The efficiency with which the Peninsular Mail Packet Service was
performed elicited from the Admiralty repeated testimonials of
approbation; and, proving as it did, that that description of service
could be more advantageously conducted by private enterprise, under
Contract, than by Government vessels and establishments, paved the way
for the subsequent extension of Contract Mail communication which took
place with the West Indies, North America and the East Indies, China,
&c.
Previous to the 1st of September, 1840, the arrangements for
transmitting the India Mails to and from Egypt, to meet the East India
Company’s steamers plying monthly between Bombay and Suez, were as
follows:--
These Malls were forwarded, every fourth Saturday, by the Contract Mail
steamers of the Peninsular Company to Gibraltar, and there transferred
to an Admiralty steam packet, which carried them to Malta. They were
there transferred to another Admiralty packet, which carried them to
Alexandria. The homeward Mails were brought in a similar manner.
As the Peninsular packets had to call at Vigo, Oporto, Lisbon, and
Cadiz, in their passage to and from Gibraltar, and the Government
packets were of inferior power (about 140 horses) and speed, the
transmission of the India Mails by this route was very tardy, occupying
generally from three weeks to a month in their passage between England
and Alexandria.
Imperfect as this mode of transmission was, it probably would have been
continued for an indefinite period, had not some circumstances occurred
to render an alteration of it imperative.
About the middle of the year 1839, the British Government effected a
convention with the French Government, for transmitting letters and
despatches to and from India, &c., overland, through France, _viâ_
Marseilles, from whence a British Admiralty packet conveyed them to
Malta. From thence this portion of the Mail, and the larger and heavier
portion, forwarded by the Peninsular and Admiralty packets, _viâ_
Gibraltar, were carried together to Alexandria by another Admiralty
packet.
The portion of the Mails forwarded through France was despatched from
the Post-office on the 4th of every month, while the main, or heavier
portion, continued to be forwarded from Falmouth, by the Peninsular
packets, every fourth Saturday; this arrangement was found, in the
course of a few months, to work very awkwardly, inasmuch as the portion
of the Mail forwarded, _viâ_ Gibraltar, had become a fortnight or more
in advance of that forwarded _viâ_ Marseilles, and had to wait that
time at Malta for the arrival of the Marseilles packet.
This irregularity, which every succeeding Mail increased, together with
the suspicion that the British despatches, in their transit through
France, were not altogether safe from being tampered with, rendered the
Government very desirous of establishing a more accelerated means of
transmission, _viâ_ Gibraltar, for the main portion of the India Mails
and the public despatches.
The Managers of the Peninsular steamers were applied to, to submit
a plan for this object. They proposed to establish a line of large
and powerful steamers, to run direct from England to Alexandria, and
_vice versa_, touching at Gibraltar and Malta only, and, by such an
arrangement, to transmit the Mails in a time that should not exceed
by more than two to three days that occupied by the overland route
through France; and undertook to execute such service, with vessels
of 450-horse power, for a sum which should not exceed the cost to the
public of the small and inefficient Admiralty packets then employed in
the same service.
The plan was examined and adopted by the Government; but, as in the
case of the Peninsular Contract, the execution of it was put up to
public tender, by advertisement. And, as appears by the evidence of Mr.
T. C. Croker, of the Admiralty (see his answer to question No. 2,033),
no less than four competitors tendered for the Contract, viz.:--
Willcox and Anderson for £35,200 per annum.
J. P. Robinson ” 51,000 ”
Macgregor Laird ” 44,000 ”
G. M. Jackson ” 37,950 ”
The tender of Messrs. Willcox and Anderson who, as Managers of the
Peninsular Company, had furnished the plan, was accepted, _because it
was the lowest_. But Mr. Croker in his evidence (see Report) has made a
slight error in calculation, in stating the sum at £35,200 per annum.
The tender made was as follows:--
For the 1st year of the service £37,000
” 2nd year ” 35,000
” 3rd year ” 34,000
” 4th year ” 33,000
” 5th year ” 32,000[3]
-------
Divided by 5) 171,000
-------
Gives for the annual cost £34,200
=======
Besides this reduced sum, as compared with the demands of the other
competitors, the tender of Willcox and Anderson afforded further
important advantages to the public, in a reduced rate of passage-money
for officers travelling on the public service, conveyance free of
Admiralty packages, &c.
The vessels offered by Willcox and Anderson, were the “Oriental,” of
1,600 tons, and 450-horse power, and the “Great Liverpool,” of 1,540
tons, and 464-horse power, (originally destined for the transatlantic
line of communication, but which were placed at their disposal by the
Managers and Proprietors of that enterprise). They were also bound to
provide a subsidiary vessel, of not less than 250-horse power, besides
a vessel of 140-horse power, for the Malta and Corfu Service. The
estimate made at the Admiralty (see question No. 1411) of the cost of
the Government packets which performed the service, and which were
superseded by this Contract, was £33,912. But as that estimate did
not include any allowance for interest on their first cost, nor for
sea risk, nor for depreciation, the following per centages on these
accounts must be added to it, in order to present a tolerably correct
view of the actual cost to the public of the service so performed.
The four vessels employed could not have cost the public less than
£100,000. Upon this sum, therefore, must be calculated--
Interest at 4 per cent.
Sea Risk 5 ”
Depreciation 5 ”
--
14 per cent. per annum £14,000
Add Admiralty estimate of wages, victuals,
coals, and repairs, as above 33,912
-------
Total annual expense of these Packets 47,912
From which deduct proportion of passage-money
for the public account, estimated
not to exceed 3,000
-------
Net cost of the Service £44,912
=======
It hence appears that this Service, which cost, in the defective
state of its arrangements, and as carried on by small vessels of
about 140-horse power, £44,912, was undertaken, and has since been
satisfactorily performed, under a greatly improved arrangement, by
large vessels of 450-horse power, for £34,200, realising a financial
saving of about £10,700 per annum to the country.
No. III.
_Contract for conveying Mails between Suez and Aden, Ceylon,
Madras, Calcutta, Penang, Singapore, and Hong Kong._