The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-21


New Am CeneE0ct - California.
The New Orleans PicaysA~e Of the 18th inst
hus disco arses On "New Orleans and her mail
outes." which we cannot pass without some
ew rem Iarks -
The Advices from Washington inform us that the
team or appropriation bill had passed the House, and
nat the contract between the Postmaster General
md the New York parties for the transportation OF
mail to California, via Vera Cruz and Acapulco,
D I'd been declared null by the Senate Committee on
POST Roads In both Of these facts we find prejudice
to the city of New Orleans.
Among the steamship appropriations we find
81 900 appropriated to the mail steamships leav-
ing New York, $46s, 600 for the lsthnus and Pacilc
mail service $50 900 for the Charleston and Havana
mail and the probability that an appropriation OF
$65 900 will be made for the New Orleans and Vera
Cruz service. We feel no jealousy OF New YORK Tor
having obtained 30 large share OF Uncle sam
patronage On the contrary, think she has earned
Il. She lobby-membered and worked hard to get it;
she spent her money feey she sent her crack steam
ships and her strong men to Washington she feasted
and fated the members, and now she IS reaplng her
harvest. 49,
But we do wish that little more regard for public
interests existed among the post Office and post route
men in Washington, or that our own citizens had q
little more spirit to fight for their share OF the general
plumber. While New York Is reveling and fattening
upon her mail contracts, New Orleans, the second
city in commercial importance in the Union, cannot
get one Northern mail in eight through, within the
sea going lines of steamers that to her proper in
terests are second in importance to nome and that
have strong bearing upon the general political and
commercial interests OF the country.
| urrespectable contemporary of the Crescent
City has been misled by false information, COM
municated through the papers, for some reason
which we could never understand. The same
facts were telegraphcd from Washington to this
city. and some of the New York journals fell
into similar error with the Picayune, pub
lished them and commented thereupon. We,
however. were never deceived by these rumors
nor did we print them. The remarks, there
fore. Of the Southern journal about Northern
influence, Northern success, and Northern pre-
JUDGE at Washington, all fall to the ground
| The Senate Committee on Post Roads did not
declare the mail contract between New Orleans
and California null and void. But, on the con-
trary. nearly every one Of the committee per-
sonally requested the department to make the
contract and it is believed all the committee are
in favor oft. The contract. however, having
been made at the close Of the session, no ap-
preparation was asked for by the depart
ment or the contractors, they being content
to wait for their pay till the next Congress as
sembles. This arrangement was satisfactory
| legation, who have, from all accounts, taken
this matter under their peculiar charge. While,
therefore, the parties interested in the business
were satisfied with the arrangement. the Plea
yune, under a mistaken impression, derived
from irresponsible telegraphic rumors, makes
some comments which we know will be most
readily withdrawn.
A call was made in the Senate for the papers
accompanying this important mail contract and
the department furnished all then on file with
the remark that the contract itself could not be
forwarded. as it was in New York, receiving
the signatures, and had not been returned.
| Among the papers transmitted to the Senate
was the note-which has since been published in
some Journalistic the Post Master General to
the service to commence after an appropriation,
and not before This was in the usual form of
such notes. But when it was found that the
service ought to commence before an appropri-
alton. the contract itself was varied 50 as to
hermit the service - r-~cehA the annronriatinn.
to meet the understanding of those having it in
| charge.
! The contract, therefore, was duly signed dur
| ing the last administration, and an order from
the department since. dated the 7th of this
month, has been issued for the commencement
Of the service.
We have no doubt of the contracting parties
carrying out in good faith what was well under
stood at the time. In fact, the Mexican mail
company are now making their arrangements
with all possible despatch the steamers are
ready on both oceans, and the road across Mex
leo will be stocked in two or three months at
furthest for the transportation of the mails.
With this statement we hope our Southern
friends will be satisfied thar we have not appro-
priated the five loaves and two fishes, to give
them only the empty baskets. On the whole,
it is rather curious to find them complaining
when they have just secured this important con-
tract. which is worth to them as much as all the
other California mail service. especially as this
route may make US dependant on New Orleans
for our earliest news from the Pacific.
THE BRITISH IN HoNDURAs-The English go
vernment would seem to be determined to test
the sincerity of American statesmen in asseve-
rating their devotion to the principles of non-in-
/ torynnfiop tba Il ~;