The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-11-23
The Mails! The Mails !! The Mails |!

Mr.. HALL must assuredly overhaul his de-
partment, and reclaim the fugitives from his
service" whose Irregularities occasion untold
vcxations of spirit on the editorial fraternity,
North, East, South and West.
wild wall of woe rises from the press
united on this subject, if on no other-for " our
sufferings is intolerable,' and the complaints of
subscribers indignant at the non-reception of
"your valuable paper" constitute the chorus to
the general chaunt If the email service" is to
be really serviceable to editors, it should deliver
them their exchanges with some certainty and
reguIarity-but, alas they come not singly but
in ttallions-and frequently particular num-
bers never reach their destination at all. We
thought that the two preceding administrations
of this branch of the public service were not to
be surpassed, if equalled by any that would
succeed them and hailed the advent of Mr..
HALL, who was reported to be thorough and
methodical business man. as the dawn OLA better
day for the night owls of the press-but as yet
the change has not produced the consummation
devoutly to be wished To prove that these
complaints are not dictated by captious spirit,
but wrung from us by our sulferings, we sub
join the testimony of those known to be friendly
to the gentleman who presides over that depart
ment. An Ohio paper says:
The MAIL SERvICE.-We notice that both
Wing and Democratic papers are complaining
of the mails, and the manner in which the Post
Office Department generally is managed. The
Cincinnati Atlas says:
Io,1 90 l,,o,
city of Postmaster General Hall, and when he
took office at Washington, congratulated our
selves that he would soon straighten great
many crooked things in the mail service of the
country. Thus far we have been disappointed.
The mails are sadly out of joint They are reg
ular only in their irregularity."
The Louisville Journal says much the same.
The great trouble is in the organization of the
Department, and in the situation of the seat Of
Government
Similar complaints come to us by every mail
from the South, in our exchanges and letters
from subscribers, to whom zee know their paper
is regularly mailed, attest the justice of them.
This should be relneded- it is an evil ofno
small magnitude to the public at large, as wei!
as n source of embarrassment, and pecuniary loss
to the editors and proprietors Of journals, We
refer chiefly to the ewspapers-mails for letters
come with much more regularity, though even
the re, reform is needed.
We neither desire, nor intend to cast any re-
lection on the capacity of Mr.. HALL or Mr..
WARREN both of whom, we believe to be capa-
bic of remedying the defects of the existing
system, and tightening the screws now loose in
the machine, Of which they have the manage
ment There is evidently want of systematic
order and arrangement, and great carelessness
soueuhere-and we would respectfully suggest
the necessity of investigating into the causes
which produce the irregularities and delays, and
give rise to the complaints, so vexatious and UNI
pleasant to all concerned.
AS far as our own opportunities of observa-
ton extend, the Southern mail service is more
defective than the Northern, radiating from and
to this city.
We believe this can and will be remedied: and
therefore, earnestly urge the interpositon of the
higher powers, instead of saddling the response
bity on subordinates, who may not be justly
chargeable for failures arising out ola defective
system This is day of progress-and pro-
press is needed greatly in this matter of the
mails ".