The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-12-28

the nfst year occasion no cnarge on inc treasury,
and il is extremely uncertain whetherit Its operation
! can ever produce that effect brief trial OF this
experiment will show its effect, and If II should not
| produce any important draught ON the Treasury,
then further reductions of postage should'be made
| Whether any further reduction should be made,
| and a corresponding provision from the Treasury
adopted until after this has been tested by expert
ment is respectfully submitted Should the reduc-
! ton now recommended produce, on experiment,
| successful result without heavy charge on the
Treasury, the next step should probably be reduc-
ton of the five to three cents postage on single let
ters, u pre-paid
RAILROAD SERVICE.
This is a constantly increasing service. In the
current year the length of railroad routes is 6,l3S
miles, being an increase within two years of lag
miles; and il is almost daily increasing as new
roads are being completed. On these routes the
mail is now transported 5,l49,O4O miles annually.
1t is true that this service is done with more
despatch than the amount of service in any
other way, yet il is at much greater cost. The law
of 1915, requiring this service TO be classcd, and
fixing the maximum compensation, has In some
degree reduced the cost. There is one feature of
this service which frequently cmbarrasses the OPP
erations of the Department. In all the ordinary
mail contracts, provision is made that the time Of
arrival and departure and connection of the mails is
subject to the order of the Department. This fea-
ture has never been admitted by the rtiroad pro-
prctors to be inserted In their contracts. Ii Is pro-
vided in them that if any change is made without
their consent, they may abandon the contract
TO make such changes and improvements in the
time of the transportation of the mails the public
convenience requires, and subjects it to by
those who know not this circumstance.
FOREIGN MAIL SERVICE.
The mail service by the way of Southampton to
Bremen has been, under the contract with this De-
partment carried the past year by the steamships
Washington and Hermann for the sum OF two hun
dred thousand dollars, and the gross amount
allied N postage from that service for the year
ending October 4th SOL ia 20. The gross
amount from LIST June, 1871, to October 4th, lS4S,
,0S2 81.
Notice has recently been received from the pro-
prietors that this service will be suspended until
February next in order to make the necessary
repairs now required for the safety OF these steam
ships. -
vana, under the contract with this Department, has
been carried, since the 18th October, ls4S, in the
steamer Isabel, with a good degree of regularity,
at the cost of $35,0S o. No other foreign mail is
carried by contract with this Department
By a contract with the Navy Department, made
by direction OF law, provision was made for carry
ing mail twice IN each month between New York
and New Orleans, via Charleston Savannah, and
Havana; and also for like transportation between
Havana and Chagres This entered upon in
December, ls4S, and has been partially performed.
Under like contract with the Navy Department,
steamships are carrying the mails on the Pacific,
between Panama and California, once in each
month. By treaty, the Government of New Gre
NADIA is bound to transport the mail across the 18TH
mus. This service, more particularly on the At
lantic and across the Isthmus has been very impcr
fecty performed, and the connexions have been
very unsuccessful This the Department has not
been able eatirey to remedy, the contractors not
being within its control. Exertons have, however,
been continued, and such arrangements have been
made and assurances received, as to give good
degree of confidence that, with the cooperation of
the Navy Department, the mails will hereafter re-
ceiyc regular despatch through this entire route OF
great and increasing importance.
BY the present organization OF the Post Oftlce
Department, established in 1886, the mail service
of. the United States is sustained by appropriations
entirely from the money derived from postage.
Congress, by the act Of March 3, lS47, entitled
Gan act providing for the building and equipment
of four naval steamships" entered on the policy OF
encouraging the erection by individuals of war
steamers, so that, on the emergency of war, they
might be ready for public use. Contracts were or
dercd and made by the Navy Department for three
lines of wars steamers; one from New York via Ha-
vana to New Orleans, and from Havana to Chagres,
and one from Panama to California and Astoria
and one between New York and Liverpool; all
which, requiring thirteen war steamships, were to
carry the mail and to receive when completed the
sum OF So14,OO0 per annum from the Treasury
Whether this policy Is To be continued or extended
is entirely question for Congress-; but it seems
proper to observe that any change by which this
shall be declared mail service, and this great addi-
tonal demand be made claim ON the income from
postage, VIII greatly embarrass and derange the
operations of the Department. So great is the cost
of building anS sustaining these vessels, and so
small the postage TO be derived thcrefrom, that it
will, If so ordered defeat the present system of sus
tanning the mails within this countryj put an end
to all extension of its accommodations, all reduction
of postage, and all improvement of its condition.
Ii is much To be hoped that no proposition disas-
trous in its consequences will be entertained. In
any course Congress may think proper to pursue
in relation TO those war-steamers, their support,
while continued, must be drawn from the Treasury,
provided when adopted, and as is now done.
The transportation Of the mail across the lsthmus,
being In foreign country, is the proper subject
matter Of treaty, and Is not within the power of
this Department. 1t is, however, respectfully sug-
gcsted that this service, now done by the Govern
Inent of New Grenada, is very tardily and care
lcssly performed, and the compensation under the
treaty probably inadequate. Reliable information
has been received that they would willingly yield
up this service. new arrangement should inn
mediately be made by treaty, If practicable, per-
hitting this service to be performed by ourselves,
but gusrantying its protection there, and placing
it under the direction Of this Department. The
amount required by the treaty TO be paid to New
Grenada for carrying that mail, being in no other
way provided for by Congress, has been paid by
this Department up to this time.
No steamship has yet been despatched on the
mail service from New York 10 Liverpool under
the contract with the Navy Department, but it is
expected soon TO be done.
Since the last session of Congress the postal treaty
with Great Britain has been carried into full opc-
ration by regulations settled in pursuance OF the
treaty by TINS Department ana tne fost '1lCe De-
partment of that country, which regulations have
been promulgated The leading feature OF that ar
rangcment is, that letters which the postage is
wholly prepaid, OF on which none is paid, pass
through the mails between the two countries, and
are despatched and delivered in the same manner
if those countries we're one; and an account Is
kept in each OF the postage collected for the other
which is periodically settled The effect Of this Vs.
that, while the service is almost entirely per
formed by the British steamships, the sea postage
belonging to them makes the balance in account.
ing largely against The operation OF this il
no injury, as we actually receive all pay, but il
is stated in order 90 explain that all this post
age goes into the account Of postage received in this
Department, and 10 swell its apparent amount
when il il subject always 10 the annual reduction Of
this balance payable To Great Britain Whenever
our mail steamships shall perform service between
New York and Liverpool, which is soon expected
il will tend to correct This balance. The efforts tc
extend this arrangement through England to France
have not been successful.
MAIL SERVICE IN cALIFoRStA.
BY the third section of the act Of Congress emit
tied "An act TO establish certain post routes, ap.
proved August IA, lS4s," the Postmaster Genera
was authorized TO appoint postmasters at places on