A General Plan for a Mail Communication by Steam, Between Great Britain and the Eastern and Western | Page 4

whole correspondence of the important British Provinces,
the Canadas, comes through these States. It is also notorious, that, by
means of our own commercial marine, intelligence is generally
received from many foreign countries earlier than by Government
Packets. Indeed, it is not uncommon among merchants to return,
unopened, to the Post-office many letters in originals, they having
previously received the duplicates by private merchant ships. Besides,
it is well known that vast numbers of letters from Great Britain to
Foreign States are sent through the United States, because these go
earlier to their place of destination. In these various ways a great
Post-office revenue is cut off, while the mercantile world are put to a
great inconvenience and uncertainty. It is not befitting that the first
commercial country in the world should remain dependent upon the
private ships of another commercial and rival state for the transmission
of commercial correspondence. If such a deficient system is persevered
in, the result will most infallibly be, that that country which obtains,
and which can obtain, the earliest commercial information, will, in time,
become the greatest and most prosperous commercial country.
It is, in fact, quite impossible that the commercial interests of any
country can ever compete with the commercial interests of another
country, unless the one have equally rapid, frequent, and regular
opportunities and means of correspondence and conveyance with the
other. If the merchants of other countries have quicker and more
frequent communications with any particular quarter of the world, than
the merchants of the United Kingdom have, it is obvious that the
former will obtain a decided advantage over the latter, in regulating and
directing all commercial transactions.
The foreign trade of Great Britain, besides forming an immense
moving power for giving activity to every branch of internal industry,
trade, and commerce, becomes also, from the correspondence to which
it (p. 004) gives rise, and by which it can alone be carried on, an
immense and direct source of Post-office revenue: but the direct
postage derived from the correspondence required in the foreign trade,

great as it is, is small when compared to the addition which the
correspondence in the foreign trade directly and immediately gives to
the internal postages of the kingdom. If it is examined narrowly, it will,
it is not doubted, be found that almost every letter of the moiety of
those which come from the British transmarine possessions, and from
other foreign parts, whether by packets or by merchant ships, (of the
latter, it may be said, a number equal to the whole which pay postage
do, because the very great number of letters directed to consignees
come free,) produces, perhaps, ten letters, on which the largest single
internal postages are charged and paid. This arises from orders sent to
different places to tradesmen, mechanical and manufacturing
establishments for goods; orders for insurance; invoices sent; payments,
in consequence, by bills or orders, and in bills transmitted for
acceptances, &c. &c.
In all mail communications, such as those which are about to be
considered, the point to be kept steadily in view, and one which is
absolutely indispensable, is to connect and to bring the return mails and
the outward together, in such a manner as that every intermediate place
shall have the full benefit of both, without trenching upon the general
interests, or occasioning any unnecessary detention or delay. This great
and essential point is more particularly necessary to be attended to in
the conveyance of mails by sea to distant parts, especially if conveyed
by steam. In the quarters about to be noticed, the point alluded to will
be shown to be more than in any other quarter necessary. Without this
is effected, nothing beneficial is, in fact, effected; and to secure the
object, a commanding power is obviously and indispensably necessary.
For various reasons, which it is considered unnecessary here to state,
steamers of 250-horse power each, will be found to be the best and
most economical class of vessels to employ in the service
contemplated.
The next and a still more important point to attend to, and to (p. 005)
keep in mind, is to have always in readiness, and at well-selected
stations, a sufficient quantity of coals to supply each boat: without such
are at command, no movement can take place; and unless the supply is
ample, and always at hand, no regular communication can ever be

carried on. Wood, indeed, may be procured in some stations in the
West Indies, but not in all; while even where it can be obtained, it will
be found to be dearer than coal. The quantity also necessary for a vessel
of large power, and for a voyage of any considerable length, would far
exceed the room that could be afforded, in a vessel of properly
regulated