The Sun.
London, England, 1842-10-08 00:00:00

TRANSMISSION OF THE. MAILS
TO FRANCE.
(TRANSLATION.)
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Boulogne sur Mer, 4th Oct. 1842.
Mr. EDITOR,-It is the duty of the independent
press in every country, whatever may be its political
opinions to point out abuses, more especially when
the public service is. compromised by them. It is the
best course for procuring their removal. At a time
when the Governments of France and of England are
endeavouring to improve the old and defective manner
in which the service of the transmission of the corre-
spondence of the two countries is performed, it is ren-
dering assistance to the Post-office administration of
both countries, whickappear disposed to enter boldly
on the career of improvement, to direct their attention to
certain important facts which must make them ac-
knowledge the necessity which exists for re-organising
this service on a new basis. I make, therefore, Sir,
an appeal to your patriotism in requesting the inser-
tioa in your journal of the following statement, of
which I guarantee the accuracy.
On the 27th September the English mail packet
boat left Dover for Calais. The state of the sea off
this latter port, and the want of water, prevented her
from entering. She was forced to, fall back upon
Boulogne, into the harbour of which she entered, and
landed her dispatches.

On the 28th September another English mail
packet boat left Dover for Calais, remained eight
hours at sea, and after waiting an houF and a half in
the Calais roadstead, in order to have water, entered
that harbour at half-past four. It was then too late.
All expectation of her arrival had been given up ; the
estafette through Boulogne, after waiting an hour
and a half in that city, had set off for Paris. All the
letters and dispatches were thus delayed for twenty-
four hours.
_

On the 29th and 30th of September the captains of
these packets, alarmed at the consequences of their
conduct, steered from Dover direct for Boulogne, and
arrived in that harbour by ten o'clock in the morning.
If, in conformity with the orders they had received,
they had done this on the 27th and 28th, the delays
complained of would not have occurred.

It, is sought to excuse them by alleging that the
state of the sea was terrific—that there was a violent
tempest at the time. But if such were the case, how
were the packets from London, Ramsgate, and Dover,
for Boulogne, enabled to cross the Straits, and with
the tide against them? On the 27th, 28th, 29th, and
30th, three packet-boats which left Dover arrived at
Boulogne in three hours and a quarter, and three
hours and a half. They went from Boulogne to
Dover, notwithstanding a contrary wind, in three
hours and a half, four, hours, and four hours and a
quarter respectively. Four packets from London
made their respective passages to Boulogne in eleven
hours and a half, thirteen hours, and thirteen hours
and a quarter. They returned to London from Bou-
logne in thirteen hours and a quarter, Sixteen hours,
and thirty-five hours, including the time consumed
in touching at Margate. The packet from Ramsgate
made the passage, on the 27th, in four hours and a
half, and returned on the 28th in five hours and a half.
It is very true that the City of London packet,
which left London on the 27th, at five o'clock in the
morning, did not arrive at Calais until the 30th, at
six o'clock in the evening, after having been tossed
about at sea, or weatherbound in Ramsgate harbour,
for three days and thirteen hours, with her fifteen
miserable passengers.
It is also true that the packet, the " Belfast,"
which left London on the 29th at six o'clock in the
morning, with thirty passengers, did not arrive at
Calais until six o'clock in the evening of the 30th,
that is 36 hours after her departure.
It is moreover true, that the packet, the " William
Joliffe," which ought to have left Calais on the 29th, at
six o'clock in the morning, did not take her departure
until that hour on the 30th, and that the French
mail packet, which ought to have left on the 29th
with the mail, was unable to do so, and forwarded her
dispatches by a fishing boat.
But what does this prove as to the tempest against
the fact, that on the 27th and 28th, the packets be-
tween London, Dover, Ramsgate, and Boulogne,
made their passages without delay ? It proves simply
that the harbour of Calais, boasted of as complete, and
called the European harbour, in consequence of the
state of the sea at its entrance, through want of a suffi-
ciency ofwater, wasfour days closed and not approachable.
This is a fact of which no one in the neighbouring
ports is ignorant, and with which the English cap-
tains ought to have been acquainted; and what ren-
ders them still more culpable, in having compromised
the public service as they have done is, that they have
distinct orders to come to Boulogne when they are
not certain of arriving at Calais before the departure
of the estafette.

The time has at length arrived when a stop must
be put to those delays which have arisen in conse-
quence of permitting the English captains to exercise
a discretion on the subject, and which have so fre-
quently given occasion to just and repeated com-
plaints. There never was a more striking proof of it
than at present. IVe should profit by these occur-
rences to prevent a return of the evil by which the
public service is continually compromised in a most
scandalous manner.

I have the honour to be, Mr. Editor,
Your very humble and very obedient servant,
The Mayor of Boulogne',
AL. ADAM.