Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1842-12-19
vol. LIs.-.so. al.

Tho great question involved IL, whether Congress
should lnake teso contracts, and Pay the cunsienia,
nut of the resources of the GoyornmeGt, whether tbs
Department shall levy the amount by continuing thu
present OF puslagc upon letters. and in all time
come devote largo potion thereof to tho payment
iur mllfoad transportation To deny The hope
the distant and less favored rnrtinnso country
Ut any increased mail laciltesl The cfst of ralr1ai
trausp5ralion for lhe ast yea stands az 1892 .55S.
The whole length ui mail road in the United STATES is
lio.i y miles. costing S3.os7 is6. OF this length Of
mail road only 1904 mes is lllr1ad transportation. st
a cost Of Sl}2 Sos Dolly i1flys eighth pan OF the
whole number Of miles costing seventh part Of the
grass sum.
repeat the inquiry made on former occasion. Isit
lust thai the whole burden oil the public correspondence
nearly equal 10 halt million Of dollars annually
should be sustained by las npun the business and
friendly correspondence of the community II the guy
ornment exacis from the citizen uere Than The est
aud eSrenae Of transporting his letters. he has no right
to complain hut when an additional sum is wanted To
doay The expenss Of Transporting the cofresplndence at
the government and ls officers. thai siin Ike the lax
Tor every other public scry @ should be drawn from the
common resources Of the country.
II IS proposed that. in lieu af annual drain from
the Treasury topay the postage upon the public CORES.
prudence the Untled States secure and pay for
the perpetual rlght 10 transport the mails aver ailreads
Can tins fiaht be nuw secured upon fair and reasonable
crn8lls question worthy Ia be tested BY TAR on perl
mrnt. | AN niupnion II can he secuted epdn mrsi. II
MT all tho important nads upon reasonable terms,
AMI with ample guarantees.
1t Is n part Of the business ofthis Department tn
speak I'll the eilees which contracts with the railroad
companies annld produce upon public credit. both. at
home and abroad Tho effect. whatever they may le
for gaa. but incidental Ia the ereat object Ia he
attained IN reference 10 the mail service OF the United
States.
Entertaining thcao opinion. upon The SUBJECT. pray
You 10 allo" me most specially 10 pffss them upns
your confederation.
Public opinions seemed 50 s'r,ng in fyor Of redue-
ton ii po5egoup1n lcrs thai il could be regarded n
~ other eht than demand upon uso having tho pow
or over Ills SUBJECT have lelt It's hi G bnl have
been GnHlns 10 act unadyisedly any recommendation
! mahi mike upon the subject II will bo remembered
that England recently reduced her rates OF pelage-
The eileeI upon the revenue. anl upon The amount Il
mall nallrr WAS anxious 10 know. For this, and L
hc objects connected with Interpretations Of this DEPART
ment. awaited myscfof the sersiees Of Geu Green. IN
! November last, who about h visit England and
France upon private bus;ucss and instructed hun Ia
mnhe certain ycslpatuus and inquiries The result OF
nsnyes2auns may he seen by reference 10 his IMPORT
10 me, copy al which accompanies this.
The dlsamllatiiy IN the government III the two coun-
es, IA well rs the difference III the extent Of Territory,
induce me In doubt whether the sysiGh u mall
service and rates OF postage ceud be safely adopted IN
the lniled States.
One fact, however is clearly developed by the report
oi Gtn Green that since the reduction Of postage III
England, The number of letters mailed has greatly in-
CREASED. iorbgr TT uhle you with ANY parlicnlar
wggesols ofon this subject bee ha he y duty
devove upon me by n soution ii the Senate, 10 make
10 that body aspeciic report upon alteration Of thu
rates oil postage, Wish parrse 10 do at as early day
rs practicable.
II will le Seen by reference to part Of the report Of
MI Green, that the French Government IS ANXIOUS l.,
make treaty with the United States ipr inIcangn
OF mail service by tho agency olhe packet audseanshs
Of the two countries.
No will enen,bcr, this subject va, brouaht to yonr
attention by the Minister france during the last
sion Of Congress, II was submitted by you IL Congress.
as one worthy Of Their consIderann aud requiring srec-
6cleglslaon IT, IN the opinion ui that body. such an ar
r,nqoment would prove advantageous 10 the l.. s.
The Committee On Foreign Rotations made report
favorable 10 the measure an the House u Representa-
lives adopted the following resolution:
That the President o; he United States hn rogue ed
to cause 10 b. prepared aud reported hs house. by
the Secretaries OF State an Of The Navy. the
moucenenl Of the next session Of Congress. plan To-
the establishment, in concert with the Co cr0me,t
e frapoe. line Of weekly steamers belno The par
of llayro aud New York; together with estimates of
the expense which may be required to carry said plan
into effect
That portion of Mr. Green's report. and the ace,w,-
Lnnylng documents Submitted under tho belief that
it may be servccabIc to place before Congress Tho
outlines Of the plan contemplated by the fench Govern
mcn
In the month of August last, caused to be s'ablsh-
ed and put into operation City Despatch Post for tho
city o New York, confined 10 The delivery, through th.
post Office of that city, Of the correspondence within il.
limits am graiiied to know that operations hav.
proved highly satisfactory to The community, giving l.,
the citizens prompt and eheap medium Of cnlnTu nica-
ton. the income Of which Will not only maintain tho
penses Of he establishment lu in tho course If tine
promises considerable ad4ro1 In the revenue Of thu
! Department. The report Of the Post master of New
York upon this subject i3 submitted in order that its de-
tails may be more generally known; and, when under
stood have lillo doubt that the other large cities OF
the Union will call nr similar establishment. Its use
iuncs4 has been fully tested in New York, by the sa
wing OF heavy daily expense Of money and time
10 the business community IN i,sir city currespn-
dcnro.
The amount Of ex?anlitiire for the current Fiscal
year. for the service of this Department, may be stated
by way OF estimate. in round sunJers 1t st,3)).01l
This estimate does not include the probable expense Of
the routes established by Congress ut the last SIS
sion, Of which have Yet been PIT in operaion.-
The pro able Of these routes per year. will be
slDOop, making the whole estingied expense efsi
$4,000
present. year. must, of course be altogether c,necral
founded upon the received for the year, ending
in June. 1872
The amount received, the qnarter ending 30h Sop
enherlat, Is less than the OF the correspondent
quarter OF 1871; and therefore conclude the income of
the Department for the year will fall considers-
bly, short OF that for the year ending 3( June II is,
however, my intention to put those routes in operation
by the lime specified in The act, And as there is no dis
erection vested in the Department by the act, il find ts
means will not be otherwise equal TO the a,,,ltolal
expense. it will become my unpleasant duty u curat
the expense upon already in existence, equal t.,
the nj tla 10 rte-ci