The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-02-15
Overland Mail from st. Paul to the
Pacific Defeated in the House of
Represent atives.


In the House, on the 3lst ult, the Post
Route bill, which passed the Senate at the
last session, was under consideration. The
following amendment added to the bill in
the Senate, at the instance of Mr.. RICE, was
taken up:
SEC. FL. And be IL further enacted, That the
Postmaster General be, and he is hereby, au-
thOriZed and directed to provide for the con-
veyance of the entire United States mail week.
ly from st. Paul Minnesota via St. Cloud, and
from Superior, Wisconsin, via Crow Wing, to
the Dalles, In Oregon. with branch to Seat
tie, on Puget Sound, with the usual pre-emp-
ton right, not to exceed one quarter section of
land for each station, provided that this grant
of presumption shall not extend beyond six
years from the passage of this act, and said
presumption shall not exceed one quarter sec
ton for each twenty miles of said route; Pro-
rided, That service can be obtained at an an
nual cost not exceeding $500, 600, and the trip
to be performed in twenty days; the service to
expire on the LET day of July, 1866.
Mr.. CoLFAx said he was instructed by
the Post Office Committee, to move non
concurrence in the Senate amendment.
Mr.. STEVENS, of Washington, ably ar
gued the justice and expediency of the
amendment.
MIR. ALDRICH referred to the fact that the
Senate, for "fom successive winters, have
appropriated 100000 for the establish~
ment of an overland mail route from the
Mississippi to the Pacific" He argued the
injustice of the continued refusal of the
House to concur in the action of the Senate,
and said
Now, sir, | do not say that our people will
slough Off-gO down the Red River of the
North, and unite with the British possessions !;
but want gentlemen here to ponder over it..
do not say that they will do it; but they may
do it, if they do not receive justice at your
hands. L do not throw this out as a threat.
lLaughter.] They are true and loyal now |
hope they may continue so. We, as | said
before, ask for nothing that we are not entitled
to, and now respectfully ask that the amend
ment OF the Senate may be cOncurred in.
l will say further that the route is
one of great importance to England to Europe
and Canada. 1t is important, in this point of
view, that that portion Of our country shall be
opened up.
The gentleman says he is very sorry they
cannot grant US this small pittance of 100000
which we ask for the establishment of a mail
service over the northern route to the Pacific;
yet they are ready to grant to the Southwest
$50, OO0,O 900 for railroad, and they are ready
to grant 100000 for mail over the central
route. When my friend from Texas asks for
$4,000 to increase the mail facilites.o of that
State. they reply, "Oh, yes" mo objection
unanimous consent" But when we ask for
the small pittance of 5000, OOO the gentleman
says he is very sorry that he cannot recon-
mend it; very sorry indeed; but in the present
state of the Treasury, this mail service cannot
be thought of.
The Senate amendment was rejected
ayes GO, nays 102.
The House, during the consideration
of the same bill, adopted an amendment
making an extravagant appropriation for
an overland daily mali, from st. Louis to
San Francisco. These facts do rot require
any comment. For four successive years,
the Senate has appropriated money for
a Northern overland mail route, but the
House of Representatives has regularly
stricken the appropriation out.