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

be performed whereas by the present arrangement six
teen different parties employed in the service, with
separate schedules each of which must be exactly com
piled with to insure the performance of the through trip
contract time The running time proposed also is one
day less than the least which it has proved practicable
to transport the mails by land and than two days
less than the actual average. The liability of mails to
depreciation and TO instruction by frequent overhaul
ing and distribution would be obvated in the proposed
bv enclosing the matter in crates boxes
in New York or New Orleans and transporting it uno
pened to its destination and thus Also the abrasion of
packages with the consequent liability to loss of drec
tions &c, would be preventeda consideration OF no
small value in view of the generally bad condition of the
document mail in its arrival the southwestern States
and the too frequent failure of such matters to reach it's
proper destination.
The establishment of the proposed service, while it
would not interfere with the carriage of the local mails
on the inland route would relieve the department from,
liability to embarrassments under which it has at times
been placed in consequence of being dependent sin
gle line for the TRANSMISSION of the thrOug mails and it
would be productive, both 10 the department and the
public of other advantages naturally arising from the
| competition it would create.
The ipducemen it would offer to the mercantile COM
munity to insure the due transmission of their
ncations by duplicate letters to be forwarded by both
routes would be source of increased revenue OF the de-
partmen and the greater speed and certainty it pro-
misses would have the effect of relieving the mail service
to extent, from the competition of the telegraph
By conveying the mails for California upon the prOpOs
ed route as far Cedar Key, and forwarding them
thence by separate steamer to Asplnwa, Greytown,
OR Hausacualco, and by substituting the branch propos
ed from Ceder Key to Key West and Havana for the
present Charleston and Havana ne and for that part of
the New Orleans and Key West line between Cedar Key
and Key West-say half the rouean annual saving OF
$685. 900 would be effected In such event, this saving
should be deducted from the cost of the proposed daily
service to show the net additional expense to the depart
ment which would thus be reduced to $l8l $50 per
mum.
Upon the question of accepting the proposals for this
service considering the uncertainty of the period at
which the railroad portion of the proposed line will be
completed have been unable thus far to announce to the
bidders any dentve determination. But the subject is
referred here because sdeemed to boone of vast public
interest in view of the promise which the contemplated
new arrangement affords of SO materially facilitating the
communication between The two sections and two great
commercial capitals of the country
It is evident that the Department looks forward to
the above route with much favour.
good portion of the balance of the report is occu
pied with matter referring to the awarding of the con-
tract and the fixing of the route for the conveyance
the overland mail to California.