I hereby certify that I am well acquainted with Abraham Morrell and William H. Jelliff, and the condition of their property, and that, after full investigation and inquiry, I am well satisfied that they are good and sufficent sureties for the amount in the foregoing contract. SAMUEL M. CHAMBERS,

Postmaster at Jersey City, N. J.

The schedule of departures and arrivals.

Leave Santa Fé on the first day of each month, arrive at San An tonio in twenty-five days.

Leave San Antonio on the first day of each month, arrive at Santa Fé in twenty-five days.

DR.

George H. Giddings, contractor, in account with the United States.

CR.

Auditor of the Treasury for the Post Office Department.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.

I certify that the annexed are true copies of orders made by the Postmaster General, as taken from the records of this department, modifying and affecting the contract for route No. 12900, Santa Fé to San Antonio.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand and caused the seal of the Post Office Department to be affixed, at the Gen[L. S.] eral Post Office, in the city of Washington, this thirteenth day of February, A. D. 1858.

AARON V. BROWN,

Postmaster General.

Route 12900—Santa Fé to San Antonio.

January 19, 1855.-Ordered by the Postmaster General to "recognize the service of Elias Brevort and Jacob Houghton, between the 1st of July and 31st of August, 1854, at $24,900 per annum, (viz : the rate of Henry Skillman's bid of 9th August, 1854,) and refer to the Auditor to pay and charge D. Wasson."

April 7, 1855-Ordered that "transfer of the contract (from David Wasson) to George H. Giddings, of San Antonio, Texas, from 13th of March, 1855, be authorized on the usual terms."

May 19, 1855.-Ordered as follows: "The first section of the act making appropriations for the service of the Post Office Department, during the fiscal year ending 30th of June, 1856, approved March 3, 1855, having directed that compensation be made to George H. Giddings, for carrying the mails on this route, the sum of $33,500 per annum, commencing on the 18th day of August, 1854, and continuing one year, in lieu of the compensation stated in the contract. It is ordered that he be paid at that rate from the 18th of August, 1854, to the 31st of March, (inclusive) 1855, deducting the settlements which have been already made for service on the route prior to the 1st of January, 1855, and retaining also $2,029 89 to pay Brevort & Houghton for service during the month of September, 1854, in case they make good their claim there, subject to fines and deductions."

February 29, 1856.-Ordered to "modify the order of 19th January, 1855, so as to pay Brevort & Houghton for the service recognized thereby at the rate of $28,000 per annum, instead of the rate specified therein; and so as, instead of charging D. Wasson, to charge George H. Giddings with the damages, $1,467 43, viz: the difference between said rate of allowance and that of Wasson's accepted bid, for the period from 1st July to 18th August, 1854."

Also ordered to "recognize the service of Brevort & Houghton in conveying the mail from Santa Fé to San Antonio in September, 1854, at $1,141 30."

Also ordered to "modify the order of 19th May, 1855, so as to deduct from the pay of Giddings $1,274 45, for failure to carry the mails from 18th of August to 1st of September, 1854, and $1,365 49 for failure to run from Santa Fé to San Antonio in September, 1854; also so as to rescind the direction to withhold $2,029 89 for the month of September, 1854, and so much of the one requiring to deduct the settlement for service prior to 1st January, 1855, as embraces the $4,195 11 paid to Brevort & Houghton.'

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT,

Contract Office, May 10, 1857.

SIR: A press of business connected with our recent large lettings has prevented an earlier reply to your note of the 17th ultimo.

David Wasson became, in April, 1854, the accepted bidder for route 12900, Santa Fé, New Mexico to San Antonio, Texas, at $16,750 per annum; service to be monthly each way, and run from July 1, 1854, to July 1, 1858. The postmaster at Santa Fé was instructed, in case he failed to appear on the 1st of July, 1854, to engage temporary conveyance till he, or some regularly authorized contractor should apply for the mail, at the lowest practicable rates. He did not apply for the mail at San Antonio till August 1, and at Santa Fé till October 1 of that year.

On the trip going north, in August, (say about the 17th of that month,) the postmaster of El Paso refused to let his carriers have the mail after it was overhauled there. Consequently they turned about for San Antonio. Much evidence has been filed in the department to show that this refusal of the postmaster was superinduced by threats, and other improper interference on the part of the carriers of Brevoort & Houghton, which individuals had been employed by the postmaster of Santa Fé for temporary service, at $28,000 a year, from July 1, 1854, and who continued to obtain the mail from the postmaster of that place down to January 1, 1855, for the trips going south.

The postmaster of San Antonio put the mails to go north all this time in charge of Wasson's agents, or rather those of his transferee, Mr. Giddings.

The department, in its settlements, deemed it proper, and indeed was so instructed in effect, by the Post Office appropriation act of March 3, 1855, to regard Mr. Giddings as the contractor and to pay him accordingly. It further took the view that Brevoort & Houghton should have withdrawn from the road, and that the postmaster of Santa Fé should have withheld from them the mails after October 1, 1857, when the carriers of the regularly authorized contractor applied for the mails at that place.

It therefore paid Brevoort & Houghton for only two and one-half months service, say for the round trips in July and August, and the