New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-12-06

from which IL, is sent Tue only account KEY oy ~
postmaster il mOHeY accoRH', ihane ~ -.
the several agsregat Of poftlges OF the dlsl9n,
rates either collected charged az unpti l ~
lie seen that, under such a sYstem OF &C
mi.sirg letter never he traced WIN csr4'',y "
ne account neither fifnishc7 evidence ina pHN'"-
la i,ter ever ,es bei The place Of is de5un4t1n nor
even ihat il leii the Office cf mGhns b5eV'ls III
this imperfec'iJn in our svatem can only DC rem 1CA
by the adoption Of A general snt uniform pau o.
strefior for all valuable letters, have, aiier consult
mo he e,nsrepce of oher countries On The SUBJECT,
eeyised nlan cf registration which think suited %
our Circumstance and hkty TO sid sreN''! " 'H0
security Of the mail q: aiHst depreciation. .,.L,,
IL provides that receipts shal be gwen ior VauiDS
letters whfu posted, and that duplicates OF these re-
cepts sks be kept for reference at the once Oh W.
irg that the full address Of sueh letters 81 vi De
/ ,cr.d on q separste poet bill which shall be copied
=, s-ce Noon an account TO be kept Of registered e-
ters seut This post bill is 20 be forwsrdedin seflei
e1velop separate from the package OF letters 70
itreates and its receipt at the once OF us ues,ui
tion is 10 be acknowledged by duplicate tnereot re-
! ,nrned 20 the Office of maling-nsrked corrscf, or
] oteeryise a. il may be found on comparison IL
provides that at the large offices valnaoe
be received at window only and tnaf tne rece''
in, clerk sbs check them 10 the register CLERK and
he 10 the mailing clerk. IL is, in short, designed TO
6r r.snonsibilty snd 10 furnish means which do not
now exist for tracing missing letter from the point
of its reception to that OF u; dssppeasance
| and expensive blanks be prepared and distributed
and that an increased clerical force be employed In
the principal Post Offices. Ihsve not therefore, felt
a. liberty to ADOPT it withou. the sanction OF Con-
Of postage on this class of letters may be deemed
adequate to the expense of registration:
In Crest Britain, the registration fee" on inland
and most foreign letters ia siIpeLce sterling, about
- cenis in ado tion to the ordinary rates of postage
and il il expressly provided that sach registration
"shaI not rencer the Postmoster-General, or the
d" Post Office revenue in any manner liable Tor the
"loss Of any such post letters, or the contents
1t ereof" 1t is believed that authority TO establish
an additional rate of five cents each letter regis
cred and 10 require the postage on all registered le'-
tiers to be pre- paid, would enable the Department to
carry into effect the plan here submitted without pre-
iu6ice 10 is revenues.
II is not proposed to make the registering of valus
bic letters compulsory that the Govern nent sha
become liable for such letters when lost; but only to
enable each person mailing valuable letter, TO do so
in the ordinary manner to add something to its Sc
curity by the payment Of small registration fee
have nc doubt that the registration of valu .ble
letters &c proposed would be highly appreciated as
a means Of security by the large commercial classes
/ O, the community, whose collections and exchanges
sre made principally through the mails aud who
have from time to time urged In vain upon THIS de-
pertinent the adoption OF some such plan Tor tneir
! protection. | believe, too that such system OF
REPATRIATION would relieve This desrtment from the
imputaton Of numerous losses not properly charge.
able upon -cases in which valuable letters ALLEGED
TO have been lost through the mails either never
reached any post oco, have been stolen after ar
irving at the places of their destination.
The cost Of the service for the last fiscal year
the several United States Mail steamship lines and
across the Isthmus of Panama, is as follows
New Yo,k o liverpool. Collins line, twenty * - - -.
round tps:. ''''V "
NS Soubd I ~ 'o1'u r. ~ 1888 80
New.York Via Cowes to Havrs eleven round O. 500 90
New.Yor and New Orleans to Aspinwsl, twenty
fear iips including same rumb:r Of trips 49, o -,
between New YoG and New Orleans via Havaaa. 2s9 900 %
Iound ' t1iT pan ois 80
ohs ds VA s.ysnba ali and Key West to Bsrsn.
New an. to Vera Cruz, twenty four round tdp,
Ainwsi 70 1927 o.
Ol0 %
By the act Of Congress approved the Sd of VI arch,
ls4i the President authorized to contract for the
construction and equipment Of four hrstcisss sea-
coine steamships to be attached TO the Navy of the
| Upited Stses II was by the second section made
the ouy ofrhe Secretary OF the Navy to accept, on
the part OF the Government of the United States, the
proposals. of Il. X Collins and his associates for the
transport alton of the United Sa'es mail between New
York and Liverpool The steamships to be employed
were be onstTucted To render them convert
BILE at the least possible cost, into steamship, of
the first class. BY the fourth section of the act
i; YVES Likewise made tho duty Of the Secretary Of the
Navy TO contract with 4 g Sloo for the Transports
ton of the mail from New.Yok 70 New. Orleans vice
month end back touching at Charleston, If practi-
| cable Savannah, and Havana, and from Havana 10
| CbBgres and back twice a month. Tue fifth section
authorized him to enter mo contract to carry the
| mail from Panama 20 Oregon once month. Toe sixth
e c'is made tn duty of the Secretary of tbs Navy
to provide in the contracts authorized by toe act that
the Navy Department shall at all times exercise control
over said steamship aud at any time ave the right 10
take them for the excu and service Ofthe United
States due provision being made IL the cor tracts ofthe
mode OF ascertaniDg the proper compensation to the
conn actors therefor. On the first Of Mlrth l8f7,
the Secretary Of the Navy entered into a contract
With 4. X. Collins and his associates. The contract
eoria1s all the stipas,iOns required by the Act Of
Congress; the service to be performed was twice
each month for eight mORths of the year. and once
month curirg The ether four months. TIE sun to be
paid s3s5 OCO, or sl9 $50 dollars tip, and the
contract was to continue in force for ten years from
the date Of the commencement Of the service A. G..
Soo was contracted With, by the Secretary of the
Navy the Goth Of April, l5i7, to perform the ser
vice mentioned In the fourth section. The ser rice
was 10 be twice month; the sum 20 be paid $780,
coo, and the contract 10 continue in force for ten
| yesrs from the commencement of the service. This
contract lii ewse contains all the stpulatous required
| by the Act Of Congress, ard assigned by
A. G. Sioo 10 George Law, Marshall o. Rob-
| erts and b. X. McIlvain, on the Sd Of Sep.
nmter, ls47. The contract to transport the mail
| from Panama TO Oregon was entered with Arnold
Harris on the 10th Of November, 1si7. The service
was to be orce month the price to be paid was
s93, co., and the contract was continue for ten years
from The LIST OF October 1913. All the sipulations
required by the act Of Congress contained 10 this
contract also which was assigned on the 10Th No.
vember, lsI7, to William II Aspinwall On the 9th
Of March, l75l the Secretary Of the Navy aud Post
MASTER General. in pursuance Of Law passed on the
Sd Of March, 1851 entered into additional contract
with the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, acting by
William II. Aspinwall, b. which the service from
| Panama to California anO Oregon was increased to
| twice month, at an increased price Of sl49, 250
making the whole cost of the service s34s. 95O
The object Of Cosgress in the passage of this set
seem to have been to build up naval steam marine,
! which nigh! temporarily be employed for conner.
eal purposes. In order 10 enable private individuals
to build up and equip these steamships in the mode
| pointed out by Congress, sums Of money were ad-