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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 --TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1786.
Congress assembled. Present as yesterday.
The Postmaster General, to whom was referred his Letter of this Date, begs Leave to report:
That the Act of Congress of the 4th September last, instructing him to enter into Contracts for the Conveyance of the Mati by Stage
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Carriages, as it admits of no other Mode if this is practicable, may be productive of Consequences, very foreign, as he conceives, from the Intentions of Congress, and highly prejudicial to the Interests of the United States.
That as the Postmaster General is not left at Liberty to insist upon suitable hours for the Arrival and Departure of the Mails, he must submit to be regulated, in this particular, by the Proprietors of the Stages; and the Experience of the present Year has shewn that the Hours most suitable for them, are most inconvenient to the Merchants, whose Correspondence is the principal Support of the Post Office, and, if withdrawn, would prove the Ruin of the Department.
That, in his present Situation the Postmaster General cannot refuse to admit even exorbitant Demands for performing the Service.
From these Considerations the Postmaster General begs leave to recommend that it be
Resolved, That not withstanding the Conveyance of the Mail by Stage Carriages may be practicable, yet the Postmaster General shall not be restricted to employ them for that Purpose, unless the Proprietors thereof will agree to receive and deliver the Mails at capital Offices in hours suitable for the Transaction of mercantile Business; and as it is probable that Post riders would give more Satisfaction upon some particular Parts of the Road. that he be authorised to employ them in such particular Cases.1
[Note 1: 1 This report is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 61, folio 393. According to indorsement, it was read October 31.]
General Post Office
Octr. 30th., 1786.
A report from the postmaster general on the subject of forming a contract for the transportation of the mail, pursuant to the resolution of the 4 of September, being read,
A motion was made by Mr. [Rufus] King, seconded by Mr. [Melancton] Smith,
That the postmaster general be informed that the words "if practicable," in the resolution of the 4th of September, are not to be construed so as to bind him to form the contract for the transportation of the mati on terms inconvenient to the mercantile interest, or to comply with the extravagant demands of the Contractors.
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On the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Rufus] King,
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So the question was lost.
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