The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-23
PROPOSED NAH FACILITIES IN TIE GULF
or MEYfCO.


We inserted on tho 18th instant communication upon
this subject since when the reports OF the Postmaster
General and the Post oncs Committee Of the Senate have
been placed in our hands.
The Senate Committee ON the Post Once and Post
Roads have reported bill authorizing contract for the
conveyance Of the mails four month"; for the term
Of ten years and fes compensation of sl2o 900 per
annum tor mall service TO be performed in the following
order viz steamer win leave New Orleans Mobile
the LIST and 18th Of each month touching first at
Galveston Matagorda Bazos dc santiago, lampoo, Vera
Cruz coatzacoaleos, 1abasoo Lagana, campcche sisa
and thence to New Orleans Mobile and ON the 9Th
and gath Of each month a steamer will leave New Or
leans Mobile touching first at Sisal Campeohe, La
guna Tabasco Coatzaooalcos, Vera Cruz Iampico, Bra
eos de Santiago Matagorda Galveston and thence to
New Orleans or Mobile thus accomplishing the entire
circuit of the Gulf four round voyages per month
AS means OF Increasing our commerce with Mexico
this project will be very efficient 1t ID for the want of
the facilities afforded by regular, speedy, and certain
munication with the Mexican ports On the Gull that
our commerce has dwinded down less than two mil
lions year although early 1885 the imports from
Mexico 10 this country amounted TO SO 900 ooo
and the exports from the United States to that country
TO about the same amount thus making total inter
change Of trade OF near $40, 100000
This valuable trade tAs passed into the hands Of the
British French, and other European nations the in
terchange Of trade between Great Britain alone aver
ages more than s2s 600 900 per This fact is at
trbuabe to the policy of the British government in pro
tecng and supporting regular lines Of steamers with ibcr
al mail compensation the result Of which has been to d.
rect 20 her the bulk of the trade of the whole world
Thus she has secured prepondeance of political intu
ence over the most of the Spanish American States
which has always been calculated to retd the progress
and development Of American principles and institutions
lie
arity of intercourse between countries are the Post
master General remarks in his letter approving of this
project, .'the life springs Of commerce. At present
have no regular postal communication between the Uni
ted States and any of the Mexican ports except regu
lar one with Vera Cruz, twice month, which is gene
rally suspended during the summer months.
The proximity of the United States to Mexico and the
enterprise and industry of people, will enable after
the trade shall be opened to supply Mexico with all
the varied products and manufactures which she may de-
sire for consumption, advantageous terms than
Europe can offer her while commodities of her growth
win find ready market in the United States. The
NOUS amounts of specie which find their way to
Europe would thus be diverted to the United States in
exchange for cotton, and fabrics of cotton and
wool prints, cloths iron manufactures of all Sorts
uacures of wood leather &c. &C. 1t is believed that
this commerce might very soon be brought up to thirty
millions year, and thereby largely augment the
nue. to the government. The revenue which has been
lost to the United States by the neglect of the Mexican
trade during the last ten years would be ample in the
aggregate at this tme to supply the deficit in the treas
ury An active commerce with Mexico would enrich the
country promote the prosperity of every branch of
domestic industry, and, at the time, increase the
revenue hostages alone to amount far exceeding
that be paid for mail service by the United States gov
eminent