The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-05-24
THE NORTHERN MAIL.


The Baltimore and Philadelphia Rrailroad Com
to leave Philadelphia at o'clock in the morn
ing, instead Of 10 o'clock the preceding evening
The effect has been to delay the mail which we re-
ceived IL O'Clock in the morning, until o'clock in
the evening, thus losing business day The delay Of
the New York mail thus caused to the entire Wes,
from Baltimore to the Mississippi, and beyond, ispre
cisely twenty-four hours. The public complain
loudly complain. A facility is denied them, which
this company should furnish which it has Furnished
a determination to withhold.
An explanation Of this extraordinary procedure
on the part of the company is attempted in the
Baltimore American" We subjoin il:
From the Baltimore American Of Wednesday.
within few days past the Philadelphia and Baltimore
left the former city at about midnight and reached Bait
at o'clock in the morning This extra line had not
been long operation but nevertheless sufficient orpor
tunity was afforded to show that the passengers BY
comparatively few was likely to prove turdensome
to the unless we have adequate
compensation were paid for the OF the mail
the prompt transmission OF which had been the leading OBJ
N On e S s OBJECT n v ss
worth the compensation asked and the company according
ly have discontinued the extra or midnight train
We observe that in several quarters msapprehenson
the character the mail which had been conveyed
under this extra arrangement spoken Of the greed
mail" Sci but this Is entirely mistake II was in fact
extra mail which left Philadelphia the South midnight
carrying the New York papers Of the same aternoon
day they went furherying there until the departure
the great mail at O'Clock the succeeding morning
Washington On the other hand, the great mail bringing
all the masbs matter from places north and east q the
city of New York, leaves New York at O. M. Phadel
phia Baltimore at III M and passes through
10 New orleans without delay any where on the route
Having inquired into the facts at the proper quar-
ter, we give the following statement to enable the
public correctly to judge who is in fault for the in
jury it is sustaining from this interruption of inter.
course between our great commercial emporium and
the country.
1t is alleged that the mail, brought South at mid
night, was not the great mail, but an extra mail,
which extended only from New York to Washing
ton; that this extra line was put on with view to
the promp, transmission of the mails but that the
passengers conveyed by it being few, and the Post
Office Department refusing to give the compensation
asked, il has been discontinued by the company.
Now, we learn at the Post Office Department, that
the mail in question was not an ertra mail. BY its
arrangements and by the contracts with the compa-
MES, the department is entitled to the transportation
OF TWO fTdiiS d udy III cuCI ulISCuou. ~ puyo iOi
tbs service the highest compensation that the law al
ows-S300 per mile per annum. 1t can pay no
more, no matter what the number of mails per day
may be; and it cannot legally pay so much, if the
mail is but single daily one All this is regulated
by act of Congress- The mail in question was and
is peculiarly and distnctively the great Nero York
mail. The line that leaves New York at 8 a. M,
and passes through Philadelphia in the afternoon,
takes the New England matter and that which comes
from the interior of New York. The correspond
ence and mails accruing in the city Of New York
throughout the day, is despatched thence at about
D. M, soon after the close of business hours. I'm
der the late arrangement, this regular New York
mail passed off to the South and West through Phil
adelpha 10 or II O'Clock at night arrived at Balt
more early enough the next morning to take the
Cumberland cars, and at Washington in time to be
attended to at the public Offices, and all other places
of business, and answered by the return of the
same day--all which despatch is now lost in conse-
quence of the company OBTAINING this regular mai
all night at Philadelphia, until the hour Of in the
morning
When the company ran their train of cars from
Philadelphiaat 10 p m, they sent none through "a
Baltimore at 8a. m. When the mails were SEM
through at night there were none sent in the morn
ing. There were none to send; the departure at II
p. m. was late enough to take everything writer
through the day, or brought to Philadelphia by the
incoming lines. Why call this mail, which was one
Of the two daily ones that the department had con
tracted and paid for, 'exra'" Was it to lay thu
ground for an extra allowance There was nothing
in the transaction partaking Of the character of exrt
service. And if there had been, the company wei
knew that the Postmaster General was entirely es
topped from granting it, by the law which declared
the amount they already receive to be the utrnos
compensation he can award them.
We learn that the Postmaster General has disap
proved Of this change made by the company in tn,
strongest terms. The arrangements he is contem
plating (Which will require time fully to mature
will show that there is acquiescence on his part
This grievous detention of ten hours at Philadel
phia will be removed, if there is sufficient enterprise
in the country to effect its accomplishment
| On nTESTA EPISCOPAL. CONVENTION