Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-12-22
..,.a os TIM very heavy compensation asked ny them

70 take d ~, abate materially in the amount of their
demands the undersigned sent his Chiei Ceih 70 eonei
with the managers OF all inc ral''eoans "" .I
he,her finished or not with view 10 ascertain whGther
49, reasonable arrangements could be made with then
Mt or prospective, for the conveyance OF inns I'M
Dorant mail Although the agent performed the service
with distinguished zeal and ability, MS cHoFls "e'c -"
| most wholly fruitless. ~ Ill.,.
The company owning the railroad between Washing
Ion and Baltimore demanded $40 600, or about SSoo
per MILE merely haul daily mail from depot TO de-
pot, without other responsibility and $l4,ooo io' wv
daily mails. ,o,-
The companies owning the several railroads now con-
strucng from Baltimore TO Philadelphia oe'i'a ~;
S3OOOO upwards Of $500 per mile, to maui oie eA''
The cnmnsov ownnr the Camden and Amboy road,
demanded 500 900, $500 per mie ioF QUO oa'S
mail and $4,000 for second ~. ,,,-,,,,-, Now
The companies composing the upper me through c
Jersey demanded 1928 coo, about SOU per lnie' lo
the conveyance of one daily mail, and Soooo lot St.
| cond. on 5 po.,
| Aware that the Committee on Post Otlccs ana os'
Roads Of the House of Representatives., mao nao inc
cct of The TRANSFORMATION of the mails on railroads. I'M
der consideration the last session, anu had uha'"
" proposed to restrict the Department to seVehyhEc
dollars per mile for the service; anu 81 a .or
derinu the sums demanded dsproporonac TO tie scr
vice and wholly unreasonable, the undersigned uctel-
mined not to accept any of the propositions: ease
no means uucssayed however, to form satisfactory a.
rana.ment he offered a contract for merely haunns
box containing the mail, from depot TO depot daily, "
the Baltimore and Washington Railroad Company al
500 per mile which they promptly declined.
The undersigned does not intend to pay the prices u
handed bv these companies unless directed to DO so oy
those who have right to control him. lie VIII sooNe
put post coacles, mail wagons on The ola ROADS, anu
run them there until public opinion, or the voice OF SUI
perior authority, induces the associations, "lC navy
been permitted to monopoze the means OF speedy con-
veyancc on these routes to abate in their terms
bic YOU TO present the whole subject to the legislative
body copy Of the instructions to the agent ana ms
respondence with the companies, and the subsequent
correspondence of the Department with lhem' Is hcfc-
The undersigned is happy to state that indications Of
spirit moro accordance with the great opec OF pup
liz accommodations which has induced the legislatures
of the States TO sanction the construction OF thcSe I'M
proyemcnts, by private companies nave 'nan''fScu
selves in other quarters. The Boston aud PROVIDENCE
Railroad Company have intimatcd Willingness TO car
nv two daily mails between those cities, embracing Tie
III, New York steamboat mail for $1,000 year being at
the rate Of about $50 per mile Tor single mali, ana
contract has been authorized.
The New Jersey Raro Company, whose road,
when completed, will extend from Jersey City to New
Brunswick have offered to carry the great mail from ~
York along their road year. at 500 per nile, or tcur
wears at $50, and to carry two mails for 500
The company owning the Portsmouth and ROANOKE
road have contracted to carry the mail three tunes
week from Norfolk t. Halifax, N. C., distance oil
ninety miles for the compensation paid the former con-
irnctor which is equal 10 about 2U per nlc the mail
to be conveyed their railroad as far as conpIeed
The Tuscunlbia, CORTLAND, and Decatur Railroad
COMPANY have offered to carry the mail. three times
week on their road, at the lowest rate of poScoach
portaon in tue Southern States: which amounts to
about S2G per mile.
1t is conceded that the mails carried on all these roads,
except the New Jersey road much less than the
urcat mail between Washington and New York; but
they probably bear greater proportion to that mail than
the compensation asked for the former service, does TO
that offered by the Department for the latter
Referring to the instructions given TO his Agent, Tor
his further views in relation the Railroad Companies
the undersigned submits the question TO your dSpoSton
and will await the instructions of Congress as TO the
hp
other Inonopoes oil like character, III contracting win
which the Department is unable to avail Itself OF the
spirit of moderation supernduced by all active conpeu
ton Indeed the Post Office law 50 far as 1t relates 10
the versnC and making Of contracts, predcated up
pom the expectation that there would be genera conPc
ton for then and docs provide for here the
Department has 10 deal with monopoes no such state OF
| things having then been anticipated.
A new question has arisen in the administration oil
this Department. A number of individuals have cstab-
shed an association in the Northern and Eastern States
and raised large of money for the purpose OF ct
fccting the immediate abolition of Slavery in the South
States. One Of the means resortcd to has been the
printing Of large of newspapers, pamphlets tracts
and almanacs containing exaggerated and in some in
stances, false accounts OF the treatment OF slaves, Illus
tated with cuts calculated to operate on the passions OF
the coored men, and produce discontcnt ussusS'"uon
and servilevar These they attempted 10 a'sselna &c
through the sluve-holdg o'"'eS' W liz aSIi'J "
the public mails .,.;o,
these productions great excitement arose, particularly
..
in its progress Southwark the Postmaster at that r.c@
agreed to retain them in his office until he could obtain
instructions from the Postmaster General In reply to
his appeal, he informed that 1t was SUBJECT upon
which the General had no legal authority TO
! instruct him. The question again came up from the
Postmaster at New York, who had refused to send the
papers by the steamboat mail TO Charleston, ). &. lie
was also answered. that the General possess
ed no legal authority to give instructions on the subject
but the undersigned had doubt that the crcunstan-
ces of the justified the detention Of the papers, he
did not hesitate to say Important principles are IN
voped in this question: and 1t merits the grave cnnsde
| ration of all departments Of the Government.
1t is universally conceded that our STATES are united
only for certain purposes. There interests in rela
ton to which they believed to be independent "t
each other as they were before the Constitution was
formed The interest which the people OF some OF the
States have in slaves, is one OF them NO Stale OBJ
tanned by the Union any right whatsoever over slavery
in any other State. did any State use any Of lis
power over it, within lis own borders On this subject
therefore, if this he correct. the States still in
DEPENDENT and may fence round and protect their into
rest slaves by such laws and regulations as IN Their
sovereign will they may deem cxPcdlcn
Nor have the people Of one State any more right to IN
terfere with this subject in another State, than they have
to Interfere with the internal regulations, rights proper
tv, or domestic police, of foreign nation. ii they
were.to Combine and send papers among the laboring
population of another nation, calculated to produce dis
content ard rebellion, their condnc, would be good
ground Of complaint on the part OF that nation and
in case il were not rcprcsscd by the United States
might be, if pcrscvcringly persisted in, just cause OF
war The mutual obligations Of several States to
suppress attacks ~ their citizens each others re-
served rights and interests would seem to be greater
because, by entering into the Union they have
lost the right of redress which belongs 10 nations
wholly independent. Whatever claim may be set up,
or maintained, to right Of free discussion within their
own borders of the institutions and laws of other COM
muntcs, which they have no rightlul control few
will maintain that they have right unless be obtain
ed by compact treaty. to carry such discussions
within those communities, either orally or by the dlstr
button Of printed papers, particularly be in violation
Of their peculiar laws and at the hazard Of their peace
and existence. The Constitution of the United States
provides thai the citizens Of each State shall be enl
| nd and iInmnnrs nf citizens In tho