Cost, say averages 2,000_l._--Interest at 5 per cent. £100
Insurance, 12 per cent. 240
Tear and wear, at 5 per cent. 100
Crews, 10. Captain, per annum £100
Mate 70
8 Men and Boys, average 30s. per
month 144
Provisions, at 30s. per do. 180
____
494
____
Total £934
POSTAGES, PROBABLE AMOUNT, INCREASE, &c.
In the General Post-office Accounts for 1836 (see Finance Accounts,
1837, p. 55), there is charged the sum of 9,406_l._ 7_s._ 5-1/4_d._,
as the sum paid for ship letters. For each letter received by a ship
not a regular packet, 2d. is paid by the Post Office at landing, and
which gives the number of such letters to be 1,128,764 yearly. Suppose
400,000 of these went by packets under the new arrangements, the
additional Post-office revenue therefrom would be 16,665_l._
The sum just mentioned as paid for ship letters may be stated as
principally attached to ship letters brought from all places in the
Western World. According to a return to the House of Commons (see East
India Steam Communication Report, 1837), the number of ship letters
from India for 1836, was 159,360. The New York packet ships alone
carry from 5000 to 6000 letters each. Twice each month the proposed
packets to and from England would bear an equal, perhaps even a
greater, number, under the proposed regular and prompt arrangement:
certainly all the Canadian correspondence will be very greatly
increased. This number, however, in four voyages each month, backwards
and forwards, gives at the rate, in round numbers, of 290,000 each
year. At 9_d._ each letter, the additional packet postage beyond the
ship-letter rate, would be 10,875_l._ gained to the British Post
Office.
In the Accounts above referred to, p. 54, there is entered 75,484_l._
10_s._ 8-1/4_d._, charged on the postmasters in the British West
Indies, and in British America. This sum is doubtless for the (p. 116)
unpaid letters outwards, and perhaps some internal postage. The
return postage from these quarters will exceed this sum, because more
double and treble letters come inwards than are sent outwards. There
is also a considerable sum paid in this country for letters sent by
post to the British Colonies.
In the same accounts there is entered, p. 54, 83,610_l._ 10_s._ 5_d._
received by the window men, &c. at the Foreign Post Office. A portion
of this must be for the letters outwards to the Brazils, to St.
Thomas, to the French Islands, to Honduras, to Mexico, to Havannah,
and all places in central South America, for all of which places the
postage must be paid before the letter can be forwarded. How much of
the above sum is for the purpose alluded to, is not stated, but let it
be taken at 30,000_l._ yearly outwards, and an equal sum from the same
places inwards; together, 60,000_l._
Next, there would be the gain on the NEW LINE between Halifax, New
York, and the West Indies; or, more correctly speaking, between _all_
North America and _all_ the West Indies, from Demerara to Mexico
inclusive, and including also the shores of South America on the east,
and all its western coasts, from Valparaiso on the south, to Nootka
Sound on the north. The exports and imports to and from these
quarters, with all quarters of the world, amount, in goods, produce,
specie and bills, and freights, &c. to upwards of 80,000,000_l._ a
year. The letters to which this vast trade, especially as the whole of
it is carried on by means of correspondence, must give rise, will be
immense: and yet, with the exception of the scanty mail communication
afforded by Britain to a few places, there is none to be found. The
amount of the trade here stated, includes of course the trade with all
places in Europe. The portion which is exclusively Colonial and
American, and which would of course be attached to the new line
alluded to, cannot be less in exports and imports than 30,000,000_l._
yearly. The proportionate postage from this commerce, even at the
ratio of the present West Indian postage, to and from Great Britain
and her West Indian colonies, would be 110,000_l._ yearly; but
admitting that a sum equal to _one-half_ only of _this sum_ came from
the letters sent through the British Post Office, the sum gained on
this station yearly would be 55,000_l._
To all these sums must be added a considerable sum in postages, which
would be annually drawn from the correspondence between all parts (p. 117)
of the United States, and Maranham, Pernambuco, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro,
Montevideo, Buenos Ayres, &c. which would go by the British packets
from all these places to Fayal, and thence on, without any delay, to
New York. What this will be, it is impossible to estimate; but taking
the trade of the United States with these places as a basis, it can
hardly be less than 10,000_l._, or more probably 12,000_l._ per annum.
The postages derived at present from the packet intercourse with the
whole Western World is taken at 200,000_l._ outwards and inwards. It
is not too much to estimate, that under the new and extended
communications and arrangements, more regular and frequent, this sum
would be increased _one-third_, or 66,666_l._; together, 266,666_l._
yearly. To this there is to be added the additions, as are previously
noted; together 92,540_l._; making the sum total at least 359,206_l._
per annum. The estimated expenditure for conveying the whole of the
mails by steam, which are calculated to produce this yearly revenue,
is 252,850_l._, or a gain of 106,356_l._ The present revenue barely
pays the expenditure, if so much, of the establishment, consisting of
thirty sailing packets; four steamers in the West Indies; ten mail
boats (6000_l._ yearly) there; some sailing vessels at Halifax, and
very frequently, a considerable assistance from ships of war besides!
_Postages and Salaries in West Indies, &c.--1834-5._
Postages received. Salaries and Allowances.
Jamaica £17,203 18 5 £562 10 0
Bahama 146 0 2 [19]22 19 6
Barbadoes 4798 13 7 100 0 0
Berbice and Demerara 1593 10 8 150 0 0
Bermuda 50 0 0
Dominica 255 8 1 100 0 0
Grenada 605 14 4 80 0 0
St. Vincents 632 19 3 80 0 0
Tobago 395 14 5 [19]75 11 3
Trinidad 931 10 1 150 0 0
St. Lucia 320 12 2 50 0 0
Antigua 781 2 1 80 0 0
Montserrat 80 3 6 [19]15 3 11
[Footnote 19: And 20 per cent. on neat proceeds.]
Postages received. Salaries and Allowances. (p. 118)
St. Christophers £547 0 3 £120 0 0
Nevis 146 16 8 60 0 0
Tortola 109 8 10 50 0 0
British North America 42,094 17 10 958 10 4
_Parl. Pap. 598 of 1836, and 6th Report of Post-office Commissioners_,
1836, p. 32, &c.
It has been stated (see p. 3) that many letters by packets from
foreign parts are returned unopened to the Post-Office, in order to
save the postages, because the originals or duplicates had previously
been received through private channels. It would be useful and
important to ascertain the number of these. In the Finance Accounts
for 1837, p. 54, there is entered in the Post-office deductions on
account of "RETURNED, refused, mis-sent, and redirected letters,
over-charges, and returns," the following sums:--
England £59,288 4 1
Scotland 11,129 19 10
West Indies and British N. America 15,337 15 9
Window men, Foreign Office 734 15 10-1/2
-------------------
£86,490 15 6-1/2
-------------------
_Postages.--Mediterranean, &c._
Letters for India, year ending October 1836 £990 7 4
Ditto Alexandria, ditto, ditto 1285 1 1
------------
£2,275 8 5
------------
Postages of letters passing through Falmouth by the Mediterranean
packet, years ending October[20]--
1834. 1835. 1836.
To Cadiz £820 11 5 £811 19 6-1/2 £703 8 3
Gibraltar 1,114 17 11 1,603 18 0 1,527 14 8-1/2
Malta 549 19 2 670 4 11-1/2 694 2 6-1/2
Corfu 300 9 8 421 19 10 486 8 10
------------ ---------------- ----------------
£2,785 18 2 £3,507 17 4 £3,411 14 4
------------ ---------------- ----------------
[Footnote 20: Appendix, 196, Report Steam
Communication with India.]