Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-12-24
THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT Avn
RICHMOND RAILROAD cONp.xv

ly refused 10 carry il after the i0.h Of Ds"a
Instant unless the Postmaster General
give them $500 mile per aunum. vhns,
satisfied that he law prohibits him tro,, - III
more han S237 30. 1t is TO be deploreJ ,bss,
state OF things should have taken place an" +
the comrany should have come 10 So nrfa.'
a conclusion as 10 fling the mails M ,S.;
and put the public 10 The less and conin.;n m
are subjected 10. Tor so paltry a consitersI;o.
some &. 700 difference. II asains, law ,o
the amount they claimed, il was. Of rou,S W
possible lot The Postmaster General 10 do !,
matter What the consequences. He xas MI; ~
as appears iron his letter, iha. the servics -
continue along, wi,hou; conlracr IN az s's
for The iuTheF action OF Congress Rn, nv "q
was summoned 10 make an insran, srr-er NJ,
ms own conSclenIious cUnvicious-and no,
alone, bul those entertained By every posi-.
General since the Law was passei-cr ,Ls 90,
must be fling OF The railroad. I; i roa,,a'
say that Mr.. Johnson did not violate HE ns,t
Office and The law, and submit 10 this decited L
mand Of The Railroad Company. He NIL
cher means OF transportation, those Of the ~
pany being refused him:
Posi- OFFICE DEPARTMENT, Dec. 20 lS.- B
SIR: In answer 10 The inquiries made in r,a
letter, which was received too ae ON sam,
evening Tor reply, have The honor 10 s,a'a~ =
That the price 10 be paid the bay line is - !
600 per annum, distance OF $50 miles-b, 8
less than 500 per mile, Tor takn, the on
southern mail 10 Petersburg, and Tor the spn,1
o! Richmond. The two.hof>e carriage cony.H
ance from this city 10 Richmond and back &
local scPpiy, costs Sl3, O00-masins in all si.3
000
The service superseded BY these contract. Cd
as follows:
The railroad and steamboa, service
from this 10 Richmond S32252
Local supply between Norfolk and
Baltimore and Norfolk and Rich I
Balance OF service on horse routes dis. IS
continued 3Jj Ii
Service between Richmond and Pc. L
er>burg, 10 be discontinued isis II
1855 /
Difference between The old ana new sergcl
1918 IS.
The loves! sun demanded bythe com.
pany from dis 70 Richmond was s3a%t
The sum offered by The department was .9i.h
Difference, 2i't
mile per annum upor HE railroad, which i, -
miles long --lnor- than the department was a.
,holzcd Lv The acts OF Congress To pay IL
cost OF the substituted service was no doub efta
~ increased by the Shot notice given NE hV 10,
company q! their dniFrmInaii'n 10 how I'll W,
mails. ard b. the undue advantage taken ip COM
polling me 10 make This change ~ the Wintcr. !
The refusal oil the deparm 10 make an illrsi
has bpwpvpr rpsuI'pI I'm a II Sayifr
on the rosc itself; and in a very large one, whs
the whole railroad service in The U. States is L,
ken in consideration. Had made such a conl
tract regardless q. the acts Of COnertss, Of ~;
settled indications OF The department, and 10!
uniform. decisions q all al my predecessors :
everything, indeed, bat the di>pcGsaion of Pre-
dent Tyler in favor Of This particular company
what oihcr railroad in The u. S. could have betr
denird similar violation Of law in lis bebali, an
similar increase OF pay 7 Or are sCch iav0h
10 be conceded only 10 those whose roads are, !c.
iunalelv, located near The seat OF government T..
Or 10 those WHO ATE bold enough, il! the law e
no; bent al their dictali0H, 10 suit their nteres,
TO wage a war OF destruction upon The acCommC
daliun and rights Of The public? | may here Ie
mark that il is confidently believed tha; there i,
NO railroad in the service 81 the department. Tia.
CANNOT show greater hardships in lis mail arrange
mcnls as reason for increase {: compensation
than the Richmond company,
On This road, the service is performed in he
day; the hours sui, lis way travel, The COT.
neAion O. It's trains, and lis connexions with
o;ier roads. To what extent my yielding 10 III,
demand would have probably increased the c,s
81 mail transportation on railroads Throughout, 10,
UnUtd States, it is diificul 10 estimate; but il J,
easy TO see that it would have broken down a.
leea restrictions, and ,deranged The system Of com
pensaliun established under the law.
The time allowed the bay line Tor the deliver
OF the mai in Richmond is twenty five hours
that is, from ] o'clock, L. NJ. until - the mex
night. The local mails from this city 10 Rich
mond in Two horse carriages, by Fredericksburs
are tweniy.three hours-ihat il, rom = a. NJ
each day until 5 a. NJ. the next day.
The mail from Petersburg going South, is {,
depart upon The arrival OF the boats but not TO de-
lay later than IL o'clock, p. m, for their arfiva
Under the former arrangement the mail depare.
AT 81 2. m, from Petersburg by The summer scbe.
dule, and 81, p. m, by the winter. The delay ii
the departure from that place is, however, oy5'.
come By an engagement en- the part OF the COT.
tractors 10 expedite over their routes, so a. ..
make The time OF arrival al Charleston the sam.
as on the summer schedule. II is confidently r..
lieved that, when the Bay line is properly regu'a
ted, as j, on will be, The departures from Peiei,
burg will he made al an earlier hour. The Bsy
route does not furnish so satisfactory service 4,
the Richmond railroad. But was Obliged by III.
Richmond Railroad Company itself 10 place Ih'
great Southern mail on some other route. Tho
refused utterly TO take il over their road from al
after the 10Th OF December, unless would MAJ
with them an illegal cOBtract-unless Won.
sipulaie to pay them compensation forbidden b.
law.
The exacing spirit OF monopolies could noIt~
play Itself in more despotc form than is e1btt
Ell in this case. The opinion OF the officer, Whose
duty il is by law TO interpret, as well as eXecu'
this laW-Ihe decisions Of his four immcdiaH
predecessors, sanctioned and confirmed as ihel
were By The acts OF 1899 and 1915. and acquesce,
in BY this very company from 1889 10 lS43, az
all Sc, aside and disIegarted, and the sum 0
2 772 dollars more Than could be paid insisted oi
before the public could be accommodated. Ar,
this is followed up by refusal even 10 con,inu
the service at the very high price ofered-ior III,
accommodation and convenience OF the very PEI
pie who gave existence TO The corporation. an
who are so deeply interested in its successful
management, until Congress could review h,
law, and settle its construction.
So anxions was TO have The service continue
on lUdl lpClII tuC iHoH'
mum price 1927 so per mie) for single dali,
service, but | consented, upon the application d
others, 10 permit the service 10 be coninn't
without contract, us had been the case for many
months before, SO as 10 give Inc company link
10 apply to Congress for an exposition Of The law
or for an increase OF pay; but this was decIiItd
by their President.
The service on This road is once day. The
service between this city and New York is fwre
daily, and the pay averages $3.50 per mite pe'
anrum and for single daily service. F"T he
service on the roads between New York an
Boston, and Albany and Buffalo, the pay ave-
RACES less than 500 per mile. On other r'ai>
less lavorab!y circumstance, having hear
mails to convey, AMI but liule travel, and COM
PEELED to perform the whole service in the nigh
he sum Of 5237 50 per mile is the hisbesl phc'
paid for single daily service. When these ci''
cumsiances are considered, il there had been 10
legal restrictions on railroad pay, | can see d.
justification Tor giving higher price for man
sporlation over the Richmond road. Nofra'
readily believe That the citizens Of VIfs'nIa
themselves, owning, as understand, two'hi'hs {?
the stock OF This road, would Justify me IL yIeIi,
ing 10 The exac ions OF this company steae'
price than il pail 10 the roads IN the other siae'
o.! the Union.
lam, respectfully, your obedien! servant,
C. JOHNSON.