The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-31 00:00:00

THE COLLINS AND CUNARD STEAMERS.

The tables published in the Nqv York _Herald on the
Ist inst.,- exhibiting "the time occupied making, the
eastern and western passages during the past y.ar of the
Collins and Cunard linr,s of ,the,New York and Liver-
pool steamships," give the following results :

EASTERN ressicEs.
Collins Steamers. Cunard Steamer?.
Twenty-six passages. Average ( esv York Branch.)
time of each passage : 12 days, Twpay-two passages. A verage
hours. time of each passage :-11 days,
- 3 hours, and I minute. - •

'ASSAGES. ... •
'Cunard Rteamerso -
(New Yiark . Branch.) '
timeTwenty‘tivei passages. Average
. of each ;passage :711 days,
hours. ~ ,--
... ... . ...
When the Oollii3s Steamers were first biought into com-
petition with-the ',Cnnardens the latter were cdmpara-
tively- small, being•-abont 1,800 tons burden, while the
former 'were over 3;000 tons. . Experience proves that
a greater speed can be got from a large,steam-ship than
from st.arnall one; other things being, equal. .bitterly,
however, there has been airlearer approach tb equality,
in size, the liew ships.'bnu(for the:Conard fine being
larger than the old ones. At ope time the Collins
steamers were vriin at full speed,
.wher'eby great lose
was sustained by the owners. There' was extra con-
sumptiort of.. coal, and consequent) j 1 .less Loom fur
freight'than-there ought. to have beefs,. and the. wear
and tear of the machitterylwerl3:far above anything like
a fair average. The ColliniComoany, therefore, made
little or to ••profit, while the Coni,ril• Company; by
pursuing a more business-!ike course, will able to .make
satisfactory 'dividends.' 'An' Admiralty regulation pre.;
scribed tbejressure of steam to be Allowed in the
British vessels, but the American vessels were wholly
unrestrained in .that particular. The great elject of
the captains..of the Collins steamers 'was to V9at the
British, especially on the voyages from. Liverpool to
New York.— The national vanity• was. excited, and
Mr.. Collins• and his associates every now and then
'appeared before Congress for .an ' acidition••• to the
amount Which the Government hail agreed- to pay
him for the carriage of the mails. --The principal
ground for-the application wad, that'the ships bad
been built ••
of a larger; size .' than. the- British
in order to beat them. It was assumed that the national
honour was involved in the contest, awl, as the ships are
larger and more costly than they should have been,.
having regard to mere mercantile considerations, the re-
presentatives Of.the nation were called upon to "foot the
bill," which is a pretty:largo one, the rate of charge being
about double that allowed by the British Government to
the Cunaid•Company. Cong ess has paid up fora long
time, but is•-now getting tire of it. The result is, that i
the artificial stimulus being withdrawn, the Collins
ci
steamers are-now Tun' with rnere.regard to econotny and
safety';; they are consequently finding -their true level,
and theitaatual inferiority to the
,Britiah can' no longer
be doubted;:.--Neib fork Eurppecz.

WEsTEitrr

Collins Steamers:

Twenty. live passages. Average
time of eaeh passage :-12 days,
16, hours, .30 minutes. .