Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-01-01

when thus contract was made, was under schedule
which required the company 10 perform the trip between this
city and Richmond in eleven hours and half and vet thew
had actually been running for the last two wears IN
with sccdule which required them to run in nine hous and
hali and had done this without dollars increase Of COM
pensaon. But the Postmaster General not content with
this had chosen send the mail by circutous route from
this city TO Baltimore, thence down the bay 10 CITY Point
thence up the JAMES river 10 Richmond and up The Appo-
atox Petersburg making distance Of near four hum
dred miles, instead Of hundred and thirty miles by the
direct railroad and steamboat from This city And by
this crcuous the great Southern mail Of the Uni
ted States conveyed thus seriously affecting social and
business communication, and holding for several DAYS
intelligence from the army Instead OF having reference
tie expedition of the mail the Postmaster General seemed
be experimenting upon the country, and endeavong show
at how slow could be transported for instead of
ming through in nine hours and half, the company hadb
the direct route for two three years. by this roundabout
uncertain route it took thirty hours and had already
been without mail in this city from the South for five days.
MI. G. further commented length upon the i'm
policy OF suffering such mail arrangement to continue, and
upon the serious injury 70 the community in oil its interests
resulting thereom He also condemned the ground of
economy, and read from communication Of the Postmaster
General showing that oil he expected by the change
of S575 and odd cents and this Mr.. G. said by
dconiinuing the mail service between Richmond and the
largest city in the State, Petersburg, without which dis
continuance instead of saving the Government the
Of mail transportation by this change of would actually
be increased about SIS, 600.
Mr. g. proceeded to show that, by the arrangement
of the Postmaster General there great loss of time, of
money! and of the interests the country He also read
sections of the law governing the Department this subject
which evidently contemplated such of things that
which existed and from which he argued that the Post
master General had unnecessarily delayed the mail to thirty
instead of having it transmitted from Baltimore Richmond
in little than nine hours He trusted that this House
would take such steps would enable the country enjoy
the benefit of speedy conveyance Of their correspond
ence and that the railroad company in question would be
permitted to realize the small profits which they
led-prots which had been so!emnly adudged the
pany heretofore both by the President and by Congress He
briefly explained the statement of the arrangement which the
Postmaster General had entered into for the Transmission of
the mail and the legal powers conferred him, and
mented the fact that the Postmaster General had made
which Congress could supersede. No contracts
bad been signed and hence they had guaranty for the
speedy transmission of the mails for the performance Of
the terms of into which the new contractors
might enter.
The Postmaster General his annual report the Pres
dent which he presumed each member mad read for himself
communicated the information that the contracts for
specific time unless Congress should otherwise direct-ad
mng therefore, that this House not bound by any
that the Postmaster General had made To this he call
cd the attention Of the House, and also TO the fact that this
railroad company had heavier mails to transmit than some
Others and exposed from which others were
exempt and consequently entitled TO liberal comper
ton He appealed, then, the House not 10 tolerate this
arrangement of the Postmaster General especially at time
when many of their counymen anxousy waiting TO
hear from their sons brothers, and relatives who peril
ing their lives in defence the honor of their country IN
Mexico In estimating the relative value of services by COM
panies, should be considered twas not equ
table the Potomac the same compensa
ton that Southern companies received In the South there
distractions from ice in the Potomac And It
should be forgotten that this company was not only re-
quired transport the mails time the Post Office De-
partment might require build ceboats and keep open
the navigation, which for the general benefit Of the
try. And yet, with these restrictions and burdens and with
geaty enlarged mails this company expected TO do this
service for pay stage
He contended that the Postmaster General not restrict
ed he seemed imagine except that he should not pay
than three hundred dollars per mile. Within that sum
the Postmaster General had discretion, and that amount he
asked expected to pay He was asked only to
give that which had been sady paid, and which had been
awarded the Company ny the President OF the United
States aud by Congress The Postmaster General himself
had acknowledged that the service on the Potomac was salts
actoly performed He had also admitted that the service
by the Bay could satactoryas by the railroad and
steamboat the old and yet with these facts before
they sustain great Inconvenience unless the
company would be receive less than fair COM
pcnsation which had been heretofore paid to them This
great nation and the interests Of twenty millions OF people,
be tifed with for Paltry saving OF lew hundred
dollars.
In justice to the Postmaster General he would say that he
had been furnished with all the Information be had required
chceuy and promptly The Postmaster General had evnced
every disposition facilitate thorough examination Of the
subject and he Mr g. did charge the Postmaster Gen
with intentionally violating his duty the country any
law which he required 10 carry oue But be Of opn
that the Postmaster General had been mistaken in his
construction of the law. He satisfied the law would not
be construed Congress IT, thcn he Mistaken the
he right the better for the sacrifice the bust
of the country greater than they should be SUI
fered to endure.
Within the last few days he had learned that merchant
in Richmond having remit S50, 900 10 New York, felt
compelled to Withdraw that amount from his business two
DAYS sooner than would been required 10 do IT the
mail transported BY the railroad had been said that
the interests of the merchants Richmond alone would be
sacrificed TO greater than the in dispute be-
tween the Postmaster General and the railroad company by
the present state Of things that Department would be
better therefore, if Congress could not afford them relief that
the merchants should together and pay the difference
n emseIyes This same view had been taken by the
charts of New York aud elsewhere And what their
own experience on this subject Why, up to last night,
they had not received mail bearing tdngs from their homes
for live DAYS He heard gentleman say the other day
when accounting for his Absence from this House, that he had
been TO Richmond get his letters IL change could not be
mae in the arrangement for the Transmission OF the mails he
was satisfied many Of them would find il convenient
have their letters Richmond than the post Office
rected with this House, fc from Richmond they could obtain
them in advance the usual mail convey OF the De-
partment
But there another matter connected with these
meuts to which he wished 10 call the Of this House,
especay of who disposed sustain the Depart
merit The Postmaster General bad Invoked their aid for the
purpose Of stopping private expresses throughout The country
Bat could BE- expected thar private expsr-~s ~ ~ sup
pressed when the intercourse Of the country thus opct
cd Unless improved system adopted instead Of
stopping those private expires avcrsug the country
hundreds OF others would be started for the country would
tolerate mail arrangement which required thirty hours
10 do that which could be done in nine hours.
Mr.. JOHNSON, Of Arkansas, a question Of order.
Mr.. GOGGIN. have done.