The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-05-27

From the Ne,c Orleans Picayune.
IMPORTANT CoRREsPoNpENcE.--r follow
| ing correspondence has been furnished to us for
publication by our excellent postmaster, Mr..
Musson. Our readers will be glad to perceive
that some hope of an improvement in the, mail
service is held out. 1t is our sincere desire
that it may be realized:
PosT OFFIcE DEPARTMENT,
a WAsHIEoroN, May z, 1851.
MY DEAN Sin: The chief, clerk has been directed
| to inform you of the arrangements made Tor the
improvement of the mail service between this city
| and New Orleans, after the LIST Of July next.
These arrangements will, it is hoped, reduce The
| number OF failures to connect, and prevent, when
failures do occur, the great accumulation OF mails
| at single point These Accommodations have been
hitherto fruitful cause of irrcgularity
| The offer made for steamboat service from Mont
gomery to Mobile will, doubtless be accepted the
offer being such as the parties ntimatcd would be
acceptable, except that il is coupled with provisions
for larger reductions in OF failure to run in
| schedule time provisions Intended TO secure the
| greatest possible regularity in the service.
1t is not likely that these arrangements will be
| fully carried out the first Of July as you are
| aware, that for short time after new arrange
ments go into operation. accidents and irregulari-
ties orcsec provided against will occur; but
when the new arrangements are perfected am in
clined to think they will secure MS regular service
on this important route as the present condition OF
the means Of transportation, and a due regard to
| You will also receive from the Contract Office
the proper instructions for very considerable in
of the river scrvcc, the particulars oil which
| those instructions will give you. On an exanina-
ton of statement Of the revenue from the river
Offices, and Of the service the line, and your let
ter in reply to the inquiries heretofore addressed
to you in regard to this subject, was satisfied that
| this Department might, without improperly,
afford this increased service ON the Ohio and Mis-
sissppi 1t is hoped that those interested in the
mail facilities of these rivers will now the mails
xl,,-
instead Of sending-as am satisfied has hitherto
boon their practicon large proportion OF their let
tiers outside the mails.
Il will be exceedingly gratifying to find that
these improvements accomplish the objects in
tended, and prove by their practical operation that
this Department has not been mistaken in it's est-
mate of their value If it shall appear, also, they
will satisfy the Just expectations OF your ner-
chants and business men, there will be additional
reason for qualification. Your citizens have suf-
fercd much from mail Irregularities; and, had they
not had just appreciation OF the great difficulties
in the way of the Department, they would certain
| ly have complained more loudly than they have
done. ! feel grateful for their forbcarance, and
assure you that there has becn at all times,
| earnest desire in tho Department TO overcome, as
far may be practicable, these difficulties. Some
| thing, at least, will be accomplished by the
contracts and. before thcse contracts shall have
expired, the increased facilities afforded by the
tension and improvements of the railroads in the
South will give greater despatch and regularity to
the mail service between the great commercial
capitals of the Union.
Perhaps it ought to be added that your people
must not expect too much improvement in conse-
quonce Of measures now adopted, effort of the
Department can insure you against repeated fail
ures on line ds long as that from New York to
New Orleans. where the service must necessarily
be performed by many different companies, or
other contractors, having separate and sometimes
opposing interests, using several different modes
OF conveyance, and subject to all the accidents and
detcnons that occur on railroads, (nost Of which
are very far from being equal to the railroads OF
New York and Massachussetts,) on steamboats,
engaged in the uncertain navigation OF the Allan
tic and Gulf coasts, and in coach service on the
roads of Georgia and Alabama. Considerable i'm
provemcnt may be hoped for, but complete relief
from tho pcrplexites and embarrassmcnts under
which you have labored cannot be obtained, and
should not be expected. / am, sir, with great re-
spect, your very obedent servant,
The following is an extract from a letter Of
Mr.. Dundas, chief clerk of the Post Office De
partment, to the postmaster Of New Orleans:
WAsHINGroN, May 8, 1861.
Sin: The attention of the Postmaster General has
been anxiously and carefully given to the irregu-
larty of the mails in arriving at New Orleans from
the North. As he has before stated, the difficulties
of clearing this long line of routes OF inherent en-
barrassmcnts great chat the Department has
never been able to overcome them. With the view
Of preventing of the failures at New Orleans,
however, arrangements have just been made for
second daily conveyance between Charleston and
West Point with the several contractors on the In
tervcning routes; and it Ia hoped that some inn
portunt advantage may result from these appoint
ments
1t is now arranged that, in case the arrival Mt
Charleston from the North is too late for the train
to Augusta, another shall be despatched from
Charleston at III } IN. to take the mails to Angus
ta to arrive at the latter point at p. m. In this
case the contractor from Augusta to Atlanta will
be ad vsed by telegraph Of the departure OF this late
train, and will dcain his cars until g. p. m, II
necessary, to secure the southwark passage Of the
mail, and will so expedite as to arrive at Atlanta
| at his ordinary schedule time.
| II any extraordinary accident should prevent the
arrival ut Augusta ut o. p. M, then second daily
| train will leave Augusta the next meTnng OF a.
m, and go through to Atlanta by p. M, and
second trip will be run from Atlanta to West Point
| where the mails will be put on the Montgomery
| railroad
Negotiations are alro on foot to establish daily
route by steamboat between Montgomery and Mo
bile, in addition To the present land route. Thus,
the accumulation of lagging mails at Montgomery,
| or amy other one point, which has been one Of the
1host prominent embarraesments on the line, Will
| be avoided, and the chances of delay at New Or
| 1saaa from that cause be diminished.
| The Postmaster General, having adopted the
measures indicated the bcsthc can devise, ear
nestly hopes that the results may be satisfactory IN
preventing many failures at least in assuring the
public of his anxious wish to do all he can to inn
! prove the service. He will be obliged TO yourself
or others for any suggestions OF Improvement.
| i am, very respectfully, &c.,
w. Ii. DUNDAS, Chief Clerk
| M. MUssoN, esq, Postmaster, New Or cans, La.
| The FoREsrs OF ENGLANp.--In this country our
| and incalculable amount of timber trees have
| been wasted in years back Gradually, however,
timber of all descriptions is growing scarcer and
| more valuable, and, before many years, the man