New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-01-21
The Railroads and the Post Office Depart
ment-The IDRdequacy OF the Compensation
of the Posima-ters OF New-York and Bos-
foo

From our own Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Tuesday. Jan %.
There seems to have been injustice in the treat
ment by the Pos, Office Department Of the Cam
den and Amboy Railroad Company in fact Of that
and other Companies whose duty and business II
has been to carry the United States Mail between
New-York and Philadelphia The Postmaster Gen
era Tor the doubtful praise Of saving to the Depart
ment q few thousands. mas, by bis arbitrary
and uniust treatment Of these Companies deprived
the business men OF the country OF facilities in the
TRANSPORTATION Of mail that might have produced
them many Thousands. Nor this alone but his
inpcrfsst policy has injured the revenues Of the
Department itself by retsrding the mail beyond the
usual time of private adyices. The Camden and
Amboy Railroad transmits rs passengers from
Philsdelphia to New York in FIVE or SIX hours The
cars leaving the former place at arrive IN New
York ut n 70 ! O'Clock end II the mail were trans
mitted By this route merchants and men 81 busl.
ness would have ample time 70 correspond with
the East and North the same dav or respond fneC-
esssrv 10 advices from Philadelphia
The great mail from the South and Wash
iDston City reaches Philadelphia about two
O'Clock A NJ and It remains there until nine
A. NJ. In Winter z A. NJ. IN sumner. Were II
transmitted Immediately through II could arrive M
New York by O'Clock. and reach Boston the same
evening whereby our Eastern friends would re-
csive the news Of W ashinzton City within almost %
hours Of the time tue mail departed iron that place
For this unnecessary delay, the companies are not
10 blame they having generously offered the De
partment the tree use Of their road for the trans
portation Of the mail at any hour or any rate OF
speed they might adopt.
Congress should interfere and direct the Postmas-
ter General 10 make the proper contracts with the
different companies, otherwise the experiment OF
the late reduction on postage will never have a
fair trial and viii most probably, end IN much 9ss
10 the Treasury.
And would say in this relation that the public
interests would be much promoted by an increase Of
clerks in the large Pos, Offices such as New York.
PHILADELPHIA Boston &c. In all these Offices the
pablc correspondence suffers from want OF suth-
cient assistance 20 the Postmaster the discharge
OF his official duties Many complaints were made
the last wear By the merchants Of New York OF de
Law in the Boston Post Office whereby Il so hap
pened that mails intended for Europe by the steam
err forwarded from New York the evening before.
were not sorted in time % take their destli :
conveyance and how could II be otherwise Z
when o'tentimes 10 less than two hours some
times IN less than one hall dozen clerks were
REQUIRED TO sort aud direct 10000 letters and at the
same time attend 10 the Incessant applications OF
Boston citizens for domestic letters The Post
master at Boston is a capable officer with the Inn
tied assistance afforded him. he achieves every
thing possible. though he requires OF his ClerSs
necessarily an average labor OF 10 or 20 hours each
and pans Them mostly Of hes ooR salary aud 50
with the Postpasters OF New York and Philadei-
| phia. An addition 70 the clerical iOrce oil these
departments is absolutely required by TIE pubic
/ service-a remedy that could easily be supplied
/ by increasing the commission Of these Post
! masters ON their receipts from eight 10 Twelve
/ and half per cent; from the surplus they could
pay the increased number ct Clerks Even thus
they would not receive the salary allowe&fhem by
| law am glad to hear that bill for tins purpose
! has been prepared. and l trust sincerely. X VII
pass IL is not for the advantage OF these fostlnas
tiers but Of the public that such measure IS TO be
/ advocated.
Asa Whitney is urging Congress to make good
| his application for a grant OF land 70 Oulid
Railroad "a the Pacific. The Members WIN
whom have communicated are OF doubtful sent
| rnents on the subject The enterprise IS magnii
cent one magnificent the bounty by which It would
/ be executed Mr.. Whitney thinks the country
would be much benefited by the completion OF the
road-some think Mr. Whitney would be Affected
in the same way by the same completion. a con
tinuous Railroad Of 24O0 miles IS an OBJECT worthy
of contemplation and II feasible, Of execution
There was some slight sparins IN The senate
10 dav between those msgnstes, Messrs. CALHoVN
and BENTON: Col BENTOS. like Juno, Though
there IS little OF the woman about the Colonel
seemed 20 be excited by the sprd@ i'ymi1
f,rusy 8" l. c his rejection as Lieut. General MT.
CALHOUN as usual was epigrammatc. terse ana
proudly Indifferent AS these gentlemen DO no'
speak in private liz is said the public Should De
indebted for their public oolloquies