The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-12-31

Come when you Will The gentleman from Virginia
spoke Of the camor that had up from every part OF
the country against the acts of the Postmaster General
But if listened only TO interested individuals,
should always be subjected TO these unreasonable de-
mands The Postmaster General had offered the best price
the late that he authorized to do by law
He could do After they had refused the best price
he could offer it proposed to offer them the con-
tract again, and perhaps to put the department to very
great expense, by compensang the recent contractors
There might well be doubt to the proprety OF the
measure proposed. 1t would be well to wait and see
how the present arrangement would work. lie thought
we should avoid any step that would unnecessarily add
to the expenses of the department But now, at time
when we called on further to reduce the rates
of postage also called upon to increase the ex
penses OF the department
Mr. RiiETT said that the resolutions stood, there
was an objection very serious to their passage IL he un
der stood their purport The second resolution requires
the Postmaster General to settle with the Bay contrac-
tors such terms as he may deem ''far and equitable,
and transferring the mail to the old route. Now, he APP
pretended that may moi be in the power OF the Post
master General TO settle 'far and equitable terms
with the Bay contractors. They NAV have the law OF
him--a contract duly executed and they may say to
him. We will continue to perform part of the contract
and shall require you to perform yours. They may
daily ne they do now, at the hours stipulated in
their Notwithstanding only passengers, the depart
ment furnishes maitland require the one hundred and
forty thousand dollars stipulated TO be paid them To put
the department thus the power of contractors, will not
be very wise If the mail is be restored to the old
routeand think it ought TO be, the terms proposed
in the joint resolution being those which the Posinas-
take care that we are not imposed on by those with
whom contract now exists, The resolution ought to
be so framed to leave the Postmaster General the
ability of extricatng himself from difficulties in which he
has been involved by the obsnacy of the river contract
ors in the honest effort to do his duty to the country
and administer the laws with fidelity. If mistake the
condition OF things the chairman OF the committee can
correct but if am right, we ought not to pass the
resolutions in their present shape II this difficulty
have suggested provided against the resolutions will
pass with little or no opposition.
Mr. GOGGlN said that this subject had received from
the hands of the committee every attention He would
not arrogate for the committee intelligence than be-
longed to other members of the House but having
amined the subject very fully they necessarily had more
knowledge in regard to it than others.
The gentleman from Pennsylvania mistaken in
supposing that increase of pay demanded for the
company. The same arrangement that had heretofore
existed and with the pay had been asked for by the
company. The people, with their potential voice. stood
dress this grievance under which they suffered They
asked that the present arrangement should cease and
the old arrangement be restored The people de-
sired and expected very prompt action this subject
from this House Ever since the year 1sf3 the Potomac
and Richmond Steamboat and Railroad Company had re-
ceived the same pay that this bill authorized They had
received two hundred and sixty dollars mile for rail
road transportation, and hundred and thirty
dollars and half per mile for steamboat transportation
The committee (Nlr. q. contended) allowed sum not
exceeding three hundred dollars per mile for steamboat
and railroad transportaona sum larger than the COM
pany asked 1t had been asked why the railroad COM
pany and the steamboat company had united He would
reply that an act Congress had united them. BY
act Of 1915 Congress had united these companies by
an act establishing post route
By an act of Congress- the Postmaster General
quired make his contracts in reference to the import
of the mail to be transported, and the degree OF
speed required How had the Postmaster General met
that requsiton of the law Il had been adudged by
Congress, and decided by President Tyler that the
pany was entitled to receive this sum which they had
uniformly received, until the Postmaster General took
from the company the mail. If the law did not au-
thorze the Postmaster General to pay this to the
company then he had been violating the law every day
since he into office; for he allowed 1t up to very
recent time. The same sum had been pad to the compa-
ny from 1913 to 1S47.
1t had been said that if pay this to this compa-
n.y. every railroad company in the United States will de-
mand it, Why them had they not made the demand be-
fore for since 1913, this had been paid to the
Potomac and Railroad Company.
This gave right to every other railroad to demand it.
In s43 the compensation was settled at two hundred and
and thirty and half dollars mile for the
boat transportation If other railroads to demand
the rate OF compensation why had they not done it,
He would call attention to the fact that when the con-
tract made in 1913, the time for carrying the mail
between Washington and Richmond fixed at eleven
hours and half By subsequent schedule, it was fixed
at and half hours, and without any increase of
compensation But the Postmaster General, instead of
having reference to speed, the law required, try
ing to how slow he could render mail transportation
Instead of sending the mail to Richmond in nine and
half hours he took thirty hours for its conveyance
Instead of sending it by route only OF hundred and
thirty miles length, he sent it to Baltimore, and down the
three hundred and ninety miles.
The argument of the head of the department in favor
OF this was that he paid nothing between here
and Baltimore for the extra duty there was an exist
ing contract with the railroad company, requiring that
they should transport all the mail matter given 10 them
But the time now take was money; and time ex-
pended in this transportation Ill the letters and news
papers, all the intelligence transmitted from this place to
the SOUTH all the letters for gallant soldiers who
fighting the battles of the country Mexico and to
whom we had given the right to receive their letters free
OF postage-a these were sent by crcultous and
certain route of 800 miles in length to Richmond Ii
shown the Post Office report that there had been
traordnary increase of mail matter on the mail routes,
and there had been saving of more than hundred thou
sand dollars to the department. BY using railroads in
some sections OF the southern country
The Postmaster General, upon the principle that he
sumed, might as well send the mail to New York instead
OF Baltimore 1t could be conveyed TO New York with
out extra expense and there he could find some skipper
going coastwse to the Richmond coamines; and he
might send the southern mail by her. with as much pro-
prety as he sends il by the way of Baltimore the
bay, and James river.
What, said Mr.. g. do you suppose is the difference of
cost between these two lines What the amount of
money that was obtained by sending the mail by cir
cultous ROUTE and at time when Congress had met and
should have free and uninterrupted intercourse with
their families at home The whole amount was 1915
and As cents 1t had been alleged by the Postmaster
General, that the company had not given notice of their
refusal of his TERMS but the fact was, that they had
notified hm many weeks before the meeting of Congress-
The cost OF the present arrangement was $4,000
$3f 900 Tor the Bay route, and $4,000 for the local mail
from Washington to Richmond. Mr., G. went into state
ments to show that the cost of the line exceeded
that OF the former line by 1925; and yet he said, while
the expense actually increased after deductng the
cost of transportation between Richmond and Petersburg