Nos. 40, 41, 42.] ON FEES, GRATUITIES, & c.~( Poft- Office.) 89 No. 40. The Examination of Captain THOMAS PHEPOE; taken upons This Examinant faith, ^ ^ ^ ° f JUne ^ 3d ° f That he is Haven Master in the port of Dublin, and is acquainted with the ufual wages paid to feamen in the Merchant trade Examinant fays, that the failors employed on bofrd the Holyhead Packets are not paid higher wages than 30/. a month, which, with about £ 2 for fubhftence, he conceives is the fair expence of fuch perfons; this low rate of wages Examinant conceives to be owing lo the proteftion which failors on board the Holyhead Packets have agamft the imprefs fervice, and to the benefits they derive from paffengers, Examinant is of opinion that a Wherry of 40 tons burthen, well found and navigated by five Men and a Mafter, could be provided at the following rate per month: For wear and tear - _ _ Wages of five Men at 30*. per Man - 7 10 Maintenance of D° - _ _ 1Q Wages of Mafter - - _ 4 Maintenance of D° - - - 2 £ 29 10 — And that the henefit of paffengers would be a fuflicient profit to a Contra& or for the fup- plying fuch a Veffel. Wherries can frequently put to fea when the regular Packets cannot. Examinant underliands there were three VelTels employed by the Poft Office under the diredion of Mr. Draper, in addition to the Packets, viz. the Marquis of Drogheda, the Cam- den, and the Cooke; the two firft mentioned were Cutter rigged in the fame manner as the Packets, the laft- mentioned only was Wherry rigged. Examinant is of opinion, that the regular Packets could at all times get out of port aad make their paffage with as much facility as the two firft mentioned Vcflels. Fred. Geale. Tho. Phepoe. Robert Alexander. John Hamilton. No. 41. PACKET ESTABLISHMENT, the Quarter ended 5th April 1809, Colin Jones, for hire of Uxbridge - - - ^ 94 15. 10 Robert Shaw, D° of Auckland - - - 94 15 ro WmD. Fellows, D° of Spencer - - - 94 15 10 John Skinner, D° of Dublin - - - 94 15 10 N orris Goddard, D° of Montrofe - - - 94 15 10 Stephen Draper for Packet Wherries - - xo General Poft Office, Graves C. Swan. ^ 483 19 2 26 th May 1809. No. 42. The Examination of Alderman EXSHAW; taken upon Oath, the 5th of July and ift of Auguft 1809. This Examinant faith, . , That he fupplies the Poft Office with Printing and Stationary, and has done fo for about 16 years; he has not entered into any contract for that purpofe, but charges the Poft Office the ufuai retail Prices at which the different articles would be fold to private perfons, which on fettling his Quarterly Bills he attefts on Oath. An order is iffued for every article from the Poft Office to be fupplied by Examinant, thofe orders were formerly given by the fecond Clerk in the Secretary's Office who had the care of Stationary; they are now and have been for about four years countcrfigned by the Secretary ; and as the Articles are delivered, Exa- minant gets a receipt on the order, for Stationary from the chief Clerk in the Secretary » Office, and for Books and printed Papers from the fenior Clerk in the Office where the articles ar; delivered. Examinant's Accounts are infpected at she end of each Quarter by