Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-12-11

Z49 400 OF this extension lS4 miles have been IN N
Carolina, Virginia South Carolina and Georgia, at
an additional expense of $19,899.
On the Both June last there were in service 406 route
agents. at compensation of $31O90O 40 local agents,
at $28488; and 1886 mail messengers, at $l60425;
making total of $4998l3. This amount with the in
creased cost of service commencing lst July under new
contracts l2O04 added the cost ofservce ope
ration on the 3Oth of June last 6,522 O46 makes the
total amount for the current year $7,241 903
The aggregate expenditures of the Department for
the year ending June Goth 1851 were $ll 5O8O57 49,
and the gross receipts for the period $685.
951 76.
But if to the gross sum above stated be added the
permanent annual appropriations made by the acts of
March 3, l847 and March 3, 1851, in compensation
for services rendered to the government in the tranpor
taton and delivery of franked matter the whole reve
nue. of the year will be $8,O53,951 rs, being $3,453,-
lis 40 less than the expenditures.
The expenditures of the Department for the current
year. to he made in accordance with and under the au
thority of law are estimated at $l2O53247; the est
mated gross revenue ST. 795188. TO meet the deficiency
appropriations in addition to those already made will
be required to the amount of ST ,469,173.
The Postmaster General refers to the outline Of a
plan for the introduction of the system of money orders
into this country which had been submitted by his pre-
decessor to the House Committee on Post Offices and
Roads, but acted upon. The idea is for the
transmission of small sums by means of orders drawn by
one postmaster on another. A system of renting
sums of money not exceeding G5 sterling ($25) in
amount was adopted by the British Post Office De
partmen in 1882 and while in the first year the orders
issued amounted in value to only 93l3l24 in 1856 they
amounted Ell 8O5562 By referring to the matter the
Postmaster General would appear to favor the pan but
he forbears to urge it.
The contracts for the conveyance OF mails by steam
ships to Havre and Bremen having expired the st OF
June last temporary contracts made for the con-
tinuance of this service the compensation given being
the amount of United States postages and inland,
accrung from the mails conveyed This is cheaper than
under the former contracts The amount of the hostages
accrung to the Havre line during the past year. was
$9OO42, and to the Bremen lne $l24l93 Formerly
the compensation to the Havre line $l5OOOO, and
to the Bremen line $2O00OO The POstmaster-General
says he shall deem it fortunate if the present temporary
arrangements lead he trusts they may to the ADOPTION
as system, of selfsustaning mail service.
The amount of hostages on mails transported during
the year by the steamers Of the Collins Line $2lO
463 o. which is heavy decrease compared with the
amount ($46l ,575 94) of the previous fiscal year
About twothirds Of the mails passing between the
United States and England goes in British steamers.
After some space devoted to express agents. the Post
masterGeneral refers to the great Northern and South
ern route between New York and New Orleans, the
great terminal points of Northern and Southern travel
and trade-the great importing and exporting cities of
the country.
The line between New York and New Orleans is
composed of sixteen different links routes. The
schedule time by contract with all these parties six
days but during the year ending 3lst March, 1857,
only SO mails reached New Orleans in six days from
New York and 161 were carried through in six days
from New Orleans to New York, while on thrtyfve
days during that year New Y ork mail received
at New Orleans, and on ninetyseven days, no New Or
leans mail was received at New York. The average
time from New York to New Orleans was seven days
and three hours The causes assigned for these failures
and delays are such as these " Cars off the track,
collision of trains" Machinery deranged," snow
storms and ice" etc, etc.
In connection with this matter we think it well tC
copy in full that part of the report which relates to
line of travel which is beginning to engage the attention
of persons interested in railroads. because of the in
uence it may have upon through travel We allude tC
the Railroad across the peninsula of Florida from Fer
nandna to Cedar Key. The report says
Among the routes established by law during the first
session of the Congress were two described
in the following words viz "From Cedar Key Florida
to New Orleans Louisiana, in steamers "From Fer
nandina Florida to New York, New York, in steam
ers"
In advertising these routes the department, believing
that they designed in conneXiOn with railroad in
of construction across the peninsula OF Florida
from Fernandna to Cedar Key to constitute new
route from New York to New Orleans, with view tC
the speeder and certain transmission of the great
northern and southern mails, invited bids for triweekly
and also for daily service and requested bidders to state
the least time in which they would guaranty to perform
the trip The railroad part of the line not embraced
in the advertisement the act of 845 sectiOn autho
rzng the Postmaster General to contract for the trans
portaton of the mails railroads with without adj
vertising.
In response to the invitations of the department. the
Florida Railroad Company presented the following pro
posals viz:
1st TO carry the mails trweekly in steamers between
Cedar Key and New Orleans, the trip to be performed
in thirtyeight hours each way at 10000 per
I'd TO carry the mails tri-weekly in steamers between
Fernandina and New York, the trip to be performed
seventyfve hours each way, at $l65,OOO per annum.
3d. To carry the mails trweekly daily in steamers
from New York to Fernandina thence by railroad across
the penensua of Florida to Cedar Key and thence il
steamers to New Orleans and back, the trip each way
to be performed within five days, at 100000 per
for triweeky, 100000 per for daily service
to commence the completion of the railroad between
Fernandna and Cedar Key, and the contract to be re
newed for four years from the expiration of that
| term Ii. e., June 80, 1882
In subsequent correspondence between the depart
ment and the bidders they gave assurance of their ability
to perform the through trip ordinarily within four days
and stated that in fixing five as the limit they had allowed
ample margin for any such detentions likely tt
result from accidents, head winds, storms. They
also submitted the following notifications of their propo