THE ATLANTIC STEAMERS.
TO THE EDITOR -OF THE SPECTATOR.
London, 10th August 1842.
Sin—Your Halifax correspondent TRUTH impugns the correctness of the statement, (contained in my letter of the 233 May, on the "state of the Steam Marine,") that whenever the Great Western had come into competition with CUNARD'S line of packets, they had been "shamefully beaten "; and he quotes in proof a comparative statement of the departures and arrivals of the Great Western and the mail-packets, outwards, for a certain number of voyages, when the vessels sailed about the same time. Now TRUTH, being "not inte- rested in either line," should have stated the whole truth, and given the voyage in which the Great Western did, by leaving on the same day with CUNARD 'S packet, and her port of departure, come into an actual and measurable compe- tition with them. As he Las forgotten to do this, I may state one instance in which the decided superiority of the "private enterprise" ship over the pet Post-office line was shown. On the 1st May 1841, the Great Western left New York for Bristol, and the Columbia Boston for Liverpool ; the latter port being two hundred miles nearer Bristol or Liverpool, (a point which TRUTH has altogether overlooked); and the result was that the Great Western reached Bristol eiyhteen hours before the Columbia arrived at Liverpool.
There is no instance of the outward passage being commenced on the same day ; so that the comparison is not quite fair to either line : but one instance which made a good deal of noise at the time may he mentioned. The Britannia left Liverpool for Halifax and Boston on the 21st October last; and the Great 'Western, two days afterwards, left Bristol for New York ; notwithstanding which, she delivered her letters in New York nine hours before the arrival the mail per the Britannia. On the return voyage, the Britannia got home in fourteen days to Liverpool • and the Great Western with one day's steaming further to run, in thirteen days and a quarter to BriatoL
Other instances might be given of the superiority of the Bristol ship over her patronized and well-paid rivals. As to her not running in the winter' let the Government offer her owners the 4,000/. per voyage they give to Mt. CUNARD, and if the owners refuse to send her across the Atlantic in any month of the year, people will begin to think the Halifax boats are the only ones that can make a winter-passage—but not till then.
Now, when it is remembered that the Great Western was conceived in 1834 and started in 1837, and that CUNARD'S line was forced into existence in the autumn of 1840,—that the one was the creation of private enterprise, condemned and ridiculed by the peripatetic philosophers of the day, and unsupported, nay frowned upon by Government, while the other was brought into existence by the success of the Bristol ship, and the favourite contractor had her model and the experience of her voyages to guide him in the construction of his vessels,— I do say, that if the Great Western had been as much beaten by as she has beaten her competitors, it would have been no disgrace : but as the matter now stands, I was quite justified in stating, that the monopoly-line, conceived in darkness and secrecy and brought forth by back-stairs influence, had been shamefully and disgracefully beaten. I am quite willing to admit that Mr. CUNARD has done his business well and ably : it is the system and its effects I object to—not to individuals who benefit by it ; and the only object I had in view in making any comparisons, was to show that private enterprise, the soul of our commercial greatness, can do and has done more in steam-navigation than any privileged monopoly has accom- plished. The patronage of the Government, the money of the country, may be employed in extinguishing all private competition, and succeed in doing it-- may give the North Atlantic to CUNARD and the South to the Royal Mail Company, (the latter, it is reported, do not find Sir ROBERT PEEL as com- plying as CUNARD found Lord JOHN RUSSELL,) the Mediterranean and the East to the Peninsular and Oriental, and hand over the Continent to the Ge- neral Steam Navigation Company : but that such a course urn tend either to the advancement of science the improvement of our steam-navy, or benefit the commonwealth, is doubted by better and wiser people than Your Your most obedient servant, Ca
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