I cannot say so much for another acceleration effected during this period, viz., that of the mails between London and Dublin; not that this was less important, but that the annual expense entailed by the change is every way greatly in excess. The object was that the night and day mails should reach Dublin, the one in time for the first delivery of the day and for despatch onwards by the Dublin day mail, the other in time for delivery the same night and for despatch onwards by the Dublin night mail; and in order that these operations might be regular, it was obviously necessary that there should be a margin of time at Dublin to allow for occasional late arrival there. In 1853 a committee of the House of Commons had been appointed to report upon the best means of improving the service in question. The evidence of Captain Huish and other authorities connected with the existing service was to the effect that it might be greatly accelerated, and that at a not very immoderate addition to the actual cost. In consequence, the committee reported in favour of the measure,[138] and Government decided to give effect to their recommendation; but, when negotiations were commenced, the companies concerned, disregarding their own evidence, demanded at once more time for the trip and a higher rate of remuneration. I strongly urged resistance to both demands, and as the Postmaster-General backed my views, I have little doubt that, had the negotiations been left with the Post Office, the quicker and less costly service would have been secured. Unfortunately, the Treasury had taken the matter into its own hands, and we were overruled; so that for insufficient advantages the country has to pay an annual subsidy of upwards of £100,000, in addition to the cost—necessary, however, on either plan—of provision for sorting the letters both on the railway and on board the mail steamers. Unfortunately, too, unpunctuality is not so rare as might be desired, the appointed penalties having been suspended on the ground of insufficient pier accommodation at Holyhead. Still, with every drawback, the improvement was important, reducing the ordinary time of the journey to eleven hours and a half, and obtaining, so far as time was duly kept, all or nearly all the advantages aimed at—advantages extending even to Irish letters for the continental mails.[139] The following extract from the Tenth Annual Report, exemplifies the benefit of the change:—
“Thus the period required for the transmission of a letter from London to Cork, and for the receipt of a reply, has been shortened in all cases by half a day, and in the great majority of cases by more than a day.”[140]
General Contracts.
During this period, also, many additional companies entered into general contracts, such as have already been spoken of; binding themselves, for a fixed sum per annum, not only to perform certain specified services at appointed hours and at a given speed, but to place all their trains, without exception, at the service of the department.
Need of Legislation.
Nevertheless, all that we could effect as respects railway conveyance of the mails left, and I must add still leaves, much to be desired; the law being, to this day, in such a state as is exceedingly injurious not only to public convenience and to economy in the Post Office, but, as I conscientiously believe, to the true interests of the companies themselves. The following instances may serve for illustration:—
Application was made to the Post Office for a day mail to Alton; and the concession was offered on condition that the London and South Western Company would consent, according to a practice established on some other lines, to carry the bag at the ordinary parcel rate, the Post Office undertaking (contrary to the usual practice in respect of parcels) to convey it to and from the stations. Our offer could hardly be considered unreasonable, seeing that the Post Office, as compared with an ordinary customer, would have to pay equally high for less service and for regular instead of occasional custom. The offer, however, was refused; the Post Office had no power to enforce the demand; and, as the correspondence would not justify the expense of a regular mail train, the desired convenience was delayed for years; the company thereby losing an increase to its parcel traffic, every penny paid for which would, in effect, have been clear profit.
In the year 1856, I received an application from Sir George Cornewall Lewis, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, for such an acceleration of the mail to Hereford as would enable letters to reach Kington (Radnorshire), near which he resided, in time for an early morning delivery. As the readiest means of effecting this was by the use of the Gloucester and Hereford Railway, I applied to the company to know on what terms they would perform the duty, the distance upon their line being twenty-three miles. The answer was a very heavy demand (according to my recollection, £3,000 per annum); the reason given for this enormous charge being that the line, which was ordinarily closed during the night, would have to be kept open for the special service. Though Sir Cornewall Lewis forbore to urge a demand involving so large a sacrifice, I could not but desire to attain the end, if practicable, knowing how inconvenient it must be for important official correspondence to be delayed. Taking advantage, therefore, of the clearness of the line by night, I proposed that the Post Office should itself run a train (as by law any one is entitled to do), paying, however, the appointed tolls, though legally exempted therefrom. This, however, was obviously impracticable without supplies of coal and water, and standing room for the engine and carriage, which the company alone had the means of furnishing; and for these I offered to pay according to arbitration. This offer the company absolutely declined, though, as a further inducement, I had included in it the tender to the company of a carriage for passengers. Other means being sought for, it was at length suggested that Kington might be reached in sufficient time by another route, if the Shrewsbury and Hereford Company would allow the use of their line on moderate terms; and, this company agreeing to perform the duty for £1000 a year, the very circuitous route viâ Shrewsbury was adopted, and is still followed; the longer route involving, however, no inconvenience, as the conveyance is effected in the night.
Again, the importance of some definite rule of charge for specific duty, even as a means of facilitating improvement, is shown by reference to the multiplicity of contracts sometimes requiring to be made or modified before a change can be completed. The following is from the Report of 1859:—
“The great number of arrangements still necessary for the conveyance of letters to long distances, notwithstanding the length of many of the railways for which a single contract suffices, is shown by the fact, that for the transmission of a letter from Land’s End to John O’Groat’s—exclusive of engagements with rural messengers, and of arrangements for the conveyance of mail-bags between railway stations and post-offices—twenty-one separate contracts are required.”[141]