Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-06-26
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

weekly Ddll rcrFlCe ootWeeu our AtlantAo nav
Pacific coasts, a. agreed on some time since
The Mexican treaty bill will occupy their al
tention at least during all to-day 9 SESSION.
and the civil and diplomatic appropriation
bill will require their attention ior one II h0'
two DAYS more. We trust, however, thatwhen
taken nm this bill may speedily pass For
the life of US, We cannot comprehend the pre-
pristy Of refusing 70 create proper mail facili-
d ss between our Atlantic and Pacific sides,
because Congress made very unfortunate and
expensive bargain some years ago, in the mat
ter Of making special California ocean
steamerJ mail contract We regard this as an
Atlantic-side matter, rather than California
question; the business interests of every State
east of the Rocky Mountains being far more
Immediately interested in prompt and more
frequent mail communication with California,
than California herself The losers of interest
through delays in shipment Of specie or in
commercial advices to and from that quarter,
are necessarily aftcays those on this side.
The merchants of our seaports very naturally
make their inland customers pay for such loses.
San Francisco has become almost the Sc
cond United States foreign-shipping port in
Importance, as though by magic. At this
moment, her South American, whaling, Chi.
nese, and East India commercial connections
are immense, beyond conception, to those not
thoroughly acquainted with the business Of
that city. The foreign commerce of no other
city Of the world ever grew like it, and most
Of it is done on Atlantic-coast account. 1t is
growing so fast that it will not be wonderful if.
in five years, 1t exceeds the similar commerce
even of New York. All this is extra to and
Independent of the commerce of the State of
California with our side, the Importance of
which may be gathered from the recent very
able speech of Mr. McDougal, upon the Paci-
6c railroad question. Now, if those great
business interests were located on the Allan
tic side, and if twenty millions had been sunk
in abortive efforts to make proper defences Of
the harbor whence they debouched on the
rest Of the Union, or in any other way, no
member of Congress would be found, we take
it, to oppose its daily connection by mail with
all the rest of the Union, at any cost not
rendered.
To the distant public we have to say that
while all in Congress admit the great import
ance of more than a semi-nonthly mail to and
from California, the only ground that we can
perceive on which the proposition to make it
'0ee@ly is resisted, is that the government al
ready pays more than a fair equivalent for the
California ocean steamer mail, under contracts
to run seven years longer, which were made
some years ago. Reduced to plain English,
this is that because the Government ia loser
by that very bad bargain, therefore the COM
mercial community shall continue to rest
under disabilities in this connection which
costs them millions on millions annually, and
the General Government itself shall continue
a loser of quite the cost of the proposed in
creased mail facilities from the lack of speedy
and frequent communication by mail with our
admit to be reasonable, the increased facilities
can be obtained without the advance of q dol
lar from the National Treasury, and without
granting privilege to whoever may bid low
est for the contract, not accorded to every
carrier Of an United States inland steamboat
mail
In truth, hesitation to establish a weekly
mail service to California, at an additional
cost of S250, 600 per annum, the want of which
is actually costing the people and Government
of the United States at least twenty times tha,
sum annually, looks odd enough
Identity Of Peusioners,-It is held in the
Treasury Department, in settling pension ac-
counts, that when application is made for ar
rears Of pension, under the act of July 49,,
1910, or when several children are embrac ed
in the pension certificate, the oath of identity
prescribed by the forms and Instructions OF
September, 1s46, is not required from them
all, but only from the one who may be author
lied by regular power of attorney from the
others to receive the pension money due.
New York assay OaRcs-We perceive that
the Tribune and Times of New York are en-
deavoring to convey the impression that the
action Of the House of Representatives, on
Thursday last, in adopting the proviso offered
by Mr.. Robbins was fatal to the success of the
New York Assay Office, and that this result
was to be attributed, in degree, to the mat
| tention Of Mr.. Walker. This is eminently un-
just. This gentleman has been from the be-
ginning most active and assiduous in pro-
| noting the measures necessary for the success
of the Assay Office, and it was owing to b 8
| saertions, mainly, that any action has be, n
| taken during the session favorable to it. WHIT n
| it was up on Friday, he was not only present
| actively urging the measure, but would, IN
questionably, lave secured its passage unem-
barrassed with the provisO, but for the indis.
Greet zeal Of friends, who, without Mr.. Walker s
Characteristic prudence, gave the subjec. a
prominence which courted opposition, and re-.
| suited in the introduction of the proviso which
the above mentioned presses of New York are
| benoaning 50 earnestly. By the way, this
proviso will have no ultimately unfavorable
effect. The measure could not have been push
ed through the House without it. We have
thought it necessary to say thus much in JUS
tice to Mr.. Walker. The business community
of New York has no more cautious. sagacious,
and perseyering guardian Of their interests in
the House, who, without noise, and almost
without apparent effort, seldom fails in Sc
curing the success Of measures of interest to