The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-01-07

II enacted St lndt tuc bchefai rueh
u the ACT of July Z, 1888, allow than $500 per mil,
per annum any railroad company in the United State;
e. the conveyance of more daily mails upon the
road, Propidsd, That nothing in this act contained shall
limitations upon the power of the Postmaster General i'm
posed by uat section
Mr. j. proceeded to show the occasion OF this law,
which, he SAID prepared BY the Postmaster General
himself and detail the circumstances which led To
enactment-arsng out of the inequality of paying
s237 so per mile for the transportation of daily mail
and no more than that for the transportation of semi
daily mail and 1t would be perceived that the clause was
carefully guarded as to preclude any clam for both
rhe rates mentioned for carrying the mail twice day.
And tins act mi ght have been construed into virtual
neal of the act of 1885, but for the provso that nothing
therein should be construed TO impair the lmita-
tons of the law first quoted upon the power of the Post
master General.
This construction of Mr. Kendall had also been ac-
ouesced in BY every Postmaster General since he went
ant of the departments and Mr. also stated his dissent
from the inmation given out yesterday by the gen.
eman from Virginia, MIR BorTs,l that the cabinet were
now opposed TO this construction and the course pursued
by the present Postmaster General and il the Attorney
General had been called on BY the Committee the Post
Office and Post Roads to give his opinion the ques-
,on Mr. had recollection of the fact But the Attor-
new General was consulted by the committee as to the
probable amount OF damages that would accrue in the
event OF dsconnuance OF the service the Bay route
and while he declined to give his opinion to the commit
tee he manifested a Willingness to communicate his
views TO Congress- F4
Mr. conended that if the Postmaster General had been
wrong in anything, it was because, in his negotiations
with the Richmond and fredericksburg company, he had
not strictly adhered to Mr. kendas construction of the
act of 1888 which was, that railroads should receive
more than 25 per cent on post-coach rates And could
he not at every letting, have ascertaned what would
have been the cost of this transportation by poscoaches
and varied his pay accordingly, these rates might fall
or rsel But the fact was that the price of post-coach
service had fallen and the highest price now paid to
pos,coaches the great western ronte only SIPS
per mile Mr. J. himself claimed to be southern man
and western though perhaps his region would be
better accommodated by the southern route and he
sdered that larger amount OF population supplied
by the western than by the southern route; and would
repeat that the highest price now paid for the ranspoa
ton of this mail in post-coaches was $as per mile
Upon this basis, the law of 1888 would allow for rail-
road service only $l60 per mile; and, though he might
not be very competent Judge in the he did think
in all fairness, that $60 per mile was ample compensa
ton for daily mail service to any railroad in the United
States But in this he admitted that he might be in error
In July 1913, when the first contract with the Rich
mond and fredericksburg company expired, they took up
the act of $780, and claimed of Mr.. Wickie, the then
Postmaster General, that he authorized pay them
$500 pei mile But the department refusing to do this
they took the question from Mr. Wickie, and appealed
TO the acting President, Mr. Tyler and thereupon for
some reason, perhaps without any reason, the Presi
dent became satisfied that they should have $3.50 per
mile Under this award OF President Tyler, the company
took the contract, and held it till the first OF July last
Gentlemen who hal addressed the committee in support
of the amendment had said that it was unjust in the
Postmaster General withhold from thecompany the same
compensation which he had himself paid up 10 July But
the Postmaster General had also paid the terms OF every
other contract which he found to be in existence when he
into the departments and the fact that in this
there was no written contract, made no difference We all
know that these contracts are for four years. and from
the fact that this contract not disturbed it could
be inferred that the present Postmaster General had &C
quesced at all in the decision Of President Tyler.
Well, when their contract EXPIRED in July last, the
company come forward and demand of the Postmaster
General 5000 per me which, of course, the department
declines to pay. and offers what is believed to be the
maximum compensation which the company, on their
part also decline But they come down now from their
original demand, and willing to compound with the
department for $500 per mile.
gina, attempted to be laid on the fact that the north
companies having larger amount OF travel, could
this account, afford to work cheaper for the govern
ment But Mr. sad let us 60 farther south, and pass
beyond Petersburg and look at the contract for the mail
service between Petersburg and Weldon, and we shall
find that this southern mail carried that
for $237 so per mile; and from Charleston to Augusta,
and from Augusta to Ataana, the price is still the same
and from Ataanta TO Mobile this same mail is carried for
$2S per mile
Mr. j. was satisfied in his own mind that il should be
the tendency OF railroads much TO cheaper the trans
poation of the mails cheaper the cost OF travelling
aud the of freight He considered that the railroads
might well afford carry the mails for onehaf less
than the post-coach rates. instead of twenty-five per cent
above those rates.
Mr. j. proceeded to state that the maximum for carry
Ing the semdaily mail between this CITY and New York
$500 per mile; while between New York and Buff
alo the mail carried twice day for less than $500
per mile; and between New York and New England
there part of the semidaily route where the cost
of transportation exceeded 500 per mile One reason
for this was that the Stale of New York, when her
railroads becoming refractory in this matter-he
mentioned this to her credit-passed law requiring
them contract for carrying the mails according to the
law of Congress; and that for every days refusal to DO
they should forfeit and pay to the people the sum OF
$l0O This law obviated at all the difficulty IN the
State of New York. Mr. j. referred also to the case OF
Of these refractory companies IN CONNECTICUT when
brought into conformity to the post office law by the
people pettionng the Legislature to repeal their charter
Great stress had been laid the statement that ny the
Postmaster Generals arrangement Tor the mail south
ward the great mail from New Orleans was delayed some
twelve hours. But Mr. J. informed that the mail
from Baltimore to Charleston was carried through now
of December and this the fact there could be no
delay in the great New Orleans mail But the people OF
Virginia remained in the dicuy and he, for one. was
willing to do all he could, consistently, to give them the
best facilities And Mr.. ] contended that the Postmas-
General had done all that he could d. BY offering the
highest price for this service WHICH the law authorized
But last the great difficulty not question as to
the correctness Of the course of the Postmaster General
and his negotiations with the company tor he heleyed
that large majority of the House, without regard to
party, would support him. The great difficulty was mol
to settle the question whether the Postmaster Genera
right, but what we should do with the arrangement
which the Postmaster General has been forced to make
what becomes OF the contract with the Bay line and thai
with the carriers OF the local mail between here anc
Rchmond--tbe former at $4,000 per annum, and the
latter at $4,000! These companies must have the
damages But. as had been said yesterday by the gen
teman from Illinois, they could not sue the government
because proceed in this respect upon the false prin
clpe, that the king can do no wrong, II these companies
the contraclheir service being discontinued; and If
at the end of fifty or a hundred wears, (fOr corporations