§ MR. CANDLISHsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, If any Contract has been effected with the Union Steam Shipping Company for the conveyance of an intermediate Monthly Mail between England and the Cape of Good Hope; if he will have any objection to lay all Correspondence and Contracts with the said Company upon the Table of the House; and if, previously to concluding any such Contract or Contracts, tenders were invited from, or offers made by, any-other Company for the performance of this Mail Service, or any part thereof?
§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTH, in reply, said, a contract had been made with the Union Steam Shipping Company, for the conveyance of an intermediate Monthly Mail between England and the Cape of Good Hope. The proposals for it were made so long ago as the early part of last year; they were accepted by the Treasury in June of last year; but circumstances had occurred which had delayed the execution 924 of the contract until the present time. He believed, however, it would be laid on the Table in the course of a few days. He should have no objection also to lay on the table, if the hon. Member desired it, the Correspondence between the Treasury and the Post Office, having reference to this extension of contract, which would show all the particulars and the reasons which had led to its acceptance. Previously to the conclusion of this contract no offer was made by, nor were tenders asked for, from any other company for the performance of this particular Mail Service, but subsequently to the acceptance of the offer by the Treasury, a tender was made by another company to carry the Mails upon terms which were less advantageous than those which had been virtually accepted. It was a voluntary proposal on the part of the Union Steam Shipping Company, to double the amount of their Service for a lower amount of subsidy than they were authorized to receive under their existing contract.