y
the voyage from Chagres to New-York, and thence to Liverpool, is
performed in 22 days.

"In relation to the comparative cost to the two governments by
which these lines of ocean steamers, in connection with the naval
and mail service, are maintained, it will be seen that the British
Government pays as much for its single West-India and Chagres line
as the American Government pays for all its lines--Liverpool and
New-York, New-York and Bremen, New-York and Havre, New-York,
Havana, New-Orleans, and Chagres, and Panama and San Francisco.
The entire annual payments by the British Government amount [This
was in 1850.--T.R.] to $3,180,000. Those by the American
Government, when all its lines shall be in full service, will be
$1,215,000. The British-West India Mail Steam-Packet Company are
paid $3.08 per mile for mail service: the United States Mail
Steamship Company, $1.88 per mile."

The Committee presented some few queries to Commodore M.C. Perry on
the capabilities of the postal steamers for war purposes, to which he
replies thus:

"I now proceed to reply to the first division of the inquiry, as
follows:

"Question first: 'Whether the steamships employed in the
transportation of the United States mail, under contract with the
Navy Department, or any other steamships employed in the
transportation of our foreign mails, are, in all respects,
suitable for immediate conversion into steamers for war purposes,
capable of carrying the armament or battery appropriate to the
class specified in the contract?'

"In answer to the foregoing (first) question, I am of opinion that
they are _not_ 'in all respects suitable.'

"Question second: 'And if not suitable for such immediate
conversion, whether they could be altered so as to make them
efficient war steamers?'

"Answer: The following named Atlantic steamers maybe converted, by
slight alteration, into war steamers of the first class:

"_Of Collins's line._ The Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and Baltic.

"_Of Law's line._ The Ohio, Georgia, and Illinois.

"_Of Mortimer Livingston's line._ The Humboldt and Franklin.

"_Pacific steamers--of Aspinwall's line._ First class, the Golden
Gate. Second class, the Panama, Oregon, California, and Columbia.

"The foregoing vessels of the respective contracts are variously
constructed