Washington sentinel., 1853-12-16

vertisements to be inserted in some of the
newspapers in the principal cities of the Union,
in which, after referring to the act Of Congress,
to the stipulations in the different contracts
providing for the purchase of the steamers, and
to the nature and character of the service re-
quired, invited proposals.
Bids have been received, copies of which
and the advertisement are attached, (marked
E.) In the tables annexed hereto, marked
I and G,) the sums paid the different lines, and
the proposals to do the same service appear.
1t will be seen that the offer to do the service
on the line from New York to San Francisco is
much lower than the sums now paid. From
New York to San Francisco the Nicaragua
company propose to carry semi-monthly mail
for sum not to exceed 100000 per annum.
This includes the isthmus transportation, and
viii make the yearly cost to the government
some four or five hundred thousand dollars less
than the present.
1t is, Of course, most desirable that the
means of communication between our Atlantic
and Pacific coasts should be as free and unre-
strained as possible, and that the prices of
freight and passage should be brought down to
to the lowest terms. The present prices paid
to the New York and Aspinwall and the Paci-
fic mail steamship lines almost exclude compe-
tition, and leave these companies almost mo-
nopoly Of the carrying and passenger trade be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. This
state of things must be injurious to our Allan
tic States, and must deeply affect the great and
growing interests of California and our Pacific
territories, and seems to demand from the gen.
eral government withdrawal of the fostering
and sustaining aid which it has extended to
these lines. Viewed simply in connection with
the mails, the Nicaragua company would carry
a weekly mail, according to q pro rata, for q
much less sum than is now paid the present
mail and isthmus companies for carrying
semi-monthly mail. A more frequent commu-
nication by mail is most desirable, and will be
in short time, if not now, imperatively re-
qnired; and when a proposition is made by
which a weekly line of communication can be
established for much less sum than is now
paid for semi-monthly line, it seems to me
that there should be no hesitation on the part
of the general government in adopting it.
For the carrying of the mail between New
York and Liverpool but one proposition has
been received. The New York and Galway
Steamship Company will perform twenty-six
round voyages per annum between New York
and Liverpool. or such other ports of Great
Britain and Ireland as may be directed by
Congress, in forty-eight hours less time than
is accomplished by the present contractors, for
ton Of Congress. The competition on this
line, owing to the great amount of investment
required, cannot be great. If the design Of
Congress be to withdraw from the Collins line
the very large appropriation which they now
receive, the Postmaster General might be au-
thorized to pay to every steamer running be-
tween the United States and England fixed
sum for each single trip, the trips not to exceed
| given number per week. If the British gov
ernment could be induced to enter into an ar
| rangement by which they should pay given
sum for every mail to the United States, while
we paid a like sum for those sent to England,
without regard to the nationality of the vessels,
except that they should be American or British,
the strife which now exists between the Collins
and Cunard lines would be at an end the
whole matter would be thrown open to indi-
vidual competition, the facilities Of communi-
cation between the two countries would be
cheapened and increased, and direct mail
communication with England be extended to
every principal seaport town in the Union.
By the same section was directed to inves-
tigate the facts in relation to the contract of
A. G. Sloo, for the transportation of the mail
in ocean steamers from New York to New Or
leans, Charleston, Savannah, Havana, and
Chagres, and back, per act of March 3, l847,
for the purpose of ascertaining how far the
contract corresponds with the original bids.
By his bids of 18th of January, 1916, he
proposed to carry the mail 'from New York,
cia Havana, in Cuba, to New Orleans and
back once a week, for the annual compensa-
ton of two hundred Thousand dollars" /" or "once
in two weeks for the annual compensation of
one hundred thousand dollars" He also pro-
posed to carry the mail from New Orleans, by
Havana to Chagres, in Columbia, and back,
Al. r.. Al 20
ninety thousand dollars"
These bids, with one for the line from New
York to Havre, and extension to Bremen, were
made "upon the condition that the United
States should furnish one half the funds neces-
sary to construct the steamships to be employed
on the routes from New York to Havre and
from New York to New Orleans, or either of
them, if but one should be awarded to him
say five hundred thousand dollars on each
route and, if they think proper, to retain lien
on the vessels for their security, and for the
faithful performance of the service In case
his bid for the route from New Orleans to Cha
gres were accepted, he proposed that, "then the
United States should advance, upon like con-
dition, fifty thousand dollars to build suitable
steamship for the service" The service was
all to be in steamships of certain dimensions,
described at length in the bid, and "converti-
BILE into shlps-ofwar"
He also proposed to carry the mail from
New York to Havre, calling at Cowes, and
from New York by Havana, to New Orleans,
or on either of these routes, for the postages on
the letters and printed matter conveyed thereon,
provided the United States would furnish the
funds requisite to build the steamships neces-
sary for the performance of the service it be-
ing understood that they should be built by
him under the supervision of a naval con-
structor, to be appointed by the government
and that all repairs should be at his, the con-
tractors, expense.
These and various other propositions for
foreign mail service, received at the same time
under an advertisement of the Post Office De-
partment, dated 4th October, l845, find were
nil reported to Congress in letter from the
Postmaster General, Mr.. johnson, under date
Of 9th March, 1856 and to this letter | beg
leave TO refer, rs containing more particular
explanation ofthe bids in question. See House
document No. l62, 29th Congress, Ist session.)
In this report, Mr. Johnson said that "as the
establishment Of line Of said vessels (steam-
ships) to Chagres, and from Panama to Oregon,
will require means from the Treasury, and is
&c Jo,,htf,l t,olicy II has haan fbonobt 49,.