The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-01-22
From 1876 Offices it receives seventy-fye per
cent. and from 1896 Offices q twenty ve

From 1876 Offices it receives seventy -nge per
cent. and from 1896 Offices twenty-five
per cent. .,s-.r.-a
Mr.. Hubbard's bill to incorporate the
United States Postal Telegraph Company,
and to establish postal telegraph system,
provides for the establishment of telegraph
lines to all cities and villages of 5000 in
habitants and over in the United States.
Were this scheme adopted, and the Govern
ment thus enter into partnership with
the new company in the telegraph BUSH
ness, in accordance with the terms of the
bill, what is to become Of the smaller
towns According to the census Of 1850,
there are only 3l3 cities and villages in the
United States having the 5000 Inhabitants
necessary to entitle them to an Office under
this postal system. Who, then, is to main
tein telegraph facilities at the remaining
1913 towns now having telegraph Offices
Private companies, if driven out Of the
field by the establishment Of this semi Co.
yernment competing line, could not do it;
and as this scheme makes no provision
for them, they must necessarily be de-
prived of the facilities they now en-
Joy. Under this bill Arkansas, Florida,
and Oregon would not be entitled to an Of
fee Mississippi, Minnesota, and South
Carolina to but one each; North Carolina,
Texas, and Vermont to but two each Della
ware and Tennessee to but three each ;
Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, and Mich
igan to but four; and Indiana, Kansas,
Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, New Hamp-
shire, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Wiscon-
sin would be entitled to less than ten each,
while those provided for the whole United
States would be less in number than the
branch Offices furnished for the conve-
nience of the public by the Western Union
Telegraph Company at the hotels, docks,
piers, and other places in the larger towns
alone. #
CONCLUSION. a ..i
The paper concludes as follows
The proposal presented to Congress is one
which the Governments Of Europe, from
which it processes to draw its inspiration,
have never entertained. No Government
there has ever yet attempted to engage in
any public work by the destruction Of the
property of its people, except after just
compensation. The recent example of Great
Britain in acquiring the British lines of
telegraph is eminently illustrative of this
national justice. Neither cavilling at the
nature or condition of their structure,
cheapening the value of their property, nor
defaming the officers Of any company, the
British Parliament doubles the valuation
of it's owners and pays price therefor
which satisfies the most exacting. In
striking contrast to this is the enterprise
proposed to the American Congress, which
begins by attacking the integrity of the
official management of the existing sys-
TENS, depreciating the value of its property
and proposing the competitive use of q
grand invention which it refused to pur
chase, and now proposes without considera,
ton to possess.
Up such project there is no national ex,
ample which would give it sanction OF
responsibility, even though in times Of great
| national peril, and amid the necessities Of
despotic Governments, monarchs have al
times seized and made their own the profit
able trafics and pursuits of the people.