Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1860-09-20

instructions of March 81, ls49, and June Z, 1851,
allowing one cent for each letter and halfa cent
for each newspaper. II
This pay il is alleged, was for the local
mails only, and the above claim Is made for
the through mails, which were three or four
times larger than the locnl ones.
The late Postmaster at Cleveland says SER
vice was performed and he did not pay Tor
the through mails, although he estimated
them to exceed iouriold the local mails In
quantity.
Tho Postmaster at Detroit ccrtnes to the
same effect
Captain Atwood, of the steamer Arrow,
Pierce, OF Southerner, and Norce of Baltimore
certify, under oath, that they conveyed mails
during the period stated, and that the local
mails only were paid for.
Captain Edwards ccrtifics, under oath, that
tie steamer John Owen, and Others above
named, five in all, conveyed mails for hvc
seasons; from lSI9 to 1853 inclusive, accor-
cling to the account presented by him that
he applied to the postmasters for pay, VINO
said they had no authority to pays that in |
December, 1858, he learned of the payment
OF similar claims, and that he accordingly
obtained the proof to sustain his claim.
d. y. Bushnell, deputy collector. Detroit,
certi1cs that the steamboat Southcrner piled
regularly between that port and Cleveland IN
1886 the Arrow to sandnsky in 1919, 1850;
OOI uUu lCD1s duu tIlAl In lCOl lH5 ppu'h-
erner and Baltimore piled regularly between
Detroit and Cleveland.
l.. W. Bebee, mail messenger at Detroit,
ccltifcs to performance Of service and COM
parativc size oflocal and through mails.
Patrick Farley, mail messenger at Cleve-
land, certities similarly as to mails at that
place.
J Il. Nelson. mail messenger at Toledo,
similar certificate.
/ These certificates are dated in March and
April, 1854, except the one from Captain Ed
wa DIS, which is dated May, 1854.
\ Nelson Roosevelt, mail messenger, ooth
March. 1854, at Sandusky, makes statements
similar to those made under oath 10y the mes
sengers at Detroit, eveland and Toledo.
Captain Atwood's certificate refers in gen.
eral terms to the comparative size OF through
and local mails between Sandnsky and De.
troit. Carried the mails, mornings, out OF
Detroit for Sanduskv, Cincinnati, and all the
:, places south. and took on board the great
: southern mail for Detroit and Michigan, gen
orally every evening at Sandusky, and part
or time the great Western mail for Michigan,
I &c, was brought by me, [him) and placed on
r the central line, running west from Detroit"
> Captains Pierce and Vorce are still indei
= mite The former says: 'By tar the largest
proDortion of it, (the mal) was through mail
. destined To points beyond Detroit and Cleve.
II IdUu, lDI WHICH nv pay "uS VNO' iNN'i''b ~
l.. me, - (him.) Captain Vorce says "The am 7
e of through mail was three or four times as
~ much as the local matter for those offices, p
:. Detroit and Cleveland.)
,f The mail messengers also certify, in a gen
n eral way. that the through mails were three O
1t four times larger than the local mails.
# The only point clearly made out is, that
o both local and through mails were conveyed
e 1t is not shown what number of letters or pa
what uumDpr
j. bags constituted the through mail, whicl
1t should be paid tor. Not even the aggregate
- weight Of the mails is given as basis OF set
r tement.
is But were the case otherwise, and it ap
peared what was the true proportion of thro
10 mails and local mails relatively, it would b
y proper to inquire whether any similar case
'n have been decided, and, if 30, upon what prin
CT ciples and under what circumstances.
The records Of the departments show that
on 2Ist March, 1849, the postmasters a
Cleve land, Sandusky, Detroit and Toledo
were instructed ''tO make up and iorwar
, mails between their respective offices in boat
u making the greatest expedition, at one cen
per letter, and half cent per newspaper, to
p paid at the Office to which the letters and pa
III pcrs were delivered.
lie at Cleveland, Toledo and Sandusky, were ~
~ quired .to report whether they were maxim
~ or have made payments for letters, package
o' or newspapers made up as through mails, a
10 well as for such letters, packages and news
= papers for delivery or distribution at the
~ offices only"
~ In answer, the postmaster at Saudusky n
~ ported that he had paid Tor through mails
Cn lS49 and 1850.
w w The postmosters at Toledo and Clevclan
" rcportcd payments only on local mail
On tho 18th June, l-5l the postmasters {
Sandusky snd Toledo were instructed tn
GA .sunder the order of 2lst March, 1919, the
will pay the one cent on letters, and half Gel
tie on papers, tor such letters and papers as a
for delivery at their Office only, and one ce
en- for each package of letters for other ofiic
in1espcct TO which their offices are the pro
{. er separating Offices"
At the same time the postmaster at Clev
land was instructed "that AS a contract T
carving the mail between his office and III
- lalo had been made, the order OF the Il
to March. lSi0, is rescinded, except in cases
,'' boats delivering mails from Detroit and 7
''"' ~" ledo; the boats so delivering to be paid T
GoJ on through matter"
''I "I These proceedings show what the dcpa,
Tho ment regarded as compensation ormail ser
tod ice in 1851, on the routes in question.
From the inquiries addressed to the pos
tho masters on the 9Th May, 49,, it is evide
De- that it was npprchcndcd that they had m
l5,. construed the instruction of2lst March, lSl
,rct and the order o June 7, 1851, was clearly d
lies signed to settle the question ofpay for sea'
nde boat mails by transient boats, not III der re
| to ular contract with tho department. AT To-
loc do end Sandusky one cent letter, and HI
the u cent IA newspaper was to be allowed on !,
the ters and papers for delivery at those Office
you in respect to which Toledo and Sandusl
on. were the proper separating Offices. This W
llrd evidently designed to cover the whole e!