Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-01-09


can call my own-my own!
may never read affection
In the gentle, glowing look;
One lone trunk, for whose reelection
Lingcrs glad, sunny brook
Where IS she, the iondly waited,
To whose hand The cords would ring
Must lone, minated,
MournFully my music sing
All, the fire is burning DINNER,
No one heeds lis embers now
Still the last reluctant eimncr
Shines Tor thee-bct where ar thou!
Come. oh, come, the shades falling
Sadly sounds ms unheald strain
An anS he an sca4is 81 sbI ny oM again.
TWENTY-sIxTH CoNGREss---lst SESSION.
REPORT FROM THE PosTNAsTERGENERAL-
Posr OFFIeE DEPARTMENT,
Nov. 80, 1899
SIR: The post roads ofthe United States covered BY
mail service on the 3Oh day of June last, were near
w as can be ascerained, 80 $3.50 mesin extent The
rate Of annual transportation on that day was about 3
496,S7S mcs, and its cost S3,eS5622, viz
Miles. Cost.
By horse and suky ll,iflil Se64,369
By stage and coach l9653,676 l,900,45l
By steamboat and railroad 3,3.6O55 5eo,6t2
Total al,4G6,s7a sa,235,6sa
This is exclusive Of transportation by steamboats, and
other vessels under the fifth and sixth sections OF the
act Of 1925, which costs about $500 more.
The lettings Of the year have generally been at low
er prices than for preceding years, but not SO low
as the same routes were let four years ago.
Most Of the service which was last year suspended
has been restored and the new routes established by
the act Of 18th July, 1885, with few exceptions, have
been put in operation.
The soeed of the ordinary mail having been so in
creased as to reduce the tine Of transit between New
York and New Orleans TO nine days the express NAL:
which ran in seven. has been discontinued, and the
Southwestern branch, wu,SA WELDED but s sinai! por.
ton of its cost, fell with tie man trunk.
1t is possible that the recent suspension OF specie
payments by the banks, in large portion OF the Union
NAV again check the increased revenue OF the Depart
ment so as to make retrenchmens necessary; but, IN
any event, they will be inconsderable
On the 30t Of June last the number of post Offices
was 1880 showing increase Of 26l during the pre-
cedinp year The number established 0Ol and the
number discontinued was $40. The number Of post
masters appointed including new Offices, was 2,Se8
The number of post Offices this day is C2s.
The number Of mail contractors in service during the
last year, was about ,a35 Of this number 4e9 have
been fined, had deductions made from their pay, for
sundry delnquencies. The aggregate OF fines is $751;
73s g. and of deductions So Coo o., excluding
missions, the whole amounting to S19,eCi IS
4 great majority OF the contractors have performed
the service with the most exemplary punctualty.
The revenue OF the department for the year ending the
Both June, lc3S, was Si23o,UII ~
The expenditures were I,G2l ,S37 10
Excess of Expenditures S356,759 ls
This excess was made up by surplus funds Of pre-.
ceding years.
The revenue Of the year, ending on the 30th OF June
last was si,l76,63s Sc
The engagements and liabilities of the
Department for the same year, were 1864, liz IS
Excess of enqa rements and liabilities Sli7 479 so
The surplus still on hand has prevented embarrass
ment.
The cash on hand according the latest reports Of
postmasters, is S2C6,10l S. There is also remaining
in banks S33,453 - Of which only $2O7 o5 avail,
able More than half the available funds on hand will
be required pay balances due for the services OF last
quarter.
Compared with the preceding year, the revenue has
increased about 81 cent and the aggregate increase
was $4l 500 50.
From comparative statement, embracing the re-
turns of post offices yielding 500 per quarter,
il appears that the of the quarter ending the
Both September last exceeded that of the correspond
ing quarter of last year about Ia per cent. 1t is
feared however, that in consequence Of the derangc-
ment produced by the suspension OF payment by so
many banks this rate cf advance will not be main
tanned through the year.
The accounts OF postmastcrs are rendered with =
prompti,ude which scarcely find parallel in the
business of mankind. In list Of 50 many thousand
post Offices there necessarily many incidents, such
rs sickness, Deaths designations absence, removals,
changes in mail routes, &C. &c, which prevent the
regular rendition OF accounts, the new appointments
alone averaging last year 722 per quarter Most of the
accounts ure forwarded to the Department by the first
mail after the termination OF the quarter, and out OF
list of $50 post Offices for the quarter ending 10th
last there were put inc accounts III winch
were not received before the termination OF the next
quarter and Of this number about 30 had been very
recently established or had not been supplied with
mails.
The moneys received by postmasters are, in general,
paid over with equal prompttudc 1t is believed that
about 900 Of the whole number paid over the pro-
ceeds Of each quarter TO contractors within two weeks
after its close Of that class of postmasers the pro
portion of denquents is remarkably small The draft
officers in general pay, when drawn upon, with equal
nunctusltv Two cases have occurred, within the
indicating the necessity of further legal restraints
upon postmascrs ntrusted with large sums of money.
When il is extensively inculcated principle, that
the public money! instead of being retained for the pub
lie service ought 10 be made of IN private opera.
tions 10 not surprising that OF the posmasters,
notwithstanding the utmost efforts Of the Department
70 prevent it, should practice upon the preeept No
thing is likely make them all duly sensible OF the
Nervousness of the offence but act of Congress- de-
carng il to be crime, punishable according 70 the
magnitude Of the sum thus applied.
Congress have heretofore fixed the maximum OF COM
pensaton to be paid for the transportation Of the mails
uoon railroads at $500 per mile twas obviously their
intention that where the maximum of compensation
is given the railroad companies shall afford the public,
in return, the best practicable mail accommodation.
Under existing arrangements, the great mail for the
South and West is detained six to eight hours IN fh'la
delpha DESTROYS, in the renewal Of the contracts to
take effect in January next, to put an end to this
detention, the department offered the Philadelphia
Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad Company, the
maximum Of compensation allowed by law, on con-
diton that they would carry two mails day, one
connecting with the night line from New York, and
the other with the morning line II is the night line
which brings on the great mall and TO carry it for.
Easd without interruption, 1t would be necessary