The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-06-19

packets IL 10 fact only so,npch money off te COM
munity % ne shape hetyl tos,age rae on eonespond
releyedswnhout loss 10 The revenue, under sound system
Of oceanic communication IN Short an sband onulent OF
the present. contract system Is necessary towards the ol
ddtion OF an ocean penny lopssc"
| twould almost seem that this had been written In
special Anticipation OF what my honorable read Mr..
husk uouH say on this point As u meets completely
what he has said, leave Il as an answer 10 him
bul we are told that unless we give the additional
compensation now denauded--ihat Is, unless we now
give wy 900 Tor what, al the earnest solicitation OF Col
l,ns 20, we agreed to pay Sl90oO-hey will abandon
rate OF compensation 10 some else for the tansPofa
/ ton OF the mail between New York and Liverpool
There are two parts to this declaration, which will no.
The first part which is the hrea, of this pet monopoly
OF Collins CO., have already spoiled by unwse in
diligence, that unless yield fourth time to their ex.
ofbilaDt demands they will abandon their coauact is
nothing new TO u.s. We have heard every session of
Congress since have been here and since, from the be-
and n6 hsy n a, peen ~ W =, h ' sopaay
threat VIII, as beetoore, be successful But il is worthy
OF aocc, as il "a characteristic al ali such compan,es
with what coolncss and unblasbing efronlery they an
nounce ther nleniion 10 violate contract OF their
ANXIOUS seeking, and to which they voluntarily bound
themselves IN penal bond OF half million OF dollars at
tne same moment that they prae most ylrtuoGsy OF the
obligation uon US 10 observe all the conditions of that
contract m good a.th iorgeng il would seem, that
one OF those conditions IS 10 make them pay $500 900 for
failing TO comply with IT, Their threat then, involves
the alternative that they have either imposed upon the
government by giving bond without pecuniary Iespon-
or ene1eN InO oil consciousness,
calculating upon The Indulgence OF Congress tor any vo
auon, no matter how gross. Well might the " Demo-
cratic Review" remark that they playing the game OF
+" heads, win tails, you lose"
The second part, which relates to the higher price we
should have 10 pay for the service, do believe
word Of. | do not believe it would cost us dollar
more than we now pay On the contrary, am confident
in the belief that could procure that service for a
much smaller sum than paying this model
company AT any rate, am desrous of subjecting this
matter to an easy and decisive test and that is, let
tins company abandon the contract, or let declare it
vold and then put the service up, after public notice,
the lowest and best bidder, as we do all our other mail
service. II no company individual will undertake it
for less than this company demands-thry- three
thousand dolars-or even for less than fifty thousand
dollars trip, then lei it be undertaken at that highest
price, and no one will vote more promptly to pay the
money than will Let all enterprsng citizens have
an opportunity TO compete for IT. II is the only way
IN which a proper and fair pecuniary compensation
can be ascerianed. All our people will then be
placed upon an equal footing, and all mail
vice rendered according TO The general and equal
system But the friends OF this company object TO this
mode Why! Because II will increase the cost 10 the
governments Certainly not for they are now clamor-
Gus that greatly increased cost should be paid No. sir
no II because they ear would deprive ;hs company
OF the monopoly. There be other reason But
how deprive them There is but one way and that il
by procuring the service for less money Now, |
learn from good authority that there other persons
prepared and desrous 10 do this for less money
than this company now receives and ii opportunity is al
lowed VIII bul lower Tor ltloger than the $4,000
wien Joilis 20 are now receiving, but are so dts
satisfied with perhaps will bid low $4,000 trip
If this be 50. why shall we, or how we with due
gard TO the public interest," submit TO this extortion OF
Collins Co bnoe them TO continue the service by
increasing their pay from $4,000 10 $4,000 upi The
fact that The friends OF this company are unwilling 10
submit ue question the propose is proof enough
to my mind, that they believe the result would be
have stated
In the course OF my remarks the other day. stated
ina under our general law in relation TO mail service,
all navigable mail -roules and that by occa-
sona laws, certain roads through the country also
nai rouies aud that when, IN the opinion OF the Post
Ohce department. mail service is required upon any OF
those routes, II = procured By contract for period Of
four yeats with the lowest and best bidder after public
advertisement, which invites and permits fair and open
competition from all persons This is system for
mal transportation al home upon all Interior routes,
by land and water. As system il has worked well
although, under neg gent Incompetent administration
ike the present, Is liable TO irregularities and nconve-
niehoc Properly administered, doubt whether, al the
present Jay, II can be materially improved system
am aware OF any purpose in any quarter change it,
Why should not be extended TO our ocean mais The
refusal TO do this, and especially the soicude 80
sanuy and actively manifested by some oil oar public
men TO give 50 much greater and favorable consd-
eraon 10 these mails interior mails. have
seemed to Inc most extraordinary cannot understand
why American Legislators should attach importance
y aud be more anxious about the expedition and Tegu-
iariiy oi The mail communication between New York and
Liverpool than the really valuable and interesting
mail communication upon the roads and rivers within
our own country. Take the population, commerce. and
navigation OF the Mississippi valley alone. with the
modes they exchange, and the intercourse they require,
and bazafd nothing assuming that they represent
lar larger interest," and require regular and ezpsdi-
uous correspondence, Than The whole Trade between
Atlantic coast and EnglandpeThaps four.fold val
liable and interesting than that between New York and
LiveTPooand yet how do we find the mail service per-
formed in that great valley Who manifess any soci.
tude that it should be either regular or expediilous or
even hati should be done al all
! repeat now, what have said here on various occa-
sons for the last four years that the Ohio river, irsm
Louisville and on The Mississippi river IRON ST. LOUIS
TO New Orleans, upon which there annually hoaling,
hoasand steansrs ahudrea os md nauigaors and five
hunfItd millions of oommsrCe, there b moi single mail
Hnei This may sound strange and wonderful 10 those
who have not looked into this subject but IL is
tanly Nomnaly, there is mail service those
routes; but how is IT procured, and how performedl
mail agent stationed each OF the several towns along
those rivers, whose duty is 10 iob" OIL like freight,
the mails from town 10 another, upon any boat that
may along, without regard TO regularity expedi-
ton. AS might be expected, irregulary and confusion
are the consequences and 10 extent that OF busi
expeditions TO be useful, hardly make OF the mail for
that purpose at all state this upon the very best
lhory.
This evil s within the reach OF the Post Office Depart
ment. Ii is in the lawful authority of the head OF that
department 10 apply the needful and effective remedy
aHd correct this evil any day his discretion, by es
abshlng mail line and putting mail service under the
general system, upon all those routes But he has not
done il, and will not Beginning four years ago, when
FIRST took my seat here, have made application TO the
three successive Posnas,ers General since that time, TO
have his very plain and necessary duty perorned but
have applied 10 vain. And why | have been told
repeatedly that II would cost too much. In 1913 was
told that 100000 per annum for daily mail between
Louisville and New Orleans the lowest bid, and ii
loo far exceeded the revenue that route TO permit
that annnunf 10 bp paid In kno4yledge