The Nevada journal., 1858-02-26

session in procuring an let for the imme-
diate establishment of such a mail, and
accordingly the Postmaster General was
ordered to let the contract No other
States had applied for it, no other Leg
islatures mcmoralized in its behalf, and
the law was so explicit that there could
be no room for constructive meaning
Several companies bid for the contract.
and the successful one desired to go to
work forthwith upon the line of central
travel from St. Louis to San Francisco.
1t was at this stage that the Postmaster
General, in direct violation of the law,
which left the route open to the selec-
ton of the contractors, refused to make
the award until he had compelled an
agreement to start from Memphis, and
stipulated that not even branch should
pass through the State of Missouri fur
ther west than Springfield. The viola
ton of the law was appealed from, and
the attention of the President drawn to
the palpable infraction. He sustained
the illegal act of the Postmaster-Ge
al, and confirmed the southern Texas
mail route. And that was the treat
ment the petition from our Legislature
received at the hands of the Department.
Had Tennessee and Arkansas first NOV
ed in this behalf we might have felt
sighted but not insulted. AS it was, it
began in Missouri and California, and
has ended in Texas and Sonora The
excuse is the temperature. Government,
it seems, can send an army to Winter
in the South Pass, but cannot trust a
mail coach through lower attitudes of a
more central route. Apart, however,
from the just cause of grievance which
citizens of this State may have, there
are other controlling considerations
which must condemn this measure as a
Federal policy. The immediate wants
of the Government, the operations of the
army in the interior, the speed and di-
rectness of transport, would all forcibly
indicate the wisdom of so establishing a
central trunk mail line, that its branch
es might easily diverge to the north and
the south, and thus openimmediate COM
munication between all the States and
all the Territories. The ignoring of
such considerations. on the other hand,
betrays either corruption or incompe-
tency in the chief of the bureau. A re
gard for the best interests of the service
itself would require that the tcrmini of
such postal route should be the local
points of the existing mail systems of
the Atlantic and the Pacific but the
interests Of the service seem not to have
been taken into account at all, in the ca
gerness of a Cabinet officer to confer a
home favor. Recommendation which
relate to improvement in the carrying
and certainty in the delivery of the
mails, / know of but one of a practical
nature that has emanated from The pres
ent head efthe Department. 1t amounts
in substance to the despatching of a
mail-agent to accompany every mail bag
but while this might greatly extend the
patronage at disposal it may be doubted
whether it would comport with postal
revenue which is estimated to fall three
millions of dollars below the amount
necessary to defray expenses. One dis
covery which the Department has made
should not be passed over without fitting
notice. 1t is late, and it is refreshing.
1t is that the Mississippi begins at Mem
phis and ends at New Orleans and ac-
cordingly, in total oblivion of the source
whence its mighty waters flow, it has
divided it into four routes between the
points named. Let me do him full JUS
tice, however The Postmaster Gener-
al does recommend in his last report,
moved, no doubt by spirit of explora-
ton, that ga ub-division be added from
Memphis to Cairo" Land of Egyptian
darkness, hail with delight the promised
dawn
In like manner. l might passin review
other branches of the public service,
from that of the Treasury in its deal
ings with the currency to that of the In
terror in its dealings with the pnblic
lands, and demonstrate equal, if not
greater inefficiency, than in those al
ready commented upon. Mr.. Guthrie,
when he retired from office, carried with
him a reputation for honesty. competen-
cy, and rigid compliance with the law
that has been surpassed by no other man
who has filled that position. The enco-
miums which he received, and which he
Justly merited. did much to redeem the
Administration of which he was part,
and left to his successor not only fnan-
cal system that could be reproached
with few faults, but the most emphatic
Endorsement of that system in the shape
of an overAowing treasury. What is
its condition nowl | will not say ex-
hausted-l know it is not plethoric but
even the Secretary of the Treasury
himself finds it impossible to deduce
from its confusion true statement on
which to base his demand for an issue of
notes. For the past year, phlebotomy
has been practiced So unsurgically, that
restoratives have to be applied and yet
in this critical condition of the patient,
the learned doctor prescribes what may
be termed water Cruel. After expend-
ing large sums of gold and silver in the
buying in of United States bonds at
high premium, he now proposes to emit