Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-01-17
MAIL AFFAIRS.

We copy the following article from the Louis
vile Times of the 18TH In the MAN, the Times
remarks are true and sensible We do not how
ever, endorse its fling at the "humbug cheap postage
policy" There is no humbuggery in cheap post
age. The humbuggery consists in the effort to re-
heve the Treasury from supporting, as it should do
the post office department. When Congress looks
upon the expenses of this department as being
necessary and legitimate part of the expenses of
government, and makes its appropriations according
ly, we shall be more likely to have those perfect
mail facilities which the immense business interests
of the country demand but which can never be
obtained while we cling to the idea that the post
Office department ought to support itself The idea
is absurd, and the sooner our Congressman quit
showing the whites Of their eyes at the demands
upon the Treasury for the support of this depart
ment, the better for the country. Let the peope
have complete mail facilities, no matter what the
cost is. They want such facilities and they have
right to them, for they foot the bills" after all
We hope something will come of DR.. MUR-
PHYS promises this time. We must wait however,
and see and give hin. credit after, not before he
does his work. We publisheda letter from him.
good while ago in which he promised to have our
Eastern mail sent Uiq the Nashville and Chattanoo-
ga Railroad. Ithasn't come that way yet, and our
faith IN the promises Of post-olice agents is con-
sequently little weakened The Doctor shall.
however, have full credit for whatever he does for
Us at Washington:
NJ English the clever member of Congress from
our neighborng district across the river is using /
great exertOns TO increase the mail facilities in In
diana, and particularly in the counties bordering on
the river and extending out on the JeffersonyilIe
and New Albany railroads This is doing GOOD
service for his constituents But he would do them
and some OF his neighbors also even better service
If he could get the present mail service performed
better, and the Eastern mails delivered in better
time and more regularly. We learn there has been !
but four Eastern mails delivered here in proper
time since the 18th Of last month AT Nashville
and further South, they complain mere than we do.
and we believe they charge some of the 6sav upon
the distributing office here. But this is not true
The mails are dispatched here promptly as they
can be after they are received At New Orleans
they deprived almost entirely of mail facilities
and are sometimes without Eastern mail six
days at time. The fault of all this is in the sys-
TEN of parsmony which prevails in the letting of
mail contracts, caused to some extent. by the hum
bug cheap postage policy, which throws such an |
expense on the Treasury, that the De-
partment is afraid to ask Congress for approDrja-
tons sufficient to conduct the mail service on be-
raj SCALE There cam and ought TO be improve
nents made, however in the railroad service upon
which are dependent for our Eastern nails
The Department should employ express trains on !
me railroads. and allow nothing to get ahead of the
HlAllS-nelther passengers, express packages nor
uylhlng else. Of course this kind of service will
. .I 70 De well paid for, as it ought to be- But
80 Il me railroads fail to carry the mail in the |
tr;n upon they must forfeit the pay for the
III a. e "ouiu not make four years contracts
tbav nerfnrr out employ them only so long as ?
Iney perform The service satisartorilv
Or. Murphy, the Intelligent acrol, &c -. r.. al
ment, located here left for Wash; u 'lT $,
serday fully posted up in regard to b 10y yes 81
mail matters in this vicinity H; sIuatloh OF =,
news on the subject before he left yyS nus n
Islth IN MS recommendations if the n great h,
VIII only carry them out It'll rather M; 1-eiC O.,
or the west that no prominent gentleman =; I n
Sostotnce Department knows ANYTHING aho,,+ ne e
yrest valley, except what he learns from mo- 'll
biographies Mr. Marion knows more abort -
han any one else though we believe he has 81 '
ng to do with the contract Office. If Mr. EnoTSL ~
nd other Western members, would sustain 60, y
( the recommendations of Dr. Murphy ,boIr va "a
Ioud do their constituents great benefit OyJr io+
1end Stanton knows as much about the mail sar ~
ice IN the West as any other Western member bo
ut We are afraid he is too deeply absorbed in fer ca
ting out little flaws in the conduct of the admin
trstlon to devote his really useful talents to the m,
omotlon of the general good of the countrv.- at
INFER 80 from some letters occasionally see of
his paper, which We in common with quite nine
nths OF his friends in the State regret to see the
'zssviQs Times, l2H qD