New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-17

1 IN he rs,
The accident cost railroad $4,000. while ts
annual pay for mail service was only sis'n'
| WHAT THR RAILROADS PROPOSE TO 10
,,, .,ob circumstances the railroads interested felt
,hemselves aggrievcd. especially when after remoh.
stratipg petitonne. and Intervening the OFFICIALS Vi
the Department they failed to OBTAIN eve"
what they regarded respectful consideration. On Jahu
airy last they notice to the Department ,h hmp
their claims recognized they wouu, a,or iS 81
IS-g refuse to provide and run postal cars anu "o ri
back to the menGu or nther words carry the
mails In bags baggage cars There was ieglias o
apprehension OF maj, interruption '"ti ,imotmm drew
Spring the time Tor the railroad , I'm made
near and nothing in the way OF arrangeuleht was n
by either Congress the Department Inc fos, r
General IN his interviews MIN ,hiir ras but a fresh
took the ground that tn whole thinG Was pus MI
evidence OF railroad eyiortion and monopoly anu t",
mated that II might be his duty. az the h1aa VI
armed force take possession OF tue fchs, ~ ,b 1
n be connection of such an and the speedy trans
mi sion of the mails being something to unoincla n's
tore the date specified the Senate at its extra session.
referred the whole matter to ITS selec, nra U
while the railroads resolved to make one more enor io
an anlcabe settlement. and pending tul pIesen,'Nn
OF their case % Congress and the public TO suspend nt
notice which they had gwen to the fostOmce Drpai,
ment The senate Committee have accordnsy uuIims
the past year given all parties to the controversy an op
pOrIuny be heard. and have published IN iul te ~
dencc on both sides submitted But IN ADDITION 20 tns
the railroad managers referred their case Tor ~
vestlcation and review to Mr. David A. Wells. ana thus
gentleman IA report just issued tlnd from @lloh sno
facts ABOVE presented have been mainly derlFe mas
rleaTIy and comprehensyey discussed the practical "a
well ~ legal anu constitutional elements OF Tue ,
yersy AMI in addition, and most important auJubc
for keepng Congress aud the public To an opnoh, n'
given the experience OF European Government IN Sl
lar matters, with the COMPENSATION anu cOhhons
railways in Great Britain and Other countries per
form their mail servics
THE CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION
or neeesSity the constitutional element involved III
this controversy ono the most important as well as
one interesting OF ITS features, espec'aS III
view OF the proposition recently so warmly advocated
by many that tho Federal Government should take
upon itse: the management and regulation OF al ra,!-
road transportation. ana also absorb and gAGiuoisey
control the telegraph. Under thus mead MT "eis 7"''
While must be ,%t;ed Ss. che tssTi to e eSeee
Go'emmrn has the night 80 t,e whatever my -
power permse 10 representative o. ne
a is % b, on%r and having fa regard clause Of the
Constitution winch mperaiyey declares nA' pl ~og 1o
th, provision Of tue Constitution Is inst mag1
ARBITRARILY gwen Tor proPy -
nprnsiuon whatever AWARDED ao % t
or more thorough, covered b. The Constitution Of he Unei
states than he paps .elet'l & asd Even or the Consu
oa the States the common Justice tue common fsas, ~ tb
AZ o. the other hand relation Of the state to the sefvGt. Us
an in as an essential con cursnp no tn
time Of peace eIiet comPuo eI'ee o, ay The
establish as2osnj aud me poposIa
involved !. not simple staten 'nt Of The fi'e 'ls
Constitution shch declares l4i nehe s.a's ' bo Tnd
servitude. ercep punishment Tor crmr' 'nA eA'' " ~
suie+" e.. ,,e Federal Govern.
men. puper' Of ~ ctlrns n time oil ~, '
da1 pfos' ac @ rp rom It's ctns 81
crime and what IS true OF an D''lg c a
eqy of OF isens corporations "S' III NV
ar All ic citizens ulich has cre.'e them A.,
It !, unrr obaon to she pablo efficiently anl reasonably 70 perform
h,, ,s,yc, for which In the OF railroad o.
das6 cs.rtere dat obg,tou supply reasonable hetr. d
transportation s'hol, discrimination a, to eI'oa % pO
not emitted dn,nd with iti' obligation fulfilled TIE genera puoS
abuu,ny atiri an dnea' to peess % WA m E
,he ton,noa % aPo r, ~ ryee is invested With any higher
p"',ssc. ,o,o,,
In an argument this subject made last spring before
The senate Committee. the Hon. Theodore cuyer Ot
rhadelpha one Of our oeat rsiIraIs a. COMMON
the Federal Government respect TO 7e'ge
.,ano, refuse Tie Government them you shan
for me as Tog d, Tor your a so paSa and Sey
uo,;e Icing but that all the G"'ernmen can say 70
tnrm Tbey are the the Federal Gonmeat shey
owe it allegiance and 20 hiahr, duiy ,lao ..
private et'a does a2d JUST p'ee, yo., ' sops f G
Occupancy for purposes Of the Post oee or tue
without compensation la,t 80 oe[Ias1. po"s,e', 70 y 10
aud no higher allegiance hih tr inaa
cis de- a 50 = '3 or o shall do for ne a other ,ery
ice entitled to extract from toe private citizen
| MIR Wells remarks:
Is is certainly eIaorin.' semen Of IBIS Controversy that
TN, question 'hoa be 50 par.aE nougn - Az ' @ s,ou,
aa sd o ssn. t% liberty %.r
people We .rs orse.Is ' png On "I hsr we y,ony de-
sgne being made to undermine aud destroy them
| HOW GREAT BRITAIN DEALS WITH SUCH CONTROVERSIES
Such controversies as this between the railroads and
the Post Office not peculiar to the United states
They have occurred in almost all other countries ana
"a interesting note the practical and busnesslke way
! i'm which Great Britain has dealt with them The
charters and powers OF all the railways In the United
Kingdom been derived from Parliament, and win
no written constitution TO restrain IT, Parliament Is not
| only the supreme power in the state Dut the sole
arber in respect to matters ana tigs oi rs own
creation ScrupuOusly are rights ana prop
| erty-priyate aud corp0rate-held ahd respected IN
Great Britain. that the Imperial Government, both
| % and
original charter spulatons expressly ana scrupuiousy
refused several occasions to arbitrarily enact or
prescribe any fixed compensation to be paid TO the
railroads for the performance OF mail service put on
the contrary have enacted list aud I'd NictOria that
| every railway company conveying mails shall be
entitled to such reasonable compensation IA shau De
fixed and agreed upon between the PostmascrGene
and SAID company OF propretors and that IN all
difference OF opinion between them as to the amount
OF remuneraton then the same sna De usternlnen qy
arbitration" The same law prevails substantially IN
Canada in the case OF such railways as the Grand
Trunk for the construction OF which the Government
has contracted lnconsiderabe part OF the expense
For the comparison Of CONFORMATION pad IN Great
| Mr. Wells gives the following Illustrations: On the
south Ia Railway line Of road Is miles IN length,
extending from London TO Dover ana corresponding by
conyey Of the Continental mall IN the Importance
aq ines between SewYork and Washing.
ton-'he originally paid by contract for the trains
not stopping intermediate stations was three shings
Der mile COS cents) limitations being imposed on the
weight OF the bags the quantity TO be conveyed for
the POstOce by the trans IN question AT the eIDra-
ton Of this the compensation for the entire
seryce-coDsstng Of the transportation OF mails by the
|
| was compounded for "a liked sum regarded as an
equivalent former price, OF $4,000 Hl2O0o per
| NUN. on the other hand, the Philadelphia, Wilmington
| and Baltimore Railroad, running four trains per day
| each way, aud providing equppng, and hauling postal
ears %s length connection Herewith. receives
under the present law l6 cents per mile, $4,000 per
| annum.
mtee that the average cost OF moving postal in
connection with average passenger train on such u
popular and economically managed road as the New
York and NewHaven is 20 cents per mile, or Is cents
mile than the Company receives in the
| Of