The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-04-06

Cooke S, and hereafter carry your own papers
or get some other man to do it for you, unless
you pay twenty-five cents for each bundle
when they are delivered 10 the drivers
am, Sir, yours &c,
WILLIAM NJ. FIELD,
& Cooke, FIELD & Co.
AS appears, the few remarks we published last
week the delay Of mails, has seriously affected
the " Stomach" of our old noighbor FIELD. We
will endcavor in the present dose not to give that
which will roll his stomach airy more than we
think the interests Of community demand.
We suppose the case may be stated as follows -
The Mail Contractors on the road from Boston to
Burlington Through this place. entered into such ar
rangements with the Post Master General forcarry-
ing the Mails, that if said agreements were fulfilled,
papers and letters leaving Boston at A. NJ, would
reach Middlebury at 2 o'clock P. NJ, the mex day
consequently the mail matter directed 10 Brandon,
would reach here the next morning after leaving
Boston. AS the mail from Walpoe for Middobury
must leave at s 1-2 o'clock 7. NJ. if the Boston
mail does not arrive previous to this time the fault
lies east south Of Wapole and such failures should
not be charged upon this part of the route. On its
way south from Mddlebury for Walpole, the malls
to leave the former place at II o'clock A. NJ, and
reach Wapole the next morning at O'clock and
as the distance between the two places is about 81
miles, the mails must 60 some moro than IL miles
per hour, including the times of stopping on the
road, in order to have the contracts fulfilled. Pub
fishers Of newspapers on the route secure daily pa
pcrs so to be furnished with the latest news.
Merchants and other business men subscribe for
dailies that they may be thus furnished The Post
Master General Or one of his Assistants agrees with
hessrs Cooke, Field & Co., OF the original Conrac-
tors, to transport the mails each way-at so much
per annun, and to deliver them at certain places,
within certain stated hours. Neither Contractors
nor Sub Contracors were deceived when they gave
bonds to fulfil, because they knew there would be
muddy roads at different seasons Of the year, and
did not expect the Department would crcept muddy
times in the contract for the hours of delivery.
We have given the substance Of the contracts as TO
time, for carrying mails on two routes or sections.
Have those contracts been fulfilled of late? No
Has no one any reason to complain except the Post
Master General? We think any one, who pays for
q paper, has right to complain Of the non-iuGl-
mont the part Of the Mail Carriers, and none more
SO than publishers Of newspapers. The Post Master
General acts as the Agent of the People, and when
the party he contracts with fail of fulfilling, and to
the injury of the other party (of which he is the
Agent he should be informed Of the fact. On sew
eral publishing days, within three months PAST, we
have waited until late hourfo the Southern Mail,
SO that we could give the latest news of the day to
our readers; but on getting our mail, found Bos
ton paper III it, although entitled to three
dailies from that place. Mr.. Field informed us in
December, that as the cars should come to
Troy, N. H., the stage from that way would reach
here in for passengers to take early break
fast, on each morning. For two weeks past we have
had no Boston papers till more than twenty eight
hours after they should arrive, except what have
come Mondays Consequently we have been
unable to give readers very late southern news
and, as have no Telegraph facilities, such failures
throw us quite into the back ground when compared
with other publishers from Rutland to Burlington.
The Contractors on this line would be very likely
to send "greetng' to a man who owed them Five
Thousand Dollars, payable in twenty different in
stalments, should the debtor violate his agreements
as frequently as these Contractors have thers-os-
pecialy should they realize damage equal to that
sustained by the people in consequence of the nom
fulflment Of contract for carrying the mails. Yet
when from beginning to end, the mail-carrying is a
public concern, and no party so much interested as
the public, our neghbor Field says he cannot fellow
ship the spirit which actuated us to speak to the
public, of the non-fuflnent of his contract; and
orders us to stop his paper and Mr.. Cookies, and
says, virtually, that nothing short Of about Two
Hundred Dollars year for carrying papers by stage
will cause him to do any thing for us in this line
The reply to such proposition is, we are too much
stratened in means to bug fellowship with this little
Stage Captain at so dear rate furthermore, our
native stubbomess would not consent at all to such
an arrangement under the circumstances further
more still, we dobetter to trade with Uncle Sam
md the Accommodation Stage Proprctors than to
accept the terms named, especially when it is so
difficult to get packages carried regularly, after pay
ing the price agreed upon with Capn Field and
giving the drivers four to six extra copies Of the
Voice, weekly, in addition.