The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-12-11

tween FeTnandina and New York, the trip 10 be per
formed in seventy five hours each way, at sl65,ooo per
annum.
3D. To carry the mails ti-weekly daily in steamers
from New York TO Fernandna thence by railroad across
the peninsula Of Florida 10 Cedar Key and thence In
steamers TO New Orleans and back the trip each way 70
be performed within Eve days at $500 600 pen snnum
or tiweekly $500 900 per annum for daily service
to the completion of the railroad between
Fernandina and Cedar Key and the contract to be re.
newed for four years from the expiration of the current
In a subsequent correspondence between the depart
ment and the bidders they gave assurances of their aD
it 10 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 detentons were
likely 70 result from accidents, head winds, or storms
They also submitted the following modification of their
proposals. viz: sl1 sfH2 7l' E"
1.-THE company will perform daily service through
out the year for the sum of $456, ESQ iIt H
ITO insure a fve-days mail they will guaranty the
time or In other words, pay will be demanded for
any trip not performed within five days between the ter
minal points OF the route viz New York and New Or
leans. n tt'
Tho company will also stpuate that at any time du-
ring the contract, when required by the department,
upon three months notification they will convey mail
from Cedar Key Aspinwal Greytown Huasacualco,
las preferred by the DEPARTMENT. and back twice month
ly, and from Cedar Key to Key West and Havana and
back twice monthly the compensation for both services
to be Sl00, 600 per annum. A"
The time between Cedar Key and Aspnwall guaran-
tied not exceed hundred and twenty hours and
between Cedar Key and Havana not to exceed thirty five
hours ~ .s vsEa M gE# NG e
elf Greytown or Huasacualco he selected the time TO
be proportionately reduced lanl
The service to Havana and the Pacific crossing to
start from Tampa instead of Cedar Key when the road
10 that point is completed. gniF1 ID ~
The transportation of the great northern and southern
mails by the proposed route would obviously be free
from many Of the of interruption and delay to
which the land route is subject The whole line would be
under contract to a single party, with schedule fixing
he will which the entire trim should be
formed whereas, by the present arrangement, sixteen
different parties employed in the service with separate
schedules each of which must be exactly complied with
to insure the performance of the through tp In coi
tract time The running time proposed, ALSO is one day
less than the least in 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 depre
dation and to instruction by frequent overhaulng and
distribution would be obviaed in the proposed arrange
ment by enclosing the matter in crates boxes in New
York or New Orleans and transporting it unopened to its
destination and thus ALSO the abrasion of packages,
with the consequent liability to loss of directions &C.
would be prevented consideration OF no small value,
in view Of the generally bad condition of the document
mail its arrival in the southwestern States and the too
frequent failure OF such matter to reach Its proper dest
nation .es4 - . 49,.
The establishment Of the proposed service, while it
would interfere with the carriage of the local mails
the inland route would relieve the department from liza
bty to embarrassments under which it has at times
been placed in consequence of being dependent sin
gle line for the transmission of the through mails and
would be productive both to the department and the
public of other advantages naturally arising from the
competition it would create. --r ".a..
The induoement it would offer to the mercantile
nunity to insure the due transmission of their commun
cations by duplicate letters to be forwarded by both
routes would be of increased revenue to the de-
partent and the greater speed and certainty ii prom
Uses 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 pro-
posed route far Cedar Key and forwarding them
thence by separate to Aspnwall Greytown,
Huasacuaco and by substituting the branch proposed
from Cedar Key to Key West and Havana for the present
Charleston and Havana line and for that part OF the New
Orleans and Key West line between Cedar Key and Key
Wcstsay half the routean annual saving of 1855, 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 department.
which would thus be reduced to $751; $50 per
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 COM
peted have been unable thus far, to announce to the
bidders any dentive determination But the subject is
referred here because is deemed to be of vast
public interest in view of the promise which the conem
plated new arrangement affords of materially facil
tatng the communication between the two sections and
the two great commercial capitals Of the country.
TIE NAIL SERVICE ON TIE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BELOW
% 80. ~ ohio' st
The river is divided into the following sections for dis
ributon Of the mails at the different towns and of
fees on it: -. ..-... u.
Route 7305New Orleans to St. Franeisvile ITO miles,
four times week. by steamboats,.
Route 73O9-New Orleans, TIA st. Fancisville, to
yicksburg, 39T miles, three times week, by steam
boats. @H sEf afttt@ .# 't.-na
Noe--Ihis arrangement makes the service daily be-
tween New Orleans and St. Fancisvie, and three
times week between St. Francisville and Vicksburg,
Route 749s. ycksburg to Napoleon 230 miles, twice
q week, by steamboats,.
Route 1914 Napoleon to Memphis, EOS miles, twice
a week, by steamboats,.
Besides these four subdivisions for local purposes there
is the gr1t through mall No 1909 from New Orleans to
Cairo which like all the Others, will expire the 30th
June next.
The department recommends that, the expiration
OF the present contracts another subdivision be added
from Memphis to Cairo that the plan for supplying
the local mails to the various towns and settlements be-
tween the Ohio and New Orleans may be adequate and
uniform.
As to the great through mail from Cairo and New Or
leans the hope INDUCED that there will he necessity
for continuing it the river at present When first
ordered by Congress- there great and obvious pro-
priety in but the progress since made in constructing
several railways nearly parallel with it has put
pect on the question BY the 3Oth June next it Is be-
eved that the railroad from New Orleans to jackson
Canton &C. will be far completed that, with
two short stage lines between the unfinished portions the
mails may be conveyed it in nearly half the present
time, and with much more certainty and regularity,
This may confidently be anticipated with respect to
much Of said road Is south Of the Tennessee line
Thence Is already completed TO Jackson in the latter
State and from the progress making and expected II is
probable that the great through mails may at distant
day be conveyed the entire line to and from Cairo
with infinite advantages the present river route
The department however desires the power to make
aho th~,f