The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-25 00:00:00

KINGSTOWN AND HOLYHEAD
MAILS.
The Select Committee 62' the House of Commons
pointed to investigate and report to the House upon stA
matters connected with the contract for the conveynece
of the mails between Kingstown and Holyhead, and to
report also bow far the eoeagements entered into by the
Admiralty with the City of Dublin Steam-Packet Cum-
' pang tend to develop, or olierwiee, the lull advantsgea
of the direct and continuous line of communication be-
tween London and Dublin, which the Chever and Holy-
head Railway Company are, under the provisions of their
Act of Parliament, now labouring'to effect, have agreed
to the following report:—
Your Committee find that, in accordance with the
recommendation of the Committee on Navy Estimates,
in 1848, and also in accordance with the views of the
Committee on the Contract Packet Service of the
late session of Parliament, the Lords of the Admi-
ralty decided on having the packet service between
Holyhead end Kingstown performed by contract in-
stead of by her iUajesty's packets. and ids,t on pet-
ting. the service up to eublic competition. In the
month of October,-184M public advertis-mer is ar-re is-
sued, stating that the Lords of the Admiralty would be
prepared, on the 11th of the following. Deer-ember, to
treat for this service with parties tendering on tlit,t day,
in compliance with the prescribed forms and coviiitions.
A tender was then male by the City of Dublin Steam-
packet-Company, in strict conformity with those condi-
tions, to perform the service for 55,0001. per annum; on
the same day a letter was ad tressed to the Lords c f the
Admiralty by the Chairman of the Chester and. Holy-
head Railway Company, stating that the directors of
that company had submitted a representation to the First
Lord of the Treasury, upon the successful issue of which
" they trusted to he enabled to undertake the packet
service between Holyhead and Kingstown on terms
highly advantageous to the public interests."
2. The letter to the First Lord of the Treasury therein
referred to has been laid before this Committee, and con-
tains statements of the financial difficulties of the rail-
way company (some of the causes of which are attri-
buted to the acts of the Government), and from which,
in the opinion cf the directors, without the aid of the
Government, they saw no prospect of extricating them-
selves; they further state that they have been restrained
from tendering to the Admiralty, in reply to a recent
invitation for the performance of the packet service
across the Channel in connexion with the two mail
trains, solely by the embarrassments explained, and in a
great degree accounted for in that letter.
3. The Lords of the Admiralty having received an
intimation from the Lords of the Treasury, subse-
quently confirmed in official form, on the 11th of
February last, that the letter of the Chester and Holy-
head Railway Company contained nothing to influence
or delay a decision with regard to a tender received
from the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, pro.
ceeded to treat with the latter company thereon ; and
after some negotiation, a reduction of the terms from
55,0001. to 45,0001 per annum was on the point of being
agreed on.

4. Your Committee find that there has been no evi-
dence to show that this amount of 45.0004 per annum
was excessive or unreasonable; on the contrary, it has
been given in evidence that the cost to the public when
the service was performed by her Majesty's packets ex-
ceeded that amount.

5. Your Committee have it in evidence, that whilst
this negotiation was pending, a director of the Ches-
ter and Holyhead Railway Company intimated to the
Admiralty that parties acting in concert with this com-
pany were willing to undertake the service fur 35,0001.
car annum, and handed in a letter to that effect.
6. Under these circumstances the Lords of the Ad-
miralty, not feeling justified, with due regard to the pub-
lic interest, in recommending the proposal for confirma-
tion by the Lords of the Treasury, applied on the 1 Ith
February for the sanction of the Treasury to put the
Holyhead Mail Service again to public tender.
7. This sanction having been given, tenders were
received from the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company
and the Chester and Holyhead Railway Company.
8. The Lords of the Admiralty determined upon ac-
cepting the lowest tender, and having received the
sanction of the Lords of the Treasury, the contract Ras
accordingly entered into with the Dublin Steam Packet
Company, and duly executed previous to the appoint-
ment of this Committee.

9. Your Committee consider that the conduct pursued
by the Lords of the Admiralty, with the sanction of the
Lords of the Treasury, in all the transactions relating
to the contract concluded with the City of Dublin Steam
Packet Company, was in all respects unexceptionable.
10. And, under these circumstances, your Committee
consider that the engagements entered into by the Ad-
miralty with the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company
have, as far as under the circumstances, and with re-
ference to the proposals made to them, they were enabled
to do, tended to develop the full advantages of the direct
and continuous line of communication between London
and Dublin.

11. It also appeared to your Committee that the mail
which leaves Kingstown for Holyhead at half-past seven
o'clock P ni., being delayed at Chester for a period of
about two hours, appears thereby to deprive the public
of some of ,the advantages proposed by the completion
of a thorough railway communication between Holyhead
and London.