Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-05-12
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

The contract with the ocean Steam Navigation
Company for service between New York and
Bremen, and New York and Havre touching at |
Southampton, expires on the 1st Of June next. |
The compensation on the Bremen line is |
500, 000 and on the Havre line $780, 900 a |
year. for twelve round trips on each route
As the public interest requires that the mails |
carried under those contracts shall continue to
be transported the Postmaster General has
made arrangements to continue that service
over the routes until Congress shall hsve an
opportunity to determine in what manner per-
manent contracts for il shall hereafter be made
The law authorizes the Department to make
special contracts in such cases if necessary to
the public convenience, more especially if the
transportation of the mails upon them can be
procured without cost to the Government; or in
other words, for the gross proceeds of the mails
they convey.
The new arrangement for the Havre line is
with the New York and Havre Steamship Com
pany, Mortimer Livingston, ESQ, President
the same now performing the service under the
contract with the Ocean Steam Navigation Com
pany. 1t is to be for one year from the first of
June, and provides for thirteen round trips
The compensation to be allowed is to be limited
to the gross amount Of United States postage
tsea and inland) upon the mails they convey
The contract for the Bremen line is with Cor
nelius Vanderbilt, Esq. 1t is for the same
period and number of trips, and upon the same
terms, to wit the gross receipts of the line.
For the year ending on the Both June, the
gross United States and inland hostages by
the Bremen line were Sl2S 937 by the Havre
line, SIS, 4S3. Thus, under the new and tenn
porary arrangements, the Postmaster General
saves an aggregate of 1872, $780, an important
difference in the expenses of his Department,
truly.
The expiration of the special contracts men,
toned above will afford Congress an opportu-
nifty to initiate the system of bringing the ocean
mail steamer contracts of the Government under
precisely such rules and regulations, one and
ALL as govern its inland mail contracts That
Is to say, to let them to the party who will per-
form most trips for the least money and in the
shortest time. without the exactiOn of a single
special privilege.
W lille we are advocates Of the propriety of
liberal compliance with every obligation of the
existing ocean mail steamer contracts, we sim
cerely hope that Congress will never make an
other such one. They have been fruitful of
embarrassments to both the Post Office and
Navy Departments, and are the precedents out
OF which much unjust special legislation, re-
piete with cOrrupting influences, has arisen
Experience since they were made, has clearly
demonstrated that the regulations governing
the ordinary contracts of the Department can
be applied to its ocean mail steamer service to
great advantage to the public interest We
shall take due care that when Congress comes
together they will not lack the information on
this sn hjert-Sn for % newspaper I'm rnisn
Unnecessary to enable the members to appre-
ciate the importance Of the future management
OF all Post Office contracts on the plan of award
ing them strictly TO the lowest responsible bid
der, without according, in connection with any
OF them, any special privileges whatever
TIE REJECTION OF THE TREATY in
the Phlladelphla North american of q late
date avery interesting letter from that journals
Washington correspondent, upon this unfortu-
nate business We republish it, because re-
lating to that subject, and because, though
coming TO the light through an opposition paper,
1t IS characterized by circumstantiality. and
many Of its revelations have an air of truth
which commend its important features to belief
But we take it upon ourselves from our knowl-
edge OF diplomatic etiquette, to say, that the
interview alluded to must have been with Gen.
Cass, the Secretary of State, and not with the
President. And We further undertake to say.
that there is no instance on record of a foreign
minister thus ignoring the Secretary of State.
and attempting to transact the business of his
government directly with the President We
do not think Lord Napier capable of such an
act To volunteer to do so, whether frSn 10
norance or design, would be to put slight and
fasten an indignlty upon the Secretary of State.
which we do not like to think could hammer.
and which, if attempted, would be sure to meet
with merited rebuke. The generally accurate
and intelligent correspondent of the NoytL
American has been misinforned in the partic
ular to which We refer:
WHsHINGToS, Thursday night, 10 O'Clock.
Lofd Napier had a formal interview with the
President yesterday, which lasted nearIv tue
hours, in reference to the Dallas Clarendon IT,,
ne read t0Id Clarendon 5 dispatch to him on the
subject That dispatch sets forth that the eycin
sive ground for rejecting the treaty by the British
government Is the REORGANIZATION of the Con
venuon between Honduras and G. reat Britain Ali |
.ne otnei amendments made by the Senate exceDt
tnat qualifying the article I'm regard TO Hondn,fs
Hs,io re- @ IN thelr entirety and without reser-
lore no misunderstanding as TO the ALLEGED or 1asI
point OF difficulty Oi ieai
Lord Napier, endeavoTed. with mucb ea,nss,
ness, TO impress the President with the sIif IT,,
no OtheI than friendly feelings were entertained
,4wdu the administration or the country by the |
Ministry. and cited expressions from ord a.
enoOh dlspath as Justifying this language In |
..'oneIuslon, he proposed TO institute new neoo
80 founded upon the itonal acquiescence
iIohuufas This suggestion was properIy and |
promptly declined by the President and there tbe
matter rests for the present "''e 'ne
; ,lout any disposition 10 irTitate the feeling
nssiiiIi, slue, or 10 say a word which might nv
- LILY De construed into Willingness To- pro
O aIifaiion i must be very evident 10 everV-
troI ame,ica, moved the progress of these Cen
tiai aihei!Sah negotiations that the reason ,n
So, ~ ~ me British Government is utterly he
low ,he dighlty and importance of The occ.si"e
reside being Inconsistent with the racen, ,-s'
slons toward the United States Wben ,Lpo i 0
tfal American question became seriously inHoI,,e
aIter the departure Of Mr.. Buchanan f,o1n 1917
TINS arrangement with Honduras was sn1 1"uoh;
a. 4 mode OF extricating England from he &C.
ai dssIhg position which she then held Of occ,, |