St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-01-20
Memorial.

10 the Senate and House of representa-
tires Of the Cuited States Of Americu, IN.
Congress assembled:
The undersigned citizens of Minnesota,
respectfully represent to the Congress of
the United States, that semi-weekly mail
service to the navigable waters Of the Co.
lumbia River, and to Puget Sound, from
some point CENTRAL to the western limits
Of the Great Lakes, can be accomplished
in eighteen days, provided The same en-
couragemcnt is given by the Government
to the enterprise which has been extend
ed to the line from St. Louis anil Mem
phis to San Francisco
The object Of this memorial is, to ask
from Congress that the requisite encour-
agement shall be extended to the North
western route.
OF the vast extent Of American terrific
ry between the Mississippi River and the
Pacific Ocean, the principal portion lies
north Of the fortieth parallel Of latitude -
AS proprietor Of the public domain and
the guardian of immature States, therefore.
the General Government is interested in a
postal connection, which, while indisper-
sable to the people of Oregon and Wash
ina ton, would encourage speedy settle
ments in the valleys OF the Upper Missou-
ii River and of the Rocky Mountains. and
IN the transmontane basin Of the Columbia.
We look In vain, over more southern ar
eas, for geographical and hylrographical
relations SO commanding as are presented
by the limits Of navigation on the Lakes
and the Mississippi, and by the cllangels
Of the Missouri and Columbia rivers. Re
garded as question of Internal Policy a.
lone, the Overland Route from the North
en Lakes to Puget Sound challenges the
favorable consideration of the Govern
ment.
South Of latitude 49, the Federal Govern
mcnt now expends S2,230,G annually for
the transportation of the mails to the Pacific
coast, as follows:
Semi monthly ocean service, ola
Panama to California and Oregon. S75S, ,25O
Semi monthly overland mail from
San Antonia, Texas, to San Diego,
California. l96.448
Semi weekly overland mail from
Memphis and St. Louis, pic Ell Pa
so to San Francisco. 100000
Weekly overland mail from St.
Joseph, Missouri and thence to
placerville, California. 100000
Monthly route from Kansas City,
vic Albuquerque and Tejon Pass
to Stockton. 10000
Semi monthly mail from New Or
leans to Tchuantepec. o5C.COO
s2,l94 4,G9s
Add $36, 900 for the Tehuantepec
Route when the contractors choose
to carry mails to San Francisco. $4,000
Total. S2,23o, ,6es
The Ocean service by the Isthmus Of
Panama, starts from York York and New
Orleans, and communicates with Oregon
as we'll as California, and is not exclusively
local in its character Deducting, there
fore the sum first above stated, and also
the payment on account of the Tehuante-
pee route (Which would be an aggregate Of
81 ,O24, 25O), and it leaves total expen-
diture for Mail Service over American
Territory b5tween attitudes 81 deg. and
10 deg Of 81 ,196,448, while the area be-
tween ATTITUDES 10 deg. and 49 deg. is
without any Overland Mail Service what
ever.
These facts warrant the present applica-
cation to Congress, for the establishment
Of an Overland Semi-Weekly Mail on or
near the forty-sevcnth parallel of north
latitude, and that the same Legislative and
other provision in its behalf shall be made,
which now exists in favor Of the Overland
Route near the Southern frontier. ,.!ore,
the citizens of the Lake States are not
disposed to ask-so much the Government
should be prompt to concede.
The annual report of the Postmaster
General contains favorable intimation on
this subject. Ia regard to the "overland
connection with California and the other
Pacific States and Territories that officer
remarks; "exccpt one other route, COM
mon ly called the Northern route, from St.
Paul in Minnesota, to Seattle, in Wash
ington Territory, no other is now thought
Of as being likely to become necessary"
In schetuie OF contracts, for which the
Post Office department has invited pro-
posals, a seml-monthly mail service be-
tween the points named above, was adver-
tised. But semi-monthly mail is entire
ly inadequate to meet the public emergen-
Icy, while the necessary expenditure for
stock, vehicles, stations, facilities of tran
sit, and protection to the employed, will
be nearly the same under semi-monthly
n q S01la ixI,1o >l11-- M,