Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-02-09

Ocean Mali service--AdministratiO Waste.

OCEAN 1Iati Observation-Disclosures WASTE.
While the Government is foundering on IN
debt, bayrowing and issuing Treasury shin-
plasters to keep the wheels IN motion anu pay
officials their fat salaries the Post Office De-
partment sunk SO deep that resort to increase
Of postage is recommended, projects to squan-
der other millions are as rife if the Treasury
was still as OverAOwing as when James Buchan-
l-. an took possession of its keys. The Washing
ton Union announces that 'after mature delib-
Grafton the Committee of the House of Repre-
sentatives, on the Post Office and Post Roads
~ "a have reported bill to establish general line
to carry the ocean mails between the United
., States and Europe" and the UdiOn lauds the Ad-
80 minstration measure of waste and prohigacy as
the very acme offnancial wisdom and economy.
The Ocean mail steam service the Admins
tration proposes to inaugurate is not to be con-
fined to single line from the great commercial
..-. emporium, but the blessings are to be dstnbu-
sob ted equally to the cities of Portland, Boston,
s5 New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Noriolk'
Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans So
saws the Union, and it predicts that ''the meas
s5zu ure will be sustained by larger vote IN both
branches of Congress than has ever been given
to any ocean line" OF the men, pay and
steamers the Union thus speaks
The parties associated to carry out this great
measure are the first men in each of the respec-
tive cities for wealth, commercial enterprise,
and ability. They undertake the service for a
period of ten years for the postages only OF that
term. They begin Immediately with SIX ocean
steamers, now ready for the service, and tney
- put on the remaining eight in twelve months
---r or as much earlier as they can be constructed
According to the Government organ the bill
in financial view is perfectly adapted to the
condition of the treasury. 1t takes no money
therefrom All it requires is a simple endorse
ment Of credit on the part of the government
1t is pretty certain the government has nothing
else to give.
How is this credit to be used Why, to
build and equip this fleet of ocean mail steamers
for the benefit of certain party favOrites and
spectators and Atlantic ports from New Or
leans round to Portland, the Secretary OF the
Treasury is directed issue bonds towards this
object to the amount of two-thirds of thei
whole cost Here is to be an addition of sew
eral millions TO the public debt at once
But there are other financial features of th'
bill which clearly mark its paternity to be o
the present bankrupt administration The
Y Times remarks JnaI 'lne oegree VI eSOHO",
likely to be attained by this bill may be seer
from the rate of payment which it provides
The steamers are to receive the gross sum o
the sea and inland pOstages for the whole tel
years,-and this is guaranteed to be equal t'
two dollars for each statute mile of distance rur
by the said steamers. The distance to be rur
annually by the fou- Northern lines, making
s1 ffty-twO trips, is SO6,sOO nautical miles, ant
by the five Southern lines 100000 This make
a total of 7I2,sOO-or about 3l,600 statut'
miles-which at two dollars per mile woul'
give the snug little sum of sl.66S,2OO as th
annual cost of the Ocean Mail service, to say
nothing of tie debt incurred by the Government
in the construction OF the steamers! This l
t,cice as much as the gross postage ever amount
ed to in any one year And yet the Govern
+ ment pretends to be in favor of restricting tn
cost of the Ocean mail service to the amour
received for postage"