New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-12-08


Of absorbing public interest ,...,
1t has had place in former reports OF this Department
and has also claimed the special attention OF Congress
During the winter and spring months especially emorac
ing tie active business portion OF the year the
has been Of the most unsatisfactory character ana e
efforts OF the Department to improve have been almost
/ fIuitess.
The steamboat route between Wilmington North Caro-
Ina and Charleston, SOUTH Carolina, is one on winch
Il Is well known large proportion of failures occur
notwithstanding the most Tersevertng Efforts 10 pfe'en
them.
well understood not TO require particular explanation
The trips of the boats necessarily affected oy VIVA
and weather and also by the tides especially at the mouth
of Cape Fear River; 80 that regular conformity 10 any
given schedule Of departures and arrivals Is hardyto Dc
expected.
tion that land route rapidly approaching completion
which viii supersede the present one By sea win all us
attendant difficulties.
probable employment within this year OF the wilmington
and Manchester Railroad for conveying the great northern
and southern mail But twelve miles now remain unln
ihed and arrangements have been made 70 transfer me
great mail from the STEAMBOATS, as soon As possible and
convey in coaches for the short distance stated until tho
railroad is completed which il is hoped, VIII be by the III
day of January next after which time much regl
lar and expeditions service may be confidently expected
on this portion of the New York and New Orleans mail
lire
There H. however, between Montgomery and Stockton,
Alabama another portion, upon which delays and irregu
aTiies have been occurring t. an extent equans those
on the route above referred to- although arising from
quite different causes.
One dsy line of coaches has heretofore been provided
running lin connection with steamboat between Mobile
and stecktoni over natural road of 100 miles in length
frequently liable TO distinctions from high water ami
other causes and not kept in good repair trayesng as
does parsey populated section OF country Slch mole
Of snce UPON such road has been found entirely
INADEQUATE for the vast accumulation of mails az Mont,
gomeIy conveyed thther from Boston New York. ana
other cities along the whole extent OF that great line Con-
sderng the increase in the amount OF mail matter OF all
desorIions especially printed matter the transmission OF
bound volumes and other public documents, printed by
H. D. .inve a frD
and of ell the matter from the several Executive Depart
ments Of the General Government also rapidly Increasing
in quantity and in view Of the fact also that all the mails
for Mobile New Orleans and beyond thus accumulated
by contributions from Boston to Montgomery are con
veyed to the latter point by railroads and seamooais
especially the former il il matter Of surprise that they
have Leen forwarded by one daily coach in manner at
all approaching regularity.
Ibose facts rendered most imperative the necessity
providing Immediately adequate means Of convey.
ance and accordingly, the 18th October last second
daily line of four horse coaches was ordered between
Montgomery and Stockton, Alabama to connect with the
steamboat line between Stockton and Mobile with the
stipulation that the contractors should furnish vehicles OF
sufficient capacity 10 convey whatever mai mty DC dayre
oeved Montgomery Stockton and that the steamboat
mploved between Stockton and Mobile should be OF saf
fcen size structure and fitness for the regular nav CATION
of the Tensaw River and be under the entire and exclu
ve control Of the contractors that no breaches OF con
neotion should by of any other persons hay
ing right to interfere with its arrivals and departures
The compensation allowed for this additional service b
$4,000 per annum being third less than pro rata of
the present pay, with the agreement that the service
he be wei and faithfully performed the extension OF the
contract the conditions over the succeeding term
of four years commencing 1t July 1884 will be recon-
mended TO Congress; and should Congress decline to
authorize such extension the rate of additional pay shall
be raised $4,000 per still sixth less than
pro rot0 for the residue of the existing term II was fur
Their stipulated that the contractors by the LIT November
1853 should place the route full additional every
other day lire and double the road If necessary to carry
off all the mail matter every day and by the 18th Decem
Der full additional daily line the increased comPensa-
ton to commence in of faithful compliance with
these terms, the LIST November
The terms Of this agreement favorable, IN view OF
the great public benefits expected to result therefrom
The stipulation to the extension Of the contract is
reasonable and proper because the present contract
pre the 3oh June next and the contractors could not
he expected to provide great all the additional
stock necessary for second line for eight months
only without guarantee against loss in of being
underbd in the competition the next ettngof contracts
the existing laws mol providing was formerly the case
that contractors shall purchase the stock OF those
superseded
To secure certain important benefits to the mail service,
similar extensions were some years since authorized by
resolutions of Congress on routes from WashinOn City
Aqua Creek and New Orleans TO Mobile
1t believed that hereafter the service between Mont
comery and Mobile will thus be freed from the Irregular
ties by which has heretofore been characterized and that
il will be performed TO the satisfaction both of the public
and this Department.
This Improvement together.wth that the Whining
and Manchester Railroad will place the great northern
and southern mail line in such condition. throughout its
entire length to encourage the expectation that mails
during the ensuing winter and thereafter will be conveyed
with degree of certainty and regularity heretofore en-
Our local mail service the Pacific is strongly marked
by two peouarities especially in Caifona-very high
prices and great difficulty in giving that people the mail
facilities which they require at the same tme appears
from the reports that the performance of the service under
the contracts is characterized by fidelity and energy
qualities which put in great requisit0n by the flooded
state of the roads at particular seasons of the year.
The present cost of transportation in steamboats, in Cal
iforna is about thirteen cents eight mills per mile in
coaches about twenty cents per mile and in modes not
specified about thirty four cents six mills per mile while
the cost Of similar services in the United States excluding
Oregon. New Mexico and Utah. is in steamboats, about
nine cents per mile in coaches about five cents and FIVE
mills per mile and in modes not specified about four cents
and seven mills per mile.
These mail prices however, not out of scale with
those of labor living and commodities generally in that
region Of country
The most striking discrepancy appears comparing
these prices which the Government pays in California with
those which teceves for the same work. the rates
of postage The Is graduated to the highest scale
prices and the other to the lowest For single letter of
half the Department receives when pre-
paid and ten cents when unpaid and for each pound of
printed matter which comprises very large proportion OF
the contents OF the mails about five pound the
the Department for transportation the 18th
alone being twenty two cents pound. The
~ consequence is that the cost of mail service in Caor
MIA greatly exceeds tho revenue it yields.
And, Notwithstanding the Government incurs heavy
unefunded expenditure in supplying the citizen Of that
State with his letters newspapers and other mail matter
the citizen himself employs other facilities for the convey
40 fold greater than the Government charges for similar
service
The facilities referred to are the expresses Govern
ment has not been able TO keep pace in its organized mail
arrangements with the movements of the miner His set
Element Is suddenly made and repidy extended long be
fore the mall contractor and postmaster be provided
The expressen hand and the wants of the miner
are immediate His orders all sent by them to the
central post Office, 10 which, not knowing where his
tual location viii be in the gold region he has directed his
letters TO be addressed The postmaster hos favored the