The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-08-17

The following letter from the Postmaster General
was laid before the House Of Representatives on Sa-
turday I, was laid on the table and ordered to be
printed.
Posr OFFICE DEPARTMENT August 8, l5il.
siR In obedience TO the resolution Of the House
Of Representatives Of the 80 instant have the honor
To state that the Southern mail usually at w ash
ing.on BY r NJ, and at Baltimore BY in the even
ing where il remains until taken by the great mail
line from Washington, which passes through the city
between and IN the morning Between baltimore
and Philadelphia the mail j. earned on the railroad
twice DAY from A. ril to DECEMBER and daily the
sdue Of the year leaving and arriving IN each city at
stipulated hours, The latest departure from Balti-
more which II has been in the power Of the Depart
nent to obtain Is 1 in the afternoon.
The contract for this service made IN March 1870,
was base upon the schedule az now run. That CON
tract pred upon The Is, DAY Of April last and the
Railroad Company at that time refused renew il,
unless the Department would Dispense With that psri
Of the service which forced them To run The night
mail train that leaves PhilsdelphIa at A NJ, and
Hhch according u the terms Of The contract, bad
been Ise0Biinued since the I0th Of December las,
To this proposition the DetarDen, could assent,
and after strenuous resistance the part 81 the
company and they sliegs % their gfsai lnjgry The
summer service 81 last sezson resU.net
w hiis thee negotiations were p@DSlng, and SINCE
the commencement, of the C0mpauys .er,1e now
rendered the DepsnDsbt Eas IN vain endeAsored TO
conclude arrangement By which the Southern mail
would Re forwarded Immediately after lis ARRIVAL al
Baltimore and for thus purpose proposed 70 The Com
pany who vel the pfopftors d the steamboat
the railroad lines between the cities Of Baltimore
and Philadelphia u change the h9ur Of their boat de-
psr,ufe from 8 TO p. NJ and offering 70 pay the
additional p+nse of taking the mails 70 and from he
boats. This offer declined, unless the Depart
men, would consent 10 pay h0usaqa dollars PER
month for this increased facility.
The act Of January % 1899 limits The highest
compensation Of railroad companies 10 three hundred
dollars mile the price pald upon that route and
a compliance with this demand under the circun-
stances would, IN my opinion, be falpable invasion
Of that law Objectionable in all respects d.
rect violation But had no legal objection existed
the additional pay demanded would have increased the
compensation upon this route 10 the OF than
four hundred doit1rs per mile being higher price
than paid for similar service upon any route the
nation, and which the funds Of the Department, in
| their present condition, would not Justify.
The hope, however IL not abandoned, that the pre-
sent contract company may revise their decision OF
that another channel Of communication may be oh
tanned, which will secure The desired service.
This Department Possesses no power TO coerce these
companies to perform mail service in such
the public interests may require, and only repeat
the suggestions contained in the report which had
the honor to submit at the commencement OF the pre-
sent session that the relations between these compa
MES and the Department well worthy the attention
Of Congress.
have the honor to be, sir, your obelient servant
F. GRANGER
To the Hon Jons WHirg, Speaker, House Repre-
sentaiives.