The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-16


SrArEs.-The attention Of Congress has been
directed to the present contracts for conveying
the European and California mails. The Euro
pean mail contract with Mr.. Collins cannot
be altered or done away with at present: its
terms provide that the contract shall continue
for two years, and that Mr. Collins shall have
six months notice of any new arrangement to
be adopted. The contract will expire in De-
cember next, and six months from that time it
may be rescinded. Thus il is apparent that
Congress cannot do anything on this subject at
present.
The California mail service is that to which
public attention is more particularly directed
at this time. The mail is now carried twice
month by the way of Panama. and the average
length of each trip is about twenty-seven days.
The expense of carrying this mail is altogether,
about eight hundred thousand dollars and it is
generally beaten from one to two, and some
Times four days, by the Nicaragua line. The
number of letters will average about thirty
thousand for each mail Many letters are now
carried by the expresses aud by other means.
and government loses great deal Of money by
the excess of the expenses over the receipts
This is briefly the state Of things, to remedy
which Congress is now called upon to exercise
its wisdom. Two plans have been presented
for its consderation:-Mr Churchwell, Of Ten
nesee proposes that the contract shall be given
to the parties who will carry the mail in
the quickest time and graduate the reward
according to the time occupied-say four
hundred thousand dollars for twenty-five
DAYS; five hundred thousand for twenty
four days, and so on for every day gained.
The applicants under this contract would
probably consist of the old Panama Com
pany, the Nicaragua Company, and the propri-
etors of the new Ramsay route, via Vera Cruz
and Acapulco. 1t is alleged that this plan will
keep the contract always open to competition,
and whenever shorter route as to time is es-
tablshed, upon it, being demonstrated the
Postmaster-G General will be required to have the
mails carried by that route If the principle Of
this bill is once fully established and carried
out in the Post Office Department, an important
change will be effected on oil mail lines by
ocean steamers and railroads The government
will pay not only for length of distance, but also
for shortness in time. Another Important OBJ
ject will be gained in shutting the door against
all partiality and corruption at Washington, 10
asmuch as it will not depend upon Congress
men, lobby members, or clerks in the General
Post Office, to decide which line or route is the
best as to time, as that will be tested only by
actual performance. Therefore, the large sums
Of money now squandered at Washington to OBJ
tain mail contracts will be diverted to improv-
ing the speed Of steamers. Strengthening rail-
roads, and other useful purposes. instead Of feed
ing the needy at the seat Of government. The
mail steamers will become models Of excellence
for speed, safety. and convenience, and the lines
OF railroads transporting mails will also afford
equal advantages to the public. New steamers
and new locomotives for the mails will always
be in requistion. The public will be better
served, and one prolific source of corruption at
Washington be dried up.
The other plan is proposed by Mr.. Olds, of
Ohio. He proposes that the contracts shallbe
declared null and void, and that Congress shall
buy all the steamers and perform all its own
mail service. There are serious objections to
this plan, if il could be carried out; and that is
not so clear. 1t is not probable that the owners
of the California steamers will sell them,
and Congress has no power to take them, unless
in time of war, when they become the property
of the government, and the government must
pay fair price for them. As we have shown
above, the plan will not work at all with refer
ence to the European steamers We should
have nice state of affairs, truly, if government
should undertake to carry its own mails in its
own vessels. The present system is bad enough;
bat we tremble in thinking of the other.
AIR. Churchwell's plan looks feasible, and fit
should be adopted, the Ramsay route people |
will carry the mail for two millions, and pledge
themselves to get it through from San Fran
cisco to New Orleans in twelve days-two |
days from New Orleans to Vera Cruz, four |
days to Acapulco, and six days from Acapulco
to San Francisco. If the mail is not carried in |
twelve days the contractors will not get the mo-
ney We do not believe that Congress will give
the two millions; but such contract would have
an enlivening and inspirating effect. particular
ly upon old coaches' Something ought to be
done. We pay enough to have the mail carried
by the quickest route, and Congress should
adopt some plan at once for the fartherance of
that delightful end
How THE STREETS ARE CLEANEp-The n,u
nicpal demise OF the late lamented Mr.. Arcula-
rius, Commissioner of Streets, gives particu-
lar opportuneness to the following anecdote
Mr.. Alderman Mott Of this city lives in street
which is never cleaned; we don't know which,
but any name may be taken at hap hazard. Mr..
Mott one day demanded authorita-
lively that his street should be cleaned No
answer; no brooms; no carts; no cleaning. Mr..
Alderman Mott reiterated his complaint and
his request more imperatively than bef5fe.
Like result: no signs Of cleaning. Fully roused
and feeling that as a reform magistrate he was
hon nh tn do somctbinp for his CITY Mr. lder- |