New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-06

influence of some other motive than sense or
obligation TO the Government. The increass OF
cost beyond the proportiona,e increase OF extent
in miles, il not, therefore, wholly an advance Of
price, or additional cost, without an equivalent:
but represents mainly better qaalityof the ser
vice secured by the contract IN the particular or
speed and greater capacity TO give certainty and
security 20 the mails.
On account of the more special interesttaks
by Congress, aud the public, in our railroad and
Steamboat mails. the annexed tables, I'd and Ell
are appended 10 show the particulars OF the con-
tract on each route Of railroad and steamboat con-
veyance, for the current year. Improvements
have been made on several OF the lines, so as 20
give a speed Of about twenty i've miles 20 an
hour by means Of special trains, stopping AZ out
few of the intermediate points, and devoted 20
the accommodation of through mail and travel:
1t is believed that this is attended with decided
pecuniary advantages 10 the companies, derived
from the additional travel thus attracted over
their roads. The desire is universal and most ar
gent to see this improvement introduced where
il is so natural TO look for it, upon the principal
lines in the United Stetes-that between its tirst
commercial city and its capital departure
from New-York on this line. at seven instead OF
FIVE in the evening, would promote the convent
ence and economy OF travel IL would promote
the mail accommodation OF the public to an ina
mense extent, by taking on the entire eorespon-
depce of the day, which there would then be time
70 write before the close of business hours, aud
bv taking on vast amount OF mails from the IN
terror. which, in that case, would have time 70
make full connections with the Southern l'nc.
This with dispatch of bat twenty miles 20 an
hour including ell stops, instead OF the average
of sixteen, now given on the whole hne, would
bring the mail 70 Washington by seven O'Clock
the next morning. and allow a reasonable inter-
val whereas there is now not minute) tor over
bauling and distributing that portion OF lt that -
to 60 forward 10 the South. Between LWerPooi
-. e a. ID ms
we compute from office 10 office, is from twenty
10 twenty three miles hour. and OF the express
mail trains from twenty six to thirty. Inc emu
latiOn OF our contractors on the ocean line, nas,
in q space OF three years, Increased the speed o.
our steamships between America and hng'and'
10 equal il not TO surpess, that or the british
steamers Nowhere within the United States
could this example be followed with greater ad.
vantage and distinction than on ths-tbe most
national Of our railroad lines-the route between
New.York and Washington. Another improve
ment on a portion OF the railroads Is greatly
needed more suitable apartments In the cars,
than have been furnished, to contain the maiis
safely, and to serve as office for the mail
agent
Table + exhibits list OF the foreign or ocean
routes, distinguishing those under contract With
the Secretary Of the Navy, from those held d.
rectly under the Postmaster General.
On these routes correspondence Is conveyed 70
and from foreign countries and remote portions
of the United States In steam packets employed
under contract by Government and running at
stated periods. By the former mode (still IN use
whenever parties resort 20 it it was conveyed by
sailing vessels, as their voyages might occur,
for a small gratuity payable upon each letter ar
the port of delivery. The new system Is much
the most expensive but il gives TO correspond
ence regularity and dispatch, the utmost that Is
attainable for any purpose, between the same
points of destination This is OF the highest i'm
m tho infarasfa inVnlvad N DDQQ.
ence, and as a matter of service deserves a larger
compensation But this species OF mail convey.
ance devoves q cost upon the Government BE-
yond the price of service as fixed by any hostages
that have been prescribed. This is because indi-
yidual means are inadequate to the undertaking
of establishing and maintaining steam navigation
on the ocean. Aid from the Government is ne
cessary, and a wise policy contributes It for ma.
vigation by steam, in view of the competition OF
other nations 10 essential to the commerce oil the
country, from which our public revenues are de.
rived, and emnently important as a means OF
public defense and element Of national pros
perty and power. Government aid has been ex.
tended TO these important steam enterprises TO
an extent beyond the revenue in pOstages de-
rived from the correspondence so conveyed. let
an enlarged view OF the subject will show that
the surplus thus contributed, is, alter all, returned
TO the Government in hostages collected One
letter received from abroad may cause several to
be written at home. Look at the extraordinary
annual increase ia the amount of postage s'ncc
our foreign steam mail lines have been fairly
put in operation, swelling it to nearly three fold
the usual per cent OF advance, Foreign com.
merce that deposits its treights at our seaports
does not limit to them the prosperity it creates,
quickens and enlarges domestic trade through
all the interior channels Of business. So with
foreign correspondence. IL creates and stinu.
lates a cores pondence within the country, which
enlaTges the more as the former becOmes through
the agency OF steam conveyance more regular,
expeditions, and frequent.
The policy OF aiding commercial enterprise, in.
creasiDg and improv ing the facility Of navi-
CATION by contracts for the mails, was commenced
by Great Britain. France followed the example
for a brief period only in her short lived Hayre
and New York line. The honor of m aintaining the
competition in that career Of policy where the
struggle is for success in the improvement of steam
navigation, and in the commerce of the world.
now devolves on the United States Our com.
nencement ION the LIST June, 1917 was on a small
scale, with the steamship Washington, on the
route to Northern Germany. We now number
sixteen ocean steamers, in actual mail service, on
routes to England and France. as well ms % Ger.
many, to Cuba, the Isthmus of Panama and the
ports Of California and Oregon; and the number
will be twenty when the fall complement under
the present contracts is furnished. II would ba
unreasonable to suppose that the system has at
tanned its full growth. We may well anticipate
that other steam packet lines will be estab shed
from the Atlantic and Gulf cities will connect thu
East Indies and China with California, and be ex-
tended to the Pacific ports of South America
The establishment Of them develops important
duties on the General Post Office. Postal ar.
engagements with the countries to which they are
extended are necessary to enable the benefits to
be enjoyed, which they designed TO confer, as
mail facilities. Hence the postal arrange ments
made by this Department with the Post Office au.
thorities of Germany in 1917, and those which
were effected through treaty with Great Britain
in ls4e. Now we have a line just established to
France, postal arrangements with that Republic
should follow, so as to secure with 1t, and the
countries beyond, advantages of like CHARACTER
with those obtained from the lines of Germany