Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-08-18

then he authOrlZeu 10 COnttaCl IOT tHIS SetNiCc
nv ocean steamships for sum not exceeding
@4OO, 900, including Isthmus transportation.
POST ROUTE BILL.
The Senate resumed, as in Committee Of the
Whole, the consideration Of the post route
bill the pcnding question being on the amend
.ment of Mr.. Wilson to that offered by Mr.
Yulee.
Nix. HALE desire simply to. make single
suggestion to tho. Senate upon ths general
merits Of this amendment, and that IL, that
let the Senate d,trrmine upon what they will,
| hope they will not, by the course things
have proceeded here, be cOcrced into the adop-
tion Of the steamship project | think the
Senate owe it to themselves to reject that any
how When say that, it is due to the hon
orablc Senator from California. who is mem
Der Of the Committee on the Post Office and
Post Roads Mr. Gwin] to say that he has
been for the past three months urging upon
the committee and the Senate acton upon this
subject, for the reason that the contingency
which now presents itself to the Senate would
present itself He told us that these contracts
expired so soon that we should be left without
any service to the Pacific coast, and that he
feared the Department would he driven, as
matter Of necessity, to the employment OF the
steamships We here do not know all the
influences that are operating upon US but
AIN satisfied myself that there has been, in
some way or Othcr-l do not know how, and
do not undertake to say, but think that
have felt it though l have not seen i'm in
fuence operating in that direction TO rGtafd
legislation in this body upon this subject,
with the very hope and expectation that we
should find ourselves where We now are
forced almost, as n matter Of necessity to take
up this contract with these steam vessels.
Nix. GwIN-I hope the Senate will adopt
the amendment of the Senator from MaSsa-
chusetts, so far as the overland service is con-
cerned. hope we shall have an opportunity
Of seeing whether we cannot carry the whole
mail across the continent believe. We can
MR. COLLAMER-I desire to ask if there is
any need Of any more law on this subject !;
whether the Post Office Department has not
n right to set up mail by the Salt Lake route
to California, as frequently as it plcases, with
out any more law about it.
Nix. LATnAM-But they have not the right
to send printed matter.
MIR. CoLLANEn-By the Salt Lake route they
have.
Nix. LATHAM think you arc mistaken.
Nix. GwIN-Thcy have not the right to send
printed matter by the Butterfeld route, nor
can it be done by the ocean rotc, under II law
passed the other day. The amendment orders
the Postmaster General to put up the service,
which, to he sure, he can do without this law ;
but it provides tlat if he cannot get the SER
vice performed by the Salt Lake route he
may employ ocean service. That is the only
additional legislation. lie can do oil the rest
without this provision.
Mr. COILAMER-The Buttcrfeld route is
confined to the carrying Of letters, but the
Salt Lake route is not SO confined
Mr. GwIN-The Postmaster General can
now contract for the whole Of the service pro-
posed in this amendment, without any addi-
tiOnal legislation at all, if he is disposed to do
carried by the land routes as believe he can
no authority under the existing law to con-
tract for carrying it by ocean lines
MR COLLAMEK-U Mess for the ocean post
age.
JrNE 25th The Post route bill being again
under consideration.
Mr. YuLEE-.l shall now offer a single
amendment. | wish to state to the Senate
that upon the reference to the Committee on
v,
Of the message from the President relating to
the California mnil service, the Committee
made n report which seemed not to be accept.
able to gentlemen here, and which could not
pass without unanimous consent have
since that time prepared an amendment, which
| hope steers clear Of all objections, which
provides for the mail service on the best foot
Ling-we can put il upon, and to which trust
,rtn hn Al,
II looks finally to the settlement of the great
mail between the tive sections of the country
daily overland to be given to the lowest bid
der, and temporary service upon the water.
The amendment passed the Senate in the
! ""swing form: .--
SECTION 10. And he il. further enacted, That
the Postmaster General be, and he is hereby
authorized and directed to advertise for pro-
pOSals for the daily transportation Of the en-
tire mail, Overland, between ST. Louis, Mis-
souri,. and San Francisco, California, over the
Central route, in twenty days time, the bids
to be received until the first day Of December
next ensuing, and the service to commence OF
the first day of July, 1861 and the PoStmaS
ter General is hereby directed to award the
contract to the lowest responsible bidder.
SEC. 90. ind be IL further enacted, That
the Postmaster General is authorized to pro
vide temporary steamship service by the near,
est and most expeditions route between New
York and San Francisco, at q cost not exceed
ing $400, 900 per year, rcscrving to the Gov
ernment the privilege of annulling the con
tract, after the commencement Of the Overland
service, upon ninety days notice
POST route BILL
4 message was received from the Senate
by Mr.. Patten, one Of their clerks, notifying
the House that the Senate have passed bill
Of this House to establish certain post routes
with sundry amendments; in which he was
directed to ask the concurrence of the House
Nix. CoLFAX-l ask that that bill be taken up
for consideration, and will then move that
the session be extended for one hour.
Mr.. BABBIT-I object
ments to that bill, and will never consent
that We shall, at this hour Of the session, un.
dertake to consider them.
Mr.. COLFAx-Thcre arc not ninety. nine
amendments. move to suspend the rules
Mr.. SnERNAN-I call for the yeas and nays
upon that motion. want to see who, at this
stage Of the session, will vote to take up fDl
consideration as important bill as that
Mr.. WASnRuRN, Of Mane-The Senate have
placed upon this bill amendments apprOpria
ting $500, 900. This is no time to consider
them,
Mr., CoLFAx--I desire 10 state that there il
but o single amendment which can provoke
debate. and that the House may dispose Of by
cOnc1rring or nOn.concurring, as they may
see tit And now, ask the Chairman Of the
Commiffaa Of Wnuc md Ananr IN h A thor ha ir