The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-06-21

The CEAN NAH. SERVICE BuI.-THE COLLINS
LNE-A SPECIMEN OF CONGRESSIONAL EcoNo-
MY.-Under the act making appropriation for
the ocean mail steamers approved June IL,
1858, (Which we publish elsewhere,) no new
contract can be made by the Postmaster Gene
raj for transporting the mails ON the sea for
longer period than two years, nor can he give
any greater compensation to United States yes
sells than the United States inland and sea post.
ages Our European service has been done by
three American lines. Collins line, under
contract for twenty trips year, viii expire on
3Oth June, 1860, and he will receive his regular
contract pay, with the exception of little I'M
paid item Of STAT 900.
The case, as we understand, is this Several
years ago, ON account of the loss of the Arctic
and the Pacific, the CoNins Company, in order to
accomplish the trips required under their con-
tract, we're compelled to substitute, on several
occasions, some other steamer for the trip, which
would otherwise have been performed by the
Arctic or the Pacific. But the service was per-
formed, and the company asked for their pay.
1t was refused by President Pierce, upon de.
cision, we believe, of his Attorney General,
Cushing. The company laid the matter before
the present administration, and Attorney
General Black decided that this claim of
STAT, 900 was good and valid. Mr.. Buchanan,
however, in Difference to the decision of bis pre-
decessor in Office, preferred to submit the
matter to the sanction of Congress, and an
appropriation, covering the $4,000, was
accordingly introduced into the Ocean
Mail bill 1t passed both houses; bat
in arranging certain dsagreements upon other
items, this appropriation was reconsidered and
rejected by the small potato economists Of the
House. Mr.. Collins, we understand has since
fallen back upon the President; but while the
President, (under the decision of bis Attorney
General might authorize the payment, and upon
the faith, too of the original appropriation we
presume that he feels bound to adhere to the
arbitrament to which be submitted the case. We
may thus consider this money as having been
denied to the Collins company-frst, by the
narrow-minded administration of Pierce, and
secondly, by the hostility of our Western mem
bers of Congress-those very economizers who
have squandered within the last ten years not
less perhaps than two hundred millions of the
government resources in swamp land grants,
railroad land lobby jobs, and things of that
sort.
According to the law passed at the late ses-
sion, for every trip required of the Collins COM
pany which they may fail to perform with one
of their own steamers, the Post Office Depart
ment is authorized to employ some other steam
er, and to pay for the service pro rata out of the
yearly appropriation to the Collins line. We
suppose, therefore, that the company will re-
sumo their trips and trust to the next session of
Congress for the back pay to which they are
fairly entitled.
The contracts made in May, 1857, with the
Havre Steamship Company and with Wander
bilt will expire on 30th June, inst, and any
new contract entered into with them must
be for sum not greater than the United States
inland and sea hostages, nor for longer than
two years. The contract with the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company for carrying the mails be-
tween Panama and California will expire on the
first of October, 1858, and any new contract can
be made for the hostages only. The hostages be-
tween New York and California are about
$40, 900, and this sum will be distributed pro
rata, according to distance. The mail is carried
by this line and the United States Mail Steam
ship Company between New York and Aspin-
wall. The distance from New York to Aspin-
wall is 1000 miles, and between Panama and
Astoria 1000 miles; SO that the Pacific Steam
ship Company can receive four-sixths or two
thirds Of the hostages, after deducting 500, 900
paid to the Panama Railroad for transporting
said mails, or about $4,000. Read the act.