Washington sentinel., 1853-12-15


same manner upon the aggregate length d
routes, it is discovered that the average cost o.
steamboat service is $34 10 per mile; coach
service, so IS per mile; and Of modes not
specified 81 sc per mile.
Such being the condition Of this branch OF
the service, and the prices paid for it. the aiten-
ton of Congress is particularly requested TO
this subject
By the llth section Of the act Of Congress
establishing post roads, De, approved August
81, 1852 it was made " the duty Of the Pest
master General to issue proposals and contract
| for the transportation of daily mail between
louisville and Cairo, st. Louis and Cairo,
Cairo and Memphis, and Memphis and New
Orleans, and to supply such intermediate points
as he may order from time to time, on suitable
and safe steamboats,
In compliance with the provisions ofthis law
an advertisement was prepared with much care
by my predecessor, dated Dec. 81, 1852, and
published in the papers Of Washington, New
York, Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Louisville, St
Louis, Memphis, Little Rock, and New Or
leans, inviting proposals for daily express
line between Louisville and New Orleans,
touching ut seven points, and running down
in six days and up in seven; and also for way
lines between Louisville and Evansville, Evans
vile and Cairo, Cairo and Memphis, Memphis
and Napoleon, Napoleon and Vicksburg, Yicks-
burg and St. Francisville, st. Francisvlle and
New Orleans, to be run in close connexion, and
supplying. intermediate offices, and also n con-
Meeting line between st. Louis and Cairo.
The notes appended to this advertisement
provided that the mails must be conveyed in
"safe and suitable steamboats, of the very best
class that they should carry the mails and
passengers only; that the whole number re-
quired for the service must be provided before
the contract would be considered as com
menced; that they would be subject to rigid
inspection by agents appointed by the depart
ment; that none could be withdrawn with
out the consent of the department, and no
new ones admitted without the like inspection
and assent.
Bidders in preparing and submitting their
proposals. individuals in consenting to become
guarantors, and postmasters in certifying to
their sufficiency were requested to bear in mind
law, and of he department in executing it,
was to obtain regular and reliable lines of mail
packets on these waters, arriving and depart
ngat fixed times at the principal points all the
year round, and that strict compliance with
the contract obligations would be demanded
Under this advertisement several proposals
were received, the lowest 0 which was that of
Glover and Mather, of Louisville, at $450,000H
a year for the whole service between Louisville
and New Orleans and of j. Il. Caldwell, at
$4,000 for the line between st. Louis and
Cairo, and these proposals were accepted by my
predecessor on the lst Of March, 1853.
Soon after assuming the charge of the de-
partment, my attention was directed to this
matter, and doubts arose whether the service
called for by the accepted proposal was not
only more than was intended by Congress, but
also more than was required by the public con-
venience. Being satisfied on these points, and
the accepted bidders between Louisville and
New Orleans having waived the acceptance of
their proposal, an order was made, on the Goth
May last, to contract with the same persons for
the daily express line between Louisville and
New Orleans, in seven days each way, and Tor
additional daily way lines between Louisville
and Evansville, Evansville and Cairo, and ST.
Francisville and New Orleans. and at the com.
pensation of 1927 ,975 per year, being the ag-
gregate amount of the lowest bids for the same
service separately. This contract has since
been executed, with sureties believed to be am
ply sufficient, and is to take effect on the lst of
December current, and to expire on the 30th
June, 1857. 2.
The contract of J. E. Caldwell for the ST.
Louis and Cairo line, at $40,000a year, is also
executed, to commence and terminate at the
same time At my request, the Secretary Of
the Treasury detailed two inspectors of steam
boats, appointed under the law of August 80,
1852, to act in conjunction with special agent
of this department in the examination of the
steamboats, presented BY the contractors for
/ this duty, who have received Instructions to ac-
| cept none which do not conform in all respects
| to the requirements mentioned in the contract
and advertisement, and which will receive the
mails and passengers only, excluding all arti-
cles of freight. f
The subject of failures on the great northern
and southern mail line between New York and
New Orleans is one of absorbing public in
terest.
1t has had place in former reports Of this
department and has also claimed the special at
tention Of Congress. During the winter and
spring months, especially, embracing the active
business portion of the year, the service has
been of the most unsatisfactory character, and
the efforts Of the department to improve it have
been almost fruitless.
The steamboat route between Wilmington,
North Carolina, and Charleston, South Caro-
lima, is one on which it is well known q large
proportion of failures occur, notwithstanding
the most persevering efforts to prevent them.
The difficulties to be encountered are Of a
character so well understood as not to require
particular explanation. The trips of the boats
are necessarily affected by wind and weather,
and also by the tides, especially at the mouth
Of Cape Fear river so that regular conformity
to any given schedule of departures and arrii-
walls is hardly to be expected.
Under such circumstances, it is matter OF
congratulation that o land route is rapidly ap.
preaching completion, which will supersede
the present one by sea, with all its attendant
difficulties. @
The late Postmaster Generals report referred
to the probable employment within this year Of
the Wilmington and Manchester railroad for
conveying the great northern and southern
mail. But twelve miles now remain unfn.
ished, and arrangements have been made to
transfer the great mail from the steamboats, as
soon as possible, and convey it in coaches for
the short distance stated, until the railroad is
completed, which, it is hoped, viii be by the
lst day Of January next; after which time
much more regular and expeditions service may
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