, 1854-11-11
Our Mail FaciIities--The Major
TOmpkins, sc.

ment, in the discharge of their official du-
ties, when the motives by which they are
actuated are good and subservient to the
public veal, and manifest desire to econ
omise in the expenditures of the govern
ment.
In regard to the line Of policy adopted
and carried out by the Postmaster General
in neglecting to extend to the people of
this Territory the usual, the reasonable,
and the legal mail facilities to which they
are justly entitled, cannot be successfully
defended upon grounds of policy, expedi-
ency or want Of legal authority.
The interests of the people Of this Terri
tory have been sadly neglected or overlook
ed in oil that appertans to the postal ac-
commodations of the country. The neglect
and oversight complained of is not wholly
on the part of the Federal Legislature,
but chiefly on those to whom the admins
tration Of the Post Office Department Of
the country has been entrusted
Many of the organized counties in this
Territory have never been supplied with a
mail at the expense of the government F;
some Of those counties, too, which are older
than the Territorial organization.
The following extract from the laws Of
the United States will set this matter in
its proper light, and show where the re-
sponsibility of this great neglect to the
people of a whole Territory properly be-
longs; ....
"sec. 5. And be it further enacted That the Post
master-C General cause mail 10 be carried from the
nearest postotce on any established pOstrOad to the
Courthouse Of any county which Is now or may here
after be- established in any OF the states territories
OF the United States, and which Is not or will not
otherwise be accommodated with the mail !; and the
road on which tie same shall be carried, shall there
upon become postroad and so continued until Other
provisions shall be made by law for the accommoda
ton thereof with the mail
Approved, April ls, 1914.
The Postmaster General then had the
power to correct this evil--it was his duty
to do so, and he should long since have
abated On evil that was felt by whole
community. This law is directly to the
point--it covers the case, and if its bene
fetal provisions, designed for the people Of
a new and sparsely settled country, had
been faithfully carried out, persons who
are making their location in the wilderness:
aud wilds, would not at times have fell
themselves cut off from kindred, and homes
and country but the channels through
which communication had 10 travel was
obstrncted by one whose duty i was tC
keep it open. This state Of things should
not have been--it should not continue t.
exist. ifN
The past session Of Congress established
post routes in the Territory commensurate
with the present wants of the people,
Why are they not put in operationH WHY
is it that steamer which plies once a weel
along most of those routes, does not be i'm
mediately contracted with to transport thu
mail matter along the Sound, with certain
ty and dispatch ? i'-N
The people along the Sound are now al
most wholly dependent on the gentlemanly
and kind officers of the Major 7ompkin
for their mails. The proprietors and off
GERS Of the steamer are rendering a service
to government, in the way Of transporting
aportion of the mails, for which they SHOULD
receive adequate compensation. A eoun
try with sufficient Inhabitants enterpris,
and wealth to sustain a steamer are of suf
fcient Importance to be supplied with
mail. ...
Congress, in extending the post rout,
from Panama to Astoria, and 10 Puge
Sound, designed no doubt to give us dlrec
ocean steam communication with the world
for which our position, commercially, 81
justly entities us to. And we very muel
doubt the wisdom Of the provisions Of tha
law that gave the Postmaster General
discretionary power in the matter as to tn,
expediency Of putting the same in immedi
ate operation. That discretion has beer
exercised to our injury and whatever tn,
good motives we're that influenced the Post
master General in bis decision, we are tn
sufferers by it, and its results very disas
trous to the best interests of the Territory
Itwas not expected that its transportation
to this Territory in ocean steamers woul,
pay, in the money sense of the word, at tn
outset. But it would have paid in what i
equivalent to money to this nation-it woul,
have paid in what constitutes nationa
Wealth-its influence would have been t
speedily build up on this Sound a wealt
to the government in people, who would pa
taxes-who would support the governmen