Louisiana capitolian., 1880-02-21
COL. ROBERTSON EXPLAINS.

leans lays the blame on the Louisiana
delegation recommending the present
daily mail service, and more particu-
larly on me. am surprised that the
Postmaster in New Orleans should
have made the charge, for so far from
recommending or endorsing Brotts
contract, most peremptorily refused
to endorse it. The first intimatiOn |
had of this contract was shortly after
my return here in December, when
Mr.. Ellis came to my seat and asked
me to 60 with him to see Mr.. Brott,
who was waiting in the corridor, on
going out he introduced me to Mr..
Brott, who presented to me q written
application to the Postofice Depart
ment for daily Except Sunday mail
service from Doualdsonville to the
mouth of Red River, and requested
my approval and signature. So far
from complying with his request, l
stated to him that this service had
been tried and had proved an utter
failure, and that ] did not propose to
try any further sm:h experiments. This
recommendation, however, was filed
with the Department. 1t was signed
by only four of the seven members of
the Louisiana delegation, to-wit !:
Kellogg, Jonas, Ellis and Elan. So
you see that so fal,as l am concerned
the charge is untrue. Furthermore,
I have been making every effort to
induce the I'd Assistant Postmaster
General to restore the service to the
Bayou Sara Packets, and on yesterday
had a long interview with him on the
subject. He promised to restore this
service to the packets, but justa that
time Mr.. Brott came in, and stated
that he had put on another boat, and
that the service would be performed
strictly according to contract, with
this assurance, Gen. Brady, Cd Assist
ant Postmaster General, told him he
would give him another chance, but
on the first failure would declare his
contract forfeited.
In regard to this matter, l have to
say that the daily mail service from
Donaldsonville to Bayou Sara was put
OH last year, at the earnest solicitation
and petition from the people of West
Batou Rouge and other points along
the river, between Donallsonville
and Bayou Sara. These petitions are
now on file in the Postoffice Depart.
ment, and the reasons urged by peti-
tionels, we've so strong that | believed
| was serving their best interests in
favorably recommending il, and with
other members of the delegatiopjoin-
ing in that recommendation. The De-
partment put on the service. 1t was
not long, however, before counter pc
titions began to come in;Rmong them
a very strong petition from members
of the Legislature representing the
parishes on this mail route. Some OF
these petitions were sent to me and
presented them 1rithoM recommended,
ton. From these petitions and coun-
ter petitions it was difficult to say
what the people wanted. 1t, however
became manifest that while the people
wanted a daily mail service. they be-
came dissatisfied with the 2nany taH.
ures, and feeling that these complaints
were just, | requested Gen. Brady to
restore the service on the Bayou Sara
packets, which he at first refused, but
afterwards put the service On tou'
times week to Bayou Sara, A very
Short time after this service was re-
stored to the packets, a very strong
petition signed by the people all along
the route, was sent to me asking the
Department to restore their !ailymail
serrice. This petition was tile strong
est, and signed by many more people.
than all the other petitions, but did
not feel disposed to vasciate with this
constant and irrepressible conflict OF
popular opinion, and contented N.Y.
self with respectfully filing the peti
ton without my signature.
You will thus see a slight evidence
of the fact that the ,"whole blame
as charged by the New Orleans Post
master does not rest entirely with the
Congressional delegation, and that the
people themselves, whom we are try
ing to serve, first asked for, and OBJ
tanned this daily service, and when ii
was restored to the packets, again
asked for it's rc-establishment.
am now convinced, that while it
is practicable to have a daily mail
service from DonaldsOnville, to the
mouth of Red River on Hmitc9 sched-
ute time, and that the people would be
glad to have it. Yet the contractors
who have undertaken to perform the