The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-11-15
The Pacific Malls.
LETTER PROM THE POSTMASTER GENERAL TO TIL
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LETTER PROM THE POSTMASTER GENERAL TO THE
POSTMASTER NEW ORLEANS.
PosT OFFicE DEPARTMENT, Oct 81, 1S49.
Sm-I have received your letter Of the 10th inst,
enclosing article from the Piesyuss the subject
there is . mistake In the declaration that the con.
tract with the Atlantic and Pacific steam mail line
turning from Chagres to touch at New orsansi and
still grester mistake in asserting that-he omission Of
e ofhe Postmaster 70 was
III apparent from your letter, and from the news
paper extract by you forwarded, that both you and
the community Of New Orleans suppose that the
Of the time Of departure and connection Of
the mails from the nitsd States to Chagres
der the direction aud control Of this department.
That is error. The stesmsh ps carrying those mails
in respect subject to the order direction
troll Of the Postmaster General, nor has be been
The true condition Of that business should be more
fully understood by the community and especially by
the postmasters particularly at those Offices where
those mails made up Of which your Office is
The situation OF that service Is this The Postmaster
rypg nails Of the United States except by some
particular act Of Congress, rs In the instance Of the
mail to Bremen Ills only general power ON that point
is to send foreign mail by any ship paying two cents
per letter thsTefsr
BY of Congress entitled San act providing for
approved March isiT It vas provided tina. the Sec
Rotary OF the NAVY should contract with A. g. Sloo
bald certain steamers (sui,sbls for ships and for
the transportation therein Of the United States mail
from New York TO New Orleans, twice month and
back touching at Charleston, If practicable Savannah
twice mouth A" Such are the words Of the law.
Pursuant to this act, che Goth day Of pr 1sa7,
br Massn then Secretary Of thu Navy, entered into
. written contract with said Sloo, by which Sloo
sgreed TO build taid steamships, and to carry in the
precise words CT the statute, said mail aud for this
the government was to psy $500 900 annually. This
contract Was assigned BY said Sloo to George Law,
Marshall Roberts and b II McIlvain, who have en-.
tered upon the service This contract being the
Navy Department, the Postmsste General has or
der, direction control the conduct proceed
ngs OF thoss any to enforce any
order he should make IN relation thereto Therefore
order has been made this department the
subject All that has been done Is to require the mails
TO be made and sent by those Whenever
But the Postmaster General has not considered tbs
q. the community should be confined 70 the Of the
naval steamers In sending mails to Chagres, and he
has therefore, ordered mails teut by other steamers
when going sooner whenever they would take them
81 the legal rate q two cents letter and this he
directed To bs done in steamships going the
which the writer's marked to be sent These direc-
tions apply well 60 New Orleans as New York and
90 the Department be tn. extent Of its power
on the subject 10 thus appears to be all the necessary
re,ult Of the law Of Congress- aud the action Of the
Executive under that law IN 1Sl7.
would only add, have eDdeavored and shall conti-
nue my eIsrtons to induce the those ships
voluntarily TO make mens to be far satsac-
tory practicable And In this know shall be aided
by the cheerful co operation Of the honorable Secretary
Of the Navy. Whether any arrangement better than
the present be made with those ships II IL
bis at present to cay Respectfully, your obt T.,
COLLAMER, Postmaster General.
MicHxL MUssor, Esq., Postmaster, New Orleans.