Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-12-14
Report Of she postmaster General.

T
differentiation, and imprisoned in default Of S25,
600 bail.
Report Of abe Postmaster General.
Posi- OFFICE DsPAsTMENF,
tras December 4, 1853.
sIR I have the honor 60 submit the following re
port Of the operations and business Of the Post Office
Department since my communication to you Of LIST
December last.
EXPRKss MAIL AGENTS.
In my last annual report alluson was made to i'm
provements which were expected 20 result from the
employment Of express agentsto accompany mails
on the great routes from New York, Philadelphia,
/ and Baltimore westward
Suoh service has been in operation long
enough to demonstrate that it's importance was not
| morning and evening from New York for the
| Overesiimated. Agents start with the great mails
West-the latter eoirg through without change TO
Cincinnati; the former 70 Ceves- d-and being
held to strict accountability for AL mailhags placed
under thar charge
Similar agencies are established between Ciucin-
mali and st. Louis; and those between Baltimore
and Cincinnati, and Philadelphia and Cincinnati,
referred to last year, have continued in successful
operation The latter route IS just changed so as
! to make Chicago, instead Of Cincinnati terminus;
/ and the express mails viii be conveyed through in
/ about thiriy>six hours between Philadelphis aud
/ Chicago. The Cincinnati mails for the Philadelphia
route will be in charge of The New York express
! agents between Crestlne and Cincinnati.
/ The advantages Of keeping mails un2er the con
slant supervision Of the agents Of this Department
for the longest distances practicable to be rum
so apparent that some Of the usual sbor'eT routes
for agents different sections have been odat-
ed, and further changes Of this srrt viii be made
! from time TO time, far as consistent with the
proper assortment Of mails for way Offices; while it
it may also be found necessary to increase the
Der Of express routes for delivering closed bags,
without reference to the exchange Of mails between
the smaller Offices.
! The number Of such bags alrea very great must
be multiplied more and more, in order to avoid the
delays incident to distribution on the way between
l remote points; and nothing short Of the undivided
attention of agents directly responsible to this De-
partment, can insure for the mails such regularity
and safety as the public have the right to expect
] The Government having by law the monopoly of the
mail service should spare no efforts or expense to
place it sb0ve the reproaeh which has attached to
of being behind indv lual enterprise as to certainty
and speed and less adapted to the wants Of trade
aud commerce, in their widely-extended ramifcs-
tions, which can only be satisfied with mail system
combining all possible elements and appliances to
make perfect as far as human agency can be eec-
tive to that end.
NEw YORK AND NEW ORLEANS ROUTE
On the first day of July last an arrangement took
effect BY which mails we're to be conveyed between
Washington and New Orleans in four and half DAYS
by way Of Richmond and Lynchburg Virginia,
Bristol, Rockville, Chattanooga, and Grand Junction,
Tennessee, and jackson, Mississippi all by railroad
with the exception of gap of ninety miles, in Miss
issippi, between the unfinished portions Of the Miss
issippi Central railroad, which is supplied by stage
service. So far as the time is concerned, coming
North from New Orleans TO Washington, the whole
service has lately been performed with but few in
terrupdons, although IN the beginning there were
some unexpected difficulties connected with the stage
portion Of the route Going South, the schedule
contemplated the running of cars by night from eau
ton to New Orleans; but the early appearance of the
yellow fever, epidemic, and its great viruence,
interposed serious obstacle in the way Of this
vice. the railroad company considering it runous to
their interests to approach the infected district
cept during the day time. The mails were thus
neeessa rily delayed night (tEelve hoUrs) at
Canton, and delivered in New Orleans twelve hours
behind the stipulated time. Assurances have hoW-
e5er been given, that such delay shall no longer
continue, and it is not doubted that the contract
schedule will soon be fully complied with nsuring
the delivery Of mails from Washington at New Or
! leans within four ard half days.
! The parties to the foregoing arrangement have
further stipulated that from and after lst July next
the time shall be reduced twenty -four hours making
the communication between Washington and New
| Orleans in three dsys and half, or between New
York and New Orleans within four days.
/ The mail service in general between New York
and New Orleans, during the pUst year, has been
rather more exempt frem the delays and irreguiari
ties BY which it has usually been characterized, and
there is scarcely doubt that very great improve
mens will be effected during the next year by the
completion Of continuous and direct TailFOOd con-
Bection through Virginia Tennessee and Mississippi
that is, via Gordonsville Gns;ead Of Richmond) TO
Lynohburg thence to Knoxville, tennessee and
direct to Chattanooga, (Omittiug Dalton Georgia.
thence to Grand Junction, aud over the Mississippi
Central and New Orleans, Jackson and Great North
railroads.
l. last year, referred to routes established by law,
and pdvprfiend nv this from Ga1ar
Florida, to New Orleans, and from Fernandina,
Florida TO New York, in steamers being designed,
in connection with railroad in course Of coDstruc-
ton across the p6ninsula of Florida from Fernan-
dina Cedar Key to constitute a new route from
New York to New Orleans, with view to the speed
Ter and more certain transmission of the great
Northern and Southern mails communicated pro-
posas which had been received TO convey mails be-
tween New York and New Orleans in Eve days,
upled with the condition that pay would he de-
manded for any trip not performed within that time,
and called attention to the subject one of vast
public interest My views Of this route remain
unchanged; but, owing to the unfinished condition
Of the railroad az well the large expenditure Of
money involved. no progress has been made in the
negotiation on the subject.
ST. LOUIS AND NEW ORLEANS MAIL.
The hope was INDUCED last year that before this
time railroad connections would be so nearly com~
pleted that the great through mails between Cairo
and New Orleans would be conveyed much more
expeditiously and regularly than can be done, in
the nature of things, by steamboats,.
This improvement has not yet been effected, but
information has been received within a few DAYS
which renders it certain that the railroad eommu-
ncation will be opened befOse the end Of this year
Anticipating this state Of things, the Department
at the letting Of contracts divided the Mississippi
river routes as follows:
From St. Louis, via Cairo, to Memphis, three |
times week.
From Nashville, via Cairo, TO Memphis, three !
times a week the two routes running on alternate
days, making six trips weekly each way between
Cairo and Memphis.
From Memphis to New Orleans six times week
with one additional weekly trip between Memphis
and NAPOLEON, and four additional weekly trips be-
tween ST. Francisvilie and New Orleans
The cost of the mail service by these routes be.
tween Cairo and New Orleans is S262, 6IS per an.
nun, which amount, compared with the cost Of the
steamboat service in operation up to the Both June
asst between the same points, (S4S2, 1857 shows
saving Of Sl69 us per annum and it is peculiarly
gratifying in view of the great reduction of cost to
tste as am enabled to do, that the service is
all respects more satisfactory than the old It is
performed with the utmost possible regularity and
ords every facility that can be reasonably expects
by she people who are directly interested in the
river mails.
The shortest time by the river between Cairo and
lew Orleans has been four days.
The anticipated railroad service, via jackson and
rand Junction. Tennessee, and Canton Mississip- Y
l. will probably be performed in two days each I
sy, and ct a cost Of about Sl12, AS per annum. q
his sum- added to the expense for the river msils