The Placer herald., 1860-08-18
The California Mail Service

Inc Callf0rnla Mall Service.
AS there is a singular want of KNOWLEDGE
of the action of Congress on this subject, we
subjoin extracts from the Conqressionaz
Globe, says the San Francisco Herald.
to show the final action of the Senate and
House, and the position in which the mat
ter VIII stand at the commencement of the
next session. Hale's Bill, about which so
much has been said by the opposition press
IN this State, was never considered in either
House of Congress. 1t was not recommen
ded by any committee Of either House; but
was simply the proposition of a member of
the Senate, and it was never acted on, al
though the subjejt OF the Overland Service
was elaborately discussed on the propositions
Of the Senators from this State The
amendment of Senator Wilson embodies the
main features of Hales Bill, with the ex-
cepton Of that which breaks the Butterfeld
contract. The bill, as amended in the Sen
ate, will come up for action in the House at
the opening of the next session as unfinished
business, and, without doubt, the amend
ment OF the Senate, providing for a daily
overland mall will pass chan Iing the time
Of opening bids to the lst of April, instead
of the lst December. We will refer to this
subject more at large hereafter.
In the Senate, June 22d, 1860 the Post
Route Bill being under Consideration.
Mr.. Yulee-I offer now an anodment
relating to the California mail service, which
may be read, and then ask that letter
from the Post Office Department, which |
send to the Chair may also be read.
The Secretary read the amendment, as
follows:
WHEREAS, 1t appears from the report Of
the Postmaster General tina: it will be
doubtful whether the mails of the United
States can be transported between the ports
of the Atlantic and those of the Pacific on
the terms prescribed by the fourth section of
an act entitled "An act making appropria-
lions for the service of the Post Office De-
partment during the fiscal year ending the
30th OF June, 1861 approved the 5th day
Of June, 1860: Therefore,
Be II further enacted, That the Postmas-
ter General be, and he is hereby, authorized
to contract for the carrying of said mails by
ocean and lsthmus transit, over the shortest
practicable route, between New York and
San Francisco, at rate OF compensation not
to exceed 100000 per annum; which con
tract shall be for a term not exceeding two
years from its date, and may be made with
or without advertisement, as the Postmaster
General may deem the public interests re
quire. And the compensation which may
become due to the contractors for this ser
vice, AS for that which may be performed
on the inland routes numbered SOIL, be.
tween St. Joseph Missouri, and Salt Lake
City, Utah, Territory; l2,8Ol between Salt
Lake City, Utah, and PIaceryille. Califor-
MIA; 1875, between St. Paul and Puget
Sound, - 1878, known as the great over
land mail route, shall be paid out of any
money in the Treasury not otherwise appro
praed, on the certificate of the Postmaster
General that the service has been duly per-
formed
Mr.. Wilson, send to the Chair an
amendment, which offer as a substitute for
that of the Senator from Florida.
The Secretary read the amendment Of Mr..
Wilson, as follows:
And be 1t further enacted, That the Post
master General be, and he is hereby, au
thorized and directed to contract with con
tractors on route 89ll, between St. Joseph
Mis- ouri, and Great Salt Lake City, and
route 70 SOL between Great Salt Lake City, |
and PIacerviIIe, California, or with either
of them, for the conveyance of the entire
United States mail between St. Louis, via
St. Joseph Missouri, and Placervile to San
Francisco, California, in twenty dnys' time:
Proyided, The service can be obtained tri
we ky the first year, at compensation not
to exceed 100000, and daily thereafter at
an additional compensation not to exceed
100000 per annum, the service to expire
July l, ] 500, and the contractors to supply
Denver City and Great Salt Lake City with
weekly mail without additional compensa-
ton.
Amd be 1t further enacted That the Post
master General be, and he is hereby, author
lied and directed to provide for the convey
ance of the entire United States Mail on
which letter postage is paid, weekly, from
81. Paul, Minnesota, via St. Cloud and
from Superior, Wisconsin, via Grow Wing,
to the Dales, in Oregon, with the same pre-
emption right as heretofore allowed upon
other through routes: Prouided, The service
can be obtained at an annual cost not exceed
ing $20O,000 and the trip to be performed
in twenty days, from May l to November
l; in thirty days the remainder of the year.
And be 1t further enacted, That the Post
master General be, and he is hereby author
lied and directed to contract with the con-
tractors on route 8O76, now engaged to the
transportation of the mails between San An
tonic, Texas, and E Paso, Texas, for the
conveyance of the entire United States
mail, semi. weekly, in ten days time. between
New Orleans, Louisiana, and E Paso Texas,
for compensation not to exceed $500, 900
per annum; the contract to continue for the
same length Of time as the service provided