The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1851-03-19
OF HON. NATHANIEL AL.
0ERTSON. OF IN DIANA.


Mr.. SPsAKER IL feel deep interest in
the fate OF the bill now before the house.
II provides for establishing line of steam
boats between the cities OF Louisville and N. T
Orleans, anu intermediate points, for the pur-
pose OF carrying the mail with regularity and
certainty at all seasons of the year. The
importance and necessity oil this measure are
obvious not only to myself, but to all those
members who represent districts adjoining
the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
In no portion OF the United States has the
mail service been more grossly neglected and
overlooked than that between the cities Of
Louisville and Evansville, and as far below
as the district which have the honor TO rep
resent extends, and | presume the same
fault exists all the way down the Ohio and !
Mississippi rivers to New Orleans. And al
low me here TO say, that whenever there has
been any attempt made to regulate The mat
ter, i: Is the universal complaint that some
such objection as that offered by my friend
from Kentucky (Mr. MarshaID has been
urged. l am sorr. that he hes not taken up
and supported this measure.
The contractors that have heretofore CARR |
ed the mails between Louisville and Evans
Vile, and AS far below as my district extends.
have failed altogether TO meet the expecta-
TORS Of the people on the river. have re-
Gently received letter from the Postmaster
at Cannelton, on the Ohio, who. infor,ns me
dnat, Notwithstanding seven mails are due
per week, more that three are rarely ever re-
ceived.
Mr.. MARSHALL, (interposing.) would
ask my friend IRON Indiana how anoiher coli-
tract would be beneficial. His contractors
have failed.
Mr.. ALBERTSON. l will inform the
gentleman. The present bill provides. sir.
for carrying the mail with regularity aud DIS
patch between those cities and all intermedi-
ate points. For that purpose line Of steam
boats. with sufficient strength and capacity to
run at all seasons of the year. is TO he eslab
lished. One oil the great difficulties at the
present time is. that the contractor al Louis
willie makes the lowest contract he can for
taking each mail-perhaps paying ten dol
lars trip. The boat that will carry it the
cheapest 10 employed, and generally transi-
cut boa:s are the cues that are used. There
is, consequently, no regularity. In many Ia
stances the siowest and poorest boas are
used. because the best boats cannot afford TO
i carry the mail, and make the necessary land
iDgs. Tor The price offered; and if they could,
II would mol remedy the evil. What We
want is a regular line-an established daily
one-One upon which We can rely, 50 that 1t
we have occasion to use it, we shall know
that our mail will be carried with due iacii-
ity.
Why, sir, so great is the uncertainty Of
the mail OH this route, that our business men
find il impraclicabe to send their letters by
mail. | have received information from
wholesale merchants in New Orleans, who
say that they dare not trust the mail, aud
consequently are compelled to send their let
lers by individuals. Neither can we expect
them to use il until our mail facilities are i'm
proved.
During the recess OF Congress- gentleman.
Engaged in manufactures in the West, in
formed me that ne had to wait five or six
days tor letter from Louisviile-as it took
that time fora letter to gel from Louisville to
Cannelion, distance Of ouly seventy or
eighty miles.
Another obiec. that this bill contemplates
is, that The mail-boats shall make regular
landings at The villages along the river, as
the people are very much IN peed Of MALTA
ciIistes. Sir, the population oil The West is
! rapidly incseasiDg-lhe country is filing up
with an industrious villages are
spriDging up-eomGercial iGterests are year.
lily becoming more and more important.
, duty, our imperlous duty, to lend this por-
|, ton oi the West helping hand-to render
il all the facilities which other portions of
the Union enjoy? tits a singular fact, that
while other parts Of the country are attended
to-while neither pains nor expense are SPAR
, cd TO facilitate the mail arrauyements--our
, part Of the country has been almost entirely
: neg lected. notwithstanding appeals have been
made 10 the Postmaster General 10 remedy
the evil.
|, Mr.. STANTON. desire merely TO say
that since have been in this Congress have
: received my mails with no approach to reg
ularity generally receive whole week s
mail in one bundle, aud sometimes for q lou
1 ger time. AMI sometimes do not get my IN MS
. Tor twenty days. What is lhe-reason of this?
> II is because OIL the river routes the mails are
I sent from point 10 point by transient boats.-
r. Public attention has been called to this sub
r jcct, and my attention has beer called TO the
!. fact by public meeting which has lately
II been held at Memphis. ior the purpose oil de-
manding that the mail service shall ne placed
l. upon different footing from what il has been
J. heretofore. | have no friend interested in the
matter--no constituent that imagine wishes
to get the contract; have no such object in
vicw--piy only object is that the mail ser
. vice should be placed OH the best possible
!. fooling and agree with my iriend thai
y some such basis as that proposed would bs
best.
n Mr.. ALBERTSON know nothing oil
10 tie contract. and do not know that have
'e any friend who desires to get It. My only Oh.
:. ject is to see the same justice EXTENDED To u
! OF The West that is extended to other portions
e OF the Union and do hope that Western
g msulbers will step forth, and assert and dc.
~ maid their rights The great defect. strap.
&c pears 10 be below the Falls of the Ohio river
u 1.-THE mail service can be attended to with