The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-16
SAVANNAH MAILS.

uenerai Tor the supply OF that city We have taken
occasion to apply at the Department for proper in
formation, and find the following statement Of facts
to be correct, which, when understood by the citi-
zens OF Savannah we persuaded will induce
them to believe that great injustice has been done to
that officer.
When the Postmaster General entered upon the
dulles OF his office, Savannah was supplied by a
daily steamboat line from Charleston at an expense
OF S9,OO0, and by tri-weekly mail by land supply
ing nine intermediate Offices at an expense of "a 400
he steamboat service had been engaged the 3lst of
October, 1874, superseding daily service by land
ana provision was made in the contract that either
party might discontinue the service upon giving
thirty days notice. Repeated applications were
made to him during the summer 10 make an additional
allowance to the contractors for steamboat service of
Soooo Ihis was refused for two reasons; first
he thought the compensation ample Tor the service
performed; second the law expressly prohibited
the making of such extra allowances 10 contrac-
tors The Postmaster General was satisfied with
the performance of the service by Messrs Brooks
Il Bearden, the contractors, and had no intention
or wish TO interfere with the contract until the time
arrived for making new contracts in the southern
section, in the spring of lS47.
The contractors awaited themselves of the power.
as they had right TO do, to discontinue the contract
after thirty days notice. They gave notice that the
service would cease on the 25h of November The
time selected was not the most favorable TO enable
the department to get good contracts for coach-ser-
vice by land, it that kind of service should be So
lected; and any arrangement in the mail service at
that period Gust before the meeting of Congress)
would probably be more felt in Savannah than at
any other time.
The Postmaster General Immediately advertised
under the new law, he was bound to do for
steamboat service or andscrvicc that he might Sc
ect and take that which would be the most fayora-
BILE to the public service. He received the follow
ing bids:
Glover d Paul, daily steamboat service. $4,000
Brooks Bearden. do. ....-.., do. 49,. $1,000
WmJ Ficklin, tri-weekly service by land 1000
W. P. Tealy, ,r-weskly, by land and 40. ssSS
daily do. II00O
Mitchell & Saunders, tri-weekly in sukes 5000
These were all the bids, and il became the duty of
the Postmaster General to decide between them. He
is expressly prohibited by the late law reducing the
hostages, from looking to the convenience of travel
or trade, intercourse between different points
In making these contracts, he is directed to look
alone to the mail service, and must adapt the mode
of transportation to the size of the mails.
This restriction upon the discretion of the Post
master General, most salutary and wise one, COM
polling him to take that mode Transportation which
is alone necessary for mail service, enabled him to
save to the department over two hundred and fifty
two thousand dollars in the lettings of last spring
for New York and New England--about 80 per
cent. Of the amount paid the preceding wear.
Messrs. Brooks q Bearden, voluntarily resembling
the old contract, no doubt originally made with a
view to the convenience of trade and travel and
connecting the central railroad of Georgia with the
line OF southern travel at Charleston, compelled the
Postmaster General to make a new contract under
the new law, for the mail service alone There
could be no room for doubt as to the sufficiency
of coach-servce by land for the security speed and
safety of the mails other mails of much more inn
porance are taken in that way every day. The
Savannah mail had been taken in that way prior
to October, 1874. The revenues derived from it by
the department. demonstrated that the mail between
Charleston and Savannah was not SO large or of so
much importance, as to require ste ,inboat service
The revenue at Savannah for the qu-'er ending the
Both ofSepember last, (thef first under the ne@ aw)
only amounted to the sum Of ~, 434 "a; and for
the next three quarters of the present year will not
probably average over $4,000 each.
In this state of the case, the Postmaster General
decided TO give the contract to Mitchell & Saunders,
and ordered it to be made daily and to increase their
pay pro rata. They were so notified and to the
surprise of the department, they declined to ex-
ecute the contract upon their own proposition made
a few weeks before. What were their reasons, or
whatthe influences brought operate upon them, are
not known at the department. So soon as the de-
partment advised of their course the contract
was offered to VIM. p Tealy, at his bid of $1,000
for daily service, and accepted by him. and it is
presumed by this time to be in operation. Thus
the department gets the whole service between those
cities for Sll 000 if it had taken the bid for seam-
boat service, it would have stood as follows:
For steamboat service. ............... $4,000
termedlate oflces... ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. $500
S2O5OO
A clear saving to the department of nine thou
sand five hundred dollars by the mode adopted.
The citizens Of Savannah are not materially af-
fected in their mail accommodations by the new
By the steamboat line, the mail would
leave Charleston between nine and ten o'clock each
morning, and reach Savannah in fourteen hours
which would have been near midnight, and for all
useful purposes no better than if it had arrived in
The morning By the new arrangement the mail
will leave Charleston each morning at ten O'Clock,
arrive at Savannah by ten o'clock the next morning
So that for all business purposes there be buta
few hours difference to the citizens of that city.
In what respect, then, is the Postmaster General
,ensurabe He did not interfere with the con-
ract as he found it. He could nothave given the
Extra pay demanded, without violation of law, if
he had been inclined to do So The contractors an
,ulled the contract. He was bound by law to adver-
Use. He did SO. He is bound by law to take the
Quest bid when a proper means of transportation
s offered. He did so. If the citizens of Savannah
uttered some inconvenience from the delay or ir-
egularity in the mails from the occurrences stated
he Postmaster General is not censurabe Those
Who fixed The time for annung the contract lust be-
ore Congress met, and at the commencement of
winter, would deserve it more. If the contractors
lad been much disposed to accommodate tie citi-
ems of Savannah as they deserved, for the great
ceiling manifested for them, when they found the
department. embarrassed IN procuring the proper SER
-ce, they would have continued the mails d few
lays longer on their boats, for the accommodation
# the citizens, until the department could obtain a
contract, and for which they would
ave been entitled to the rate Of pay they had
eceived the preceding year. Instead OF pursuing
his liberal course toward the citizens of Savannah
he contractors, as soon as they are informed that
ne Postmaster General will not yield to what he
onsidered an exorbitant and unjust demand upon
is department, threw the mails off their boats md
efused to take them day or two longer Town
meetings. are invited, and the distinguished lawyer
the head Of the Central Railroad takes the stand
lis ingenuity and eloquence are employed to ex-
lite the people. The senators and members Of Con-
ress, and members of the Legislature, are invoked
0 come TO their aid, and, by the force of public
pinion, to coerce the Postmaster General to give
&c, 500 for transporting the mails between Charles
on and Savannah.