Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-12-22
TWenty-fourth Coagress--ast scss.
REPORT OF TIE POSTMASTER-GEsERAL

REPORT OF TIE POSTMASTER-GENERA
(Conciuded)
The efficiency of department with 50 many taousahu
aoents in its enpoym essentially depends on the VI
oilance and energy Of the directing and supervising
Bower Impressed with this conviction, 1t IS the Pohcy
and the effort of the Department to make the superVi
sion 90 competc thatcYery individual IN It's service sha
feel that he acts directly under the eye OF some OF Its
officers clerks
To secure pronntitude in the rendition of accounts,
the posmasters, with the exception OF iew at Tue lage
Offices have been required to forward their accounts
within two DAYS or bv the first mall AFTER Inc CLOSE VI
each quarter AS means Of enforcing TINS tequston'
the post Offices divided into four classes M
20 tbeir distance from Washington and other crcnm
tances For the arrival Of the accounts OF the rSt css
ten DAYS are allowed for the second twenty Tor Tie td
thirty; and for the fourth forty 1t IS made the specia
dutv Of clerk to note the day which each quarterly
ret;rn arrives and promptly call all delinquens 10 ac
count when the allotted time shall have expired Tins
plan of supervision put IN operation d. Tue COM
rnepcement of the present quarter.
To produce an cver-active supervision over contract
ors il is made the duty of poslascrS at the end OF all
most routes to keep, and return to the Department.
weekly or monthly according TO the Importance OF The
route registers, showing the exact te oi a'iu
departure of every mail with such remarks as the occa-
sion NAV require 1t is made the duty OF clerk, IN
each division to that the postmascrs Keep ana re-
turn these registers to examine them when returned
and all denquencics OF contractors 1hs plan is
not yet in full operation:
1t intended to apply the same principle OF strict
superyison the return Of receipts by postmaserS 10
the forwarding of certificates Of deposte to the print
ing and furnishing of blanks; and far practicable,
To all services required by law, and the regulations OF
the Department.
Sufficient attention has been given by the undersigned
to the manner in which newspapers and other printed
matter conveyed by mail, 10 satisfy him that it is
radically defective. No supervision or power OF punish
ment exercised possessed by the General
is adequate prevent, occasions, the canvass
bags in which printed papers slowed from being
LETT behind long they carried separately from
the letter mails the outside of coaches and stages
To prevent the evil in degree, it has been provided
in the contracts lately awarded the main routes to the
West that the outward trip, no passengers shall be
carried in the inside of the mail COACH but that shall be
devoted exclusively TO the nails and similar routes
along the seaboard, the restriction will be applied
in both directions ii is believed that the enforcement
Of the contracts in this respect will ensure the safe con-
veance of the newspapers as far US they travel on these
routes.
further improvement in this respect, is anticipated
from arrangements in progress, to run steamboat
mails the Western rivers during the season of steam
boat navigation and portion of the Mississippi,
during the whole year.
II is well known that immense correspondence is
carried during the business season, in steamboats,
upon these waters Sc long ms the Department mas nc
mails upon the rivers it is difficult, if not imPraccable
to enforce the Post office laws and bring theleters SO
transmitted into the post Offices Regular les of boats
are now formed and forming, OF the Ohio and 4Mtsss'
spp rivers contract has been made VITA the owners
of one of these lines to carry mail three times week
between Piltsburg and Cincinnati during the season OF
navigation, for 81 500 year. Ap'uposon has been
received, and accepted, to convey mall except when
vers betsveGn Louisville and ST. Louis, three times
week, and between Louisville and New Orleans,
three times week during the business season. and twice
week during the rest OF the year, touching at all the
considerable intermediate points, for $50 600 year for
the whole service ]. is in contemplation to put this
mail into operation early in the coming year From CIV
ing regular river mails to the business OF the Wsst is
expected that they viii convey almost the entire cores
pondence upon those WATERS and increase the revenues
the Department in at least equal to their cost
This facility being furnished 70 the community, the fost
Office laws can, with proprley, be enforced In re-
aion to letters conveyed in other boats Nor one CT
the least advantages anticipated from these mails, that
they will relieve the land mails, in the West and SoGltl-
west of an immense of mail matter and render It's
conveyance safe, at the when the roads are
most difficult and in the Mississippi country during the
whole year.
The multiplication Of Rail. roads will form new era
in the mail establishment They must become the
means by which the mails will be transported most
of the great lines of INSTRUMENTATION, and the under
signed has devoted attention TO the dcvising Of
system which shall render the change most useful to To-"
country
The cities and large towns the grca, lines constitute
centres from which the mails divergc to pervade and
supply the surrounding country tthese points gene
rally are the distributing post Offices. The great whole
will evidently be most speedily and eAecuaiy served
by causing the mails pass with all possible expeditions
by night and by day. along the main ncS through these
numerous centres stopping for no local object ana paus
change mails The distribution through the country
around must be made after the great mail has passed
by of coaches stages other vehicles and horses
the interest of the Department and the country may
mutually require. Or, funy intermediate Offices be sup
piled by the rail roads, it should he those only where the
cars STOP unless mode Of exchanging mail-bags with
out stopping, can be introduced aeFthe accommodation
OF others
The means Of transportation between Washington and
Boston, now so complete, tina, this system might he
advantageousy introduced at least during the season OF
steamboat navigation. The time occupied in passing
from Washington to Baltimore by the rail is but
and a half hours. To pass from Baltimore TO Phis'
delpha, by steamboats, and the Newcastle and French.
town rai-roao requires about nine hours From Phia-
delpha to New York, by the Camden and Amboy rail-
rood and steamboats,. occupies about eight hours from
New York to Providence about fifteen hours; and from
Providence to Boston, two and hafh hours. The ira
yelling hours from Washington to Boston, but about
thirty Allowing halt hour Baltimore Phi
adeipha New York, and Providence EACH for exchange
of mails, the time occupied IN transmitting mail from
Washington to Boston, would be thirty-nine hours.
This is the speed Of present convcyunces. In the
course of next wear it expected that Baltimore and Phi
adelpha will be connected by railroad when the time
orcuped in PASSING from city to city will not exceed six
hours New York will soon be connected with Boston
BY similar roads, when the time occupied between them
will noAexceed fifteen hours. So that, when railroad
line from Washington to Boston shall be completed, a
mail may pass from the TO the other in thlrty-fouI
hours at most and probably in few years. from the pro-
gressve Improvements Of in less than thirty
hours.
Within the quarter of the Union embraced in the
cent letting of contracts, there several railroads.
Some of them made offers, and the rest demanded
prices far beyond the usual cost of transporting the mails
on the routes heretofore and beyond what ask
ed by individual citizens Anxious 10 give the mails the
greatest possible expedition between Washington and
New York, the undersigned made effort bring the
companies whose hands are the means of conveyance
on that great line act concert with each other and
with the Department, by which means two daily mails
might be run through that line, performing the trip each
way, and conveying passengers from city to city, in
about twentythree hours The effort failed in conse