New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-02-22
FROM WASHING TON.
THE GREAT MAIL.
warning.
ror..pondence of The n. Y. Tribune.

WASHINGTON, Monday, Feb. Is, 1856.
EeW.York is the commercial, Washington the
political, metropolis OF America-two cities To-
Gated On noble rivers short distance inland from
the Atlantic Between them, through them, runs
the great Mail Route from Bangor to New-Orleans,
from Quebec to Matamoros-by far the most I'M
porta1t route on this Continent. New-York being
the chief Post-Ofice, and Washington the head
quarters Of the Postmaster. General and bis staff,
while the positive loss to the community by every
failure of the Mail passing from one TO the other
must be eetimated by thousands of dollars, it would
naturally be supposed that this Mail would be
punctuslly and regularly carried though all others
were left to chance and accident.
Yet, since the lst Of January last, think the
instances of failure in the receipt of this great
Mail have been quite as numerous as those OF its
regular delivery. The Mail leaving New-YOrk in
the morning is due here on the evening OF the same
day; that which leaves New-York in the evening Is
due next morning. Yet so seldom does the per-
formance answer to the promise that II has become
q matter of surprise when the mail is received
rather than when it comes up missing. And III
many instances the mail due in the evening has not
been received even by the train Of next morning.
Nov, there was q season OF heavy SHOWS ana
high, cold winds when the railways were blocked
up with drifts, nightly renewed or increased, when
rigid punctuality in mail service was not TO be ex-
pected. Then we all bore in silence, or noted the
fact of failure without remonstrance. But for
weeks past little has fallen, while the old has
become packed down and encrusted until it can
drift 10 longer. Now there lis no more an excuse for
running behind the advertised Winter time, and the
Postmaster. General is recreant TO his duty If he
permits an instance of failure to pass without ex-
acting the full penalty of the law.
A train starts from New-York at a. IN and is
due at Philadelphia about noon. The passengers
have then an hour in which TO get across that city
and take the corresponding train for Baltimore.
But the double track stops with the New-Jersey
r. ad at New. Brunswick and if the train reaches
that city twenty minutes behind time, it loses the
right of way over the single track of the Camden
and Amboy beyond. This renders a connection at
Philadelphia impossible; but punctuality at New
Brunswick By no means secures punctuallty be-
yond Time may still be lost on the road; If 1t be
not. there is river to cross at Philadelphia, aud
the ferry. boats would disgrace crossing of the
Rio Grande-or Colorado. Here the ice is often
troublesome, and two or three hundred passengers
must stand shyering on the open deck, perhaps for
an hour or more at night-there being scarcely
more cabin-room than is required for the women
and Children Delay here causes failure beyond;
then comes the Susquehanna, with far better
ferry and ice-boat, but with chance for similar
delay and vexation. The NAL or passenger leaving
New.Yolk in the morning in the confident expects,
ton of reaching Washington in the evening misses
the connection at Philadelphia, and must remain
there till ii p. m; misses again at Baltimore, and
is doomed 20 lie over again; SO that Washington is
reached at last either at III a. III. of the second
day-to late to connect with a Southern train till
the following evening; or il may not reach Wash
iugton till Z p III. of the second day.
To journalists. who are here in great numbers
collecting intelligence for their several papers, the
nuisance is serious. The letter written on Monday
evening about the doings of the day then closing,
with ayiew toits appearance in New-iork paper OF
"Wednesday morning, loses all its interest and value
by being thrown over, through the Mail delay, to
Thursday or Friday morning. Ihaye this Winter dis
patched by Thursday mornings early train reports
of Wednesday nights dOngs which did not reach
New-York so as to appear before Monday morning.
This was an extreme case; but it is within bounds
to say that half the value of Washington corre-
spondence has been destroyed this Winter by the
want of punctuality in the Mails.
Can the Postmaster General do nothing in the
premises Why not start half an hour earlier
from New.York and half an hour later from Bati-
more on the way to this city Why do not the
Railroad Companies consult their own interest and
credit and give themselves more time H.G.