P. S.-The 20th falling on Sunday, the Illinois will leave on Monday the 21st at 2 p. m.

M. O. ROBERTS, Agent.

Hon. WILLIAM V. BRADY,

Postmaster, &c.

PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY,

New York, June 18, 1852.

SIR: In returning you the letters from the Post Office Department and Mr. Roberts, I write in the expectation expressed by the latter, that, after the 24th instant, the mails will be forwarded to California on the 5th and 20th of each month, without detention at Panama.

In the present case, I see no alternative but to detain the mails until the 24th, as our arrangements in the Pacific have not contemplated the despatch of four mail steamers from Panama in each month immediately on arrival there of mails from the Atlantic States. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. H. ASPINWALL, President.

WM. V. BRADY, Esq., Postmaster.

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY,
New York, June 21, 1852.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th instant.

This company is prepared to enter upon the proposed arrangement for the direct line between New York and Aspinwall, and New Orleans and Aspinwall, and the line between New York and New Orleans, via Havana, at the period fixed by the department-5th July.

The days of arrival at New York and New Orleans from Aspinwall by the direct line cannot be definitely stated. It will depend upon the arrival of the Pacific steamer at Panama and the mails at Aspinwall, and also upon the state of the weather. Judging from previous running in both oceans, the arrivals at New York direct from Aspinwall will be about the 12th and 27th of each month, and at New Orleans about the 10th and 25th. I give this as an approximate time, as the department will readily perceive that we cannot fix any positive days of sailing, when so much depends upon the arrival of the mails at Aspinwall, and upon the weather.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant.

WM. M. DUNDAS, Esq.,

GEORGE LAW, President.

Acting Postmaster General.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT,

June 22, 1852.

SIR: Your note of the 19th instant, enclosing letters from Messrs. Roberts and Aspinwall, is received.,

It appears the department has been resting under a misconception, to say the least, in supposing the mails sent from your office for California on the 5th and 20th ultimo, and 5th instant, would go forward from Aspinwall and Panama without delay.

In future you will forward no mails for the Pacific except by the regular contract line via Havana, unless you have assurance from the contractors that there shall be no delay in their transmission, and no additional expense to the department attending them.

I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. V. BRADY, Esq.,

Postmaster, New York, N. Y.

N. K. HALL.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT,

June 22, 1852.

SIR: No reply having been received from Mr. Law to the letter from the department of the 11th instant, the schedule for the proposed change on his line has not been published.

The existing arrangement will continue until further order, and in the mean time the department will consider the propriety of adopting fixed schedules for the coming year, or of submitting the whole matter for the action of Congress.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. H. ASPINWALL, Esq.,

N. K. HALL.

President Pacific Mail Steamship Company, New York, N. Y.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT,

June 22, 1852.

SIR: No reply having been received to the letter addressed to you under date of the 18th instant, the schedule for the proposed change on your line has not been published.

The existing arrangement will continue until further order, and in the mean time the department will consider the propriety of adopting fixed schedules for the coming year, or of submitting the whole matter for the action of Congress.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEORGE LAW, Esq.,

N. K. HALL.

President U. S. Mail Steamship Company, New York, N. Y.

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY, New York, June 23, 1852. SIR: Mr. Aspinwall informs me this morning that you hesitate to carry out the arrangement for direct lines between New York and Aspinwall, and New Orleans and Aspinwall, on the ground that no answer had been received on the 22d instant to the letter of the department of the 18th.

Neither Mr. Law, Mr. Roberts, nor myself supposed that the completion of the arrangement and the publicity of it depended upon any further reply; inasmuch as the proposition had been mutually agreed upon, the schedule of running sent by Mr. Law to the department, and the letter of the department of the 18th having directed that the arrangement go into effect on the 5th of July. But a reply was written by Mr. Law on Monday, the 21st, (the first business day after the letter of the department was received by him,) stating the determination of this company to comply with the arrangement, and to enter upon it on the day named by the department. The letter of the department having been sent from the post office to Mr. Law's house, he did not receive it until Satuarday evening, too late for the mail of that day. His reply ought to have been received at the department on the morning of the 22d. Lest it may have miscarried altogether, I take the liberty to enclose a copy of it.

Understanding the arrangement to have been closed, orders were sent out by the Illinois on the 21st to Aspinwall and California, with copies of the new schedule, and by letter and telegraph to New Orleans, to make all the necessary preparations, and announced by advertisement the change of sailing days. Remote agencies elsewhere were also advised of the change, and directed to give immediate and extended publicity to it. It will be impossible to recall these directions in time to prevent serious embarrassment and difficulty, and it would subject us also to loss and public censure.

We have not pressed this arrangement upon the department, but have been willing to make a trial of it, believing it to be for the public convenience and advantage, not holding the department liable for the increased service, but leaving the matter to the future decision of Congress; meanwhile each party being at liberty to dicontinue it on a month's notice. Now that arrangement is made and announced, both companies desire to carry it out; and I beg leave respectfully to express the hope that the instructions given by the department for the commencement of the arrangement on the 5th July may not be recalled.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, E. CROSWELL.

Hon. N. K. HALL,

Postmaster General.

P. S.-Mr. Law would have written had he been at the office to-day.

NEW YORK, June 24, 1852.

SIR: I have seen Mr. Law, and he has shown me the copies of the letters he has written on the 21st and 23d instants in reference to the proposed change on his line. It seems the one of the 21st should have been received at the department before I left. The company are now quite anxious to have the arrangement go into effect on the 5th of next month; and unless they hear from you to-day by telegraph before their steamer sails, they will not revoke the instructions which they sent out by the steamer of the 21st.

I presume the matter now stands where the Post Office and Navy Departments intended it should—that is, if the arrangement is carried out, there is to be no obligation on either to favor an application for increased allowance from any quarter whatever. Messrs. Law, Roberts, and Croswell have just stated to me that this is their understanding of the matter; but, if found to work well, they intend to bring the subject before Congress themselves; and, if allowed sufficient increased pay, they will continue the arrangement; if not, they will return to the old schedule.

I enclose the schedule and letter sent to Mr. Brady by the company; and from these and the company's letter to the department of the 23d instant, the schedule I prepared may be perfected. It will be seen that in the enclosed the times of arrival at Havana are stated, and these it may be well to insert in the schedule to be published.

Notice in the Washington papers, and short special letters to the postmasters of New York, Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans, will, I presume, be all that is necessary to be done in order to have the arrangement go into effect on the 5th of July, as proposed. I have the honor to be, very respectfully,

Hon. N. K. HALL,

Postmaster General.

HORATIO KING.

OFFICE OF THE U. S. MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY,

New York, June 24, 1852.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22d instant, in which you advise that, no reply having been received to the letter addressed by the department to me under date of the 18th instant, the schedule for the proposed change on this line has not been published, and that the existing arrangement will be continued until further order.

I considered the arrangement as completed under the schedule addressed by me to the department on the 16th instant, the receipt of which was acknowledged by me in the letter from the department of the 18th; and I did not suppose that any reply in relation to the time of the arrival of the direct steamers at New York and New Orleans was necessary to the publication of the schedule, as it could of course

be only an approximation. Still a reply was sent the first business day after I received it, it having been sent to my residence in the course of Saturday, the 19th; first seen by me on that evening, and answered on Monday, 21st.

Orders having been sent out by the Illinois on the 21st to Aspinwall and California to conform to the new schedule, and also to New Orleans and other agencies, and the vessels having been advertised, and the arrangements made, it will not be practicable to recall them until the next steamer sails, or to prevent their beginning upon the new schedule. But, if the department desire it, I will send out instructions by the earliest steamer countermanding the arrangement, and ordering a return to the former schedule.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEORGE LAW, President.

Hon. N. K. HALL,

Postmaster General.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
June 24, 1852.

SIR: I have received your letter of the 23d instant, with enclosure, and have this day ordered the adoption of the schedule proposed for the direct line between New York and Aspinwall, and New Orleans and Aspinwall, and the line between New York and New Orleans, via Havana, to go into effect on the 5th July next.

Notice of this change will appear to-morrow in the papers of this city, and the necessary instructions to postmasters be issued immediately.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WM. H. ASPINWALL, Esq.,

N. K. HALL.

President Pacific Mail Steamship Company, New York.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
June 24, 1852.

SIR: I have received the letter of Mr. Croswell of the 23d instant, and also yours of the 21st instant.

The schedule proposed for the direct line between New York and Aspinwall, and New Orleans and Anpinwall, and the line between New York and New Orleans, via Havana, has been adopted, to go into effect on the 5th of July next.

Notice of this change will appear to-morrow in the papers of this city, and the necessary instructions to postmasters issued immediately. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEORGE LAW, Esq.,

N. K. HALL.

President U. S. Mail Steamship Company, New York.