The Washington union., 1857-12-11

OCEAN STEAMSHIP AND FoREIGs NAIL ARRANGEMENTS.
The contract with the Ocean Steam Navigation Com
pany for monthly trips between New York and Bremen
and New York and Havre via Southampton, expiring on
the first of June last it became necessary to make some
arrangements for the continuance of that service or leave
the carrying of the European mails almost exclusively to
the lines running between Boston and Liverpool and New
York and Liverpool, which twenty only Of the sew
entytwo annual voyages are performed by American
steamers The Bremen and Havre lines having, under
the sanction of Congress been in operation ten years, a
fording direct communication between the United States
and the continent Of Europe and it not appearing by its
action at the last session that it the intention Of Con-
gress that they should be discontinued the expiration
of the contract deemed IT my duty to make provision
for their continuance another This seemed prop
er in view not only of the importance Of keeping up
and if possible increasing, the direct communication
with the continent, in order to avoid the expense OF
the English transit, but also for the reason that
had official information of the intention of Bremen
company to put line Of semimonthy steamers, 30
as in connexon with increased American line, to Sc
cure weekly communication with the United States
In the time Congress may take action on the sub
ect Under the old contract the annual compensation
for twelve round trips the Bremen line two hun
red thousand dollars and the Havrc line for the
number of trips, one hundred and fifty thousand
dollars The temporary contract for the service on the
Bremen line is with Cornelius Vanderbilt and upon the
Havre line with the New York and Havre Steamship
Company. Each contract provides for thirteen round
trips annually and the compensation to be paid is linn
tied to the United States posages and inland accrng
from the mails conveyed This it will be observed is
very considerable reduction upon the former pay, as
suming that the postaes for the year will be nearly the
for the year ended June 30h June last when
the Bremen line they amounted to $l24 1885, and on the
Havre line to $50 O42 Moreover it appeared to be fit
occasion to naugurate system Of sefsustaining
mail service and shall esteem it fortunate if the pres
ent temporary arrangements lead trust they may to
the adoption of this permanent system.
A contract has been made with the Panama Railroad
Company for the conveyance of the mails, frequently
may be required, between Aspinwa and Panama, at
annual compensation of hundred thousand dollars
1t took effect the first day Of April last and is to
tinue until the first of October 1882 the date of expira
ton of the contract for the connecting lines from New
York and New Orleans to Aspinwa Prior to the first
of April last the price of the thmus service regua
ted by the weight of the mails the law authorizing the
payment Of twenty cents pound and at that rate
the cost Of the service for the year ended 3lst March
last $3.50, ,32l being 6032l year more than is now
paid under the contract Zoos
The original contractors on the New Orleans and Vera
Cruz line having abandoned the service made tenn
porary contract with Mr. G. K Garrison for mimonth
ly trips the line at Sl2lO 93 the voyage, $40,
062 80 year This is the same rate Of compensation
paid the old contractors, who although their contract
called for three trips month performed but two.
The present contract will expire the 30th June next,
the date fixed for the expiration Of the original con-
tract. t| ..r a .s44 ,F s. +.
BY its terms the contract with the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company for semimonthly service from Astoria by
San Francisco &C., to Panama, expires the LIST Oco-
Der, 1853 while, under the decision of the Navy Depart
runs until lst October 1853 Therefore, to Keep up the
connexon with the Pacific line, provided by law, and
originally contemplated it will be necessary to extend
the contract the Pacific year and the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company have performed their service
generally in highly crcditable and satisfactory manner,
cheerully recommend an appropriation for such eS-
tension . ~ -a,,r..,.. g..s .+.a 80 t.r ra
The aggregate amount of postages ,sea island and for
eign) mails transported during the year by the steam
of the New York and Liverpool (Colins) line was
$210 03 which is heavy decrease compared with
the amount (s46l, ,575 9 of the previous fiscal year
should be observed however, that the additional allow
ance this line authorized by the act of 21s July 1852
having been terminated the goth of February 1857
and six yearly trips dispensed with from and after that
date twenty round trips only instead Of twentysx as
formerly were performed during the year.
The postages upon mails conveyed by the New York
and Bremen limo $l37 754 49, and by the New York
and Have line s9 $50 05 being decrease of 49l IA
by the Bremen owing to the fact that much of the time
there have been several foreign steamers running and
carrying shipletters this line, and increase of
81, l25 02 by the Hayre ne compared with the fiscal
year ended 30th June, 1856. .sy -
The amount of letter postages upon mails exchanged
during the year with Great Britain $S74 1914 rs
Prussia, $a26,s72 81 Bremen, S520s2 90; France,
from LIST April TO 30th june 1857, SAL 1888 49, Ham
burg, 81 ,059 so being decrease British mails of
$23453 95, Bremen mails of So, 706 SO, and in
Prussian closed mails of $27 4O6 S6 compared
with the preceding year Isa s
of the amount of postages mails exchanged with
Great Britain 4194 as collected in the United
States and S50O l33 ~ IN Great brltan the excess OF
United States and British poages thus collected in the
United States being $274,061 As, In like an
of s95,397 95 of the posages upon mails ex-
changed with Prussis and of ,4s4 l5 mails
changed with Bremen, collected in this country
The gross amount of United States postage and i'm
land ON mails transported during the year, WAS ~
BY the Collins line GO round trips)- sIs9, ,456 81
Bremen line, az round trips) l24, 1913 81
Havre line az round trips)- 90,042 Az
The postage upon mails conveyed by the Collins
line amounted to Sl54,44 93
BY the Bremen line ------------- 84,23l 10
Havre line-- -------------------- 73, ZIG 81
The following statistics will exhibit the operation Of
the United States and British postal treaty during the