The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-01-05

Mr. HOUSTON Of Delaware, moved that the report
be laid on the table and printed.
Mr. ANDREW JOHNSON called for division of the
question: and said that he disavowed any feeling Of
opposition TO the Smithsonian Institute and express
ed his desire that this committee might be created, in
der that everything relating to the institution might be
referred TO IT, and that we might have report OF the
suit OF Their examinations But there feature
OF this institution, which, while he was up, he would no
tee for there was not merely good deal of uncertainty
about his getting the floor again. bui il might happen TO
this subject as with that resolution which the other day
lost in the fog, and God only knew when it would
be reached again Mr. easserted that he cherished no
freellng OF hostility toward this institution. He thought
the motive and design Of the donor of the fund out OF
which II to be established good But the thing
had received improper drecton and, as he had re-
marked TO the House another occasion, this project
to result in annual expense to the government aud
Congress would be called upon to appropriate sum after
to keep II up. Such was to be ITS result and no
good to the country far he could Rather than
TO have gwen this Institution the peculiar organization
had received to his mind would have been far better,
and much in accordance with the mind OF the donor,
to have appropriated the interest OF this fund to the
ton OF district school houses which the children of
| the country might be educated
The morning hour expiring at this time
i Mr. ROT"TS called for the orders OF the day.
/ Mr. JOHNSON inquired what to be done with the
unfinished business OF the House. and referred the Speaker
The SPEAKER replied that the call for the orders of
Il the day was imperative
SOUTHERN
II Mr. Bolts called for the special order; which was
announced being the joint resolution in relation to the
transportation of the great southern mail,
| Mr.. G. W. JONES submitted the following amend
ment, VIZ Strike out all after the word more" in the
18th line, and insert
Provde5 That in making such contract engagement
with the Postmaster General the said Richmond Freder-
cksbug and Potomac Railroad and Steamboat Company
shall agree and with the Postmaster General pay
money as in his judgment, shall be fair and equitable
equivalent to the contractors for transporting the mail from
Boie to pseteas and Richmond on the Bay line
under the recent arrangement, will indemnity said
against by of the dsconnuance of the
said routes hereby dispensed with
Mr. BOTTS rose he said, for the purpose of endeavor
ing to remove some erroneous impressions which
entertained by members this subject and especially by
those who had read only the reports and letters OF the Post
master General in relation to it, He disclamed any pur
pose of giving political direction to the question for,
do in direct manner In considering this subject, they
should bring much mpartlay to bear upon it upon
any question that could arise. The truth was that this
difficulty arose, in great part, from personal
squabble. The question had become one of a merely
personal He would bring no accusation against
the Postmaster General In his original construction of
the law in this case, he was honest. Both parties had
been professionally obstnate and the country had to sub
nit to great grievance this account The Postmaster
General had frankly admitted to him, that if this
an original question, his opinion would coincide with
his (hr. BIS opinion; but he had acted under the i'm
preston that Congress had settled the question by egs
aton 1t was admitted that the service by the Potomac
and Richmond Railroad Company had been satsfactor
lily perormed-so much that the company had been
subjected to fines for the loss of mail. They had
carried it uniformly in eight or nine hours But since
the new arrangement was made, by which the mail
sent by way of the Chesapeake bay there had been
peated failures, and sometimes four five mails were
due:
The question was whether this grievance was to
be remeded not In his Judgment, no legislation
the subject was necessary 1t was only necessary to
direct the Postmaster General to execute the existing
law He would undertake to show that the Postmaster
General had the authority to make the contract, and
required to do it.
The law of January 25h 1887 provided that not more
three dollars
daily transmissons of the mail any route
The Postmaster General might allow the whole sum OF
day The limitations OF power in the second section
of the act did not affect that provision The law said that
not more than Twenty-Five per cent should be paid
and above the cost OF similar transportation in
Taking the two clauses together, it was evident that
the only restriction the of three hundred dollars
amle But what meant by "smiIar transportation ?"
The Postmaster General says he offered the maximum
pce OF 1914 dollars mlle but how does he arrive at
ths' The words "smilar transportation" in his (Mr
portaon of the same mail The object to obtain the
greater speed which the railroads afforded
But the Postmaster General went to the Cumberland
national turnpike road for an example of similar trans
portaon and took for his basis the cost there of 1870
dollars mile The two routes instead of being SINH
lar were very different One was the worst road in the
United States The old post-road 10 Richmond from this
city was proverbally the worst road in the Union but
the Cumberland road was one of the best.
MIR. B. went into statement to show that the Post
master General, instead of saving anything by the
route, actually incurred additional expense of twenty
five hundred dollars year by the arrangement,
| besides OBTAINING the mail for twenty hours or more
The steamboat route on the Potomac was more ex-
pensive than other routes The company obliged to
keeptwo lceboats in winter The company would have
| been willing TO take 1874 dollars for the railroad
transportation, if the Postmaster General had not also
cut down the pay for the steamboat This question:
Mr. b SAID, had degeneraed into something of per-
sona leud but the could have been avoided If the
postmaster General had agreed to submit The construction
OF the law to the Attorney General He (Mr b. had
destood that the whole cabinet opposed to the
structon assumed by the Postmaster General He had
also heard that another indvidualnot member of the
CABINET but Intimately connected with 1.-THE director of
The Official press-had proposed to the Postmaster General
reference OF the legal question to the Attorney General
lo decision, and that it declined Mr. b. said the
revenues OF the department must be looked to- Did any
one suppose that the mercantile community would submit
70 ths obstruction of the great mail They would estab
Sh private expresses and make greater of the tee
graph This already the effect to some extent.
Mr. B. enlarged upon the inconvenience to which the
present arrangement subjected members of the House;
ana IN conclusion, he conured gentlemen, OF both par
yes 10 look at the question with single eye to the pub
lie interest
MIR MEADE here rose and offered the following sub.
sulu'e Tor the JOINT resolution under consideration
Rssord by the Senate and House of Representatives of
e OHed States Of dmericd Congress assembled, That the
Ioj'laSter General be, and he is hereby authorized
tue 10 contract with the Railroad Company for the
boftauon OF the mail, at price exceeding hun
ueda and fifty dollars per mile for transporting the mail
same twice day Prorided, That Tor such per-
oIcd In the night time. additional compensation,
eoeeong heen per cent on those sums, may be given
MT LINCOLN would remark on what had been lust
NeVered oy the gentleman from Virginia, one differ
ing with himself this question. That gentleman be-