The New York herald., 1851-12-03

1
meat were permitted 70 labor in the once NJ g,
Ssy ss.. ss'.
Client for their comPsnsstion This course the aoes
.. . e: IT. Ss.s suffered
Saornis since the extension Of or mall service b os
ihn.ehoo in the hope that Congress would suthsess
tneH 70 be opened and examined there. returnsd
70 The department.. The amount squtsbly dus 70 the
IsTsos. sas .ss allowed to labor in the department 81
M.r.h =. rendered impossible sI . register "a and md q
nsnt, and BY It the letters accumulated during tSs
previous yesss and most Of those received durins -
Congress will sot hesitate to make the snrs
priston Thss it BE- made ut An early day earnestly
recommended.
The qureme-e OF the return Of weekly and months
registers Of the arrivals md departures Of the malls &
the tsrmin Of each route showing whether the numbex
H t1ps contracted for had hsd not been performed
according to contract and wishin schedsis time has In
troduced greater efficiency and regularity into the
vice.
During the last fiscal year ~ appears BY the report
from the Inspection once the hnes imposed upon
which the sum OF $40 IS has been renitted Ths a.
ductons account Of failures irregular seryice e
sSsn sue or r0Ss'. amounted during the ssns period e
ted The dsduc tions made during the period foe
failures and irregularities foreign
tracts with this department. amoup,ed to si4so, and
the lines and deductions which the Navy Departusnt
has been advised to make routes under it's control
(the inspection Of which had been Transferred TO- this
depsrtmsnt) amounted to $ls5S.
The special agents Of the Department have b<ou a.
various and important duties The Increased ssisriss
authorized BY act OF the last Congress
reduction of their number ss would Justify the paYmsnt
o. the increased salary out Of the appropriation
nent and the public Through their exsrtioss NAN.
~, the proportionste increase of depreciation and oss
with the growth CT the country and extension Of naa
transportation, has been materially checked while the
number Of arrests and convicons for violation Of the
laws has been greatly increased Mach the service u
YUnaA in NJ n kA
expenses. I recommend pIo?riation for the ded
cheney Of salary allowable to them under the estilx
laws ......l r' f-l-..-..
The postmasters and other persons in the service Of
the department have with few ,srttons dsoharsed
their duties with fidelity mptnss and accuracy and
have sndesvored to increase the eicssnoy utility, aas
On the ID Of January last, 8. r Hobbs, Esq, thsa
First Assistant Postmaster General. appeinteds
special sgent and postal commissioners and dispatched TO
Cuba and Panama, With instructions to make praot-
mails rom and to the West India ISands, shs Htisnte
coast of South America and to points TIE Gulf of
N. 1ioo ant elsewhere reached from Havana by Brith
mail packets bat to which our own mail arrangsments
did not extend and also to effect IL practicable
rangement for the exchange at Panams OF mails from
and TO the western coast OF South America
Temporary Arrangements for these purposes we're
agreed upon by Mr. Hobbie, and confirmed By the De-
useful but the increase Of correspondence With thu
points named will soon render more pc feet arrange
ments desirable
Mr. Hobbie also instructed proceed to Caisor-
mia and aid the resident agent of the at the
opening Of the proposals for mai services which be had
been drected to invite 1t then the expectation
that Mr. Hobbie would reach Sen Frsncico In tis foc
the lettings but an attack of fever Unfortunately de-
was, however enthusiastically performed by the resident
agent and the Postmaster Of San Francsao Mr. Hobbs
he'd San Francisco after ana before the
tracts arranged and executed antwas abls
der efficient service in aid of the resident agent
As Mr. Hobtie continued Ia service ns specie. agent
this Department some ime afe, the Ist oS April
when his resignstion Frst Assistant Postmaster den
eral took effect respectfully recommend that Congress-
h M ~ kis
penses and suitable compensation for his services
was hoped and expected at the time tbs advertise
ments foe proposals for mail servic, In California aud
Oregon were ordered thai CopgreN would authorize
regular letting to be concluded there asd contracts
pervssion Of the assats Of the Department act
ing under it: genersi instrucsiOns. Congress. how
this agent in California instructed TO make tenn
po-ary contracts only Acting under this instruc-
uns the Goth day June 1854 1.-THE enc Of the regular
contract term in the section 20 which California and
Oregon belons very properly received from the accepted
bidders contracts tor the residue of term
endorsing upon each agreement signed BY the con-
tractor giving to the Postmaster General the right
discontinue the service at The end OF year the
Goth day ofJuls 1862 aking such additional owanos
for the years service to him shall just proper,
and equitable
than nifty cent less than those paid unisr the pre-
vous contracts spd low probably be ootainsd
at new letting il is respectfully nisd that
joint resolution rny such contracts for ths reslus
OF he contract tern be adopted ct an early day.
oregon,
receive! and opened in Of adyeFissnsnt
directed under the circumstances aad With ths
same expectations that directed in California have
been executed for the residue Of the contract cer t.
end the soth Of June returzed BY the srsnk
to this Department, The acts OF the agent have been
eonnrmed so far ms to authorize Temporary eontract.
only The prices Of the service stipulated for ae hisa
but IL is beeved that they nearly quite reason
able as could be obtained at new letting rns eaay
passage Of joint resolution to lsysre thea eonsrsc
for the residue Of the contract term Is r~connsnde
appropriation act approved March IssS so..sS
have been made with tes Pacific Mail St>Ausanio Com
rsny to increase the trips Of II. mail line between Panl
ma and oregon to em monthly; thus making that
vice conform 20 the semi monthly service on ths Allan
tic side OF the Ishmus ss directed by the section refer
red to This ervice contracted for at The rata OF
seventy i've cent Of the cost OF the trips under In.
original or former contract AID the contract therefor
believed to De IN strict accordance with the provso os
the act referred to.
Under the provisions Of the same section ths D.,sr
ment has consented to y temporary arrangemsnt by
which the mail steamers from New York TO Havana are
not required 10 touch at Charleston or savannah aai
the contract FOR semi monthly service between the ports
st name ara Havana has been renewed for four years
rt the lst day OF July last at the price thsretoforo
paid for that service.
The contractors for the mail service from ss- York
and New orleans, via Havana TO Chayres sons tins
since proposed to take mails by their steamers which
run direct TO ChsgIs IN addition to the mails taksn By
their steamers touching At Havana They desired al
ditioral compensation therefor Thi. Departusat d.
chnsd 70 assume for the government either express
or implied obligation g make such eompeD.atoa but
press understanding that obligation 70 pay ror su.1
service was thereby incurred but without requiring "a.
contractors expressly 20 rensu all claim to com2s1-
ration and thus preclude an sppcatitn % Congress
The ming Of the route nov In operation By vsy OF
Lake Ncsrsgua snd the probability that other
pg from the Atlantic cities TO California vill
long be IN operation, snd upon which the mails may.
perhaps be transported with greater iispseh and
than upon the present route renders expeient 70
proceed Eh great caution in sjdig 10 ths co OF tbs
present service and 70 reserve IN ali cases the ugh. 70
discontinue such service and pay whenever the publ,
interest may require.
No contract b.. been made for the tras.por.ssioa OF
the mails across the Isthmus of Psnsms under the
eond section the Actt establish certain post routes
Sc-,' approved March 1851 The government Of New
Granada has consented that the servcs may be per.
form ed by the Psnsma Railroad Company and pro,o-
son nom the President Of that company for ths trans-
portaton Of our mails the rsthmus favoraby
regarded A. however there difficulties In the var
of mskinss psrms snent contract Ia conformity With As
requirements Of the section above referred to- sux
gesed that the railroad company shoud cornmeacs ths
transportation Of the mail their road shoulf
be far cnmnefed and In tha