The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-01-08
THIRTIETH CONGRESS-.
FIRST SESSION.
House OF Representatives.


Tn. House resolved its. into o Conn Committee of the
Whole on the State Of the Union, (Mr c. Smith In
the char and resumed the consideration Of the
luton authorizing the Postmaster General restore
aud Southern mails (by the Richmond Steamboat and
Railroad Company
Mr. JosE. of Tennessee said that he had endeavoured
to give TO this subject fair and impartial
In July. 1885, an act was passed. which provides that
each and every railroad which is may hereafter
be constructedsha be post route and the Postmaster
General shall transport the mails thereon If 1t be
done reasonable terms and at not than twenty
In December of the year, Mr. Kendall gave a Ger.
tain construction to this law in which all the railroad
THIS Sesn aSast Ana asr
Mr. Kendall made his report to Congress through the
prescribed by Postmaster General and contracted
for carrying the mail the railroad for S237 so
This settled that construction Of the Law which MIR Ken
dali had given to It, and which has been sustained by
every head Of the Post ONO. Department from that day
to the present time In 1889, supplem entary law
passed. to the effect that the Postmaster General shall
not allow more than $500 mile aunum, for
more daily mails on . railroad 80 that this amount
might be paid for more than mail day. Mr. Wick
lne applied to by the Richmond Company for in
than allowed by his predecessors and the
pauy applied to President Tyler who awarded to them
mail for the same amount and ths Postmaster General
refused to gveit The Postmaster General had done all
that the Law authorized him to do, to have the mails
carried to Richmond and had offered the highest rate
OF compensation which the law allows the resolution
nov under consideration be adopted and the Postmas-
Ter General be ordered to restore the transportation Of
the mails to the railroad aud steamboat company what
will become Of the contract with the Bay line which.
under the circumstances the Postmaster General was
compelled to make , 1t said truly that the govern
ment cannot be sued And why Because, We pro.
on the false that 1.-THE King can do no
wrong" but that the will do right when the
Is properly presented Will government repu1iate
contract legally entered into by the functonary
Of the government Mr. Jones believed that the rail
road company was wrong and he not willing to
store the former arrangement unless the railroad oomps
ny would Indemnify the Bay line for the loss it may
tain by change Of the transportation.
Mr. MURPHY regarded this question Of the utmos.
country The Post Once Department 10 a monopoly |;
and the business community is compelled adopt
tiers He va. surprised that g,ntsmen should discuss
this ~ question OF right and wrong between the
Postmaster General and the Railroad and Steamboat
Company The Postmaster General acted creature Of
the law and the committee called upon to act
isgslstivsly, and not judicslly 1t for them to
what under the present exlgency shall be for the
interest Of the country. He thought that the Post
master General had acted right II he had acted other
wise It would have been In violation Of law He was
friend of corporations nor did he look upon them
with horror pern He regarded them as good ser
wants, but bad masters whenever corporations be-
extort more than just he would stand up with any
s.ntsnsn against such corporations aud their eI.or
lions u he was right In thinking that the sum de-
msnded by the company was nothing than a fair
equivalent for the service rendered became our duty
70 the public this route IL damages to the Bsy
company he was willing to pay them and would 20 80
railroad route, At price not exceeding the contract
price heretofore given.
Mr.. MEADE believed that the amount offered by the
Postmaster General to the steamboat railroad COM
psny was sufficiently high. II this company had been
sft to Its own discretion uncontrolled by extraneous
nnusnoe II would have accepted the terms and even
would now accept tAe service at S227 so per mile per
III understood that directions had been ri ven
to the president OF the railroad company to accede to
the terms, and that he refused to do So The fault
which the Postmaster General committed, was in uni
ting IN the contract with the steamboat company to
Aqua Creek and the railroad company to Richmond
lie ought to have made q contract with the railway
company alone which would have entered into IL
Inc president Of the steamboat company has control
over aud in order to good prise for the con
OF the malls 10 Aqua Creek united with the
snroao company and the Postmaster General entered
INC nonusct with the two jointly.
~ 20 maze an explanation or correction under
esvoo 70 pe IN isVor OF the railroad COMPANY
.1hDt resumed, and said, then Il is evident that
me dimculty hsd grown of the illegal connection
between the steamboat company CARVING the mai 10
pxh.s anu me Isitoa1 company carrying Il to
yssu II from uniting With any other company II the
Postmaster General had issued proposals foy c.rrv,no
the mails to Aqua Creek the malt would have hss ar
rsa less price and there would have been. No AIN
ouity WITH the railroad company, probably VIM
M tHArLrs BROWN contended that there wa. ,..~.
IN the matter under consideration than few thop.d
aoArs was enc OF series Of attempts 10 extf n from
me goverpment more than the Law sllevs and NOR.
-ors hs ssrss%gsns OF yiss nsssiy ;. ssSsdisper