Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-01-09

! r1.I VTlI
CURED in the Of the ncgoc,ntion It only ne
c.ssarv 70 state thai the nsupcrdble obstacle 10 any
rronGenent was found IN the hours for leaving ihi!a-
delnhu the Postmaster General maintaining that iis
duty to the law we'll the community, forbade hih
any Ioncr to tolcra The unnecessary delay OF the
mail nj Philadelphia; that III fixing maximum OF
COMPENSATION for railroad service, It was MADE ms
obvious duty when he paid that maximum, to require
the best service which the railroad could render tat
tho delay of so important mail so long at Phila-
deph;a could no longer be permitted in justice to the
country and that he could agree to no arrangement
which would make him any longer in any degree re-
sponsibe for it. The company on their part MAINTAIN
ed that if they started at IL or clock at night they
would run without passengers, that there would be
many difficulties and dances attending night service,
particularly in crossing the Susquehanna river finally,
that they could not justice TO themselves undcflake
10 lea We Philadelphia at the hours required at com
pcnsaton less than S5OGG0 and they minated de-
sire that the Postnaster-Generai should unite with
them in an application to Congress for authority TO pay
them that sum This he declined, being convinced
that the interest and duty OF the company in regard TO
the travel of the country required them to make the
very connection which he desired for the mails, and
| dcomnn the compensation offered high Congress
eyer would or ever ought to give for the service he
asked at their hands Thus the negotiation ended.
The Postmaster General then set himself at work to
make the best arrangements nc could on other lines,
| and the following has been the result
| The Great Western and Southern mails viii leave
Philadelphia Immediately after their arrival from New
York upon the Pennsylvania STATE Railroad TO Column
ba The Great Western mail will leave that road
near Lancaster pass over The Railroad, owned by pr
vate companies to Harrisburg, Chanbcrsburg, and
within few miles TO Hascrsown, Md, to winch it
will be carried in Post Coaches and thence the pre-
sent line West. The Pittshurg mails will go with ii as
far as Chanbersburg In the transportation of these
mails the Department will by this change gain their
progress West the best part Of half day
| The Great Southern mail will pass on to Columbia,
and be conveyed thence to York in wagons, and
thence by the Baltimore and York Railroad Bnlti
more where il will arrive in time to proceed South
early as it does now that nothing will be lost in the
progress of the uil South by this clrcutous ranspor-
ation 1t will be otherwise, however in the progress
of the mails North they cannot, by this route be de-
lvercd in Philadelphia until some time IN the night
and of course will go on 70 New York by the morn
ing line instead of the evening line, losing half day
II will be for the community and for Congress to
decide, whether, to obvate this inconvenience, the
demand of $4,000 by the Company, being at the
rates Of more than 800 per mile shall be complied with
The reasonab!cness Of this demand may be judged OF
bv the facts that the New Jersey Roads have for
wears past conveyed the mail BY night both ways, and
second mail by day, for less than $500 per mule, that
some Of the Virginia and Georg Railroads are now
carrying ii by night for 1927 per mile; that the ar
rangemen for carrying the mail twice day including
night service once in both directions the Pcnns
State Road will cost the Department but $500 per
mile and that the use ofhe Baltimore and York Road
for the conveyance Of the great Southern and other
mails not expected 10 cost SZUu per Hl!!e
The sounGness of the argument, that the Company
in question could not expect 10 convey many passen-
gers hy night line, may be appreciated b. the facts
that passengers do travel in the stage lines BY night
throughout the Union, that the main lines and par
tcularIy on the great Western thorouehic from Bal
tmore TO Wheeling, day line of stages is not,
and it has been found after several attempts cannot be
maintained in competition with lines which run BY
night well by day; that the Americans are GO
ahead people whom nothing will stop but an absolute
IL. al, &c ind
viduals from the South and West who have finished
their business during the day in y York, would take
the evening line to Philadelphia if they could be
red forward and delivered in Baltimore in the morning,
prepared 10 take the lines South and West in Their pro-
rrc and this additional facility and cheap
ness given 10 travel would greatly increase il.
How nsupcrablc the difficulties in the way OF
night service this Road may be determined not only
from the consideration that such service rendered on
other Roads but from the additional fact that tins Com
pany themselves encountered all these difficulties and
dangers, in running night line when they were III
competition with the Steamboat Line and must OF
course be able to do it since they have got rid OF
that competitor and that they did lately, they do not
now, line in connection with the New York morn
ing line which the dreaded SusIuehanna in the
night and CT arrives IL Baltimore several hours
later.
Why cannot they Do FOR $500 per mile mail pay, that
which their interest heretofore, II not now, has induced
them to DO withou; any mail pay ut all.
The almost immediate result viii BE- the connection
OF travelling lines TO Wheeling, with the new mail line
al Hagcrslown, which viii lead on half twothirGs OF
the travel which now comes down 10 Baltimore ana
passes the very Road in question: and the company
will find themselves throwing away not only $4,000 IN
mail pay, but larger sum in less of travel. The u
mate consequences must be new steamboat line for
the conveyance Of the mail during the season OF nav
CATION, taking from the Company heavy portion OF
Southern travel The Postmaster General cannot, in
Justice TO the public interest, intermt his e1erons to
get up such line until he shall have been successful
The idea that Congress will ever give more for the
service is in my view too chimerca 10 be entertained
for a moment.
VIII you please give this letter an insertion in your
useful paper in such mode you may think proper
make the facts known I" your fellow citizens. 1t
hoped that the Editors Of the Phadel pha Press gene
rally will do all parties the justice ;ogve circulation 10
these facts and views.