The petition of E. P. Guion & B M^c Laughlin respectfully shows, that on the 26 Nov, 1844 they entered into seperate Contracts with the Post office Department to Carry the mail in two horse Coaches, the former from Raleigh to Fayetteville N, Carolina, and the latter from Fayetteville to Columbia S. Carolina at the rate of $60. per mile.

The Post Office Department shortly afterwards got into a Controversy with the Wilmington Rail Road Company on account of the sum demanded for Carrying the great Southern Mail on that route, and made a new Contract with your petitioners to increase service on their route, to four-horse Coaches, at the rate of $180. per mile. This last Contract is dated the 1 Jany 1845; and was annulled, and the service discontinued, on the 7th of February 1845. The Wilmington Rail Company having been brought to terms by this Contract with your petitioners, reduced their demand $25.000. per annum, which sum was thereby saved to the Department

Your petitioners were aware at the time of entering into this last Contract,

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that it was only intended to force the Wilmington Rail Road Company into more favorable terms; and that said Company were to be forced to reduce their demand, and that the Contract with your petitioners would then be annulled; and that in the mean time they would be greatly loosers by the large outlay for horses, Coaches, drivers &c &c and they therefore stipulated, that, if at any time, the route was again reduced, that they should be allowed two months pay, extra, to indemnify them.

As they anticipated, in less than five weeks, their Contract was annulled; and they were left with this large and expensive stock on their hands. When they applied for the two months extra pay, the Postmaster General refused to allow them more than $120. per mile: the difference between the two horse and the four horse service. That the latter was the true understanding of the Contract, your petitioners would Call the attention of your honorable bodies to a single fact: When they were negotiating with the Department on the subject, and expressing their fears of loss, if the larger service be discontinued, Mr Dundas, an officer in the Department,

made a calculation in figures, which is now in the Department, in which he estimates the two months extra pay at the rate of $180. per mile, as now Contended for, by your petitioners; (and it was upon the faith of that Calculation, that they entered into the Contract,) which they pray may be appropriated for their benefit.