, 1855-04-07

Pacific coast to Washington and Oregon
Territories, and to California, suggests and
requires an appeal to Congress. This ap-
peal, unless it be intended to deny TO Us
mail facilities extended to every other sec
tion, will not, we are confident, be in vain.
We have, therefore, to request you TO
procure the enclosed amendment to he
made to the Post Office appropriation bill
now before the Senate 1t merely provides
that the mail service established by Con-
gres to meet the wants Of the Pacific const,
or so much Of it as may be necessary, shall
be put in immediate operation.
The cost OF the service semi-monthH,
even If the EhOie srrioe GdrertiSed By The
Department be contracted for, will not cX-
coed fair standard of economy. 1t will
cost less, indeed, than any similar service
Of the same extent, and superSede the ne
cesSity almost of any further mail service
for Washington Territory. And the SER
vice is as important to the Government as
to the people of the Pacific coast Our
Indian relations, military establishments,
land Offices, and custom houses in Oregon
and Washington cannot be efficiently man
aged unless there be reliable and regular
mail communication between the Executive
Departments and those distant Territories.
Such facilities do not now exist, and can
not be otherwise provided than in the man
ncr proposed. And independently of these
considerations we deem il 10 be the duty
of the Government to contribute at least
so far towards their settlement.
1t is unnecessary to say more to you
with reference to this measure Of necessity
to our Pacific section. Nor do you, or
your respected colleague in the Senate, re-
quire any prompting in its behalf, especial
ly as it will confer the same benefits on
California as on those we represent You
are, however, n member of the Committee
on Finance in the Senate, to which the bill,
it is desirable to amend as we suggest, has
been referred. Our only object, therefore,
in addressing you this communication, is to
show the Senate's committee, and the Sen
ate itself, that we have valid claim to
the favorable Intervention Of Congress ;
that we make no ill-tempered or discourte-
Gus protest against the action Of the Post
master General +; and that oil the repre-
sentativcs Of the Pacific coast unite in ask
ing Congress to do justice to their people.
We would further remark, that while
authority to establish the service advertised
by the Postmaster General had been twice
conferred by Congress at the last session,
another route was authorized, From San
Francisco via Trinidad and Crescent City
(by sea- to Humboldt Bay" The amend.
ment we furnish you for the Post Office ap
preparation bill, should it become q law,
will provide this service, and do away with
the necessity for the separate ronte above
mentioned.
Our effort would have been made tC
amend the bill as We propose in the House
of Representatives, but for other engage
ments Of the Delegate from Washington
who had it more especially in charge.
We enclose you the copy Of letter OF
this subject, which was addressed to thC
Postmaster General during the late session
Of Congress by the Senators and Repre-
sentntiyes of California, the Delegates from
Oregon and Washington, aud Governor
Stevens.
We have the honor 10 be,
Very respectfully,
COLUMBIA LANCASTER,