Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-01-19

CAT 81, and the amount paid for transporta-
ton, $34003 IL.
Other valuable statistical information show.
ing the practical operation of the foreign mail
service, is contained in the appendix, careful
examination of which is recommended.
In my last annual report | referred to the
large amounts annually drawn from the Treas
ury by The Collins line OF steamers, and recon-.
mended that the six months notice required by
the act of July 81, 1852, should be given. 1t
IS not necessary that should again refer to
the important fact that the Collins line OF
steamers is receiving from the Government
SSoSO00 for twenty six trips, which the British
Government paid the Cunard line 1896, 900 for
htiy-two trips nor to the injurious effects which
the establishment of this monopoly must have
upon the commercial interests of the country.
Their original contracts, entered into by them
after full consideration, bound them to build
i've steamships, to maintain and subsist four
! passed midshipmen and mailagent, and for
the maiLservice they were to receive the sum
OF $4,000 trip. Congress has relieved them
| from that part of their agreement which obliged
them to maintain and subsst the four mdship.
men; the Post Office Department has not taken
| advantage OF that part OF the contract which
| empowers 1T to send out q allagent, and which
| oDlges the company to accommodate and sub
sist him; and the company instead of build
ing five steamships as stipulated in their con-
tract, have built but four. With the knowledge
that the company had built but four steam.
ships, that they had been relieved from two
onerous conditions of their contract-one by
| Congress, and the other by the action of the
Post Office Departmental spirit Of munif-
cence and liberality, on the 2lst of July, 1852,
| the amount of compensation was increased to
$33, 700 trip Temporary embarrassment,
caused by the company's entering into new
enterprise, may have been the cause Of this
action on the part of Congress but these reasons
can no longer exist. Apart from the prices
fixed in their own contract, the sum paid by
the British Government is, in my opinion, a
full equivalent for this service, and it is for this
reason that / again refer to it; but, whatever
unexpected OUTLAWS there were on the part Of
the company, Congress has certainly dealt with
them in truly liberal and generous spirit
Since the passage of the act of July 81, 1852,
computing from the lst Of January, 1852, the
time when the additional allowance commence
ed, to the LIST of December, 1855, the company
will have received 81 ,402,500 more than they
would have been entitled to for the same
amount of service under the original contract;
and if this period be heightened, and the notice
not given until March, it will make the sum
which they will receive amount to 81, 650,000.
Whatever, therefore, were the views of Con.
gress in granting this increased compensation,
| cannot but regard the continuance of it as
mere gratuity, destroying all competition on
most important route. and, like all such appro.
| priations, attended by the most pernicious in
| huences
Some further correspondence has taken place
on the subject of the pending postal conyen-
tons with France and Belgium, but without
any satisfactory result.
One of the obstacles to an arrangement with
| France consisting in tue unwilingness Of the
| French Government to adopt the half instead
of the quarterounce scale for letters passing
| between the two countries, in the month of
| May last, embraced favorable opportunity
to propose that, rather than the negotiation
should fail, would yield my objections to the
quarter-ounce scale. To this proposition, made
through the French minister, then about to
visit France, have received no reply. 1t is
earnestly hoped some arrangement mutually
| satisfactory may soon be concluded, as there
is great complaint in both countries of irregu-
lar and exorbitant postage charges, arising in
| most instances, no doubt, from the inability OF
the writer, under existing arrangements, either
to pay the entire postage through or leave it
all unpaid, as might be done we're the pro-
posed treaty executed. At present, it matters
not whether the letter is to 90 via England or
direct between New York and Havre, part of
the postage has to be collected in this country
aud a part in France.
In view of the establishment of a Belgian
line Of steamers between New York and An.
twerp, have minated my readiness to con-
clude the pending convention with Belgium
by fixing the rate of postage for letters be.
tween any part of the United States and any
part Of Belgium at fifteen cents, which rate
shall combine five cents United States to two
cents Belgium inland, and eight cents sea pos
tage.
| Not having received from the Mexican Gov.
eminent the expected project of a postal con.
vention, have recently taken measures to lay
before that Government such proposals on
this subject, in the form of treaty, as i trust
may prove acceptable. AS in all International
as well as in domestic postal arrangements,
simplicity of detail is of the highest impor.
lance, i have proposed, as the basis Of the CON
vention, that there be but one rate of postage
for letters between the two countries, aud that
this rate be fixed at fifteen cents, combining
five cents United States to three cents Mexi
can inland, and seven cents sea postage-the
latter to inure to the country performing the
sea or gulf service.
In the annual report Of the Postmaster Gen.
eral Of Great Britain, referring to the remarks
in my last annual report on the subject. he
takes occasion 10 present the views and argu.
ments Of his Government on the principal
points OF difference between the two countries
in regard to postal arrangements. Except in
one or two particulars it is not perceived that
any reply from this Department is demanded,
either TO his observations in bis report, or in
his letter of the 9th Of April last, on the same
subject to our Minister, a large part Of which
consists Of an extract from the report. With
reference to the action of the British Govern.
ment in Withholding its assent to the admis.
sion Of the America. French correspondence,
under the treaty, upon what the United States
has, from the first, regarded as fair and rea-
sonabe terms, my views have already been
fully stated in my letter of 10Th July, 1853, to
the Secretary Of State, and printed in Execu.
tive Document No. 73, of the Senate, last ses.
sion, which letter has also been communicated
to the British Government. ! refer TO this
part Of the subject now only for the purpose