Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-01-26

into the British treasury but for the existence
of the Collins line. IL
When the Collins line contract was made,
Britain had entire control Of the msii servi,s
between the two countries, to which she chung
with pertinacity only to be accounted for BY
the fact that ii was in a great measure neces-
sary for the continusd prosperous existencs Of
her auxiliary navy. She was then charging
twehty-fo cents por single Sheet and al
though our Government continued to try to
make q postal treaty with her after the Amer
can Bremen line commenced their service, she
steadily refused to listen to our offers until ths
Collins line were about to commence their
service. A treaty was then made by which
the existing charge of twenty -four cents per
single shset-all averaging more than double,
BY means of invoices, bills of lading, bills of
exchange, &C., inclosed-psssage was reduced
to twenty lone cents per half ounce, including
the INLAND hostages of both countries; which
was In fact but sixteen cents for the ocean
postage. This change reduced the actual
charge on the letters dncluding the inland
postages) to less than tWo-ffths Of what we had
previously been paying Britain for sea post.
ages alone. on much less quantity of mail
matter. As soon as this arrangement took
elect, the merchants commenced to write their
letters, invoices, DO, on thin French paper,
thus getting into q twenty-ons cents letter
that which would have cost them at least
dollar under the old regulations. As An evil
dence Of that fact, we may mention that the
Pacific on her last voyage out, We hear, car
ried I10, 600 letters, which, according to the
prices heretofore charged by the British Gov
ernment, would have amounted to $55, 900,
without the postage payable on newspapers.
The amount Of postage on the Pacifc's mail
on that occasion, as said to have been re.
turned to the Department, at forty cents Per
ounce, as per the provisions of the existing
postal treaty, was but $4,000; instead of
S55, 900, which, as before remarked, it would
have cost our fellow citizens, but for this pos
tai treaty for the existence of which the coun-
try has to thank tho enterprise which forced
it from our great commercial rival by creating
the Collins line
Now the Pacfe's mail on this tri out was but
a aceekLy one, and only an average weakly
mail. This proves that but for this treaty We
should be now paying to England An average
of about S2,s5OOG0 per annum on this account.
1t is we'll known that three quarters of the
aail matter going between Liverpool and
New York by steamer, is on American ac-
count. Thus the actual annual cost to our
people on account of letters carried by steam
ar over that route wonld have been 81, 137, 500
As per the Postmaster Generals port for the
fiscal year 1853, the total receipts of this gov
eminent for letters conveyed by the Cunard-
ers under the postal treaty, and by the Col.
Inns line, was an aggregate of Sis, 900, or
Sl40, 600 less than the cost of the mail service
by the Collins line. Thus it will be perceived
that besides what We have gained in other
ways, as explained above, by this expenditure
Of $40 900, the government saves actually to
thu people the aggregate Of So, 1871. 500, as be-
fore shown We may not, inappropri ately,
add to this revenue, a statement of the fac,
that the mails by the Collins stesmers arc
now averaging $50 900 out and back, not
dollar of which, as We understand the cues
ton. would have gone TO this government but
for the existence Of the postal treaty The
pay of the Collins steamers is $33 900 per voy-
age, out and back
We know further that the Collins line have
not yet divided the frat dollar of profits, from
the published statements Of the company, the
of hair in he
from the personal assurances of its enterprising
originator.
Under these circumstances, though now as
ever before an opponent Of the principle un-
der which even that contract was originally
made, we are no advocate for attempting to
cure an act Of indiscretion by one of bad faith
on the part of the Government; more especi
ally when il Is a. clear to our mind as the
light OF the sun al noon, tina. the Government
itself has not only reaped more benefits th an
it bargained for in making the contract, but
tina, the advantages to the general prosperity
OF our country, which are owing, accidentally
it may be, to the successful enterprise of Mr..
Collins are almost incalculabIe
We are for continuing to pay for the ser
vices Of his ships up to the end Of his contract,
every dollar 80 far stipulated to be paid, and
against taking any advantage of the notice
clause Of the supplemental contract with him,
II bat because, in earning for the Treasury
FAR more than was calcul ated on when tho
original contract was made, and in the SOUR
which he had given to the commercial enter
PRISE aad prosperity of our land, he has more
than tsnfOld repaid to his country the addi-
tional compensation, without which We hon.
estly believe from the statistical statements
published upon the subject, to, the line
could not continue to exist, however disastrous
blow to the commercial reputation and fu
ture of the United States its discontinuancs
would prove.
With these introductory remarks, wo pre-.
sent the readers of the Star with Commodore