The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-03 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY
___3,
_lB6l.

EVANS'S MUSIC and SUPPER ROOMS.—
Gentlemen meet as vFual every evening. Mackney as
ever—Sydney's admirable New Song—The Elliot Family and
the American Br.)thers' elegant Performances, superior to
anything yet seen. Four-part Songs, Glees, Madrigals, and
Classic Vocal Music formi,the main element of' the entertain-
ment. "Play-goers sup at Evans's to glees extremely well
sung."—Atheneum.

Ni R. W. S. WOODIN'S NEW ENTERTAIN-
RIENT, the CABINET of CURIOSITIES, POLY-
GRAPHIC HALL, King Wil iam-street, Charing-cross,
TO-NIGHT, and EVERY EVENING (except Saturday), at
Eight. Private boxes, .£1 Is. ; Stalls and- box stalls, 3s. ;
area, 28. ; amphitheatre, is. -A plan of the stalls may be
seen, and seats secured (without extra charge), at the Box-
office, from 10 till 4 Morning Performance, Saturday,
May 11.

A RGYLL ROOMS. GRAND MUSICAL
LA- ENTERTAINMENT,
with the Celebrated BAND, Forty in number (established
eleven years), chosen from the Philharmonic Concerts, Royal
Italian Operas, and the Household Troops. Conducted by
Mons. Lamotte. Cornet-a-piston, M. Boulcourt.—Dancing
at Nine o'clock.-Is. admission.

CONTRACT FOR COALS FOR ST. VINCENT, CAPE
DE VERDE.

Department of the Storekeeper General of the Navy,
Somerset Place, Ist July, 1861.
FrHE COMMISSIONERS for EXECUTING the
OFFICE of LORD HIGH ADMIRAL of the UNITED
KINGDOM of GREAT BRITAIN and IRELAND, DO
HEREBY GIVE NOTICE, That on TUESDAY, the 16th
instant, at Two o'Clock, they will be ready to treat with such
Persons as may be willing to Contract for supplying and de-
livering on board her Majesty's Steam Vessels at StSincent,
Cape de Verde, all such quantities of
SOUTH WALES COALS,
fit for her Majesty's Steam Vessels, as shall from time fo
time be demanded, under a contract for twelve months cer-
tain from the Ist September, 1661, and afterwards until the
expiration of three months' warning.
A Form of the Tender may be seen at the said Mee.
No Tender will be received after Two o'clock on the day
of treaty, nor will any be noticed unless the party attends,
or an agent for him duly authorised in writing.
Lsezy,Tender most- be* setirtsrsed 'to the secretary of the
Admiralty, and tear in the left-hand corner the words " Ten-
der for St. Vincent ;" and must also be delivered at Somer-
set-place, accompanied by a letter sis2ned by two responsible
persons, engaging to become bound with the Person tender-
ing, in the sum of £5OO, for the due performance of the Con-
tract.

(100 L AND REFRESHING TOILETTE
REQUISITE. Oldridge's Baim of Columbia is
the most certain remedy for restoring and strengtheninc,
the hair. By it whiskers and moustaches are produced ana
beautified. Ladies will find it especia ly valuable, as the
most delicate head-dress or bonnet can be worn without fear
of soill”g. Price 3s. 6d., 65., and Ils. C. and A. OLDEIDGE,
22, Wellington-street, Strand.

No. 8, GROSVENOR-STREET, BOND-STREET.
1
ARTIFICIAL TEETH on a NEW and IM-
PROVED PRINCIPLE.—Mr. ESKELL'S PATENTED
INVENTION (protected by her Majesty's Royal Seal, July,
1860), for adapting Artificial Teeth on Moveable Bases by
Self-adhesion, are fixed without springs or any fastenings,
without pain or extraction, restore perfect articulation and
mastication, rendering detecting impossible, and last a
time. "An admirable contrivance for remedying the defects
of nature, without requiring new sets of teeth."—Sun, July
20. "Will doubtless be extensively patronised."—Court Cir-
cular, July 21. "Unrivalled for its utility and economy."—
Morning Post, July 20. Cos sultations free.—Terms strictly
moderate. 8, Grosvenor-street, Bond-street ; Old Steyne,
Brighton; Bennett's-hill, Birmingham

PARLIAMENTA Rl' COMMIME:

THE GALWAY PACKET COMPANY.
The select committee of the House of Commons
appointed to inquire into the determination by the
Government of the Galway packet contract sat for
the first time yesterday—Mr. Gregory in the chair.
The other members of the committee present were
Sir J. Trollope, Mr. Walpole, Sir M. Peto, Mr.
Peel, Mr. Ker Seymer, and Mr. \Vesthead Brown.
The committee on meeting proceeded imme-
diately with the examination of witnesses, the first
called being
The Postmaster- Generai, who, in reply to ques-
tions from the chairman, stated that a committee
was appointed in 1859 which made no report : it
was reappointed in 1860, and then reported that it
was not prepared to recommend the rescinding of
the Atlantic mail steam navigation contract. The
company commenced their service in June, 1860,
two months before Parliament had actually con-
firmed the contract. On the 24th of April, 1861,
a new agreement was made for suspending the
Boston part of the contract, and in the following
May a notice was served upon the company to the
effect that the contract must be terminated. A
concession, however, was made by the Government
to the company that the service should be performed
once a month instead of once a fortnight; and sub-
sequently that it should be relieved from the stipu-
lation that it should perform 46 voyages, the com-
pany not having vessels to execute the contract.
In October, 1858, the company had a bubmidy for
the conveyance of mails to St. John's. The vote
for the subsidy took place 16 months
after the company's centred commenced. 'lke
directors agreed to deliver all mails at Newfound-
land as long as they continued to receive the eub•
sidy of £8,500 ; but the subsidy was to cease unless
the Imperial Government contributed in addition
the sum of £4,500 a-year. On Nov. 20, 1860, a
letter was sent from the Post-office annulling the
contract for the delivery of mails at St. John's, but
that was when the company had failed in perform-
ing their contract, and, in point of fact, had not
any ships to perform it. He considered it his duty
to clear up all doubts as regarded the St. John's
contract when giving a concession postponing the
chief eontract. He had a right to claim that the
St. John's contract should be determined in March,
1861, and that was the opinion of the legal advisers
of the Post-office, but he knew that the company
entertained a different view of their obligations in
reference to the St. John's contract.
By Mr. Peel—The contract in oar judgment, had
been already terminated in consequence of the com-
pany not having some time before despatched a
vessel on the separate service, or asked for any con-
cession on the subject. The dispute was whether the
colonial subsidy should be received by the Govern-
ment or the company. My impression was that, if
the Colonial Government contributed anything, it
should o the Imperial Treasury in diminution of
the cost of the home service, but it was only after
I determined not to consent to a suspension of the
contract unless the company acquiesced in our view
of the matter.
By the Chairman—There was a great differ-
ence between us and the company in re-
gard to the delivery of mails at St. John's.
They considered that they were only bound
to deliver telegrams, but we considered that they
were bound also to deliver mails. I understood that
it required asmuch care in the transmission of tele-
grams as of mails, and that was one of the grounds
upon which I consented to a suspension of the con-
tract, inasmuch as the question had assumed an en-
tirely new aspect.
By Mr. Walpole—The disputes in regard to the
Newfoundland contract commenced at an early
period, before the fulfilment of the imperial service
began.
By Mr. Peel—The company always contemplated
commencing the service in March, 1861. When
they asked, on the 7th of November, that it should
be suspended, they repeated their confidence that
they would be able to carry out their contract in
March. I agreed to the suspension on the condi-
tion that they entered into an agreement that, if
they were unprepared then to fulfil the contract, it
should become null and void. It was a great ad-
vantage to the company to release them of the con-
tract in the winter months, and enable them to
commence it in the summer. There was no reduc-
tion in the recompense, but they were not to receive
a subsidy for any passage they did not perform.
As far as my experience goes I know of no analo-
gous instance.
By the Chairman—l imposed penalties for delay
of time in all cases save one, that of the Parana, but
they were the ordinary penalties imposed in such
cases. In all nautical matters in connection with
the company we consulted the Admiralty. The
company received more indulgenee at our hands
than ever was previously granted. There may have
been indulgences to the Royal Mail Steam Packet
Company, but if so it must be borne in mind that it
whenwaßs yin i
Sirhd infancy
indulgences
jgoehnnceo
Ts rmo o
igohcptee an—beiTcf
has
iet
re
lapymo
extended.s ct oa ml m u n
servicec a t on,
a 9
formerly under the superintendence of the Admiralty
and of
hecthhaeirPt- onizasn_ffic em
re.
delay of the Connaught offimspto.sseodhanpenalty for they
and not
for o fog. .w the
tcho
emypwa ne yr e r po
not responsible,
esented tha s w° wa
sieagdtol a
f
buti I declined
to entertain it. I did not consult the Admiralty on
the subject.
By I\lr. Peel—lt is quite clear that even if the
extension of time were allowed the company would
not have been prepared at any period in June to
perform the service. At this moment the only vessel
they have fit for service is the Adriatic. It is per-
fectly clear that the Columbia and Hibernia are not
in a condition to perform the service, and I am told
they will not be ready for some months. Under all
the circumstances I came to the conclusion that it
was better to put an end to the contract than to go
on longer in the unsatisfactory manner we had done.
An irregular postal service is, in my opinion, as bad
as none at all. I cannot help thinking it a fortu-
nate circumstance that the Hibernia met with her
accident in the home seas, I firmly believe that if
she had encountered the same storm in the Atlantic
she would never have arrived at her destination.
Everything we have heard of the Connaught shows

that she was leaky and in a very bad condition be-
fore she was destroyed by fire.
Mr. Valiance, solicitor to the company, was
then examined, and detailed the particulars of the
contracts entered into for the build.ng of four ships
for the company. They were to be delivered, before
the period fixed for the commencement of the com-
pany's service, far in excess of the requirements of
the Post-office, both in tonnage and power. Several
surveys on the ships were ordered during their con-
struction. The Columbia and Hibernia were now
in the hands of Mr. Laird, of Birkenhead, with
instructions to make them in every respect fit to
pass the strictest survey of the Board of Trade and
the Admiralty.
The examination of Mr. Valiance was not con-
cluded when the committee rose.