The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-09-18


Letter rEoM rnE Postmaster GENERAL.--The
following letter from Hon G. A Wickhe, the POET.
master General, We insert with pleasure. We re-
peat what We have had occasion to say before, ual
the suspension Of the Sunday mail SO Ear our oau
city IS interested Is productive Of no embarrassment
and meets with no complaint II is in harmony. We
are satisfied, with the wishes Of the great majority OF
our citizens. With reference 10 the general qut,-
ton involved, we have desIre TO stir the sshes al
an old aud impassOned controversy; but must be OIL
lowed 10 say that IN all cases where the people vi
consent to It, the transportation Of mails Suud.,
should be stopped. The religious Yiews--or yrt,u.
dces perhaps some would prefer 10 call Mcm-uf Inc
people on this matter should be respected, so Tar d,
they possibly be without defrimeu to the public
interest
The article from tle Belfast Journal to which the
letter refer, is as follows
Tie Post Office Department is certain, most mis-
erably managed, and requires sweeping aud radical
reform III 1.-THE of the blum ers careessuess ,ll.
and general stupidity evident in the management
of its affairs AT Washington, had occurred under Mr.
Kendall the federal presses would have rung uuco.s.
ing changes upon the string, from one extreme If
the Union to the other until all the nervous people
at least would have thought the government li,,.f
was tumblng into pieces. We had no mail here from
the West on Sunday nor Monday nights last We ne
yer have Mail on Monday night and on ever, u.li
IN the week, 1t arrives several hours after IT is due
and always some hours later we told than 1t D.,
received al Bangor 80 miles east Of US. We believe
the mail is kept on Sunday night at Portsmouth, fl
the want OF some conveyance acros, the rNer--IuI
yet the orpenss is undergone, for the mail stage
comes in with Portland papers and lie tets while viii
little management the whole western mail might
of course as easily be brought on. There wa, DO
lch mbC cilty in the department under MIR krrd I
and we wish that gentleman was ia the lace ~
the present Inefficient incumbent II is TOO bad tIst
the important commercial and other interests Of
great State should thu, be affected by the iucapic IL
most culpabe Indifference 10 his duty # a SIN.
man--thc Post Master General
Posi- OFFICE DEPARTMENT
Sept Sth l-43>
| Mn. Benz krSGsBuRY, ia
Ed or n me Portland Anlerican
Sir;-The enclosed copy of an article taken iron,
the Belfast Republican Journal, which some prr,or.
sent me- has Imposed upon me the necessity OF rr
queNting you III give place TO the following Il ilr-
mt e OF facts that those Interested in the mail rc
may understand the truth, and judge the Depl,nr,i
by the facts.
The editor Of the Journal has a right 10 CORN " hs,
opinions OF me he rleases and he may publish them
M his own language they will give me ncINltr pam
nor pleasure My object is TO satisfy the pubic Of
Maine that as Postmaster General, have done for
them the best in the power of tie -, parttncnt
Prior to the fall of 1872 there wa, a dali, mail IN
4 h. coaches between Portsmouth and Portland I'm
October, 1912, the citizens Of Portland petitI,r,t
that the mail should be sent upon the Rail
road, then completed and, 50 soon a.
contract could be effected with the Company, II
was transferred from stage 10 the railroad The
Railroad Company would not consent TO run
their train on the Sabbath. Upon being assured th1t
the service six days IN the week upon the Railroad
between Portland and Portsmouth woald be more ac-
ceptable 10 the public than the coach service daii
readily consented 10 accept the service. Whenever
the state OF public sentiment is such as viii autho-
RE me 10 dispense with the mail service on the Sab
bath day, | am most happy TO DO The evil Of
which the editor complains If evil exist, arises from
The TACT That the Railroad Company will not run .
train and carry the mail between Portsmouth ,ul
Portland, and must BE- better satisfied that ne pub
lie wants and public interests deman this mai 10 c
sent between the two places on the Sabbath before
] order II 10 be done.
A. to the other failures ard delays Of the mail com
planned Of IN the article, have no ofcial report
from the PosimaSters whose duty II i 10 :, port
the subject When such report i, made the dti.-
queut contractors, il any, viii be attended TO.
Very respectfully,
our ObGt servant,
&. a. WICkLIFFU