Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-12-21
Public Meeting.

were had. Doct. J. A. Dibrell was called to the chair, and c. Wilcox appointed Secretary The object of the meeting being stated to be that of taking some measures in regard to present deranged and unsatis. factory state of present mail arrangements, committee was appointed to draft suit able resolutions expressive of the sense of the meeting. The committee reported the 1 following preamble and resolutions, which were adopted:
 Your committee to whom was referred the grievances of the people of western Arkansas-g growing out of the deranged 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. 1912 was let to Charles C. 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 to triweekly trips, thereby re- | duclng 1t four trips per week; that said tri weekly service was continued until the lst of September last, when the contractor, having first given notice to the proper de- | partment, discontinued further service there on, and abandoned the contract so improp- erly rescinded by the government.
 That after the service was so continued, one mail was conveyed over said route at the end of two weeks-and only one, from which ! time henceforth one mail week has been conveyed over said route, by what is called :" trip service" at most eXorbitant rates, more extravagant in proportion to the ser vice rendered than those paid for the daily service, which was the sum. of $15,115, which required about 22 teams and 10 stages to run it. while this trip service requires but two teams and 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 persons with all their mail.
 That consequently weekly service is en- | tireIy insufficient and cannot, under the best ! possible management supply the wants and demands of the people on this route, but much more inadequate to the satisfac- ton 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 at the offices on the route to make room for passengers. That owing to the present deranged state of mail facilities, growing out of the cur taiment of service on this route, the letters. documents, etc., received through the mail on the same are usually so stale and uninteresting as to be wholly useless.
 That the extent of country supplied with mail matter by this route, its constantly increasing population and wealth, and its great amount of business which is rapidly augmenting as the country impro- yes and its resources become developed- the mercantile business of Van Buren alone amounting to more than $ ,000, ,000 an nually-require the facilities of daily mail; and having enjoyed the benefits and ad- yantages of one, it Is unjust and unfair 10 force us to take a step backward in this age of progress, and when our necessities demand increased facilities.
 That upon other routes in this State the service has not been curtailed to the same extent as upon this No. 78l2, to one of which your committee beg leave to refer, viz that from Des Arc via. Dardanelle to Fort Smith, which at the general letting in '5S was let for tri-weekly y service, with four horse post chaSes, for the sum of s5l2, 550 and when curtaled 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 ancc 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 Des Arc and Fort Smith route good and sufficient mail facilities, but merely of the | inequality and untairness practised by the government toward said route No. 1872.
 That the curtailment of service upon the 1 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 censurable anu deserv- ing of unqualified condemnation; but though Congress is thus censurable, your committee is not of opinion that the post office department was warranted or Justl- fled in reducting the mail service in such manner as to deprive large districts of coun- try, and hundreds of thousands of people of mail facilities, and while we concede to the department patriotic and praise worthy motives in thus seeking to econ6mze the public expenditures, we beg leave to dissent from the expediency and wisdom of policy | hot 4lo ant i bpu sand dollars at the expense of speedy, constant and reliable dissemination of intel ligence through the instrumentality of the public mails:
 And further state that the greater part of our letter mail, which is large, from the north and east is carried through the over land mail by way of St. Lewis, first pass Ing through Van Buren, after delay of about thirty hours; that this can be remedi- ed by opening the overland mail at this point which your committee think ought to be done. In view, of all of which your committee respectfully report the following resolutions:
 Resotoed, That the post-office depart ment be respectfully requested to re-estab- lish daily service on route 1912, at the earliest day possible, and thus, in some measure, remove the grievances of which we complain.
 ReSolred, That in case the post office department, not regarding our wishes, con- clude not to restore service upon said route sufficient to supply the necessities of our people, then that 1t may immediately stop all service on said route, which, had better De plotted from existence than remain in name mere mockery
 hesofped, That the post-office depart ment be requested to order and direct the overland mail to be opened at Van Buren, so that we would get our mail matter with out the delay incident to its being carried to and returned from Fort Smith to Van Bu- ren.
 Resotoed, That our delegation in Con- gross be requested to exert their untiring influence to accomplish all of these most desirable objects.
 Resolped, That the people of Western Arkansas, particularly those living on route 1872 be requested to hold meetings to aid