US Presidency
1861

Fully aware of the delicacy, not to say the danger, of the subject, I commend to your careful consideration whether this power of making judgments final may not properly be given to the court, reserving the right of appeal on questions of law to the Supreme Court, with such other provisions as experience may have shown to be necessary. I ask attention to the report of the Postmaster-General, the following being a summary statement of the condition of the Department: The revenue from all sources during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1861, including the annual permanent appropriation of $ 700,000 for the transportation of free mail matter, was $ 9,049,296.40, being about 2 per cent less than the revenue for 1860. The expenditures were $ 13,606,759.11, showing a decrease of more than 8 per cent as compared with those of the previous year and leaving an excess of expenditure over the revenue for the last fiscal year of $ 4,557,462.71.