New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-23
MR.. VILASS EXPLANATION
ATTEMPTING TO DEFEND HIS POLICY.
AN AUTHORIZED STATEMENT THAT FAILS 10 MEET
CERTAIN FACTS.
tpY TELEGRAPH TO The THTDUSE.1

| ulpulcu luht night or what purporteu 10 uo !"
statement from tho Postmaster-General IN DO
| fence OF his policy regarding the trauspor-
taton OF foreign mails. Il was givon out that
the publication was not official, but authorized, IN
other words 1t had been prepared with the knowledge
and was furnished for publication with tho consent OF
Mr. Nlas. At the last session Of Congress law was
passed directing the Postmaster General to advertise for
proposals to carry the foreign mails and to let contracts
| TO the lowest bidders at rate not to
| exceed so cents nautical mile. Mr.. Was
did not advertise for proposals. and did not let any
! contracts When the steamship companies inquired
why he did not obey this law he replied that the appro
pration Of 100000 sufficient to pay for the
service 9t the rate OF so cents mile. The steamship
companies then offered to do the service for 20 cents
| so as to bring tho services within the amount
| Of tho appropriation. Mr.. Villas refused to
| pay this amount, but offered 2ia cents
| letter. The steamship companies running
upon short routes willing TO accept this cOmpcnsa-
tion, but those having lines to Australia, China Brazil
Venezuela and other distant countries objected on the
ground that IL unfair ask them TO carry letter
from 1000 TO 5000 miles for the price that was
| paid another company for carrying letter ninety
miles. Finally all the American companies
decided TO refuse to carry the mails
for such compensation, whereupon the Poslnastr-Gen
eTal arranged forward malls by foreign steamers,
by what known tramps, BY sailing vessels
fishing smacks and such other means OF conveyance as
| he could secure.
IN defence OF his action the Postmaster. General ad
singular propositions. In the first place be
says that "the law contained no mandate. The Post
master-Geners was left to enforce iguoro It,"
/ This Is the first time perhaps, that such dc
| cison has been made. General Villas brings from
Wisconsin an entirely new doctrine, that official can
/ suspend ignore a law Of Congress II he sees
/ IT. Tho second polut that Mr. Villas
makes IS that "n In his judgment ho
saw NJ 10 hablitate the law be then became
subject 20 the stipulation that the contracts cOnteu-
plated therein should be awarded 10 the lowest Fespon
siblc bidder after genuine competition" and lie goes on
TO explain that there could be competition
because every Of the steamship lines operated under
the American fIs IL monopoly" THIS is true untor-
tuuately. There only line 10 Australia or Chlnaor
Brazil. Central America. Therefore Mr. Villas would
ask proposals because there could not be gehu
inc compettion" lie says that the Government at
the mercy these monopocs who could have charged
whatever they pleased But the monOpOles offered 10
the service for twOhs Of the amount Fixed by Com
grcss fair compcn- n-alon, and less gh "ne-thiTd the
amount paid TO foreign steamers Tor carrying the
malls between SoW-Nork and Europe At
| tho 80 cents rate allowed IN the act this
would call for .O25 ooO-tWo and half times the
whole amount Appropriated for the purpose Argument
runs Iuto q cul sac" continues Mr Villas; the thng
was the question In order 10 execute the law II
was necessary violate the law Bat he stops here
| lie docs not explain that the aHship
| companes as has been stated. repeatedly
offered to help him ont OF the dilemwa.
In his statement NJ Villas IS very careful not to men,
tlou this fact
After thus iismissiug tho legal features Ot the con-
troycr.y Mr. Villas proceeds To set forth tho great
advantage enjoyed by the commercial interests OF the
coury from tho rc,ults of what he calls "the genuine
and anxious vigilance with which he "o.p!oTcd' the
| ,rp.ton In which he was lett BY the
ref-sal Of tho steamship companes to
/ carry tho mails. Ho hrst Describes The
49,. sf,,I IrIfns -f1F n
and Central America and says tnat where as formerly
IL required eighteen days and twenty hours TO send
letter on san Trnncisco To Panama % can now be sent
by way oi Nc. Orleans m uiuo days This Is true; but
Nj villa, fails 10 state that formerly the mail steamers
left san Francisco every ten days ana now
| they leave Ncw.Orleans only once In thir'
~ DAYS which Is not regarded by III,
morchant. - a great improvement. Mr. Villas also saws
| that Tho service with Costa Eica and other Central
American countries Is much improved Tho Costa lc'
ca ur, d'Anaircs az Washington does not agree viii
! him. This gentleman says that tho mails now
leave for costa lcca month. whereas
| they formerly left three times month
and that the passsgs now requires twenty-foui
DAYS where II formerly required only ten days Sonoi
! Gougllcs also adds that no has los, important hs
patches Entrusted TO tho mails recently. somotn. that
never occurred before Mr. villas introduced h- improve
! mcuts Mr. via, - Significantly slcnt regarding
the other Conrl American countries. As lie may well
| be.
with rsglrd TO the service with the Asatc countries
Mfr Villas saws: Il has been reliable and ciicicn,
"A II ever WIs,' but here he also significantly fails to
cur into tho details 0f Of the most shameful and
buniatiug performances that great "oVerhncht Was
evcr detected in. When tho Pdcnc steamers refused to
taxa ths malls at tho compensation that ho offered. MI
via. attempted to smuggo them aboard ana send thom
., rhi,, na,,cugers' baggage. Ito was detected TIA
a., ,t,sunt 10 swiudlo the company In this manner.
T,. mail, were thrown out upon Tho dock ana the
,r,er went OFF without them Ihc'o mtlIS ana th"'h
h, follovod we're sent to China ana Japan by WY OF
rpyland aud the suoz Canal In thcso mails were the
,,,tions OF the Government OF the Initod states to
| ,1 t.,,,ion at Pehn regarding the Outragcs upon
,r,o,n.p IN wyoming. and they have not reached our
,,,r there yet The Chinese Minister here sent MS
! .i,, of the affair Oy special messenger On 'hc
rItc Mail steamer, ana II reached FeEh III cisb'e''
Iva while Mr. Bdyards dispatches WIZ po iron" 9lAy
! .-.,tv days In reaching China. The mails Tor Aus
~ ~o ye,luud we're also scnt by way Of the
- - C,l for awhile. but, within few days new
,,v has been organized which VIII carry the nalIs
~ rhose Islands under the English nag Mr. Was
| nav,pv succeeded IN driving mo Ahcr'"" COMPANIES
| Of the ocean. ,,.,,. ,o,I an
!" ,.hes an october I6 " In n recent statement
~, past onice Department regarding the new nalI
! .,oo h.tween san Francisco, Anstr"lA anu No"
,aut o repaco the Pacific mail service IL WAS sa'u
| h vessel owners will receive for the ne" service
only tho seaPoStg1Se' uoid TI'V'0TG TRe fact is
which en-, was hostage paid by tho United states
n the Transportation Of The Ial. @ of itig4 ~ Of
amounted 1c 'Paciac Mali Company received sl2EV2 40
In ItsFfS Sr fSo seryco
@ G aud ne had S hcss rsseySS eout ts
postage also the amount wou' pa by tho United states
5r % mall to az gi9 e. # tho POST
trahth' , would agree TO pay the AMERICAN 1to,in
.c company onchd Of the " ScHUG1 SSSSss og E p AZ
| pTaIan service, tho company "o"'D
tho Oler aha, uit ia utterly ard unqualinedly
false iaise 'h'' nv W., the Posma.terGcnerats aetna; hn
Ths 9 is question do a.; .nsased IN trade with
ana .m1 COMMITTEES, and who, unfortunately nave goTa
sson TO differ with him on TINS ptoposl,lo 80 ~ as
| La ID