It is, in fact, quite impossible that the commercial interests of any country can ever compete with the commercial interests of another country, unless the one have equally rapid, frequent, and regular opportunities and means of correspondence and conveyance with the other. If the merchants of other countries have quicker and more frequent communications with any particular quarter of the world, than the merchants of the United Kingdom have, it is obvious that the former will obtain a decided advantage over the latter, in regulating and directing all commercial transactions. The foreign trade of Great Britain, besides forming an immense moving power for giving activity to every branch of internal industry, trade, and commerce, becomes also, from the correspondence to which it (p. 004) gives rise, and by which it can alone be carried on, an immense and direct source of Post-office revenue: but the direct postage derived from the correspondence required in the foreign trade, great as it is, is small when compared to the addition which the correspondence in the foreign trade directly and immediately gives to the internal postages of the kingdom. If it is examined narrowly, it will, it is not doubted, be found that almost every letter of the moiety of those which come from the British transmarine possessions, and from other foreign parts, whether by packets or by merchant ships, (of the latter, it may be said, a number equal to the whole which pay postage do, because the very great number of letters directed to consignees come free,) produces, perhaps, _ten letters_, on which the largest single internal postages are charged and paid. This arises from orders sent to different places to tradesmen, mechanical and manufacturing establishments for goods; orders for insurance; invoices sent; payments, in consequence, by bills or orders, and in bills transmitted for acceptances, &c. &c. In all mail communications, such as those which are about to be considered, the point to be kept steadily in view, and one which is absolutely indispensable, is to connect and to bring the return mails and the outward together, in such a manner as that every intermediate place shall have the full benefit of both, without trenching upon the general interests, or occasioning any unnecessary detention or delay. This great and essential point is more particularly necessary to be attended to in the conveyance of mails by sea to distant parts, especially if conveyed by steam. In the quarters about to be noticed, the point alluded to will be shown to be more than in any other quarter necessary. Without this is effected, nothing beneficial is, in fact, effected; and to secure the object, a commanding power is obviously and indispensably necessary. For various reasons, which it is considered unnecessary here to state, steamers of 250-horse power each, will be found to be the best and most economical class of vessels to employ in the service contemplated.