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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 1786.
Congress assembled. Present as before.
The order of the day being called by the State of South Carolina to take into consideration the report.2
[Note 2: 2 This lined-out entry is evidence that so far as the entries of August 21 and August 22 are concerned, Thomson did not enter the proceedings of these two days at the time they occurred in the Congress Chamber, but at some later time. Cf. post, August 22.]
According to Order, Congress went into a committee of the whole, and after some time the president resumed the chair, and Mr. [John] Bull reported, that the Committee of the whole have had under Consideration the subject referred to them, but not having come to a conclusion, desire leave to sit again.
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Ordered, That the committee of the whole sit again to Morrow.
General Post Office,
August 21st., 1786.
Sir: I have the honor to inform your Excellency that the Report of the Honorable Committee of the 16th and 17th Inst. "for Transportation of the Mail and Establishment of cross Posts," which was referred to the Postmaster General has been under Consideration, and I now beg leave to report:
That limiting the number of Contracts to four, will, probably, not fully answer the end proposed; because the Stages in each District fixed upon for the Extent of a Contract, are not all owned by the same Persons; and consequently there must still be a joint Contract, though of less Extent than the present. This will be the Case between Portsmouth and New York, and between Philadelphia and Petersburg. In each of these Distances the Stages are owned by different Persons, some of whom have exclusive Privileges on particular Parts of the Road, and others have not; and the Experience of this Year has taught that by a Combination among the Proprietors of the Stages the Advantages arising from these Privileges may be transferred to Persons to whom they were not originally given, and the Public made to pay for it. There is Reason also, to suppose that a Contract from Portsmouth to New York cannot be formed, as two of the three Proprietors have declared that if ever they contract again, it shall be separately, and independently of every other Person.
That, judging of the Expence of the Cross Posts by what is now paid upon Part of those Routes, and supposing that upon the other Parts it will not be less than the stated Price of Post-riding prior to the Revolution which was two Dollars and two-thirds of a Dollar
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pr. mile pr Annum, the Cost of the Establishment now proposed will be nearly as follows, vizt.
{table}
If the present Expence upon some of these Roads should be deducted vizt.
{table}
Admitting the above Calculation of Distances and Prices to be accurate, the former will, probably, be found to be nearly so; but the latter, being founded more upon Conjecture, cannot be so much depended upon. Two Dollars and two thirds pr. Mile was the Price of Post-riding upon the main Road: travelling Expences must be less, farther back in the Country; but being doubtless, greater now than before the Revolution, it is supposed that what was then paid upon the main Road may be about the Standard for the Cross Roads now.
As no Experiment has been made upon most of the proposed cross Roads, it is difficult if not impracticable to form even a tolerable
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Conjecture of their probable Productiveness; but as there is annually a considerable Loss upon those already established (except from Philadelphia to Talbot Court House) it seems reasonable to conclude that there will be a much greater upon Roads through Countries less populous, that do not possess equal commercial Advantages.
In considering this Subject an Idea occurred to me, which I beg leave to suggest: it is, that the Post Master General be authorized to contract for the Establishment of the Cross Posts now proposed (and as many others as he shall from time to tune think proper) with any suitable Persons who will undertake the Business at their own Expence, and give sufficient Security for the Performance of the Contract; and to give such Persons an exclusive Privilege of posting upon such Roads for a Term of Years. It is highly probable that, upon this Plan many more Establishments, than are now in Contemplation, may be made, without any Expence to the Union; which, at the Expiration of the Contract, will become Sources of Revenue. Should the Idea be a little extended, and a longer Term of years allowed to such Persons as would establish Stage Carriages for the Purpose of transporting the Mad upon Cross Roads, perhaps the Public would derive greater Benefit from the Plan. All which is most respectfully submitted.
I have the Honor to be etc.
Eben. Hazard.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 61, folio 375. According to indorsement it was read August 21 and referred to a committee August 24. See ante, August 16.
Also, according to Committee Book No. 190, "a certificate and accot. of Col. Lewis" was this day referred to the Board of Treasury to report.]
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