The Van Buren press., 1859-11-18
Public Meeting.

Public Meeting.
AT meeting of the citizens of Crawford
county held at the Court House on Monday
the l4th inst, the following proceedings
We're hsd. Doct. j. A. Dibrell was
called to the chair, and G Wilcox appoint
ed Secretary. The object of the meeting
being stated to be that of taking some
measures in regard to the present delanged
and unsatisfactory state of present mail ar
rangcments, committee was appointed to
draft suitable resolutions expressive of the
sense of the meeting. The committee re-
ported the following Preamble and Resolu.
tions which were adopted
Your committee to whom was referred
the grievances of the people of Western
ArkanSas-growing out of the dcranged
condition OF the mails-having had the
same under consideration, beg leave to re-
port briefly these facts that at the general
mail letting in 1858, route No. 1872 was
let to Charles {. Heard. for daily service in
two-horse post COACHES. That said daily
service on said route was continued from
about the first of July 1858 to about the
first of August, 1859, at which time it was
reduced 10 tn weekly trips thereby reducing
1t four trips per week that said tri weekly
service was continued until the lst of Sep
tember last, when the contractor, having
first given notice to the proper Department,
discontinued further service thereon, and
abandoned the contract so improperly re-
scinded by the government.
That after the service was SO continued,
one mail was conveyed over said route ut
the end of two weeks-and only one-irom
which time henceiorth one mail week has
been conveyed over said route, by what is
called :. trip service" at most exorbitant
rates, more eNtravagant in proportion to
the service rendered than those paid for the
daily service, which was the sum of Sl5,-
iI3. which required about - teams and 10
stages to perform it, while this trip service
requires but two teams and a like number
OF post coaches.
That said route is one of vital import
ance. and that the mail conveyed over the
same supplies and accommodates about 100
way offices, and tens of thousands of per
sons with all their mail
That consequently weekly service is en-
tirely insufficient and cannot, under the best
possible management. supply the wantssand
demands of the people on this route, but
much more inadequate to the satisfaction of
those wants and demands under the present
arrangements by which it sometimes occurs
that mail matter is either left at Little Rock
-or thrown out ut the offices on the route to
make room for passengers.
sls. 4
of mail facilities, growing out of the cur
tailment of service on this route. the letters,
documents &c, received through the mail
on the same are usually so stale and unin-
terestiIg as to be wholly useless.
That the extent of country supplied with
mail matter by this route, its constantly in
creasing population and wealth. and its
great amount of business which is rapidly
augmenting as the country improves and its
resources become dcveloped-the mercan-
tile business Oi Van Buren, alone amount
ing to more than 81 900, 900 anaually-re-
quire the facilities of daily mail ; and hav-
ing enjoyed the benefits and advantages of
one, 1t is unjust and unfair to force us to
take step backward in this age of prog
ress. and when our necessities demand in
creased facilities.
That upon other routes in this State the
service has not been curtailed to the same
extent as upon this No. 1912, to one of
which Your committee beg leave to refer,
viz. /: that from Desarc via. Dardanelle to
Fort Smith, which at the general letting in
90 was let for triweekly service, with four
horse post chaises, for the sum of S12, $50
and when curtailed then of only one trip
per week, while the service upon route No.
1912 was curtailed first of four and after
wards of six trips per week. though the for
mer is comparatively of much less import
ance than the latter, conveying less mail
matter, and supplying less way offices and
people. Yet We do not complain of the
liberality of the government in granting to
the Desarc and Fort Smith route good and
sufficient mail facilities. but merely of the
inequality and unfairness practised by the
government toward said route, No. 1912.
That the curtailment of service upon the
important routes in this State is to some
extent attributable to the failure of the last
Congress to make suitable appropriations
for carrying on the same, which action of
Congress is highly ccnsurablc and deserving