, 1855-07-20

>
May 20, 1855.
j. W. WILEY, Esq.-Dear Sir :-Tbe
people Of your Territory, especially tboso
on Puget Sound arc, am aware, very 80
licitous for the speedy commencement Of
the mail service, authorized at the last sks.
sion Of Congress, between San Francisco
and Olympia. And your paper receives
by the last mail, shows that much eensure
is bestowed on the Post Master General
for delay in contracting for the service, =,
With a view TO remove erroneous i'm.
pressions. ,-DS well as TO assure the good
people ofTyour Territory, that at the earl.
est practicable day their wish for o steamer
connecting with San Francisco, shall be
gratifed, ask place in your columns =
BY the law Of the last session the Post
Master Geueral is authorized to contract
with "Me lotreSt bidder Under the adrerti,of
proposals heretofore made" for the same scr
vice, between San Francisco and Olympia
Henry S. Magraw and myself both them
of San Francisco) were the lowest bidders
under the advertised proposals; and ihe
Postmaster General awarded the contract
to us, for the service Commencing Of Asto,
ria) between Astoria aud Olympia. Our
original bid between San Francisco and
Olympia, scmi-moaihly, was $l25,O00 BET
annum, only $685. more than the nsxi
lowest bidder asked for the service montkiy.
We have taken the service from Astoria
to Olympia, semi-monthty, at low rate.
$36, 900 per annum.
To perform this mail service well, and 10
meet the wants Of your people, (our inten-
tion is to make four trips each way per
month, and 10 run to Portland, in Oregon,
instead of the mail terminus, Astoria lie-
quires first class steamer Of some 4OQor
500 tons. Sneh steamer is not to he had,
on the Pacific, since the "Sca Brd,r olSah
Francisco has been sent 10 the Sandwich
Islands. Nor is such steamer, in Ell
respects snitable, to be purchased here's.
At first, VIC intended 10 get the, ,Pacifc
Mail Steam Ship Co.'s ship, " "Republie,g
But she is too large for this short route,
being 1000 tons, and too expensive for khs
trade VIC may expect. ,1o o., yar.,
We are now endeayoring TO, procure !
steamer Of less tonnage than the Z RepeL-.
lic," and failing in this. we shall contract
for asteamer in oil things suitable, strong
fast, economical, and reliable Such
steamer We can have launched, with her
machinery in, ready for sea, in four month";
| The delay which occurs Is unavoidable,
md your people cannot more painfully re-
Igret it than the contractors for the nail
service do But, on the the other hand lf
is fur preferable to suffer the inconvehiehe6
little longer thauto have the mail stfe
vice commenced Ly an old, { unseawOftlly
steamer, lAif N4'ig is 'siait bafiv
We have taken the mail eontrael %
make money, which can only DO done By
revenue from freight and passengers, a.
the mail pay will not cover, by screnl
thousand dollars, the cost of running tho
steamer. Now to secure the freight and
passengers, and to keep down opposition
we must have the best boat, a:erack zirn,
mer Of her intrinsic worth, independeHl cI|
Of the skill and courtesy Of her elieers.
entitled 10 demand popular eontdence anh
support. This Is precisely what We mean
as the mail contractors, to do, and heaee
We do not wish to "start before we are
ready"
Justice TO the Post Master General 70
quires me 10 say, that he has always nlAhi-
tested n wish to give to the people of
Washington Territory ali efficient reliable,
mail service. He did not. in the FinbaIs
rasscd condition Of his Department, es-
pecially as he doubted the necessity fof ne
service, think it prudent to contrsgt under
the proposals when they. were received,
some year or SO since. That be acted rom
sincere conviction Of public duty, | do
/ not doubt, although did not agree with
\ him, and made great effort to change hsl
Jdecision n ~ 'hl % sni'9'i i1s9 a
! As soon as Congress however, by speeiGsI
law authorised the expenditure, no pro
cccded to make arrangements for putting
the service between Astoria and Olympia
in operation. Had he advertised fol pro.
posals. as was discretionary with him. No
contract under existing laws could NO
have been declared and concluded short q
eight months. Aud at least eight months
more would be required to build a steamer
aud put her on the route Thus hadnhs
been so disposed the Post Master General
could have postponed the commoucelneut
of this service twelve or sixteen montlsy
To avoid this delay, and to insure tho com,
menccment Of the service withinlt the short
est period practicable, vas. L. know atssi
controlling motive which awarded the cons
tract TO us, as the Lowest bidder under
the advertised proposals heretofore nadsA
l hope these explanations viii prove
satisfactory to your people, and that al
Interested will bear in mind that whilee
cookie she'll may navigate Puget Sound
the run from Astoria to Cape FlatlsFy
cannot be made with safety in anything
below THH sea steamer. ,rr
hA Very truly yours, ~
Hl'. J. II. CLAY MUDp, las7.
SD. '' POP Of Contractors, &c.
,a-Thc receipts of The, American -eOlOd-