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

the routes va France and Hamburg, which accounts
Coz The large decrease British and Bremen mails during
the past year ~. ~
rore was 81 SIS i47 80 On mails to Great britain,
$3.50 100 So 10 Prussia Slg3 T65 05 O. Bremen, sll
$50 So 20 France, Sl0l4l4 GO; aud TO llainoug' siV'
500 37-toal sent $69I, 5S5 ~ on MANS iees,e"
rom Great Britain S422 59l 06i from Prssia siol'-
g97 65; from Bremen $40 039 Sc; from France, siof-
an TG and from Hamburg, s5,5il S-totai received,
$3.50 GIL 40. Total hostages collected III u'e o'ou
states ss42 ga 53 la Great Britain, PRUSSIA bremen
France and Hamburg $685. 522 49, Excess OF hostages
collected In the United States, $500. lol a.
Total hostages for year from the New York, Aspin-
wall ani California lines 1906 TAI AZ; from the Charles
ton and Havana line 80 l25 AZ and from the New VI
leans and Vera Cruz line, 81, 800 81
regret that since the expiration OF the contracts Tor
the Bremen and Hayre lines, our ocean mail steamship
service to Europe has not been established on any perma
nent basis The ships of the New York and Liverpool
line were withdrawn in the month OF February 1898,
and no service has been performed under the Collins CON
tract that time This contract being with the Navy
Departnent the Postmaster General had no conol over
IT, and OF course power either TO enforce tuhment or
10 annu Tor repeated failures, as IN the case oil Ordinary
mail contracts The temporary contracts Ion service 10
Southampton Bremen and Havre expiring on the LIST OF
June last was very solcitous, either that The trips
upon the Collins line should be resumed OF that the con
tmct SHOULD be declared at end SO that by new ar
Engagements could secure the full number oil weekly
trips American vessels necessary to alternate regular
Nv with the ships OF the Cunnrd line Hence, soon
after the adjournment OF Congress, sought TO ascertain
whether or not | could depend the resumption
OF service under the Collins contract but II was
not until quite late in the summer that l could
obtain any reliable Information on the subject AT
length a proposition was made TO resume the ser
vice, provided the ships could be allowed to make
Portland instead of New York the American terminus OF
the line This proposition was declined by the Navy
Department and, the contract still remaining IN force
il out OF my power to engage other than temporary
service by the single trip that line, rs authorized by
provision In the first section OF the act OF last session
maxi tons
delay and uncertainty in respect to this line had the eeot
also independently of any other cause to prevent the
making OF any permanent contracts ior the other nhes
necessary furnish the full number OF trips required
and the result has been that all the service performed has
been entirely Of temporary character Upon the Collins
line UP the 30th OF September, 1898, nine outward
and seven inward trips have been performed for the sea
postage on the mails conveyed at an average sum OF
So 3T9 per round trip and five round trips Tor the sea
and inland postage amounting to 81 l25 per trip Upon
the Bremen line from June 1897 to October IL 1905
inclusive outward and fifteen inward trips have
been performed by Cornelius Vanderbilt for the sen and
United States inland postage averaging s. per round
trip and upon the New York and Havre line from June
1857 October 6, 1883 inclusive the old contractors
have made sixteen round trips the terms, aver
aging 81 ,49l per trip
The fourth section OF the act Of last session, above re-
ferred to- provides that ait shall not be lawful for the
Postmaster General to make amy steamship or other new
contract for carrying the mails on the sea for asloDger
period than two years. for any other compensation
than the and inland hostages the mails 50 trans
ported " and the fifth section OF said act confines the
compensation to the postage only, If the uasporta-
ton il by foreign vessel Can the service be obtained
on these terms believe ii may be- IL deemed expe-
dent employ foreign vessels it is certain that parties
now stand ready to take the mails for the postage
But shall this service be renqushed entcly to foreign
steamers and if not will American lines contract under
the existing law Nothing is clearer than TINT 1t is for
the interest OF this government to employ American in
preference foreign for the conveyance OF
mails they can be secured the terms authorized by
law but whether this may be done is matter of doubt
Save during the winter months there would probably be
no difficulty in getting the mails carried these terms
but period short two years it Is hardly proba
bic that contracts with American lines could be obtained
carry regularly the year round 10 secure TO- such lines
their due share OF the posages it is essential that perfect
regularity should be observed in winter as well as during
the other months of the year. by at least weekly de-
parure and arrival on either side. The want of regu-
larity heretofore has had the effect to give the adj
vantage to the British lines The evidence is now be-
methat of the correspondence for instance, be-
tween the United States and Switzerland ont of 900
letters 1900 transmitted by British vessels owing
believed mainly to the circumstance of the known
regularity Of these vessels in sailing given day.
Why may not the regularity be established and
maintained by American shipsP Let this be DONE and
good is perceived why they may not carry an
equal proportion of the mails the postage on which
would afford fair compensation for the service This
is susceptible of demonstration For instance the az
gregae of and United States inland hostages
Oh the mails by the different lines of the United States
and foreign mail packets between the United States and
S69 This, for semiweely service, woud give an aver
age of S12 ISL the round trip, at the rate of S633 431
per annun for the weekly service desired from an Amer
lean line lines with the prospect OF steady increase
from constantly increasing trade and correspondence
calculated to furnish the requisite facilities of com
muncaon between Europe and the southern and south
western States the projected lines between Norfolk anc
England and between New Orleans and Bordeaux, il
France among the most important TO be established
1T unnecessary point out the advantages these ne
would be certain have in developing the
those States They could not fail to be otherwise thar
highly satisfactory. The lines to Bremen and Hayre
touchiag at Southampton, should be continued and il
practicable increased to semi monthly service Bre
men company running fine steamers semi
monthly between New York and Bremenhaven carrying
the mails for the hostages. If this be done by par
ties in Bremen, why not also, by enterprsing citizens
the United States and thus secure regular and perna
nent weekly communication Such an arrangement
would not only afford the best and cheapest means foi
the transmission of the mails between the United States
and continental Europe, and it may be to and from the
East Indies by the way Trieste but it would also bt
highly advantageous in commercial point OF view
With reference to American overland communication
to India via Trieste am credbly informed that negota
tons are pending this end between the Lloyd Steam
shin Companies of Bremen and Trieste and the inferno
date railroad companies and that it is intended to TAKE
effect SO soon as weekly line is established between tho
United States and Bremen 1t is believed that this rout,
will furnish cheaper and better facilities OF communica
tion than any existing route.
But If the compensation for steamships service Is
to be limited to the posages it cannot be expected that
parties will contract for 80 short term as two years
and obligate themselves to carry during the winter
months ] would therefore, respectfully recommend