packet Service,
as it now stands, and as it existed prior to the change, the
Vice-Admiral has no difficulty in showing, that the pre-
sent mode is far from being more expensive than the old
plan of conducting the service by hired packets. It is
true that, taking the King's packet, individually, she will
appear to cost a little more than the hired vessel ; but it is
known that the whole of the Picket Service is now per-
formed by 34 sailing vessels and three strainers ; that the
packet stations have been considerably extended since the
transfer, thereby causing a very great increase of duty;
and that there were no less than 39 hired packets
em-
ployed prior to the change, it must be evident, that the
present system is less expensive than the former mode to a
large amount. Contrasting, also, the extraordinary de-
' lays frequently in the sailing of the hired packets, with the
degree of great punctuality, and rapid despatch observed
now in the delivery of the marls at home and abroad, and
looking likewise to the almost entire suppression of smug-
gling, which existed to an alarming extent, on Captain
King's arrival at Falmouth, to enter upon the duties of his
appointment, even large quantities of gunpowder having,
in several instances, been found stowed away in different
places
else et
at eatlei es
innntehne t packet decks,
over
rt
heold
styhs e t e
rnar
are advantages
too of
obv
itohue sex-
istingtto
be questioned.
The Vice-Admiral feels it his duty now to state to their
Lordships that to Captain King's unwearied and praise-
worthy exertions, and to his excellent regulations (wit's
the whole of which even the commanders of the few re-
maining hired packets speak in the strongest terms of
satisfaction), is to be attributed the perfect efficiency of the
Packet Service, and the check to the contraband trade
which existed in it; and that that officer's superior judg-
ment and through knowledge of the duties of his situation,
cannot fail to be highly beneficial to the public service on
all occasions.
The whole of the points alluded to in their Lordships'
instructions being now fully answered, the Vice-Admiral
begs to suggest the following changes in the disposition of
several of the packets, which he presumes will not only
improve the system of communication, but will also cause
a large saving of expense.
In the first place, there arc no less than 14 sailing
packets employed to convey the mails from Falmouth to
the Brazils anti Buenos Ayres; now, if a steam-vessel of
120-horse power were stationed to run between Rio and
Buenos Ayres, she would immediately, on the packet's ar-
rival at Rio, take down the mail to Buenos Ayres (a dis-
tance of about 700 miles), and return to Rio in very'
good time, with the letter bags for the packet, upon which
that vessel would sail for England without further delay.
By this arrangement six sailing packets might be dispensed
with, and an annual saving caused of 8,0001.
Paltangers going in the sailing packet from England to
Buenos Ayres, as well as those embarking at that place to
return in the packet to England, should have their pas-

Commission by the Lord-Lieutenant of the County cij Kent.
West Kent Regiment of Militia.
Lieut.-Colonel Sir J. K. Shaw, Bart., to be Colonel, vice the
Mat quis Camden, resigned.

DECLARATION OF INSOLVENCY.
RICHARD THORNTON, Horsham, Sussex, common
brewer.

BANKRUPTCIES SUPERSEDED.

HENRY JOHNSON, Oaklands, Sussex, timber-merchant.
JAMES JENNER, Southtown, Suffolk, miller.
BANKRUPTS.
JOHN LOUND, Hooper-street, Westminster-road, victualler,
to surrender, March 24, at eleven, and April 27, at ten, at the
Court of Bankruptcy. Fry, Child's-place, Temple-bar.
J OLIN GOATEE, High Holborn, victualler, March 27, at
one, and April 27, at eleven, at the Court of Bankrnptcy. Willis
Sloane-square, Chelsea.
JOIIN EDAI AN'S, Strand, cheesemonger, March 23, at one,
and April 27, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Cole, Ser-
jeant's Inn Fleet-street.
GEORGE JAMES DEPREE, Savoy Wharf, Strand, paviour,
March 22, at eleven, and April 27, at one, at the Court of Bank.
ruptcy. Watson and Broughton, Falcon-square.
t -astt r
eleven,eet B
adt-
thetree t
omercer,urt
mSirAct:N,l23U,ELat of
Bankruptcy. Turner, Basing-Lane, Cheapside.
THOMAS WOODFIELI), White-street, Moorfields, horse-
dealer, March 27, at two, and April 27, at twelve, at the Court of
i lA
three,l t E
andrT N'
April(7o'l Conduit-street,
Bankruptcy. Waller, Finsbury-Circus.
JAMES FISHER, Regent-street, Marylebone, hatter, April
5, and 27, at half-past ten, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Scott,
St. Mildred's-court, Poultry.
JONATHAN REYNOLDS, Union-street, New Hoxton, coal.
dealer, April 5, and 27, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
Scott, St. Mildred's-court, Poultry.
PHILIP COPE,West Bromwich, Staffordshire, chemist, March
31, and April TI, at eleven, at Itadenhurst's New Royal Hotel,
Birmingham. Whitehouse, Castle-street, Holborn; Weston,
Birmingham.
WILLIAM BODMIN and JOHN CARI 4 ARDINE, Bris-
tol, soap-manufacturers, March 26, and April 27, at one, at the
Commercial Rooms, Bristol. White and Whitmore, Lincoln's
Inn, London ; Bevan and Brittan, Bristol.
WILLIAM CRISP, Bath, innkeeper, April 10, and 17, at one,
at the Castle and Ball Inn, Bath. Stothert, Bath ; Wood-
house and Weston, King's-Bench-walk, London.
THOMAS SALT, Birmingham livery-stable-keeper, April
4,5, and 27, at one, at the Globe Tavern, Birmingham. Bigg,
Southampton-buildings, London ; Haywood, Birmingham.
JOHN TAYLOR, Nottingham, boot-maker, March 27, and
April 17, at eleven, at the George the Fourth Inn, Nottingham.
Wood, Nottingham ; Haslam and Bischoff, Copthall-court,
London.

DIVIDENDS.
J. Davis, Chelsea, Middlesex, tallow-chandler, April Cl, at one,
at the Court of Bankruptcy—T.
Fellowes,
Aldersgate-street,
broker, March 19, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy—T.
Shirly, New Bridge-street, Blackfriars, wine-merchant, April
9, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy—J. Bennell, Kennington-
lane, Surrey, boarding house-keeper, April 9, at half-past
eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy—J. Backhouse, Great St.
Helen's, insurance-broker, April 9, at ten, at the Court of Bank-
ruptcy-1. Marsh, Tutbury, Staftbrdshire, grocer, April 9, at
twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy—E.R. Buchanan, Stow-
market, Suffolk, malster, corn-merchant, April 7, at eleven, at
the Suffolk Hotel, Ipswich—R. Vann, Braunstone, Northampton,
coal-merchant, April 9, at eleven, at the Office of Wratislaw,
Rugby—W. Farr, Bristol, silversmith, April 11, at one, at the
offices of Messrs. Savery and Clark, Bristol—W. C. and J.
Daughtrey, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, carpet.manufac-
turers, April 9, at twelve, at the White Hart Inn, Hartlebury—
T. Dobsn, sen , John Dbson, and T. Dobson, jun.,ider-
minster,o Worc'estershire,o carpet-nianurACCUrerg, April 9d
at
two,
at the 'White Hart Inn, Hartlebury—R. Jhnson, Liverpool,
painter, April 16, at one, at the Clarendon Roooms, Liverpool.
CERTIFICATES—APRIL G.
J. Tonge, Grappenhall, Cheshire, dealer—C. F. Davis, Nail,
worth, Gloucestershire, clothier—W. Emans, Birmingham,
Warwickshire, bookseller—W. J. de Buck, Broad-street-build-
ings, merchant—J. Van Zeller, New Broad-street, City, mu,
chant—J. Lloyd, Liverpool, merchant.
PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVED.
H. Israel and J. Brunning, WhitechaPel High-street, but.
chers—T. Heath and R. Court, Clack, Wiltshire, tailors—R.
Clarke and W. Bailey, Stockton, Durham, attorneys—J. and II
Macintyre, Liverpool, provision-merchants—.W. Bartleet and J.
Clarke, Redditch, Vs orcestershire, needle.manufacturers—C.
Donne, sen., and C. Donne, jun., Castle Cary, Somersetshire,
flax-spinners—W. Heath and W. Watson, Aldgate , er.3—
W. Morley and J. Smith, Sheffield sawyers—ll. Ro-
senberg and G. I. Ascher, York, jewellers—'r. Smith and .1.
Gower, Batter, StivieX, blacksmiths—J, and J, Hope, Manchei.