The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-12-08

sNIuH IIIltEl
s4s prohibits the transfer OF any contract io transport
ing the mail TO foreign country.
In my last annual report recommended appropri1-
ton for years extension Of the mail steamship con
tract the Pacific between Panama. San Francisco, and
Astoria in order that the service by the connecting line.
on the Atlantic and Pacific sides Of the sthnus Of Pan
anna might terminate simultaneously originally Ia
tended by Congress specific appropriation for this Pur-
pose made in the act OF June H. 1853 but the
fourth section of said act contains the provision also,
above mentioned that the compensation under any
mail steamship contract shall be limited 10 the
hostages ON the mails transported the question
raised TO whether this provision was intended by Con
gress 10 apply 10 the proposed extension OF the Pacific
mail steamship contract This question was sub.
mitted TO the Attorney General who decided that could
not have been intended and, accordingly the con
tract with the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, which
expired ON the LIST of October 1885, extended at the
same of compensation 20 the LIST Of October 1889,
the date of expiration of the contract ON this side OF the
ishmus the company agreeing also 10 transport from
the Pacific terminus of the Tehuantepec transit 10 and
San Francisco all mails regularly conveyed between
New Orleans and such Pacific terminus OF the Tehuan-
tepec route without additional compensation
The New York and New Orleans Steamship Company,
running line of steamers between those cities uid Ha
vana, heretofore carrying only shpletter mail, have
entered into contract with the department for semi
monthly trips except in july commencing LIST of August
last and to continue till Both june 1860. at compen-
sation limited 10 the and inland hostages the mails
transported Up to the 18th November, six round trips
have been performed the average pay per trip amounting
to S903
BY the time the contracts for the California lines, VIA
Panama and Iehuantepec, expire, on the LIST October,
1882 it is probable that the route 10y Lake Nicaragua
viii have been reopened and in successful operation.
This presents the question whether two or all three
Of these shall hereafter be employed for mail pur
poses The Tehuantepec route the shortest and most
readily protected against Interruptions but it Will DO
comparatively too new and the line Of staging too long
to furnish with certainty adequate AMI satisfactory
muncaon between Atlantic and Pacific possessions
While is destined doubt to become transit OF the
first importance and will deserve the highest patronage
and encouragement still it cannot supersde the necessity
of routes through Central America. Indeed
every year is demonstrating that the United States may
need, not only for postal but for commercial purposes
of vast magnitude, additional transit routes The
Panama lsthmus route is now used only under a
contract with the railroad company who in turn hold
it by charter granted by the local government This
company might at any time refuse TO contract with the
United States its demands for transportation might be
SO exorbitant to amount toa prohibition After much
controversy the department has not been able to reduce
the ice of transportation of the mails upon below one
hundred thousand dollars per annum--a price believed
to be entirely high only As miles of railroad and
there will be the exposure to exobtant demands
upon the Nicaragua route, under the direction of pr
yate company To relieve the department from cond
ton so dependent, as well to create competition
which might prevent extoron il is of the highest i'm
portance that the route by Nicaragua should be
opened and its undsturbed for the transportation of
the mails passengers troops, and munitions OF war
cured by the solemn guarantees of public treaty With
governments of Central America the safety and security
of transportation hardly be relied Contracts
given by these governments to individuals or companies
in the absence OF regular treaty under which, II nei
cessay the power of the United States might be invoked
to enforce uflment may be negulary if not unjustly
revoked and the department be embarrassed by the rival
claims of contending parties, unable to determine salts
factorily with whom it should contract.
The late treaties with China and Japan and the rapid
growth and vast mineral of Australia, have
made all the transit routes of Central America of in
creased Importance to tie United States. BY them the
Atlantic section of country would be enabled equal
ly with that of the Pacific to participate in that Asiac
commerce which made Tyre, Alexandria, Venice and
Genoa the market houses of the world 1t is the almost
exclusive enjoyment of this trade which makes Great
Britain the first commercial power of modern times
The United States from her mediate position between
Europe and ASIA and from her agricultural productions,
particularly those of cotton and tobacco, ought now to
participate largely in the advantages of this trade This
she would be enabled to do by the free of these tran
sits andby the other communications already opened and
ia successful operation between the Atlantic and Pacific
States especially when these communications taken
connexon with the establishment of steam mail line
from San Francisco to Japan and China Such line, it
is confidently believed would draw to it not only the
respondence and travel of country but of Great
Britain and most of the continent of Europe. These,
with its commercial profits would probably sustain it
without any other subsidy than the hostages the mails
conveyed. After the first three years, the department
feels confident that osubsdy whatever would be required
to sustain it, Before three years will expire there
is every probability that line of elegraps will be
pcted from San Francisco to New York, and indeed to
every important city the Atlantic. Such line is
already made, as understand nearly to the summit
Of the great Nevada Letters written in England, and
many parts OF the continent transmitted by steam
to Boston, New York, &c, in from nine to eleven
lays They be transmitted by telegraph to San Fran
cisco in two days at most and thence shipped by
the mail line to Japan and China, Australia &c. No
other mode of communication be as expeditions as
this and such correspondence would therefore, consti
mte, with the regular full letter correspondence passing
through this county, nconsiderable element for the
support of such line. 1t very singular fact that
the minister from Japan to the United States instead Of
coming eastward direct to San Francisco and thence to
Washington is expected to to England by the sthmus
Of Suez aud thence TO take passage to the city OF New
York. SO minister to China must go and return by
tile circuous The probability that by suita
BILE exetons much of this trade, travel and correspond
be made to pass this continent, is to be
found in the strenuous exertions now making by Great
Britain the through her Canadian pos
sessions This rivalry of effort is for the greatest
Of the world and should call FORTH doubtless il
WILL the energies of both nations to such portions
OF each shall think itself fairly entitled 10 receive
have the homer to be- very respectfully your obeden
| servant, AARON V BROWN.
! ELEGANT DRESS SILKS, MOUSSELINES
Ia SHAwfS CiOAKs yEIyETS &c.we would call the special
OF visiting the
the
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