Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-08-16
MAIL TROUBLES AZ McMINNvILLE

MAIL TROUBLES AZ mcMINNVILLE
From the McMinnville New Era, Aug. IA.
We gave in our last, the letter Of he Sc
cond Assistant Postmaster General defend
ing the Postofice Department against can
sure for the Inconvenience to which the
public of this section are subjected by the
stoppaee of the mails on the Railroad. We
did this cheeifully as an act Of simple JUS
tice. and that letter Verides our Statement In
the article to which it was a rejoinder,
namely, that such state Of facts could not
have been voluntarily brought about by the
Postoffice Depart ment, bat must be altrlou-
table to extraaeous influences. On this pDi7t
the letter says: "The QudrtermGSter General
informed this office that no settlement OF the
indebtedness for Railroad material cold the
McMinnville and Manchester Railroad Com
pany had been effected which would
allow any payment of the postal earnings
other than as required by the provisions OF
the Executive order of Aug. 8, 1865, and the
order of the Postmaster General OF April
4. 1866 and thai the lien on the postal earn
mas was in no manner affected 6y the sale
or transfer of the road" In this extract
we have Italicized so as 10 direct attention
to two points of decided importance in this
matter. 1t seems the Postcfflce Depart
ment holds self bound by the railing Of
the Qusrtermaster Genera; that The lien
the Government claims on postal earnings
of the McMinpvile and Name ester Rail
road Company attaches and runs with IKE
service subsequently performed by an en-
tirely diff rent company, after It had oougnt
at the States sale the road and other prop
erty of the old company. We confess our
inability to see how one independent de-
partment of the Government is or can be
bound by such ruling Of another and dis
tinct department touching matter belong
ing peculiarly to its own management. The
Quarter Master General might well have
said "on all sums for postal due the old Nc
Minnyille and Manchester Railroad Com
many. the Governm ent, through htS
depar:ment has a lien, and the
lien on this sum is in no wise
affected by any sale of transfer Of The
roId," aad we presume th i It is Just Whal
he meant, and al he meant. But II Is 9
very different thing for the Quartermaster
General to say to the Postmaster General
Sin our Department, sir, you must not pay
Paul for any service he may perform To-
Won. for 10 an old transaction with Peter We
have lien on Peters money earned o.
him, and therefore you must not'pay Paal,
as the Postoffice Department seems 10 re
gard him as saying-but as We believe n
never had any thought of saying. LII, now
ever. he did say so the reply was osVlou
VIZ: ave will hold Peters money is not
hound for Paul's debt, and Peter is Wolkln
for Ms on his own account, therefore we 9
snectfnlly decline 20 introduce into ID
management ofthe bus n SIS of this Depart
ment The confusion which would necessarl
lv follow a compliance with yonr request.
This would certsinly be following the alc
tates Of common sense and OF Justce re
tween man aud man.
But it seems the matter does not res
wholly on the QuartermEster General, gu
ON the order of the Postmaster Genera
himself, dated April 4, 1856. Wonderful
If that order is in the way, why not, MI
Postmaster General, rescind it? Surely u
uar,ermaster General has not told yc
that Won must not rescind one of the order
of your O,cR Department!
Now, in all kindness, we beg leave !
suggest q very simple solution OF the whol
trouble. The McMinnvl lie and Msncheste
Railroad Company has gone out OF ouslne;
and is no longer doing service for the GOV
erpment. Somebody must do 1t. In
Memphis and Charleston Railroad Con
papy are ready to do it. Why not make
ne,r contract Nth that company. This ca
he doae ct rates cheaper than the COVER!
ment Is now paying mother OUTSIDE Col
tract. Let us have q new contract WIN u
Neu,nhis and Charleston Railroad Con
many. q restoration TO the public of all II
conyeniences hitherto enjoyed by them, az
a return to former facilities