THIRTIETH CONGRESS—FIRST SESSION.
Report No. 327.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
MARY MATTHEWS NOWLAND.
March 9, 1848.
Laid upon the table.
Mr. St. John, from the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, made the following
REPORT:

The Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, to whom was referred the petition of Mary Matthews Nowland, James C. Mansfield, and Alfred C. Nowland, next friends of Mary Matthews Nowland, report:

That they have had the same under consideration, and have come to a conclusion adverse to the prayer of the petitioners. From information obtained at the Post Office Department, it appears that in 1842 Charles Matthews, the grandfather of Mary Matthews Nowland, in connexion with William King, made proposals to the department to transport the mail on route No. 3,519, from Bainbridge, George, to Pensacola, Florida, for the sum of $9,500 per annum. Said proposals were accepted by the department, and due notice given to Matthews & King of the acceptance of their bid by the department. They neglected, however, to enter upon the service, agreeably to the proposals made by them. In consequence of the neglect of the said Matthews & King to perform the service, the department was under the necessity of continuing the service upon the route under the old schedule, at the compensation of $21,000 per annum, from the 1st July to the 9th October, 1843, when it was again let for the sum of $9,500 per annum, being the same price for which Matthews & King agreed to perform the service. Suit was, therefore, instituted to recover the amount of the difference between the bid made by Matthews & King, and the amount paid for transportation of the mail from 1st July to 9th October, 1843, which resulted in obtaining a judgment against Felix G. Long, executor of Charles Matthews, deceased, on the 15th day of January, 1848, for $3,924 62.