Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-01-20
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
The Feasible Flan.-We recommend to our
readers the joint resolution of Senator Gwin,
for the establishment of an United States OK.
press mail line from st. Louis to San Francis
CO. The total expense will be at most S., 900
per trip, while at a postage Of fifty cents on a
half OF. letter, two hundred pounds of such
mail matter being the loadO the revenue from
the enterprise, it is Judged by DR.. g., will
prove more than sufficient to pay the whole
expense
We have to say that We have again and
again remarked that, in our Judgment the
success of some such enterprise must precede
the construction Of raiIroad ACT ross the plains.
Notwithstanding the action of yesterday and
the day before in the House upon the Pacific
Railroad bill, we see no earthly reason to an
ticipate that Congress dreams, seriously, Of
appropriating either lands or money at this
time for the construction Of any such work,
which must cost the National Treasury $780,
600, 900 ere it be finished. The time will ca
course arrive when We will have railroad
communication across the plains, but it will
not arrive until they at least cease to be prac.
ticaliy in the possession of the savages The
quickest way to redeem them is to demonstrate
that it is really within the power of the people
and Government Of the United States to insure
an unmolested trip over the route to all who
desire to travel it, The reader will perceive
in the joint resolution of DR.. Gwin, to which
we refer above, if carried into practice, at
least evidence that We have once more obtain
ed the control OF the overland route to Califor.
MIA, which, though through the heart of the
territory of that Government, is, at this time,
by no means as safe as any other route to that
quarter of the Union, even including the way
around Cape Horn. The Doctors proposition
is as follows, viz:
mail weekly between st. Louis, Missouri, and
San Francisco.
Res0ived, DC, That the Postmaster eneral
of the United States be, and he is hereby, di
reeted, without delay, to cOstract with the
best and most responsible bidder, who shall
offer, after ninety days public notice, to COD
tract to carry an express mail weekly, each
la
Francisco, in California, IN ten days from city
10 city. No letter sent by such mail to weigh
more than one half ounce; all letters sent By it
to be prepaid, and tc be charged fifty cents
postage wherever mailed in the State The
contractors to be subject to the laws which
govern other mail contractors but failure
(trOm any cause whateVer) to complete a trip
within fifteen days shall work an absolute fer
feiture of the compensation for such trip. The
rnnto hafW thA 0oSk
by the contractor; but, after the second wear.
shall not be changed without the consent of
he President Of the United States. The con-
tract shall exist years, and no longer
The compensation shall not exceed five thou
sand dollars per "trip, through and back The
President of the United States shall establish
live temporary military posts at proper points
c1 said route when selected; the posts to be To-
Gated at suitable intervals in the Territories
lying between Missouri and California, and
With exclusive reference to thorough protec-
lion of the mail from hostile Indians, which
may be relocated at his pleasure The con-
tractor shall have right, under the sanction
of the Seer rotary of the Interior, to ocoupy 90
much Of the lu nds Of the United States not ex.
ceeding one section at any one point as NAV
lie necessary 10 the convenient transaction of
his business az mail contractor ct the several
stations he may occupy, for that exclusive pur-
t.,
exceeding one hundred aud sixty acres, to
said land at said stations when brought into
market for sale. provided such pre-emptions
do not cover town sites. And said Secretary
shall acquire from Indian owners, when neces-
sary, the right to establish suitable stations at
convenient intervals along the route that may
be selected to carry the express mail The
contractors shall not be quired to leave or re-
ceive letters from more than four intermediate
points, nor TO carry more than two hundred
pounds Of letters each way for the aforesaid
compens alton; whenever the letters conveyed
exceed that weight he shall, for the overp lus,
receive a ptO rata allowance. The four inter
mediate pestmasters shall be allowed &c detain
the mail at their Offices not 20 exceed twenty
minutes each. No schedule of arrivals and
departures at the termini of The route except
by mutual agreement shall be changed py the
Postmaster General without giving the con-
tractor ninety days notice. At the intermedi-
ate Offices the days of arrivals and departures
niay &c fixed by the contractor. The mail
shall be accompanied through exposed portions
of the Territories by guard, to be selected,
armed, and paid by the contractors; necessity
Of guard On any portion Of the route to be
determined by the Postmaster General. After
the first years service, for three consecutive
failures TO deliver the mails at either end of
the route within fifteen days after its reception
By the contractor, the President of the United
States may order an annulment of the con-
tract. The service to be commenced at De-
Rod not later than one year from the date of
the contract.
4 Roorback.-A Washington correspondent
in the Now York Times, apparently for want
of something like true ashington news to
write about, pretends that it has been deter
mined that there shall be an entire change of
the foreign policy Of the Administration. If
SO, it is probable tt at its members, hearing
that the writer of the letter in question disap-
proves Of their foreign policy, have made
haste to change it No other than some such
wsighty reason can have SO suddenly super.
induced he sweeping change in the carefully
matured policy of such body Of experienced
statesmen operating to induce them thus so
suddenly to "bout face" But, in sober earn
est, this roorback is as silly trash as ever ap-
pcared under tho imposing title of g Washing.