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


nv opinion is the highest rate Of pay ~hco ofi'i
be demlndod The present semi monthly 80 ,l.''
IN cuoing the sum OF sll9.27 OJ, PAD tor Tue i'tl
mus trans ooItsion, will c0st t1is teW tas 'H n 81
So on 3 By the act Of July II. fsS2 the no'r
Of Trims on the Collins lire was increased 10 tF-nJ
ix and the price raised from nit eteen tFP
Lupdr,d $50 frs 10 thirty three Thousand d,litrs
ip making the yearly cost OF TINS 'erVer elSil
dred and ffty-eight thousand dollars The section
thus increasing the compensation contain provSo
reseryng tie power 70 Congress 10 terminate tht l.
ditoupl alowsn Mt any tne after the Jlst d De'
cember. 1854 upon giving six months notice.
While shslI always take great pie ssdre ia testify
in, TO the faithulness with which these contractors
have perfc,med tire service, and In saying tnat me
sbps built under the contract reflect great credit upon
American skill and enterprise cannot resist coming
10 the conclusion that the sums no paid too high
M that the notice should be given. Considering the
size and cost Of these ste imship and tue speed with
which the mail is carried the sums fixed IN the con-
tract may have been too low bat ho gever that may
be the present rates much too high, and such as
Qua bit not to be paid. For the mail service between
Liverpool and the United States the English Govern
uent pay the Cunaro line the sum OF $40, which,
computing the pound sterling at FIVE dollars, Will
make the sum of $500 700. For this sum they have
weekly service, the seven steamships which cOnstl.
tute the line running alternately between Liverpool
and New-York, and Liverpool and Boston, aud re-
ceivipg sl6 CSC trip. 1t is true there is dferen e
ia the tonnage OF the Collins and Cunard lii o. and
that the American steamers make their voyages Ia
shorter time; but the difference in the tonnage and
speed of the two lines Goes not in my udg neni, a..
ford any valid reason why there should be 50 marked
disparity in The prices paid By the twoG0veru nents
The steamships Humboldt aud Franklin, OF the
New. York and Havre line, have both beeu wrecked
during the year. The former was lost 10 the month
Of December, 1853, and the latter in July, 1884, 10
consequence Of which the service on that hne hiss
been irregular. Temporary arrangements have been
made 10 supply the places of the lost steamers urt
suitable steamships be built to replace them on
tne line and such vessels nov in course OF con-
struction Both on this and on the Bremen line one
of the monthly trips has been omitted These rregu-
larities materially detrsct ffom the efficiency Of our
mail ice across the Atlantic.
In September last the United States Mail Stesm-
ship Company. having Withdrawn their direct steam
els between New Orleans and Aspin wall, the maus
between New Orleans and the Pacific have since been
convey ed according TO the original contract by the
way OF Havana. Ga the Pacific line the Company
are permitted to omit Monterey and San Diego by
their ocean steamers and thus expedite the through
mails on condition of their supplying those Offices
together with Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Saa Luis
0bispo. IL practicable and san Pedro, semi nonthly
by a coastwiss steamer from San Francisco IN dne
connection with the through route without change oil
pay.
No progress has been made since my last annual
repor in the pending negotiations with Great Britain
relative to the admission Of France toto the arrange
ment as contemplated by the provision In the l2th
article of our postal convention This article pro-
ydes that
The Of postage be taken By the British Post Ohcs
upon letters arrvne In the United kingdom from tue Uasd
through the United King 70 colonies or posses
of the United Kingdom OF the United states or 20
oreisn counes-and be the he
which which hereafter be taken by the British
or countries respectively when posted the port Of
arrival delivered the peri of departure OF the packets
eonyeyin the mails between the United hagi0m aud the
United States
BY this article similar privilege is secured to Great
Britain in respect TO letters b and fr IN the United
Kingdom, to be forsarded through the United States
d.. and fbroD ha oft al
Kingdom " 10 and FROM France expressly excepted
from the stipuations Of said article The two con-
tracing parties however, agreed " TO trve FrGS-e 70
enter INTO communication nth them pi,aout loss of
"tme order 10 :feet such arrangement for The con-
"rey0Res Of letters and nersp0perS and closed IRs
"hiough he terra0rtts Of the United Kingdom, Of
" the United STATS and Of France, respsciivety az
" may be most coHduciUe TO The tntsreSs Of ne three
" countries" The clause above referred to, exeud-
ire the correspondence between the United states
ard France from the Advantages or the convention,
was stror ely objected to by Mr.. Bancroft, The nego
ta'ed the treaty part, and he was induced hn-
ally consent 10 il only being assured by the Brit
ISL Government that " the treaty sipulaOns between
England and France rendered its insertion
" sary, without il she latter power would have at
" cause Of complaint against the former This rep
reservation, however appears TO have been Incorrect
as Mr Lawrence the successor Of Mr. BaGcr0ft, was
subsequently, assured that France was then readyto
"IegoIiae at once waving the privilege OF the
" yehtion which England set up in hs behalf"
This Government deemiDg the treaty unequal in
its bearing upon the interests OF the two Countries
particularly on account of the except0oabe clause
referred TO- and being DESTROYS Vt eOnsummiting,
without lose Of tine, the triple arrangement contem
plated by the 18th article, commenced negotiations
for that purpose mmeO iatey after the treaty
6Cuted; which negotiations have been continued 10
Il 6 present time-neory Elk years-wthOut any bene-
fetal result. The British Government has steadily
decliI ed to unite in efecting such arrangements
would "be most conducive to the interests Of the
tlraa nfria. Nxrba untgn Ga
rendered the treaty more equal IN its operation; AMI
the original terms of the convention still remain
charged. The more important parts Of the corrsf
poIdeuce which has passed between the two go
menis this subject IL contained in Executive Oocu
ment No 49, published by order Of toe Senate at the
second session of the 23d Congress. On the part OF
this Government is claimed that the British transit
charge for the United states aud French correspond
if sent IN ciosed mails through the United KING
dom shall BOT exceed twelve and half cents an ounce
that being the price paid by Crest Britain for the
trsnslt Of British closed malf through the United
States TO and from the British North American prov
nces. The lowest offer of the British Government is
u OF contained in Lord Pamersons note OF the 9.h
May, 1881. in reply to Mr.. Lawrence's comnunica-
ton Of 18th October preceding Of one shilling twea
y -four cents an ovnce-a sum nearly or quite double
that received by the United States for similar service
UDoer partial arrangement concluded bet seen
Great Britain and France in May 1851 the mails from
France Tor the United States have been forwarded
through England as closed mails France agreeing to
pay 20 Great Britain the price demanded, viz: q
transit postege of one sbllne, (twenty.four cents
ard for the Atlantic sea convey shilling eight
pence, Gorty cents,D an ounce. Prior to that date
The BIZ sh Office charging and receiving the sea
po-tage on all correspondence between the United
States and France via England conveyed across the
Atlantic by United States steamers the sams a. when
conveyed by their own packets; the recult Of which
was, that double cea postage having 10 be paid on all
correspondence forwarded by the UDied States pack
els, the great bulk Of the United States and
French mails, via England, was sent by the
Cunsrd line. Since the partial arrangement
above refencd 10 went into operation, no