The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-02-14
THE MISUNDERSTANDING our admins.

The MArLs.-Notwithstanding our admins
~tration contemporaries in this section OF the UNI
on appear to Be extremely anxious to exoner-
ate tie postmastet-general from all blame 10
regard to the disgraceful manner in which the
mails are managed, it is gratifying to ind 'na'
many leading democrats and leading den1oera-
tic journals are not SO party ridden as TO have
! an inclination or wish TO screen an lmbeeile ano
incompetent public functionaTy, merely because
he happens to be an hice-holder. The Delta,
the official organ Of the New Orleans postoff1ce
and customhousc, and owned by Pierce office
holders, says:
We are pleased 10 observe that the shameful
NEGLECT Of the claims of the Mississippi valley
on the federal government, for better mail ar
ranqements than those which have long existed,
has at last attracted the attention OF congress
The following remarks were elected on tins SUD
iect in the United States senate:
A communication was received from the
postmaste general explaining why a recent law
/ had not been carried out, which required 9
] daily mail from Louisville to New Orleans and
intermediate points.
Mr.. Jones, of Tennessee, regretted that ne
had to find fault with an officer OF the govern
ment. When / was sent here in 1851, was
charged to see that a section Of the country,
whose reached So, 900 per an
nun, had proper mail facilities. | went to
Judge Hall, the postmaster general. lie was
inexorably against giving us a proper mail.
When Judge Campbell succeeded, ! met with a
cold and indignant rebuff upon this subject.
appealed to congress and they in 1851 had
passed a law directing the establishment Of a
daily service. The postmaster general there
upon issued a proposal for a double mail, but
having found he had exceeded the requirements
of the law, suspended that contract, and made
one with Messrs. Glover q Mather, to carry a
daily mail, but when the contractors were quite
ready, the mail agent refused to deliver them
the mail, because there was some freight on
board the boat-under this pretext the post
master general set at defiance alaw OF congress.
In 1851, another law to the same effect was
passed. The postmaster general says he de-
clined to make the contract, because the bid
dings were too high. Messrs. Glover d Mather
had agreed to carry the mails from Louisville
to New Orleans at a rate OF about eighteen
cents per mile. We pay SIS SO per mile for
transatlantic mails, and there is no service in
the United States within as low as the %contrac-
tors agreed to do this. Mr.. Jones gave several
illustrations of recent delays in the receipt of
letters from the west, and concluded: "Talk of
free governments and institutions. The crown
of England dares not trample upon the laws,
but here an adjunct Of the government has
treated them with silence, indifference, contu-
macy, and contempt. / will not say what |
think the remedy should be. If it were left to
myself, I might 90 beyond the bounds of pru-
dence and therefore, will move to refer the
subject to the committee on the post Office and
post office roads.
Mr.. Brown also examined and condemned
REORGANIZATION of the postmaster general.
do not know the exact state Of the facts
referred to by senator Jones, but we are fully
aware of the truth of his charge against the
governmental shamefully neglecting the
claims and rights Of this important section of
our country. We happen to know, too, that
this neglect has been willful and designed.
Here, in the southwest and most populous por
tons of the Mississippi delta, for one hundred
miles above New Orleans, with a legion of
steamboats, passing up and down every hour Of
the day, we have ANAL but twice a week. Pro-
positions of the most liberal and favorable char
acter have been made to the government to
carry a daily mail to Vicksburg and Baton
Rouge, but they have been rejected, because
they were not backed by certain political and
other influences. Mere irresponsible partisans
and jobbers, who give no security, and only
obtain contracts to sell them Notwithstanding
takers and button holders get contracts, when
honest, capable citizens, who intend to perform
what Jobs they undertake, are snubbed and dis
regarded. We are glad to see that there is
spirit enough in congress to oppose and inquire
into these discreditabIe arrangements and
shameful n%eglects Of our post office department.
Under every administration the valley of the
Mississippi has been neglected and ill-treated in
regard to mail facilities. Certainly this power
fu1 section Of our country has now sufficient
spirit and power in congress to demand and
enforce its equal rights in the confederacy.
IMPORTATION OF PAUPERs.
etc.-We learn from the directors of the city
infrmayy that the steamer Golden State ar
rived from New Orleans yesterday morning
with upwards OF 200 paupers on board. From
several of these passengers it has been ascer-
tanned that almost the entire number were
shipped on the above steamer by the New Or
leans emigration society, whose members paid
their passage to this city. These paupers are
now in our city, without money, no work, and
dependent upon the charities Of our citizens for
subsistence. The directors have determined
to enforce the law to prevent the bringing into
the state of Ohio paupers having no settlement
therein, and have instructed the prosecuting
attorney to bring suit against the owners of the
boat, in accordance with the provision Of the
law which provides that every person 50 offend
ing shall forfeit and pay the sum Of fifty dollars
for each and every such offence.
cincinnati Gazette.
The influx Of paupers and criminals in the
United States is getting to be an intolerable
nuisance. The northern cities are adopting
stringent measures to abate it, as far as is
practicable, and it stands US in stead to follow
in their wake. The mayor o. New York re-
Gently addressed communication to the presi-
dent, calling the attention Of the government
to the fact Of the importation Of convicts and
paupers in that city, and asking for the inter-
yentiOn of the federal authorities The com