The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-27

emigration In commercial or national point Of View
the importance Of ptonpt communication With .liLrni
cannot be estimated Ia the absence OF govern
nient organization Il seems to me that government Should
secure many OF its advantages possible. 70 Obtain
uncing Regularity you must turi to cspenencS partl
-thosc who have tho means embarked, and she cape
rence ~ apply their nca's and other powers udcioddS
Ia the Pacific OCEAN the contracta q be eileut niGt
bayo not only Trained men, but tried boats and ample b
lilites for repair within his control The prrsea
contractor possesses these aud they possessed by no
other parties.
IL Is very clear that the experienced contractor can
with ordinary care and vigilance, continue the seryp
with more regularity than any new one could hope u
attain without smilT experience, But will expericno
be sought each contractor in Turn be compelled to give
way 20 some ambitious fortunate rival who would
be content with lower rate Of compensation
! Now the Post Office Departmental we'll convinced
of the value of punctualty well of certainty in Tho
delivery OF the mails that II imposes fines ior every fail
uTc, unless caused by the clements. The law abhOn
penalties, however and II these hncs be COLLECTED
they cannot repair the wrong inflicted on hc bdttc
| This Is ireipedablc.
Punctuay and certainty in the delivery Of the mai.
the Pacific the necessary because the
connections NJ long intervals of two weeks, aud tho
failure of boat to connect with another would suspend
the correspondence Of that section of the Union with this
and ctrd the government dispatches or sima, period
whereas failure the Atlantic side would be ATTENDED
| with delay OF only few hours
In either the suspense and delay might create TEN.
porary alarm aud Inconvenience; but ON the Atlantic
remedy is found la the telegraph, which does
not exist ON the pachc
There can be no reasonable doubt that experience Is tie
surest perhaps the only safeguard against the dangc OF
navigation and transportation by steam aud as little
doubt that experience will be gained the govern
mcnt acts, in matters of such magnitude, with reference
To temporary savings The difficulties Of extended sea
service only be known 10 those who have encountered
aud overcome them.
II you give at random postiges to those who carry he
mails you enable the advcnurcr 10 cripple the capitalist
and you lock up enterprise and capital instead of sending
IN h,ig .lix -.s.tx
mail service is Ia be self sustaining IL cyci be
between distant points the ocean, without local bust
ness Intervening That the general mail service OF The
United States Is not self sustaining one may lie atrib
| ted to three causes lf
| 4 The immense extent Of sbarsely settled country
over which the mail is conveyed. q The demands Of
the people to have, and of the goyerpnisDt u grant,
| cheap rate OF postage. 8. The Quantity Of :. free mat
ter which, il subjected to the payment e postage would
50 far toward making up the deficiency il IL did hot
suffice entirely TO do There is, probably, no part Of
The world where correspondence is carried Ut cheap
"A rate between the Atlantic States and California
Washington, and Oregon
The postage by steamer single letters to Europe is
to Great Britain, - cents cents per 900 mikes TO
france "a cents, or ccn's; while TO California, Wash
ington, and Oregon it is 10 cents from "a to 81
| per ], 600 miles.
Thus letters conveyed than twice the distance
within the limits of the United States for less than one
half the rates to Europe which is onehaf the distance
corresponding rate OF postage To California; Washing
ton and Oregon would he ~ instead Of 10 cents per let
ter. ciis contrast will be much greater if the enormous
quantity Of fee matter in the California stamcrs and
the entire absence Of it in the European ste mel be
slefcl
1t is unnecessary to dwell upon the difference between
steamboat route of 100 miles, within the thicly settled
portions OF our union where the local travel forms
important feature to swell the receipts where sup
plies and repairs within reach at almost any step and
rone OF several thousand miles but little
requcncd where supplies aid ofany kind are inacccs.
sibc, and where the through travel is all that contractors
nj rail, ,1c v
arise from their local business.
In regard to free matter 1t is said that many tons have
been sent by steamer hence to California But your
California steamers not limited in their operation to
| the transportation of letters
One great considcra.Wn in the absence Of government
transports, is the rapdity and facility with which troops
can c transported, emergency to any point In proof
of this might refer with pride to the attention recently
given to officer Of your army, of the rapidly safety
and comfort with which body of troops WIS conveyed
by our steamers to Oregon. These troops to rein
force army after defeat. The delay OF sending these
men Cape Horn would have frustrated the object OF
the movement The men, whilst idle would have
cevcd three four months additional pay, and have
tecome ncapacatcd for immediate duty by long sea
voyage.
In time OF war delays always dangerous often ia.
tai and the Importance speedy concentration of troops
with limited army for offence and defence, cannot be
estimated IN dollars.
Such transportation devolvcs peculiarly upon the mail
steamers to California; because they be relied upon
Make them unreliable, in the effort TO make them self
sustaining with the cheapest postage known, and
government may be seriously embarrassed in sendinS
troops well mail matter II is not ar to calculate
what would tran sent steamer take mails for but The
question u.s. What is liberal pay under i'll cmcrgencie,
for term Of years
Security should and must be paid for, IL the govern
mcnt wishes il and if the postage be given TO cvnmc
tors, the government would have in fairness to designate
| a minimum amount.
Again the opac of mail matter must be considered by
government in arranging FOR its carriage 1e govern
ment becomes almost criminal in inrpsting il TO un.
/ worthy or insecure hands
With few exceptions, the United States mails are
transported not by weight but for round The
government having the privilege to send ton or
twenty.
THIS places discretion to both with the government,
which should be paid for Steam IL an expensive agent
IL cannot he awaited of like the wind of Heaven but the
contractor must pay to the extent 10 which ho uses it;
and to contractor tho difference Is very great, whether
he takes or twenty tons
IL il not iir comparison 10 place mail matter ON The
same footing merchandise for whilst tho Is easily
handled and requires only ordinary care the other must
be guarded with extraordinary under the charge OF
faithful men A more Just standard would be 10 place
mail matter the footing of CON- though in cases
it is far valuable The be protected by in
surancc, the other cannot. Ii the contractor the Pa
cc paid for mail matter at the rate os
for con bullion gold Dust the compensation would
be enormous. rt
An examination Of the mail contracts awarded
ly our government will establish the following the
cost PR niic of mail transportation by steamers
Per mile,
Collins line SO 10 increased in 1854 to- --.---s5 ~
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