, 1866-06-28
OUR POSTAL SERVICE.
Official Heoe RI OH More Rapid Cumn1u-
1.lentieA With ChinA-FlFe 0nyss
TpD,e IL Ne <nVed-A New Ltnc Be-
tween San Francisco and Honplutu.

Official Report OH More Rapid Commas
1.lentieA With ChinA-FlFe 0nyss
Tune Il. bc <nVed-A New Lt0e Be-
tween San FfanctscN and Honeluiu.
By the terms Of the act OF Congress grant
ing Government subsidy to the steamship line
from Ca'iiornlaso China, the vessels Of the
me are required to "touch ut the Sandwich
felands.'' ihiSsequi1es deviation from the
shortest rou.eF oftrom 141 to 057 miles, ands
will make a diaa1aace In the length of the trip
Of from three to five days. In addition.
steamers, such as the Pacific Matl Steamship,
Company proposes TO put on the liue, cannnt
enter the ha1bor cf Honolulu for want OF sutll-'
,cisnt water. The= company also maintain
that the trade between the Hawaiian ish1nds
au California IL not sufficient to compsn--
safe for the great additional expense
to which regular communication With these
islands would subject the llno- or courso
American interests st Honolulu are protest.
posed route, but the company arc pressing
their designs before Congress with a strong
prospect Of SUCCESS. The Senate Committee
On Post Offices and Post Routes, having thor
oughfy considered the subject, hare made,
through Mr., Conness. report, accompany
ing a joint resolution authorizing the Post-
master General to modify tho cont ract SO as to
leave out the requirement to make the Sand
wich Islands point Ia the route ot the steam
ship une.
The committee say the distance from San
francisco to .Kanagnwa tYokohama), In
Japan, oy the great circle, is the
e. an? b Is IL sss Ssss
from San Frnncisco to kanagawa, by d.
rect or rhu1nb line ia line drawn straight
across the map: Is elo miles greater thnn the
preceding, or !, ,f01 miles. The distance tia
the Sandwich Islands to Japan is 5.5o3 miles,
and 057 miles longer than the great circle
trnnk amy TAT fnrf than fha rhrY1 n Tine
course. ...
A steamer like those called for By the COIL
tract made ty the Post-oflee Department,
running ten L Iautical miles an hour, would
make the passage from San francisco to Japan
by the direct or rhumb-l line route In nineteen
days and twenty hours, md would return by
the great circle routo IN eighteen days and
twenty three houss.. Touching at the Sand
wick 1slnnds, the same steamer would be
TWENTY-FIVE days and twenty y-two hours at SEES
on the passage to Japan and about one dsY
in port at Honolulu, making neariy twenty.
four days In alE. Returning, the time would
le from one to two days longer by reason OF
the adverse winds and currents.
! The stpppagt at the Sandwich Ielsnds,
therefore involves loss Of nearly four days
| on the voyage form, California to japan aud
China, and nearly siI days on the return trip,
| making total loss for the round voyage OF
| ten days.
The tfmc thus lost will be gained By British
| mud French lines subsidized by their cc5pcc-
| tive Governments, aud supported BY foreign
| capitalists md merchants hostile to American
| interests in the competition for the; carriage
md the control Of the great Chioa trade thai
will instantly, follow the completion Of the
Pacific Railroad, Steamers By their great size
equal to 5000 tons measurement, required
I Tor the China trade, cannot enter tue harbo,
| Of Honolulu and the trade between Homo