344, REPORT—18638. 
The sum voted to this Committee by the Association (£100) has been ex- 
pended, and it is anticipated the expenses will be slightly in excess of the 
sum granted ; but as all the accounts had not been received, the exact state- 
ment could not be prepared in time for the Meeting. 
Your Committee, in conclusion, have the painful duty of recording the 
death of the Earl of Gifford, who was an active and estimable member of the 
Committee. (Signed) SUTHERLAND, 
Chairman. 
Offices of the Committee, 
19 Salisbury Street, Strand, London, W.C. 
APPENDIX. 
City of Dublin and Holyhead Company’s Returns. 
The following particulars relative to the four vessels employed on the mail 
service between Dublin and Holyhead were embodied in a paper read before 
the Institution of Civil Engineers, last year, by Mr. W. Watson, Managing 
Director of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company ; and will be read with 
interest in connexion with the Tables of the performances of the ‘Ulster’ and 
‘Munster,’ which are appended, and also with reference to the Tables which 
have been given in preceding Reports. 
London and Dublin Communication.—The London and North-Western 
Railway Company and the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company having 
agreed to united action, passed a Bill through Parliament, in 1855, to sanction 
and facilitate their arrangements. 
The Government then made a communication to the Companies, as to the 
requirements of the Post Office for two services, one by day and the other by 
night, to be completed in half an hour less time than that which had been 
already proposed, and this to be guaranteed under heavy pecuniary penalties 
for every minute of excess, arising from causes even beyond control. The 
Companies agreed to undertake this service, but altogether declined to submit 
to penalties for loss of time arising from fogs or other causes wholly beyond 
their control. The subject having been allowed to lie dormant for another 
year, the Members of Parliament for Ireland collectively urged on the Prime 
Minister so forcibly the expediency and necessity for providing for the 
improved means of communication at the public expense, as had been 
formerly dorie when the new Holyhead Road and Telford Bridges were 
constructed, that the matter was at last taken up seriously, and the Govern- 
ment agreed to carry into effect the plan recommended in 1853, and which 
eventually received the cordial approval of the Lords of the Treasury. ; 
The main provisions of the new postal contract were, first, that the entire 
distance between London and Kingstown was to be performed in eleven hours 
(eleven hours and a half being allowed to Dublin), assigning four hours for 
the sea passage, subject to fines for loss of time, unless arising from weather 
or other causes beyond control; secondly, that four steam packets should be — 
provided, each 300 feet in length and 1700 tons burthen builder’s measure- 
ment, with engines of 600 nominal horse-power ; thirdly, that express trains 
should be appropriated exclusively to the Irish traffic ; and fourthly, a morning 
and evening departure from each capital. The Improved Service was arranged ~ 
to be commenced in January 1861, two years being allowed by the contract 
for building the vessels. : 
