Cost, partly by Steamers and partly by Sailing Packets.
| Number of Station. | Fixed Capital required. | Provisions, Wages, &c. Yearly. | Tons of Coals Yearly. | Price of Coals per ton. | Cost of Coals Yearly. | Total Expenditure Yearly. | Number of Steamers. | Number of Sailing Vessels. |
| £ | £ | s. | £ | £ | ||||
| 1 | 48,000 | 12,400 | 8,400 | 20 | 8,400 | 20,800 | 2 | " |
| 2 | 19,000 | 8,400 | " | " | " | 8,400 | " | 2 |
| 3 | 19,000 | 8,400 | " | " | " | 8,400 | " | 2 |
| 4 | 47,500 | 21,000 | " | " | " | 21,000 | " | 5 |
| 5 | 7,000 | 3,600 | " | " | " | 3,600 | " | 4 |
| 6 | 38,000 | 16,800 | " | " | " | 16,800 | " | 4 |
| 7 | 157,000 | 44,400 | 30,000 | 25 | 37,500 | 81,900 | 6 | 9 |
| 8 | " | " | " | " | " | 7,600 | " | " |
| ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ||
| 335,500 | 115,000 | 38,400 | 45,900 | 168,500 | 8 | 26 | ||
| ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— | ——— |
Subject on the total expenditure to reduction in coals to the amount of 11,475l.; less, however, 10 percent, or 4,590l. for wastage; giving the real reduction to be 6,885l.
GENERAL REMARKS.
The mails conveyed from Great Britain by steam to the quarters mentioned would in their courses be due:—
London to Halifax, Quebec, and New York, forty-six days; from Halifax to West Indies, according to the distance of the island or place; Havannah, twenty-two days; Jamaica, thirty-one days; Barbadoes, fifty days, &c., &c. London to Rio de Janeiro, sixty-five days, and Buenos Ayres, fifteen days more; London to Madeira and Teneriffe, thirty-four days; London to Barbadoes, and all the West Indies, from Demerara to Havannah, and Chagres inclusive, sixty-five days, and to Honduras, Vera Cruz, and Tampico, fifteen days more. If the mails are conveyed by sailing packets on the four great lines from Fayal, then the time for all would be fifteen days additional.
Large as the above-mentioned sums are, still the revenues of Great Britain and Ireland, and their Colonial dependencies in the Western World (say 55,000,000l. yearly), ought to defray the cost without feeling any embarrassment. The cost, however, is nothing, when compared to the benefits and the advantages which the nation and individuals would derive from it. Time saved and actively employed is every thing. It is capital, which, if not employed at the moment, can never be again employed—a capital which, if suffered or forced to remain unemployed, or to escape unemployed, can never again be found or replaced. The exports of Great Britain amount at the declared value, and including freights and charges, to 75,000,000l. per annum. By employing steam-packets on even a portion of the present work, instead of sailing-packets, fifteen days would be gained in every line of communication. Remittances arriving fifteen days earlier would be a profit to the commercial interests of the country of 167,793l., independent of the additional advantages which every merchant would gain when, instead of his funds wandering on the Atlantic, or lying idle and unproductive on the other side of it, he had these in hand, to lay out to good account as opportunity might offer. Even Government itself, from the want of regularity and frequency of transmission, lose, in their money transactions in the West Indies, above 8000l. yearly, and much more in not being able to learn quickly and regularly the state of the exchanges in the great money marts in the Western World.
Moreover, the Plan above recommended, conducted judiciously, and carried into effect to the extent pointed out, would amply repay either the Government or the individuals who may undertake it. Travelling would be prodigiously increased. Some of the wealth of foreign countries would be drawn by it to this country and her dependencies. Everywhere activity and industry would be encouraged and increased. The Post-office revenue would be greatly augmented,—perhaps doubled. The expenditure also would all be on British materials and labour.