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

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE.

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. Westhead Brown.
The committee on meeting proceeded imme-
diately with the examination of witnesses, the first
called being
The Postmaster-General, 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 pact 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 mace 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 subsidy for
the conveyance of mails to St. John's. The vote
for the subsidy took place 16 months
after the company's contract commenced. The
directors agreed to deliver all mails at Newfound-
land as long as they continued to receive the sub-
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
con tract when giving a concession postponing the
chief contract. 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 our 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 go 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 as much 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 indulgence 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
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By Mr. Peel—lt is the subject.
exteneion of time were 11 a owed 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

Mr. SIMMONDS said that after the continued
virulent attacks on M. du Chaillu, in some of which
doubts were expressed that he had ever visited the
part of Africa he had described, it might be satis-
factory to the meeting if he read extracts from
letters received from his brother-in-law in Gambroon
two years ago, in which he remembered M. du
Chaillu as having then returned from his explora-
tions in the gorilia country with a large collection
of natural history specimens.
Mr. Consul An soli (a negro) took exception to
Captain Burton's statements respecting the canni-
balism of the negroes of the east coast. He con-
tended that cannibalism had never been proved, and
that all the accounts respecting it depended on cir-
cumstantial evidence. He said that the negroes,
who were shrewd and intelligent, having in numer-
ous instances found that white men visited them
only to do them injury, naturally enough threw
obstacles in the way of travellers, and might, for the
purpose of disgusting them and inducing them to
depart, pretend to eat human flesh, though they
really never made it their food. With regard to
polygamy, he agreed with Captain Burton in think-
ing it was rather a political than a social institu-
tion; and he mentioned that the King of Dahomey
had 3,333 wives, there being a superstition that. if
the exact numberwas not kept some serious calamity
would happen. These wives were principally the
relations of the minor chiefs, and by this means the
political alliances of the King were maintained.
M. DU CIIAILLU, being called on by the chairman,
said he should confine his observations to canni-
balism. He had no doubt whatever that among the
Fans they ate human flesh, and that they ate even
the bodies of those who had died from disease.

Mr. MALONE, a gentleman who had frequently
made loud exclamations during the proceedings,
rose in a very excited manner to make some objec-
tions to M. du Chaillu's work. He said that, as a
scientific man, he denied the correctness of the
statement that a negro harp was made of fibres
from the roots of trees, for it was impossible to ob-
tain a musical note from such a substance. He said
that though he had only read extracts from M. du
Chaillu's work, he had seen sufficient to convince
him that the compiler of it had collected the mate-
rials from other sources than M. du Chaillu's notes,
to make a readable book, and he thought the state-
ments in the work could not be relied on. He was
proceeding to make other observations to the same
effect, when
Mr. CRAWFURD interrupted him, and said he
must confine himself to the subject before the
meeting.
Mr. MALONE then said he would first ask M. du
Chaillu it he had seen the harp stated to have been
made with the roots of a tree?
M. DU CIIAILLU rose evidently much excited. He
said he should not, in the presence of ladies, make
such an answer to the abusive remarks of the speaker
as they deserved. There were many persons who
dared to vilify an author who were afraid of pistols.
(Cries of " Order.") M. du Chaillu afterwards rose
to say that he had seen the harp the strings of
which were made from the fibres of roots.

Capt. SNOW said that though a friend of the wild
man he could not deny that in many parts of the
world the natives eat human flesh.
After some observations from Mr. BURKE and
the CHAIRMAN, meeting adjourned till November.

FRACAS BETWEEN M. DU CHAILLU AND MR.
MALONE.—At the close of the meeting, when
many of the audience had withdrawn, but whilst
the room was nearly half full, M. du Chailln
stepped over the benches and chairs to where Mr.
Malone was standing, and after touching him on
the shoulder, held his fist in a menacing manner to
his face, and, after asking him how. he dare speak
of him in the manner he had done, he spat in his
face. Mr. Malone, in great astonishment, said he
must call for protection from the chairman from
such an outrage, and was retiring for that pur-
pose when M. du Chaillu called out " Coward,"
" Coward !" There were several ladies and gentle.
men close to them, but no one interfered, and M.
du Chaillu then left the room.

ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTEC-
TION OF LIFE FROM DBE.

The annual meeting -47 f—the friends and sub
scribers to this society was held yesterday in the
Council Chamber at the Guildhall. The Lord
Mayor who presided, said this meeting was held at
a most interesting period of the society's existence,
when the public attention had been so excited by,
the recent great calamity.
The SECRETARY (Mr. Sampson Low) read the
report for the year ending March 31. This showed
that during the year as many as 507 fires had been
attended by the society's fire-escape conductors, and
61 lives rescued by their means. The number of
stations now maintained by the society is 73,
situated at half-a, mile distance from each other—
from Holloway to Kennington, north and south;
and from Poplar to Kensington, east and west. At
each station there is all night a conductor and his
fire-escape ready for action when called upon. The
force comprises 76 conductors and four inspectors.
Subsequent to the date of the report, it was stated,
as a striking proof of the necessity for everything
being ready for instant action, that twice during
one month had a fire-escape in the ordinary quietest
districts, and after 12 months inactivity, rescued
from death at the two fires five lives that would
otherwise have been sacrificed ; again that within
six weeks of the establishment of a new station its
conductor succeeded n rescuing six persons. The
balance-sheet showed the receipts, by donations and
subscriptions, of £7,842 16s. 2d. ; and an expendi-
ture of £6,387 6s. 2d., for wages, machinery, and
rewards, and the whole expenses of management,
£630 16s. 2d.
The report having been adopted,
The LORD MAYOR presented the rewards, which
consisted of silver medals, testimonials on vellum,
and amounts of money varying from 10s. to £2, to
14 fire-escape conductors, one of whom, Edward
Dunk, received two testimonials ; another, William
Rickett, a silver medal; to three firemen, to 17
police inspectors, sergeants, and constables; and to
11 civilians, for having by their intrepid conduct
been instrumental in rescuing human life from
destruction by fire. Two silver medals were also
given to James Jackson and Thomas Maxtell, for
their bravery in rescuing a man from a burning
boat during the late great fire.
A resolution, expressive of regret at the sad fate
which had befallen Mr. Braidwood, and sympathy
loss, was also adopted.
with his family for their

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Some experiments were made yesterday at Ports-
mouth with a new description of diving apparatus,
which dispenses with the air-pump. They will be
resumed to-day.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—W. D. Story, master, addi-
tional, to the Asia, for the Orpheus; C. C. Scott,
master, additional, to the Indus, for the Buzzard ;
Adolphus De J. Sutton, master, additional, to the
Asia, for the Medea ; Dr. Thomas Milne, assistant-
surgeon, confirmed in the Renown ; J. J. Blumden,
engineer, to the Cumberland, as supernumerary ;
Edward Parsons, engineer, to the Griffon ; A. An-
drews, assistant-engineer, to the Griffon ; and B. T.
Brierley, acting assistant-engineer, to the Griffon.