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

1
unrammeed justice of the case, always legisate
safely He considered the Postmaster General to be right
IN his construction OF the law, as well as IN regard 10
other propositions. There three acts OF congress
10 govern this The first authorized inc payment o
rs per cent for increasing the speed OF transportation.
The second limited the pay for mail transportation to $500
per mile and contained provso TO the effect that the
provisions of this act should not conflict with the act
first mentioned The third law required the Postmaster
General classify the different descriptions of mail
and this act brought upthe determination OF that Of
fcer fix the rate OF steamboat transportation midway
between the rates of railroad and posicoach service.
Mr.. l.. proceeded 10 show that these laws of
very difficult construction For If the rate OF transpora
ton Tor daily mail be $500 per me and that for semi
daily mail be more, that would certainly be strange
construction But it provided in this act that il should
not conflict with the old law; and Mr. l.. believed that
the old law still that by which should be guided
With reference TO the rule OF construction he desired the
attention OF experienced lawyers; and he would ask all
such whether II was not understood that in the
where law has been SO passed as to require and receive
construction, such law is always recognised in subse-
guent legislation has been construed by the
But the gentleman from Virginia says that former Post
master General Mr.. Kenda took wrong ground in the
construction which he gave to these laws, and that he
ought not to have taken the from Baltimore Gin
cinnati Tor his basis of classification But Mr. L. under
stood that this route taken because it was consd
cred the most expensive IN the naon and this
route he fixed the rate of poscoach transportation al
500 per mile and twenty-five per cent on that
the maximum for railroad service If, instead of that
route, he had taken the route hence TO Richmond, he
would have given only twenty-five per cent on So, 900
$4,000 per annum which sum only was paid for the
post cOacn service on ms at III the
Postmaster General had taken this for his basis
Mr.. L. asked what would have become of the $4,000
which they now receive These considerations had in
duced Mr. L. TO acquesce the Justice OF the constuc-
ton of the Postmaster General.
1t was said that the difference between the amount of
money offered for this service and the amount demanded
was exceedingly small In comparson--ony 50, 700, he
believed. II was not the amount of money that he re-
garded but he was opposed to yielding to wrong pn-
cipe. ii It were only the money that was 10 be given
away, and thought no more of he might yield; but he
could not consent to be swerved by unjust principle
MIR. l.. would now state what he was willing to yield
He willing to incur the damages that might justly
crue from the giving up OF the present arrangement for
the mail carrying to Richmond and that would doubtless
be much more than 81 100 But would be clear loss
and it would come m" At once and if i should be even
promise principle or lay down an unsafe precedent
But Mr. L. desired to rely chiefly upon the simple JUS
tce of the matter That was the great point which
attention should be directed Inasmuch as this railroad
and steamboat company could render the most satisfactory
service he would prefer that should be given to Them
but if that could not be done without suffering injustice,
he opposed to it and it did to him that justice
against the company. In this connection, Mr.. L.
proceeded to state that there paid less than 500
steamboat from Troy New York and that the expense
of carrying the daily mail from Cincinnati to Louisville
was less 2s per mile while this steamboat company was
pretending TO be dissatisfied with receiving 1912 1913
per mile Mr.. l.. did not deny but that it might be true
that there peculiar reason which might entte
the Richmond receive more than those carry
ing the mails between Cincinnati and Louisville, and be-
tween Troy and New York; but if reasons did exist,
which should make the difference great he insisted
that they ought to be shown
He would say word in relation to the report under
consideration The committee propose that the Postmas
ter General shall again offer to this company what he has
already offered and they have refused The report pro-
poses that substantially and nothing else and he ven,
tured the assertion, that this company should
find that they could get only what had been offered to
them that they would that instant accept the service and
perhaps then refuse $4,000 year for their contract He
might be right not in this but every man had right
to his opinion. And when the company was ready to
ha he fha
relief OF those who might be affected by the breaking up
OF the present arrangement and to allow them whatever
might be Just and equitable. Mr. L. closed by observing,
that any portion Of his hour yet left, he hoped it
might be credited to him on other occasion
| Mr.. ROOT remarked that the whole matter was con-
sidered here in court of equity, to decide between
these parties; and said that every anxious
to do what right, if it could only be found out what
was right in the matter We paid immense sums to flat
alton, not because it right and reasonable but be-
it necessary to have the service at any rate
The Postmaster General in this CASE had undertaken to
get the service performed cheap he could and the
only difficulty was, that he had less regard to the mpor
OF the service than to the difference in cost of few
hundred dollars.
He had no interest in the southern mail and to the
| western mail, he thanked God there diff
Guilty Ii such difficulty this should arise as to the
western mail, short way of correcting it would be
found He gave gentlemen fair notice that the western
people would pay postage and the United States mail
as long the mail answered Its protested Objects and
did the business well as 1t could be done by private
hands Express mails were even now not wholly un.
known in the west, and they would be generally resored
to when necessary for the public accommodation what
ever might be the legal enactment The people demand
ed that the mail should so ahead If by conveyance
letters could be sent in eleven hours, when the Posmas
ter General took three days to transmit them the public
would use the former conveyance. But the Postmaster
General had not saved cent by breaking off the contract
with the Potomac and Richmond company; and in six
months time he would lose hostages TO the amount
of ten times the amount of the difference between
his offer and the demand OF the company. He be-
eved that if 1t was the interest OF the company they
would accept the offer OF the Postmaster General hut
not their interest, according to what he had heard.
The received for carrying the mail onetenth OF
the whole amount received by the company. This plan
of sending the mail by circuous. route, when short
cut can be had and making the people conform to this
long route, would prove to be founded on mistake
He contended that the compensation demanded by the
Potomac Steamboat Company for carrying the mail was
unreasonable But after all, he said, the true ques
ton was, what this mail -servce could be done for We
had found that saved nothing by sending the mail by
the Chesapeake bay and the question was, whether we
had better pay the additional of twenty
hundred dollars to the Potomac and Richmond Company
if, in fact they could afford TO do it for less'
The committee then rose and the House adjourned
PETITIONS.
The following petitions and memorials presented
under the rule and referred to the appropriate committees
BY Mr. A. JOHNSON The mem oria of Lewis Roberts,
praying Congress him pay for rendered
during the last with Great Britain artifce referred
to the Committee of Claims.
BY Mr. ABBOTT; The petition of James Burns of New
burypor Massachusetts praying for pecunary relief for
wounds receivcd while in the service of his country
board the gatc Constellation, in her conflict with French
shp-of war