6'+ ( Ireland.)— Ninth REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS CAppx. His Excellency also desires you will return to him an Estimate of the charge of the faid Wherries, and that you would defray the expence thereof, and charge the fame to the Account of Contingencies. I have the honour to be, Right Honble My Lords, The Postmasters General. Your Lordships most obedient humble Servant, T. Pelham. No. 38. ESTIMATE of the Expence for One Month of one Wherry of Forty Tons burthen, for conveying the Mails or Government Expreffes to and from Holyhead, at fuch times as the Packets may not be able to fail. Wear and tear of the Vefiel - - - 6 Wages of six Men at £\. 1is. being the price at present paid by Merchants - - - - - - 27 6 •— To subsisting six Men at J s. 1 d. per day - - 9 3 — Wages and subsistence to a Master, to whom the care of the Mail and the command of the Vessel will be com- mitted - - - - - - - - 6 16 6 49 4 6 Second Wherry - - 49 4 6 Total - ^ 98 9 — No. 39. The Examination of Mr. STEPHEN DRAPER taken upon Oath, the 4th and nthdays of July 1809. This Examinant faith, That about the year 1796, he with his father contracted with the Poll Office for two Veflels, Wherry rigged, at the rate of 6d. per lunar month for each veffd, to carry the Mails and Government Exprefies between Dublin and Holyhead, at fuch Times as there might not be a regular Packet at either of thofe places, or when a Packet from the ftate of the weather could not put to fea; in this Contract there was no restriction as to the tonnage of the Veflels, but the eftimate of expence was made for a vessel of 40 tons burthen ; about nine years fince a third vefiel was contracted for on the same terms as the others, and at that time two Cutters, the Marquis of Drogheda of about 55 tons burthen, and the Camden of 45 tons, were fubftituted by Examinant for two of the wherries, he considering them to anfwer all the purpofes of Wherries, and having previously had the approbation of the Poflmafter General thereto. At the commencement of this service the Wherries were not allowed to take paf- fengers, but they were afterwards permitted so to do by Lord Cornwallis. Examinant holds the office of Surveyor and Inspector of the Tide Duties in the fervice of the Revenue, and as fuch is allowed a fix oar and a four oar Boat with one crew of fix Men and a Coxfwain, but he has feparate crews for the Wherries. As 110 regular Packet failed from Dublin on Sundays, or from Holyhead on Tuesdays, one of Examinant's Veffels ufually failed upon rhofe days, and from the benefit of passengers on such occasions his chief profits proceeded, having carried in the laft year eight hundred passengers at one guinea each ; but in confe- quence of the Eftablifhment of an additional Packet, this service will be provided for by the regular Packets, and one of his Vessels has been on- this account difcontinued within thefe few ( lays by the Poft Office; the crews of Examinant's Veilels are protected againft the imprefs fervice, and are provided on somewhat cheaper terms on that account, but as the perquifites they derive from passengers are less than those which the Packet failors have, he is obliged to allow much higher wages; he pays his Men three guineas a month for fubfiftence and wages, and allowed a man five guineas a month as Mafter of one of his Veffels, who has left his fervice and engaged in a Packet at three pounds a month, induced, as Exa- minant fuppofes, by the perquifites. As the profit arising from paflengers will nearly ceafe by the new arrangement, Examinant does not conceive that the allowance given by the Poft Office contrafi will be a sufficient compensation for the risk incurred, his profit 011 the two remaining Wherries not being likely to exceed one hundred and twenty pounds a year. Exa- minant alfo fupplies one Wherry of 15 tons burthen, and two row- boats, for the purpofe of putting the Mails on board the Packets, or taking them on fhore, for which he is paid two hundred and fifty pounds a year by the Irish Post Office ; he is alio allowed a falary of forty pounds a year by the English Post Office, as Director of the laft mentioned Wherry and Boats,, the fum of £ 250. being considered only as equivalent to the expence attending them. Exa- minant fupplies two Mail Carts with a horse and man to each, to carry the Englifh Mail; between the Pigeon House and the Post Office ; thofe Carts were purchafed by Examinant, ami are kept in repair by him, and he is allowed ^ 290. a year for this fervice, which is performed by a con trad: for feven years, of which about three are unexpired. Fred. Geale. Stephen Draper. Robert Alexander, John Hamilton.