The Sun.
London, England, 1828-06-26 00:00:00

General had gone to a very unnecessary expence i

establishing Government Packets for the conveyance
of the Mail, when that Steam Company had
offered to convey the letters free of all cost.
When that petition had been presented to the House,
he had been unprepared, and therefore was not then
able to contradict -the statements made in it
Since that time, however, he had made some in-.
guides, and the result was, that he found that a
great part of the statements made in the petition
were absolutely untrue.—(Hear, hear.)—The St
George Steam. Company certainly had offered to'
convey the Mail between Liverpool anti Dublin, but
on: inquiry it was found that the accommodations
they could offer for that purpose were by no means
sufficient. According to their statement, the Com-
pany had thirteen -steam boats at their disposal.
This might be the ease; but at all events only one
of tliose thirteen 'sailed between Liverpool and
Dublin, and therefore - this one only was applicable
to the conveyance of the mail; but independently of
this circumstance, the Company itself had refused to
comply with the Post-office regulations as to the
time of starting, &c., reserving to itself the right of
waiting for passengers and
.freight. Now this fact
alone, as must be evident to every Hon. Member of
that House, was sufficient to have put, a negative
on their proposal. But besides this St. George
Steam Boat Company, there was another of the
name of the City of Dublin Steam Company— a
Company as he understood most respectably con-
ducted, and which had no less than sixteen steam
boats at work on that station. He mentioned this
Company, because the Post Master General, after
having decided that the offer of the Sr. George
Conmany could net be accepted, had entered into a
negotiation with the other; but here also they failed,
as it appeared that this Company also found it ne-
cessary to decline undertaking to start at fixed hours
and days ; and so uatisfied was this latter Company
with. the justice of that decision; that they were
ready to come forward and state, that they were
perfectly content with what bad taken place.
These being the circumstances of the case, the
Postraaster-General had thought it necessary to
have steam vessels built for the service of Go-
verntnent; and he (Mr. G. Dawson) was persuaded
that when the House came to view the whole case,
they would be of opinion, that a right decision had
been come . to; especially when they understood
that, owing to this arrangement, the carriage of the
mail was effected in the most regular manner, there
being, he btlieved, only one instance of delay hi the
arrival in the course of the whole year that the boats
had been running. Another point to which he
wishak to call the attention of the HolLot was, that

the petition 'of which he had been speaking stated
that the expence of this poit-office establishment,
after the sums received for passengers had been de-
ducted, was 10,0001. a year. Now this was totally
untrue, as the •expenses, after that deduction,
amounted to no more than -4,300/. within the year;
and, indeed, the whole expence of the Government
steam-hoots conveying the snail to the different ports
of Ireland, was no more than 27,000/., out of which
17,400/. (and to this item he begged to call the
attention of the Hon. Member for Waterford, who
had taken so active a part in the discussion on the
petition) were expended in conveying the Mail be-
tween Milford and Waterford. The Hon. Gentle-
man then protested against its being imputed to Sir
F. Reeling that he had adopted this system of Go-
vernment steam-boats for the sake of the patronage
that went along with them (the real fact being, that
the Commanders of the vessels were appointed by
the Earl of Chichester), and concluded by moving
for the returns already mentioned.
Mr. L. FOSTER said that he had not heard any
thing advanced by the Hon. Gentleman which in-
duced him.to alter the opinion that he had expressed
on a former evening. The Hon. Gentleman had
said that the expellee of these 'packets had only
amounted to 4,3001. in the year, but in his opinion
there ought to be added to that the expence that
arose from keeping up the steam-boat establishment
for letter's between Holyhead and Dublin, because
he could 'not help thinking that one of these. two
routes was entirely untlecessary.—(Hear, hear.)—
For his own part, he did not see there was any ne-
cessity for the existence of the communication be-
tween Liverpool. and Dublin ;- the way by Holyhead
was much shorter ; and he was -persuaded,.that if
instead of vessels of only 80-horse power, that pas-
sage were provided with others of double that
power, which was the case between Liverpool and
Dublin, the mail would be conducted with greater
advantage, and-with greater economy to the public.
—(Hear, hear.).
Sir H. PARNELL -agreed in opinion with the.
Hon. Gentleman who hid just.sat down, and com-
plained, that after having spent 70,000/. on the
Holyhead roads, Government was • now spending
70,0001. more in conveying letters by the Liverpool
route, and thus inn manner rendering the sums that
had been laid out on the Holyhead roads useless.
To which might be added, that it was really a dis-
advantage to the merchants to have their letters sent
by Liverpool; for although the lion. Gentleman
(Mr. G. Dawson) had stated that great regularity
had prevailed in the carrying of the letters, he woult;
beg to remind that Hon. Gentleman, that last winter
had been a peculiarly .favourable one, and that it
would be much fairer to judge by the result of the.
previous one, when the delivery had been so irre-
gular that the Liverpool merchants were obliged
constantly to take the preCaution of sending, dupli-.
eates of their letters of business, under. the appre
bengion that one of them would miscarry.—(Hear.)-
Sir JOHN NEWPORT complained of the dis-
position shown by the. Post Office to dispense with
the communication established between . Milford
Haven and Waterford ; and observed, that the re-
venue of the Post Office was ,only,revenue to the
Government after every part of the correspondence
between every part of the three kingdoms had been
amply provided for.
After a few words from Lord STANLEY, in favour

of the CotnpanieF, and from
_Mr. HusKtssoN, in de- I
fence of the Establishments of the Post Office,
Mr. DA W SON said, that the -Post Office had.!
taken the earliest opportunity of reprobating the
conduct of the Post Office Packets, in carrying the
passengers at a lower rate than the Companies.
The motion was then agreed to.
Sir HENRY PARNELL presented a petition
from 230 of the Merchants and Bankers of_LiVer-
pool, in favour of the Companies, and against the
continuance of the Post Office Establishment.
Mr. HUSKIS SON presented a petition from cer-
tain persons in Liverpool, in favour of the Post Office
Establishment.
INFANTICIDE IN INDIA.
Mr. F. BUXTON moved for Copies of all Re-
turns received by the Government relative to the
practice of infanticide in India; the Immolation of
Widows on the Funeral Piles of their Husbands;
and the Amount and Application of the Pilgrim
Tax.—Ordered.

SILK TRADE.
Sir D. LLOYD presented a petition frOm the
Silk Throwsters of Hollriell, in Flintshire, against
the lipportation of Foreign Silk..
EXPORTATION OF MILITARY STORES.
Mr. LITTLETON moved for a Return of all
Cannon, Howitzers, Bombs, Shells, Cannon Balls,
&c. exported from this country since the 30th of Sep-
tember, 1825, specifying whether the exportation was
with License or otherwise.—Oidered.