sent to your omitting San Diego and Monterey from the mail line only on condition of your supplying those offices regularly by a coasting line, wholly at your own expense. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. H. ASPINWALL, Esq., N. K. HALL. President Pacific Mail Steamship Company, New York, N. Y. P. S.-The change between New York and Aspinwall, and between New Orleans and Aspinwall, may take effect on the 20th of June. N. K. H. No. 16. POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, SIR: Herewith I have the honor to enclose the copy of a letter, yesterday addressed to William H. Aspinwall, esq., president of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, (a copy of which has also been sent to Mr. Law, of the United States Mail Steamship Company,) by which you will observe that I have given my assent, conditionally, to certain alterations on the New York, New Orleans, and San Francisco mail lines. If you concur, please so advise the respective parties interested. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. W. A GRAHAM, Secretary of the Navy. N. K. HALL. No. 17. POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, SIR Enclosed please find the copy of a letter addressed to Mr. Aspinwall, yesterday, in answer to his communication of the 25th ultimo, concurred in by you. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEORGE LAW, Esq., .N. K. HALL. President U. S. Mail Steamship Company, New York, N. Y. No. 18. NAVY DEPARTMENT, June 2, 1852. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yesterday's date, with enclosure, asking the concurrence of this de partment in certain alterations on the New York, New Orleans, and San Francisco mail lines, and to inform you of my concurrence in the changes of times of departure, and the points of arrival of the mail steamers for the through mails between New York and San Francisco, believing that those matters belong properly to the Post Office Department, but it is with the distinct understanding that no allowance from the treasury, on any application which may hereafter be made elsewhere for increased compensation, will receive the sanction of this department. I am, sir, with high respect, your obedient servant, Hon. N. K. HALL, Postmaster General. WILLIAM A. GRAHAM. No. 19. POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, SIR: Enclosed please find a copy of the letter from the Secretary of the Navy, in answer to my note of the 1st inst., transmitting to him a copy of my letter to Mr. Aspinwall, of the 31st ult., in regard to the proposed change of arrangements on the New York and California lines. I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEORGE LAW, Esq., N. K. HALL. President U. S. Mail Steamship Company, New York. .No. 20. OFFICE OF THE U. S. MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY, SIR I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 1st instant. Upon the terms and conditions prescribed in the letters from the Post Office and Navy Departments of the 1st and 2d instant, I do not consider it compatible with the interest of the company to carry out the proposed arrangement for increased mail between this port and California. This company is prepared, agreeably to our letter of the 21st July, 1851, to carry the mail direct between New York and Aspinwall, and between New Orleans and Aspinwall, discontinuing the line between Havana and Chagres, and run the line direct between New York and New Orleans, touching at Havana twice a month, and leave to Congress the compensation for the increased service, over the amount paid under the existing contract, the company retaining the right to discontinue such increased service, upon giving the department one month's previous notice, and to resume the service as now performed, according to the requirements of the contract, viz: Twice a month between New York, New Orleans, Havana and Aspinwall. This is the only portion of the joint letter of the 25th of May last in which this company was interested, and to which its assent was given I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEORGE LAW, President. Hon. N. K. HALL, Postmaster General. A. UNITED STATES MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY, SIR: In answer to your inquiries, I beg leave to state that the original cost of the twelve steamships employed in the transportation of the United States mails between New York and Aspinwall, on the direct and contract routes, was $3,095,000, as per enclosed statement; that of these, three steamships, costing $625,000, have been lost; that four have been sold, at a loss, by depreciation, of $976,000; that the estimated value of the five remaining steamships, allowing for deterioration, does not exceed $750,000; and that during the entire period since the commencement of the service only two dividends, of ten per cent. each, have been declared. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. D. L. YULEE, M. O. ROBERTS. Chairman, &c. B. Statement of the original cost of the steamships employed in the contract and direct mail service between New York and spinwall. Distance by contract route. From New York to New Orleans, via Havana, and back.. Voyages per annum. By contract route.. Pay per annum, $290,000; divided by miles, gives $2 15 per mile. Distance by direct route. From New York to Aspinwall, and back. Voyages per annum.. Miles. 3638 1982 5620 24 22480 11240 134880 3962 miles. 24 15848 7924 Full contract pay per annum Half pay per annum..-----. One-fourth pay per annum.----- 95088 miles. $2.15 $204,439 20 102, 219 60 51, 109 80 This direct service has been performed for six years on the 1st October, 1857, with an exception of two months in 1853. The direct service from New Orleans to Aspinwall was performed for twenty-six months, and the discontinuance of the service from Havana to Aspinwall was of course for the same period. Rep. No. 326-3 RECAPITULATION, Direct service from New York to Aspinwall, and back. Full contract pay per annum.. Half pay per annum ---- One-fourth pay per annum. $204,439 20 102,219 90 51, 109 95 Direct service from New Orleans to Aspinwall, and back, per annum. The New York and Aspinwall direct service performed for six years to October 1, 1857. New Orleans and Aspinwall direct service performed for two years and two months. Memorial of Marshall O. Roberts and others, trustees of A. G. Sloo, contractor for carrying the mails between New York, New Orleans, Havana, and Chagres, praying additional compensation for extra mail facilities on that route. To the honorable the Congress of the United States: The memorial of the trustees under the contract between A. G. Sloo and the government of the United States respectfully shows: That by the act of Congress of the 3d March, 1847, directing the Secretary of the Navy to contract with A. G. Sloo for the construction of five steamships suitable for naval or war purposes, or to transport the mail between New York, New Orleans, Havana, and Chagres, twice each month, the trustees aforesaid, in connexion with the United States Mail Steamship Company, assumed and entered upon the stipulations of the contract; and they have built the ships and performed the service for seven years and upwards, not only in the manner provided in the contract, but, for more than half the period that has elapsed, to a far greater extent than the contract demanded. To this end, in good faith, they have devoted their energies and the most liberal means. They entered upon the enterprise when the construction of large sea-going steamers had scarcely been attempted in this country, and they built some of the largest then known in the commerce of the world. They did so under great disadvantages, in the then inadequate condition of machine and engine works in this country. The ships built by them have, in all respects, exceeded the requirements of the contract, being far larger and of greater strength and capacity, and in these respects better adapted to the naval service, than the contract required. The aggregate difference in the ships required by the contract and those actually built by the trustees was |