The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-23 00:00:00

THE POST OFFICE.

The report of the Postmaster-General, herewith com-
municated, contains a detailed statement of the opera.
tions of his department during the past year. It will
be see❑ that the income from postages will fall short of
the expenditures for the year between one and two mil-
lions of dollars. This deficiency has been caused by the
reduction of the rates of postage, which was made by
the Act of the 3d of March last. No principle has been
more generally acquiesced in by the people than that
this department should sustain itself by limiting its ex-
penditures to its income. Congress has never sought to
make it a source of revenue for general purposes, except
for a short period during the last war with Great Britain,
nor should it ever become a charge on the general trea-
sury. If Congress shall adhere to this principle, as I
think they ought, it will be necessary either to curtail
the present mail service, so as to reduce the expendi-
tures, or so to modify the Act of the 3d of March last
as to improve its revenue. The extension of the mail
service, and the additional facilities which will be de-
manded by the rapid extension and increase of popula-
tion on our western frontier, will not admit of such cur-
tailment as will materially reduce the present expendi-
tures. In adjustment of the tariff of postages the inte-
rests of the people demand that the lowest rates be
adopted which will produce the necessary revenue to
meet the expenditures of the department. I invite the
attention of Congress to the suggestions of the Post-
master-General on the subject, and the belief that such
a modification of the late law may be made as will yield
sufficient revenue without further calls on the Treasary,
and with little change in the present rates of postage.
Proper measures have been taken, in pursuance of the
Act of 3d of March last, ter the establishment of lines
of mail steamers between this and foreign countries. The
importance of this service commends itself etrongly to
favourable consideration.
With the growth of our country, the public business
which devolves on the heads of the several executive
departments has greatly increased. In some respects
the distribution of duties among them seems to be incon-
gruous, end many of these might be transferred from
one to another with advantage to the public interest. A
more auspicious time for the consideration of this sub-
ject by Congress, with a view to system in the organisa-
tion of the several departments, and a more appropriate
division of the public business, will not probably occur,

MISCELLANEOUS.
The most important duties of the State department re-
late to our foreign affairs. By the great enlargement of
the family of nations, the increase of our commerce, and
the corresponding extension of our consular system, the
businese of this department has been greatly increased.
In its present organisation, many duties of a domestic
nature, and consisting of details, are devolved on the
Secretary of State, which do not appropriately belong
to the foreign department of the Government, and may
properly be transferred to some other department. One
of these grows out of the present state of the law con-
cerning the Patent office, which, a few years since, was
a subordinate clerkship, but has become a distinct bureau
of great importance. With an excellent internal orga-
nisation it is still connected with the State department.
In the transaction of its business, questions of much im-
portance to inventors, and to the community, frequently
arise, which, by existing law; are referred for decision
to a board, of which the Secretary of State is a member.
These questions arc legal, and the connexion which now
exists between the State department and the Patent-
office may, with great propriety and advantage, be trans-
fereed to the Attorney-General.
In his last annual Message to Congress, Mr. Madison
invited attention to a proper provision for the Attor-
ney General as an "important improvemmt in the exe-
cutive establishment.' This recommendation was
repeated by some of his successors. The official duties
of the Attorney-General have been much increased
within a few years, and his office has become one of
great importance. His duties may be still further
increased with advantage to the public interests. As an
executive officer his residence and constant attention at
the seat of Government are required. Legal questions,
involving important principles and large amounts of
public money, are constantly referred to him by the
President and executive department for his examination
and decision. The public business, under his official
management before the judiciary has been so augmented
by the extension of our territory, and the acts of Con-
gress authorising suits against the United States for
large portions of valuable public lands, as greatly to
increase his labours and responsibilities. I, therefore,
recommend that the Attorney-General be placed on the
same footing with the heads of the other executive
departments, with such subordinate officers provided by