Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1858-12-22
POsr OrFIcE DEPAETMENr,


SIR 10 reply 10 your communication Of The
2Oth instant, / have the honor 10 state that 10
contract was entered into with any party or
parties to carry the California mail By he Te-
hauntepec route. Applications Tor such a con-
tract having been repeatedly made verbally,
and perhaps In writing, the department sdvsT-
tised for proposals, which may Be seen 10 the
printed pamphlet OF proposals for Louisiana
page 81.
Having advertised for proposals on this line,
and received one or more bids on II, the depart
ment. after taking suitable time for dslibers-
tion, has come to the conclusion to establish
mail service thereon from New Orleans, via
Tehusntepec, to Acapulco, provided a s~atisfac-
tory contract can be made FOR that purpose.
The service 10 not proposed to be put 90 further
than 70 Acapulco, because the present line Of
steamers from Panama to San Francisco al
ways touch at AcspuIeO, and can take on the
NeW Orleans mail and passengers II is not,
however. proposed 10 make the contract for a
longer period than one year from the first Of
October next, 60 that this contract ard the one
from New York 70 AspinWsll NAV expire al
the sane time n the course Of this year the
practcabiiity Of the Tebusntfpec route may
have been fully tested, and its caPabiiity to
furnish the shortest, cheapest and safest, mail
route TO CalIforEis folly demonstrated. The
department., BY simultaneous expiration Of con-
tracts on these two routes, viii be enabled 70
determine which 0He to select, or whether to
keep I'D 10th, accommodating tbe mails and The
nasseugers from New YORK and New Orleans
respectively, but paying each according to the
amount OF mail service rendered
l. is alleged that, BY stsrting this line from
New orleans, correspondence from the Atlantic
side viii be received nearly one week later
than at present, and from California to the
Atlantic states in like proport,.n- That is to
say, that whilst letters sent from B lsioD and
New York 20 California b. Panama, would
reach Acapulco about - DAYS after they had
been written, others sent from New Orleans,
via Iehuautepec, 10 Acapulco, would reach
there In about rays; thus practically fuF-
nisning nearly a weekly mail, instead of a sems-
monthly communication as at present
1be terms Ct he contract are hut yet def
nilely settled, sndfheref0re cannot b. set forth ;
but the department does not anticipate much
difficulty 10 being able to obtail The service on
reasonable and satisfactory terms.
The authority Of this department to make
such a contract may be found 10 the second
section Of the act OF Marcel 3, 1851. which The
Postmaster General considers ample and IN
doubted.
Serious aoubts hsve been expressed as to
whether The road has been yet OF will Be made
in tine sufficient for the Performance of the
contemplated service The department. how
ever, viii take care IN making any contract, 10
provide that where here il 20 service there
shsii be DO pay, and that no 6aes or fsrfeiiures
rlaIlbs RENTED for failures arising from wan
Of a suitable road, or from ebsta les preseuted
by the insuihcieney Of the river navigation, or
Of the bays at either terminus Of The transit.