The New York herald., 1845-05-25

General had no means of defence, but was at - the
mercy. They had been negotiating with the Post
master General who wished stll further 10 expedite
and facilitate the transmission ofthe mails They had
led the DEPARTMENT TO expect compliance WIN tae
terms aIeed upon. The Department was daily ex-
pecting communication 10 that effect. In the meafi-
time the opposition steamboats, had been Withdrawn
The rallro 81 company had no competition Ihey
thought they had the field 10 themselves and the
Department al their mercy and could coerce 1t am
compel the acceptance Of their own terms. Instead
ol forwarding to the Postmaster General the an
nnuncsment that they were ready TO act under the
agreement understood between hun and their agent
who had been in Washington on that business, they
forward a notice that they intend TO discontinue The
train which had hitherto brought on the mail on It's
arrival al Philadelphia, al 10 7. NJ, and revert TO
the old hours Of travel as have mentioned above,
leaving the mail in Philadelphia ten hours and caus-
ing delay to the whole West OF twenty,four hours
They do more. They give notice that they wish or
intend 10 change the hour OF departure from Baltl-
more for Philadelphia from o'clock in the evening
to o'clock, which alteration, # carried into effect,
will cut Oft the connection OF the great Southern
mall and throw il back twelve fourteen hours 10
all north and east of this city and Baltimore Is
this all : No. Emphatcally, no!
This Company IS paid S3O,6oO per annum for the
carriage Of the mail thirteen times per week, which,
the distance IS 97 miles is at the rate OF $3l5 45
per mile per annum. This, be it marked and re-
menbered, is paid at the highest rate of compensa-
actually does not perform this service. There is
a railroad from Newcastle to Frcnchtown, con-
meeting the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays.
Heretofore this railway in different hands, saj
by connecting lines Of steamboats, from Philadelphia
70 Newcastle, and from Frenchtown to Baltimore.
most effective and formidable opposition was kept
upto the monopoly desired by the rapacious Phill-
delphia and Wilmington Company-so much so,
that by connecting steamboats, from Philadelphia 10
New York, the passenger fare from New York TO
Baltimore was but 30, when by the Railroads It was
upwards Of $40. BY some meanS with which am
unacquainted, the Philadelphia and Wilmington rail-
way company have obtained control of this line by
Newcastle and Frenchtown, and having made use
OF II and the Railroad crush opposition by the En-
ricsson propeller steamboats, by the Canal they have
now actually taken OFT one of theirtralns on the
Railroad, running but one train daily between Pha-
delpha and Baltimore, and conveying the second
mail, Tor which they are paid at the highest rate OF
compensation for railroad SERVICE by the steamboat
lines connecting with the Newcastle andFrenchtown
Railroad which Is only fourteen miles IN the
be remembered too, that excepting the contracts for
steamboat service, between New Orleans and Mo
bile, and Washington and Aqua Creek, Virginia,
which are made under authority of spacal acts of
Congress, the average rate for steamboat COM
pensation Tor carrying the mails Is less than
$50 per mile per annnm.-. Nay, on the
Hudson river, between New York and Alba
ny, and Troy, In steamboats, OF the first class,
and perhaps surprising any others IN the world, the
rate paid is only about Shopper mile And yet this
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Company
rying the mail by railway from Philadelphia to Bali
are actually engaged in carrying it by steam
boat and that delay to the public west of Balti-
hours hours on the p the % Northern mas And then
they have the hardihood the unblushing impudence
TO come before the public, and say that the train
which they have taken off was an "extra train" for
sooth.
Will the community permit the continuance Of this
conduct the part of this sonless corporation Will
not rather the potential voice of public opinion be
raised In bitter and unsparlng condemnation Will
the public support Cave Johnson in every effort
curb and crush this rapacious spirit of monopoly
and extortion They pile monopoly upon monopoly
--extortion upon extortlon-outrage upon outrage
they care not what public inconvenience or disorder
they occasion, so as they can accomplish their pur-
pose Of exto,ting $780, per annum instead Of $780,
600, which they now receive Tor carrying the mail,
when the latter sum is at the rate Of three times
much is paid for steamboat service of the very
highest class, which all will acknowledge is not less
expensive mode of conveyance. This Is the secret
ings on the part OF this companythey wish to force
the department into that position that II will be obg-
ed TO come to their terms, and give them $50 600 for
carrying the mails when the truth OF the case is, that
they would be extravagantly well paid ii they got
only $4,000 per annum. 1t is for the people to say
whether Sley willing to allow the department to
be thus imposed upon. 1t Is for the people to say
whether they will be content have the cheap post
age systdm prove failure to crafty the cupidy and
rapacity OF soulless corporation like this, which
piles monopoly upon monopoly until it can no longer
be borne Is 1t possible that the public will allow
this and similar corporations to triumph the de-
partment and cause the failure of the cheap postage
system 1t surely cannot be. The people must and
VIII speak in thunder tones OF Indignation to these
monopolles. They must be compelled to succumb.
Is It any WONDER when such facts as these are dis
closed, that there is cry for reform Is it surprs-
ing that the power to infiict inconvenience on the
publc-to cause confusion with the mails-to extort
their own exorbitant and rapacious charges-to CO.
cree the Department, and set the public at defiance
should be questioned? Is it astonishing that the
the power to contract with individuals to carry the
mail over these roads, on the ground that they are
for all the purposes of the Department common post
roads? To this result we must come at last This
Is the question which must be asked and answered
affirmativey by the public It will be useless to
urge the stale, ot-repeaed, but delusive cry that the
railroads are private property! The position is un
tenabe They are not private property in the light
in which they must be considered Does the law
give TO Individual, to company of individuals,
the right OF taking my farm, against my consent,
against my wishes, against my remonstrances, for
the purpose of making railroad through it and then
guarantee this property, so taken IN such manner,
and for such purposes, as private property" for
urtherng the profits extortions, and cupdy of that
and TO the INJURY Of the whole public-thc entire
community! Monstrous doctrinel! Who will sus-
tain it? viii these soulless corporations even! No,
they cannot! They are not private property! The
law gives them the power to take my farm against
my consent tor "pubhc" purposes, not to make it
private property. The decision of the court must
be-will be, that the railroads for the purposes
Of the Post Office Department, are common
post roads, and as such, the Department has right
to throw the contracts for carrying the mail over
them, open to public competition, and when that is
done we shall see if the Philadelphia, Wilmington
and Baltimore Railroad Company will notbe willing
to take the mails tor sum more nearly approaching
5000 than $50, ,0O0-and we shall see other compa-
mes also coming to their senses, and thus render the
success OF the cheap postage system certain. But
must agitate agltaie agitatei all the while.
WASHINGTON, May %, l845.
The Herald, The Ners and the Administ,Gtion-Fisk
and Dor, and Ms ksrhy and hoio-R -Rotaton--Lo-
cal Lmpropements-1As Capitol-Ihe White
House, &c.
Positively, but for the Nnc York Herald, we
shonld all have to sleep through the interregnum al
Washington, after the fashion of Rip Van Winke.
And though we say it, who perhaps ought not to say
II et we will be horne out In saving II that the