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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 --THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1786.
Congress assembled. Present as before.
General Post Office, Novr. 2d., 1786.
Sir: The Proprietors of the Stages have delivered in their Proposals for carrying the Mails next year, and I find so very material a Difference between the Sums now paid them, and what some of them expect in future, that I should think myself guilty of Unfaithfulness in Office should I accept their offers without first reporting them to Congress.
Your Excellency will observe from the particular Statement accompanying this, that the Eastern Proprietors have risen very considerably in their Demands; they alledge that they can not alter their hours of Arrival and Departure (except the hour of Arrival at this City) without lossing half their Passengers, and therefore cannot consent to a change in this Respect.
It need not be remarked that their hours are very inconvenient, and that upon their Plan the Office in this City must be kept open all Day on Sunday for the Receipt of Letters. Mr. Hall, who has been so irregular this year, is one of those Proprietors; and, from the Embarrassments he labours under, it is not probable that he will perform better in future, and he has the longest Stage on that Route.
While I am writing, one of the Eastern Proprietors has called to inform me that through a Mistake two of them have stated their Demands too low; if it is rectified as he proposes, there will be an Addition of Two hundred and twenty-six Dollars to their Prices.
The present Contractors between New York and Philadelphia are very exorbitant in their Demands. Dennison's are much more moderate. No Stages can do the Business so well on this Route as Post Riders; but as there will be a considerable Saving if Stages are employed, and as the public Convenience will be consulted by a Change of Hours, I apprehend that a Continuance of the present mode of Conveyance between those two Cities will be satisfactory.
Your Excellency will recollect that in my Letter of July 11th., 1785, I gave it as my Opinion that Stages might be advantageously employed to the Southward of Philadelphia; the experience of this year confirms me in that Opinion, notwithstanding there have been very great Irregularities (many of which were undoubtedly unavoidable) and som criminal Neglects but these may be guarded against in the new Contract.
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Upon the whole I beg Leave to recommend the Transportation of the Mail on Horseback between Portland and New York, and by Stages from New York to Savannah.
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 283. According to indorsement it was read November 2.
November 2: The following committee was appointed:
Mr. [Edward] Carrington, Mr. [Charles] Pinckney, and Mr. [William] Houstoun, on "Motion Mr. Carrington respecting stage carriages Postmaster's letter of 2 and Motions." Report was rendered November 3.
Also a "Meml. N. Twining and a Motion for reducing postage" was referred to the Postmaster General to report. He reported November 3.
Committee Book No. 190.
Also, according to indorsement, was read a letter from Secretary at War, Henry Knox, forwarding intelligence from the western country. It is dated November 1 and is in No. 150, II, folio 111. Its enclosures are on folios 115--135.
Also was read a letter from Secretary for Foreign Affairs, John Jay, forwarding a letter from Thomas Barclay announcing the success of his mission to negociate a treaty with Morocco. Barclay's letter, dated July 31, is in No. 91, I, folio 156; Jay's, which suggests the expedient of letting the decision of Congress on the British list of grievances follow the Act for raising troops, is in No. 80, III, folio 141.]
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