"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 as to materials, fastening, strength, and model. "Question third: 'And if so, what alterations would be necessary to be made, and at what expense, to make them war steamers of the first class:' "Answer: If these vessels had been originally constructed comformably to the _spirit_ (though it was not called for by the letter) of the contracts, as they should have been, and all English mail steamers now are, _in anticipation of their possible conversion, into war vessels_, the cost of converting them would be much less.