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


To the Senate and House ofRepresenta-
tires Of the, Uuited States Of Ameriica, IN
Congress asse1a6led:. litu5., ii L, Il.
The undersigned citizens Of Minnesota,
respectfully represent to the Congress Of
the United States, that semi-weekly mail
service to the nayigable 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-
couragement is given by the Government
to the enterprise which has been extend
ed to the line from St. Louis and Mem
phis to San Francisco. Ss"~-...s. E: ~ ..l.+
The object Of this memorial is, to ask
from Congress that the requisite encour-
agement shall be extended to the North
western route. @a
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 indispen-
sable to the people of Oregon and Wash
inston, would encourage speedy settle
ments in the valleys Of the Upper Missou-
ri River and of the Rocky Mountains, and
in the transmontane basin of the Columbia.
We look in vain, over more southern ar
cas-, for geographical and photographed
relations so commanding as are presented
by the limits Of navigation on the Lakes
and the Mississippi, and by the channels
of the Missouri and Columbia rivers. Re
garded as question of Internal Policy a.
lone, the Overland Route from the North
ern Lakes to Puget Sound challenges the
favorable consideration of the Govern.
ment. E.'".''-' 81 - $'.~."+ g.. H., i. e, Il
South Of latitude 40, the Federal Govern
mcnt now expends 2,230G9 annually for
the transportation of the mails to the Pacific
coast, as follows: disease.
Semi monthly ocean service, ola .,+t
Panama to California and Oregon. S738, $50
Semimonthly overland mail, from -.
San Antonio, Texas, to San Diego, .s -
California. IL: si.. l96448
Semi weekly overland mail from ---.:
Memphis and st. Louis, via Ell Pa- H..
so to San Francisco. .:E7 .,* 100000
Weekly overland mail from ST. -.
Joseph, Missouri and thence to ..,l.
Placerville, California. @, %s'-'-" 100000
Monthly route from Kansas City,
ola Albuquerque and TETON Pass
to Stockton. $4,000
Semi monthly mail from New Or .,..'s 3
leans to Tchuantepec. 25eooo
-s>''1 +s5 ILL.,. ~ $2,194, 698
Add $3.50, 900 for the Tehuantepec = -~
Route when the contractors choose a..
to carry mails to San Francisco " 900
Total a.s. d, aft = ..a II z3 1920, 6s8
The Ocean service by the sthnus 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 ain aggregate Of
81, 024, 25O), and it leaves total expen.
diture for Mail Service over American
Territory bstween latitudes 81 deg. and
40 deg. of 81 1876, 448, while the area be.
tween ATTITUDES 40 deg. and 40 deg. is
without any Overland Mail Service what.
ever. s.a~.e.s.z .s,sa..z e,s,s.s-.
These facts warrant the present applica,
cation to Congress, for the establishment
Of an Overland Semi-W eekly Mail on o,
near the forty-seventh 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. fore
the citizens of the Lake States are not
disposed to ask-so much the Governmen,
should be prompt to concede. 2#
The annual report of the Postmaste,
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; s.exccpt sone other route, com.
monly called the Northern route, from st
Paul in Minnesota, to Seattle, in Wash.
ington Territory, no other is now though,
of as being likely to become necessary. {
In a schbtuleI Of. contracts, for which the
Post Office department has invited pro.
posals, a semi monthly mail service be.
tween the points named above, was adver.
tised. But semi-monthly mail is entire.
| " Inadequate to meet the public emergen.
Icy, while the necessary expenditure fol
I;stonk, vehicles, stations, facilities Of tran
sit, and protection to the employed, will