The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-08-20

preston Of the outbreak and what the last per
Bsronet the late first Lord Of the Treasury came down to
that house and made the proud declaration that the 60
vcrnment had concluded treaty with the United States
on the Oregon question: he was enabled to make that
statement in consequence of the celebrity with which
the dispatches OF our minister in the States were con-
yeyed to this country by the Great Western The Great
Britain the sister vessel to the Great Western also
brought home tho earliest news of the ratification of
that treaty, He (Nr F. Berkeley considered this
most monstrous He maintained that contracts Of
this kind ought not to be given away without competi
ton to the exclusion Of company which had at least
strong claims as any other upon the country.
Mr.. GouLBuRN said, the contract with Mr. Cunard
had been entered into under his advice, he thought
right to state the circumstances under which that con-
tract had been made. in the year 1888, it judged
advisable to attempt to establish communication by
steam for the conveyance Of mails the Allan.
TIC, and general tender then publicly advertised.
Tho service was the conveyance Of mails between Eng
land Halifax and Nova Scotia, and between England,
Hsifax, and New York In reply to that advertisement
two propositions only Woo mads-ons by the Great
Western Company, and he other by the st. Georges
Compa ny. Neither OF those companies prepared to
execute the service with vessels size and strength
Admit ally Those ten 1sr The. sors, .il to the ground
Mr. unsrd made proposition to the government 10 sup
ply three vessels Of 800 horse power each for the par
and Boston, and also up tho ST. Lawrence, for 55O00
,ear-a sum somewhat below tina. required by one of
the companies which had formerly rendered.
At later period however, the difficulties of navigation
during the winter were Judged to be so great that Mr.
power would be adequate the safe conveyance of
the mails across the Atlantic and he made proposal to
four vessels Of three hundred horse power each avs
vessels of four hundred horse power should be employ
ed The government annexed TO that contract the con-
don that the vessels should be built that in the
OF war they would be capable OF carrying guns Of the
heaviest calbrs and Of being employed against hostile
power In consideration Of this augmentation, an in
crease was made in the payment to MIR Cunard, and 1t
determined that he should receive ESQ 600 for
asresd upon the House con
sened to make an addition Of 10000 year to the
contract in consequence of fifth vessel being applied
ton of the accounts had proved the deficiency Of the
former allotment: but the government subsequently,
| withdrew from that OF f5 900, in consequence
of the withdrawal of Mr. Cunards obligation to keep up
certain number Of vessels for the service in the St
Lawrence Before the year in which the contract
planned Of was entered into discussion to the
best mode OF converting the mails to the North American
Colonies; and in s43 he (Mr Gouburn) believed ar
| aangement was made with the American Government.
which had been tor time under consideration for
conveying the United States in closed boxes the
mails which to to colonies there's and under
that arrangement il became advisable that the mails
great pressure also made upon the Government to
double the number Of communications betw this
try and North Amerca and under these circumstances,
looking to the previous contract with MIR. Cunard in
which he was under engagement when required, to 90
double the number Of voy ages the Government enter
ed into correspondence with him for the purpose of esa
blishing that weekly communication with colonies
there during the summer months and fortnghty during
the winter which would give a. communications in the
year. upon that the present question
had arisen The former expenditure under the contract
had in fact been no expenditure to the public for by
postage received upon the letters to and from the North
| American colonies than betrayed the ninety
thousand pounds year payable to him: (hear hear);
The Great Western Company had studiously avoided
those months which every knew to be difficult
undertaking to cross the Atlantic existed Il was the
duty OF the Government to take that the public
propose to MIR Cunard to give him to the full extent to
which he might have been entitled by doubling the num-
hs wou so a
tied under the contract Of lS4 they gave him fl45000
for "A voy and in order that the Government might
transmit the mails with most convenience to all parties
interested in the regular conveyance and delivery of let
ers they allowed him to make alternate voyages to
Halifax and New York. subject to power in the Gov
eminent in Of necessity to divert him to the
point the Others and having established communica-
s to AID a
ternately embrace both these. Mr. Cunard having
proved to all what no other company had ever
Communication regularly durngthe winter and hav.
ing, therefore claim upon the public that the let
the carrying of them, there did appear him MIR
Goulburn to be power Of hesitation in giving to Mr.
Cunard the additional contract offering he did, lower
terms than any previously offered
Lord CLEMENTS hoped II would be an instruction to
the committee to consider whether i would not be pre-
western coast Of Irelandhe nearest point to America
Mr. srooNER said that utterly impossible for the
Great Western and Great Britain steamships to in
competition with the Government packets because the
paid to the Government packets large, that
the others from the want of similar aid could not Keep
the line, and thus the advantage gained by the manu-
featuring districts, from compe on in the lowering of
the rate of feighs lost. The right hon gentleman
said that Mr. Cunards chips crossed the Atlantic during
the winter month but the reason Of that was that
he well paid for doing and the others could not
| DO the same because they were not paid. There
not the least accusation against Mr. Cunard for the
in which he carried ost his contract for he had per-
formed with great punctuality hear, hea) but that
reason why the county should be deprived Of
the benefit Of competition. The government had adver
tsed for tenders for carrying the mails to Boston and
Halifax and two tenders sent in neither OF which
came within the terms Of the advertisement The terms
contract without offering those terms to the public
| Mr.. NJ PHILLIPs saw the difficulty in which the 60
contract for the safety and security Of the transmission
of letters the Atlantic by steam communication,
hey wisely and TOOK care 70 err On the right
Hence the first difficulty A modification Of the
provisional arrangements he understood took place but
there appeared only party able 10 conform to the
rules suggestions of the government and the
tract accordingly placed IN the hands of that indvi
| dual. He anxious that this committee should be
granted in order the commercial interests should
assured that they had been properly attended to- but
he did let word fall against the perfect
good faith with which Mr.. Cunard had carried out the
Sir Rosrnr PEEL sincerely hoped that no objection
would be made to the appointment of this committee.
The treasury gave this contract to Mr. Cunard because
they thought that the period at which the original
hich entitled Mr. Cunard to this indulgence. II was
said that the contract signed after the resignation OF
the late ministers had been rendered but II must be
borne mind that they had all the power to conduct
the public business and the contract being made there
obligaton IN nOnor 10 sign u reeung
interests of Cunard would be protected, he claimed
inquiry on the part OF the treasury.
The Of the Exchequer said he thought that
the offer Of Mr. Cunard q very advantageous offer
for the public. infinitely advantageous than the
other tenders received The mos, advantageous pre-
viously received for Gas 009 year Tor monthly
but Mr. Cunsrd for Eos 900 for
fortnghtly communication, and subsequently further
sum Of $1,000 given for the addition Of commnnico-
ton up the st. Lawrence to Quebec making the whole
amount Of the contract eco oo0 including the communi
cation with Quebec That better any other
der and was the beneficial bargain that offered for
the public MIR Cunard had med the service he
had credably himself and also with
the greatest advantage and profit to the public (Hear)
1t was he believed the only ne Of communication with
distant countries where the postage letters than
defrayed the expense (Hcar) He certainly thought Mr.
Cunard had fair claim to the contract, which was an
exceedingly beneficial TO the country the rate Of
carrying being per voyage lower than the lowest
tender that could be got when first put up II had been
stated by the hon member from Bristol that depua-
ton Ind waited upon the noble lord the head Of the