458 ( Ireland.) Eighth REPORT of THE COMMISSIONERS [ Appendix Account, which had been audited by the Commiffioners of Account, remaining in their Office. Under the head of Mail Coach Contractors, an expence of /• 4,259. 7. 1 if. was incurred in the lad year, for conveying the Britifh Mails difpatched to the Country from the General Polt Office on Sundays, and for a fecond or extra guard, employed whenever it was thought requifite for the better proteftion of the Pafiengers and Mails. The rate of expence does not appear tot be in either cafe unreafonable, the Sunday Mails being conveyed at 20s. per mile per annum, or about 4^ d. per mile for fifty- two days in the year, and the extra guards at half the price of an outfide paffenger. The Polt Office Revenue is by law charged with the tolls payable at turnpike gates on four- wheeled carriages travelling with the Mails; the payments on this account amounted in the laft year to £. 5,387. 1 j j, 3^., and are made on Accounts furnifhed by the Truflees, or other perfons charged with the repairs of the Roads. The charge for riding Expreffes, is an annual allowance made to an Officer in the Poft Office, for con- veying all Government and Poft Office Exprefles to the firft Poft Towns from Appendix, No 48. Dublin. Though the applications for Exprelfes are now very rare, in confequence of the eftablifhment of Mail Coaches, yet it is material that the Public ffiould be enabled to refort to this accommodation on extraordinary occafions ; and as the Contractor muft have in a conftant ftate of preparation men and horfes more nu- merous than may be at any time actually required for this fervice, we do not con- ceive that the allowance made to him is unreafonable. The great increafe in the payments to the Gun- maker in the laft year, is accounted for by the expenditure of £. 200, in providing new arms for the Guards of the Dublin Mail Coaches. The travelling charges of the Riding Surveyors, amount annually to a very con- fiderable furn ; thefe Officers are employed in inftructing the Deputy Poftmafters in their duty, infpeCting their conduct, and in occafionally taking charge of their Offices. There were formerly only two riding Surveyors, each of whom had a Appendix, No. 35. faiary Df on tke Eftablifhment, and when on duty 1 o s. a day, and 1 s. a mile for travelling expences. In the year 1805, two additional Surveyors were appointed, dieir falaries were likewife encreafed to 100. per annum, and their allowances to 26 s. a day, and to each was affigned the fuperintendance of a diftinCt diftriCt. It is the practice of thefe Officers, efpecially fince they have been attached to feparate diftriCts - with augmented allowances, to go out on duty without waiting for the orders either of the Poftmafters General or of the Secretary; and in general they appear, from their quarterly Accounts, to claim allow- ances as if they had been on fervice the entire quarter. In thefe accounts they have latterly ftatod the names of the places where they have been doing duty, and by whofe order, but they make no regular report of their proceedings, either to the Poftmafters General or the Secretary, unlefs particularly directed Hid. to do fo. We fubmit that the Riding Surveyors fhould not be permitted to go on duty, unlefs on very urgent occafions, without the fpecial direction of the Poft- mafters General, ftating the fervice on which they are to be employed; that they fhould keep a diary of their tranfaCtions, and make regular reports of their proceedings to the Poftmafters General ; and when they furnifh their Accounts, that they fhould not only Rate the place where they were each day, but the bufi- nefs on which they were employed, and that fuch ftatement ffiould be verified upon oath at the foot of the Accounts. If it be intended that the probationary Clerks in the Inland Office, and the Clerks in the Letter Bill Office, who have their refpeCtive falaries charged upon Incidents, under the head of extra duty of Officers, and Mail Guards, & c. fhould be permanently employed, they ought to be put upon the Eftablifhment. The extra payments to Mail Guards are flated to arife from the neceffity of employing fubftitutes for fuch of the regular Guards belonging to the firft ftages from Dublin, as are difabled to aCt either by ficknefs, or by fome accident that occurred while in the difcharge of their duty. By a late order the Mail Guards who are abfent from the former caufe, are required to pay the perfon who aCts for them; but though we have fome reafon to doubt whether proper enquiries have hitherto been made upon every occafion, to afcertain the true caufe of their not attend- ing their duty, it appears to be a great feverity to tax thofe who are labouring under ficknefs with the expence of providing a fubftitute, when it is confidered how much their health is expofed from the nature of the fervice in which they are engaged. A yearly fum of £. 1,925. js. 6 d. appears to be charged upon Incidents for the