Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1835-02-03


showing that the Postmaster General was appriz
ed of the failure to execute his order; and al
though the contractor may not have beenlnform-
ed that his agents had not executed the directions
which he had given to them, still justice requires
that the amount allowed for extra services not
as well as the months pay for the
should be retained by the De-
partment out ofthe pay ofthe current contracts
of Mr. Reside. And an opinion is entertained
tn at in all cases in which extra services are Or
dered by the Department, that the postmasters
on the routes improved, should be furnished win
an amended schedule, to enable them 10 report
to the Department any non-performance oil It's
orders; and in such cases the orders of the De-
partment should not alone be relied on to prove
that the services had been rendered.
The mail route between Paterson and New
ark, in New Jersey, is part Of route NO 9o6,
and was let, originally, with many others, in The
same contract, to Mr.. J. Roy, and others WIN:
Tillon became sub-C contractor for that part OF
said route lying between Newark and Paterson,
for 5000 year, to be carried twice week In
stage coaches The contract commenced on
lst of January, 1892, and was to continue four
years. In February, 1882. petition was Tor
warded, numerously signed, from the citizens
interested, to the Postmaster General, asking lof
Il daily mail between those two places, and pro-
posing that John Fine should be employed 10
carry it, who, they stated, would perform Inc
service for 5000 year The postmaster Ge-
neral ordered the increased service to be per-
formed by the original contractors, and made
pro rata allowance for the same. The question
presented to the Postmaster General was, 1st,
whether he would superSede the contract with
Row and give it TO another, who had not bid
for it at the letting; or, 2dly, have contracted
with that other person to perform the additional
service on the same route. During the contin-
uance of the time Of the contract, and while 1t
was in faithful execution by the contractor,
the Post Master General could not, justly,
suppressed him. As TO the additional service.
the contractor is bound by the terms of his
engagement 10 perform any extra service or
improvement ordered on the route for pro rata
compensation. This would seem 10 imply on
his part right, 10 the exclusion OF all others, on
the same route, provided he would perform his
duties according to his obligations to the De-
partment. Besides, it is deemed improper 10
condemn this practice ofthe Department, which
is believed to be almost universal, lest it might
produce an effect detrimental to the Department
in making its contracts, by discouraging bidders
in making their proposals, from the fear that the
Department would encourage opposition to
them upon tn same routes
Route No. 95l. from New York to Philadel-
phia, was let to James Reside the then con-
tractor on that route, in the fall Of 1881, the
transportation to be daily in four horse post
rying the mail across the Hudson river to be de-
frayed by the Department 1t was also provided
in the contract that increased speed should be
given to the mail, so that it should run through,
from city to city, in thirteen hours; and that
second daily mail should be run from city to CT
ty, in steamboats, and stages, if required by the
Postmaster General, for which, and for furnish
ing armed guards when required, the contract
or was to receive Sl3, 600 year; aud to keep
up the second daily mail in the season OF the
year when steamboats, did not run, a further
compensation was provided OF 1000. During
the sessions of Congress, it was deemed eXpe-
dent by the Department to run an additional
mail line from Baltimore to Philadelphia, by the
way Of Lancaster, TO carry a portion Of the
mail matter too heavy for one line, and to give
10 Philadelphia the benefit Of a second daily
mail rom the City Of Washington. This latter
line was extended to the City ofNew York, and
gave to the morning papers published in that
city, Washington intelligence in advance of the
ordinary mail. The contractor was allowed
for this additional service the sum Of 3, $50 dol
lars. 1t is stated, that the original contract was
for Sc 600 per annum and the mail was to run
daily, and all the Post Offices oN the route to be
supplied by it, This service was evidently less
than the interest the community required. In
1888, in March, the Postmaster General deter
mined to expedite the mail between Washington
City and New York, and between that place
ana the eastern Clues, Win q view 10 put down
private mails, and 10 do away the necessity of
employing public express for that purpose, as
had been done in the preceding winter. 1t was
found necessary to run the mail from Philadel-
phia to New York in IL hours, in bad roads as
well as good, in order to effect the above object.
This was impracticable if the mail had to stop
at the numerous Post Offices on the route; and
therefore an additional mail was established for
the purpose of supplying them. This arrange
ment rendered unnecessary the express mail
before spoken Of This additional mail cost the
Department IS, l25, which is 1873 more than the
eX press mail, which was in consequence order
ed 10 be discontinued. BY this latter arrange
ment, the mail was despatched from Washing
ton 10 New York in Is hours less time, on the
winter arrangement than before, and day W as
gained in the expedition ofthe southern mail to
Albany, Boston, and the numerous points be-
You'd. 1t should be here noticed that four daily |
mails between Philadelphia and New York are
spoken of by the witnesses. Three only were
ordered and paid for by the Department The
fourth was carried for the contractors own con-
and was made up of mail matter pro-
perly belonging to one Of the Others
In the hppinning bf the wear 1893 such was |