The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-12-05
Eeporr OF the Postmaster General.

for all these favors may we be truly thankful.
There are few reflections on the past, and fewer
still of predictions as to the future. The condi-
ion of the department is evidently not very sa-
tisfactory to the Postmaster General, and We
presume it viii be less 50 to the country at large.
The number of post Offices is 25,565, aud the
mails are transported over ,Gi2 miles Of post
routes In four years the transportation OF mails
by railway has increased from 10, l46 to 20,3f3
miles. The steamboat transportation has de-
creased but for the cause OF that decrease the
Postmaster General does not inform US The
Congressional records, however, throw some
light on the subject. Ely an act Of Congress
the Postmaster General was directed to put in
operation steamboat service On the Mississippi
river from New Orleans 70 81. Louis A con-
tract was made with Glover 4 Nather, bat
that contract was broken by the Postmaster
General, without cause or reasonable
excuse. They came down on the government for
damages and Congress ratified their claim, by
ordering the Comptroller to assess and pay over
sum not TO exceed 100000. The Comptroller
awarded it all, and the statement is made that
when they get all that is their due the sum will
amount 20 at least $500 0eo All this time five
or six millions OF people in the Mississippi valley
have been suffering the greatest inconvenience
for want Of mail service
In reference to this contract and its violation,
Mr.. Bright of Indiana, in his speech in the Sc
nate remarked
The pvovso rmising the ANON. TO s.ooo.o, VA in
serted By the House OF Representatives. u0ior tni ect
les ~ q.
uron fEl examination OF me cSse. The Postmaster
General threw every poss pie 10 the wsy
OF contractors he called them to cEerers pons,
from Pt'sbnrg 10 View Orleans under the presence OF
wanting 70 AXE testimony Having veIed an hArraoei
them N sGcn manner ~ 10 excite remux even from
bis ate empoy.i who engaged 10 ting the
Postmaster General in tnz work Of persecu,,u ne de
months, by desyins The agreement that alleged
necessary be made IN the Finally decision AZ
been bad Which gvcs to ne cnntra'tors tee nit con
iae agreement entered into with the rarteG who sc
seesrs mis- extension "a good ats AID re e tie service
the lo~ pioder 10 June 1857 when the prcsent
usci expires BY that tine il Is 70 be hopei wewn
have Coer At the lead Of the Pos, Clce Department
who VII Al sss; execute tie paiu pr visions Of toe pain
est acts q Congress- and thus relieve Congress iron the
necessity o. daily mportaaes tor s2eca legsa ioa, ],
TO &c, the Ordinary poea! service Of toe country
performed
Here we see the great Cause Of a fall
ing Of in the mail service by steInboa.s. An
other case quite a. glazing vas the contract
with Ramsay d Cranck, for the mail SER
vice TO California Ivy way OF Vera Cruz AMI
Acapulco. The contract was made by
Postmaster General Hubbard. with the
proyiso that they must wal. FOR an appro-
pria,iou from Congress before they received their
pay. "The new Postmaster General (CanpbslD
abrogated the contract and gave the par
tics DO damages, ard neglected to submit the
matter so Congress in any way whatever un:il
his attention was called TO !. by the Post Oii5e
Committee and while he had denied any know
ledge OF the subjeot-honcstly denied, no doubt
(sc)-it was shown thai he had notice tha.
these parties were going On to execute The con-
tract, and bad established the fact that the
rervice could he done with economy and with
despatch by them. The contract was abro gated,
and the parties were left 10 suffer lo.s.@ And
what reasons or excuses we're given by the Post
master General for this outrage Why, in the
first place" be considers the route imprscti-
cable for mail purposes when they had proEel
TO the contrary. In the second place, the Sums
Of money yearly drawn from the Treasury FOR the
transportation OF the mails between tue At
lsntc and Pacific coasts are very comfortable
Indeed Comment on this is quite unnecessary.
The contractors are 10 be paid full damages for
all the loss they have sustained ali tn.s will
probably be four hundred or i've hundred
thousand dollars-perhars more.
The great fegrets-tbe constant troubles o. the
Postmaster General-seem to be that the mail
service costs money. The only recommendation
Of general interest Is that for abolishing frank
ing, and in this he simply echoes the voice Of tie
country. The only measure or relief proposed Is
mail service to California by way Of Nicaragua,
which viii make q weekly service to the Pacific
coast OF all the reforms 50 urgently called FOR
by the country there is not one word. And Why
is Judge Campbell not complete and consistent
in his measures Of economy a year and a half
ago be opposed the grants Of land and
extra pay 10 the mail contractors on
The Salt Lake and Santa Fl routes. This
year, when called On for bis opinion a. TO the
propriety Of paying more than double the con-
tract price (s22000 year, in place of little
over $4,000 to Jacob Hall, for the service be-
tween Independence, No, and Santa Fc he Is
quite neutral; and hat after full presumption
right 10 a mile square Of land every twenty
miles, for over 500 miles Of road; a grant worth
at least half million dollars, and which be
himself in conversation, once characterized a.
" great outrage" We sometimes hear Of things
being made pleasant in order to allay official
scrupcs, though, Of course, we do no. charge it
in this case.
In the four years administration of the Post
Office Department We make this summary. Mr.
Postmaster Campbell has raised letter possages
between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts from six
TO ten cents. He has broken two contracts Of
great importance and mulcted the nation in
damages probably to the amount Of nearly one
million dollars lie has, by breaking these con-
tracts, caused vast inconvenience to millions Of
people. lie has had registry law passed that
has caused all valuable letters TO be pointed out,