, 1855-03-24
POsTMAsTER GENERAL cAMpBELL.

terms Of commendaton of his complicated and ardu,
duties. These compliments richly neritcd by
the mdeatigable and able head Of the Postal Depart.
ment and are grated that his valuable labors are
appreciated and acknowledged in the great west. We
satisfied thai an who have observed the efficient
management Of the Department by Judge Campbell,
will unite with the Chicago Democrat in the conlmen-
datiOn which is bestowed Justly upon his services
-tQuncy (Ill) Herald.
In answer 10 the above in behalf of the citizens Of
this Territory who claim residence far West -
as sunset circumstances will at present permit Of we
regret being compelled to acknowledge that we have
been unable to discover appreciate the beneficial
suits Of the " arduous" " and " complicated duties
Of the ndefatigable head Of the Postal Department.
and are forced TO the conclusion that THE great
west alluded 10 by the Quincy HERALD, embraces
no portion Of the north western Pacific coast as we
thoroughly satisfied that all who have observed
the manner Of management Of the department by
Judge Campbell will unite in attesting, according to
the evidence presented for the last two years that the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company not only directs as
its Interests, desire, convenience requires the mail
arrangements in this quarter Of the Pacific but also
controls the action Of the department in all matters
pertaining thereto. That the department has con-
traeted with said company at an enormous cost for
the carrying of the mails from the Atlantic States to
California and Oregon, and that said companys agents
have assumed To act the part of general and special
postal agents-beyond the control Of the department
or Congress-totaly independent Of and superior to
me creating power The department seems to think
that the company and It's agents are all RIGHT in the
discharge Of the duties required, presuming upon
which, the company acts just exactly IL peases in
the Premises.
For exampIe-under the contract. we are entitled
% A States mail regularly every two whereas
since the first Of December now neay ro,.R NoSrHs
we have lad but FOUR arrivals al this nont or State
or California mail matter. ONE mail in rorR wrrKs
POUR mails in SIXTEEN WEEKS ! and ON no occasion
on the day specded In the contract How truly and
gratefully sbould our DeopIe "acknovledge y and
"apprccate" their Indebtedness to the indication
bh and abIe head Of the Postal Denaytment for b;s
valuable labors in THIS norton Of the Ore,t VOC, -
Only think oft And then. he n remembered that
government has never Thought this Territory NJ spe
sent impoytsncs 10 afford us pos,al agent 20 look
after the safety Of the mails rebuke neglect and cor
rect abuses mafeasance in office. With the com.
pliment Of the Chicago Democrat" or Quincy
Herald " fresh in his thoughts, how surprisingly
would Judge Campbell have been elated, hrl he wit
messed the arrival here Saturday evening last Of
two States mails, weighing some eight hundred or
one thousand pounds, onefourth Of which, at least
bore marks Of the fmking prvilege-(the weight il
limited In the present contract to one horse pow
er.) brOught in, on broken down wagon three
days from COwtz Landing, $50 miles y And then
had the worthy Postmaster Generals curiosity been
sufficient to induce him Ia have given his attendance
at the post Office and witnessed the condition of the
mail bags-ascertained the fact that those containing
papers and public documents were under lock and
key and the one containing the letters was received
without lock, and fastened only with corl;-and
then examined the post bills and found that they ac-
counted for FIPrYrHREE more letters than were re-
ceived he certainly could not have seriously consider.
cd the above compliment otherwise than as the most
bitter dersion and sarcastic rebuke Of his proracted
and wonton neglect in providing this portion Of the
great westr with ANYTHING like semicyilized mail fa
cilities What contemplate buresquc on respecta.
bic mail arrangements this Territory has been COM
PEELED to endure the history Of the last two or three
years bears ample testimony.
Nor has the department been kept in ignorance Of
the grievances existing in this quarter-nor Is il with
out power to afford remedy, at once for existing
abuses. We have petitioned-weh have demonstrated
we have supplicated" Our Legislative Assembly
for two sessions, have memorazed Congress and the
department in substance that the country lying north
Of the counties bordering on the Columbia River, com
prsing nine counties, with population Of three thou
sand inhabitants is dependent for thsiT mail matter
on the mail from Rainier to Olympia and Steilacoom,
conveyed in canoes from Rainier to Cowlitz Landing
on the Cowlitz River; from thence to Olympia and
Steilacoom on horseback, across portage OF sixty
hniss' "nicn' IN 'ne winner se,soh VI tne year a.
most impassable' rendering the arrival OF our mails
uncertain and, owing 70 the heavy rains and high
waters. unsafe. The condition of the mails has been