Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-12-22
,Fsyenty-fourth Consrcss--lst scss.
REPORT OF THE PosrMAsTER-G GENERAL.

OF a thOuslnd
agents in its employment essentially depends the vi
glance and energy of the directing and supervising
power Impressed with this conviction, it is the policy
and the effort OF the Department to make the supervi
sion complete, every individual in shall
feel shat he directly under the eye of of its
officers or clerks
To secure promptude in tho rendition of accounts
the posmasters, with the exception of few at the large
Offices, have been required to forward their accounts
within twD days, by the first mail, after the close of
each quarter. As means of enforcing this rcquson
the post offices divided into four classes reference
TO their distance from Washington and other crcun,-
stances For The arrival Of the of the first class
ten days allowed for the second wenty the third
thirty and for the fourth, forty II is made tue special
duty Of clerk to note the day which each quarterly
return arrives, and promptly call all delnquents TO ac-
count, when the allotted time shall have expired. This
plan of supervision put in operation at the COM
Increment of the present quarter
To produce an ever-actve supervision contract
ors il is made the duty Of postmastcrs the of all
post.routes, to keep, and return to the Department
weekly monthly according the importance of the
route, registers showing the exact time of arrival and
departure of every mall with such remarks the occa.
sion may require 1t is made the duty of clerk in
each division, 10 that the postasters keep and re-
turn these registers to examine them when returned
ana note all deinqnencIes OF contractors This plan is
not yet in full operation.
1t is intended to apply the same principle of strict
supervision 10 the return of receipts by posnas,ers
the making Of deposites by the depositng Offices and
the forwarding of certificates of depose; the print
ing and furnishing OF blanks and, far as practicable
TO all services required by law, and tho regulations
the Department
Sufficient attention has been given by the UNDERSIGNED
to the manner in which newspapers and other printed
matter conveyed by mail, satisfy him that it is
radically defective No supervision or mower of nnnb
ment, exercised possessed by the Postmaster General
is adequate to prevent, occasions the canvass
bags in which printed papers slowed from being
let behind, so long they carried separately from
the letter nails the outside of coaches stages
10 prevent the evil in degree il has been provided
IN the contracts lately awarded the main routes the
West that the outward trip passengers shall be
carried ia the inside of the mail COACH but shall be
devoted exclusively 20 the mails; and similar routes
along the seaboard the restriction will be applied
in both directions. IL is believed that the enforcement
of the contracts in this respect will the safe CON
veyance OF the newspapers as far they travel these
routes
further improvement in this respect ia anticipated
from arrangements now in progress 90 steamboat
mails OH the Western rivers during the of steam
boat navigation, and on portion of the Mississippi,
during the whocye
1t is well known that an immense correspondcnco is
carried on during the business season, in steamboats,
upon these waters So long the Department has no
mails upon the rivers it is difficult, if upTacticabe
to enforce the Post Office laws and bring the letters so
transmitted into the post Offices Regular lines of boats
are now formed and forming, the Ohio and Misss-
spp rivers contract has been made with the
of one Of these lines carry mail three times week
between Psburg and Cincinnati during the season of
navigation, for 81 800 year. proposition has been
received, and accepted 10 convey mail except when
prevented by ice, the Ohio and Mississippi RI
vers, between 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 ofthe year touching at all the
considerable intermediate points, for $50 900 year for
The whole service. IL is in contemplation put this
mail into operation early in the coming year. From civ
ing regular river mails to the business of the West it is
expected that they will convey almost the entire
pondence upon those waters and increase revenues
OF the Department in at least equal TO their cost
This facility being furnished to the community the Post
Iaton TO letters conveyed in other boats Nor enc Of
the least advantages anticipated ffo1 these ml Thai
they Will relieve the land mails, in the West and South
west, of an immense ofmO matter and render its
conveyance sae at the when the roads are
whole year.
The multiplication Of Railroads will form new era
IN the mail establishment They must soon become the
means by which the mails will be transported
of the great lines Of ntercommuncaon, and the under
signed has devoted some attention to the devising of
system which shall render the change most useful The
country
The cities and large towns on the greatln constitute
centres from which the mails divefge to pcrvade aud
supply the surrounding country. Atthese points ae ne.
rally are the distributing post Offices The great whole
will evidently be most speedily and efectualy served
BY causing the mails to pass with all possible xpcdon
by night and by day. along the main lines through these
numerous centres stopping for local object aud paus
ing at the distributing Offices only long enough to ex-
change mails The distribution through The country
around must be made after the great mail has passed on
by means OF coachs stages other vehicles and horses
as The interest OF the Department and the country may
mutually require. Or ifany intermediate Offices be su %.
piled by the rail roads il should be those only where the
STOP unless mode Of exchanging nail.baqs with.
out stopping, be introduced for the accommodation
OF others
The means Of transportation between Washington and
Boston, are complete that this system might be
advantageously introduced least during the season Of
steamboat navigation The time occupied in posing
two and half hours To pass from Baltimore 10 Phila-
delpha by steamboats, and the Newcastle and French.
town railroad, requires about nine hours From Pha-
delFEa 70 New York, by the Camden and Amboy rail-
rood and boats, occupies about eight hours from
New York 10 Providence about fifteen hours and from
Providence TO Boston, two and half hours The ira.
yelling hours from Washington Boston, but about
thrty-seyen. Allowing half an hour at Baltimore Phi
ladelphia New York, and Providence each for exchange
Of mails the time occupied in transmitting mail from
Washington TO Boston, would be thuy -ninc hours
This s The speed Of present conveyance I'm The
of next year It's expected that Baltimore and PHI
lodephia will Dc connected by railroad when the time
occupied in passing from city 70 city will exceed six
bours New fork will soon be connected with Boston
by similar roads, when the time occupied between hon
viii not exceed fifteen hours. So that when railroad
line from Washington % Boston sbali be COMPLETED
mail may pass from the TO the other I'm thrtgonr
hours at most and probably IN few ycars from the pro-
gressve Improvements Of locomotives n less than thirty
hours
Within tho quarter Of the Union embraced in the ro
cent letting Of contracts, there seeefal railroads.
Some Of them made Offers, and the rest demanded
prices far beyond the usual q transporting The mails
the routes heretofore and beyond what ,yaa
ed by individual citizens. Anxious 10 give The malls the
greatest possible expedition between Washington and
New York. the undersigned made effort TO bring tho
companies, IN whose hands the Of convcVanoe
that great line, 70 act IN concert with each other and
with the Department, BY which two daily mails
might be through that line performing the trip each
way, and conveying passengers from city TO civ in
about twenty three hours. The effort failed in conse