Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-06-18

18th day OF May inst, OF which copy IS hereto ap'
pended, marked Is.
II was also important 10 learn, without delay what
were the pressing liabilities and what the active inhds
of the Department For this purpose directions were
ven TO the cefcierh to state the amount cue 10 con-
tractors anterior and for the quarter ending te is
Dec, lSs0 far they bad been reported ~ 'r Nv
dnor and also the amount III deposr, subject 10 draft
Tor the discharge Of sach arreaEa5es HIS report Is
herewith submitted, marked Z.
Rv nm examination Of that statement, II W., he seen
tina, there was due and unpaid to contractors o. as
crtalned balances, the first day Of January last
the sum OF four hundrtd ard tory-Sercn thousand ahd
strcniq nine doiiars (S447 G7oo considerable portion
Of winch has been PAID from the revenues OF the GUAR!
ter ending on the 3lst of March. a report rom
the Auditor upon all the outstanding contracts WIZ
undoubtedly increase this amount OF incep'eohsss -
total exceeding half million Of dollars In aa-
dit;on TO which, heavy demands are frequently mace
on the Department upon uniqnidaied claims vi such
demands no notice be taken at thus nie nor is u
proper that opinion as to their justice snouiu VI o
expressed. ,;,, r.,,r.,
Under these circumstances, two questions hatu'ai'
~ nresent themselves. How is the Department !"
he sustained under lis present embarrassment anu
what are its financial hopes for the future
Az M estimates upon which can be paseo an answer
10 the first inquiry, can be presented uhil u STATE
mon, ne the balances due from Posmas'ers SHALL have
Noe, re,ored by the Auditor, II IS passed, with The
;nae remark that although IT can hardly be doubted
that arre aggregate sum VIII he iouhd due, Is 10 DC
feared that, from the small amount Of most Of such Sc
parate balances, scattered throughout TINS
nation the want of responsibility in many Of these OIL
6cers and many of their securities and The lapse 0.
,mc since these balances accrued but an nconsderahe
mart of the amount actually due will ever be received
II therefore remains for Congress to determine whe-
thor the amount now due TO contractors shall be paid
from the National Treasury, whether this Depart
ment shall struggle with its present ein5arrass
ments consuming its daily accruing revenues IN the
partial payment Of old debts, and still leaving large
balances which it has not the ability To discharge
Notwithstanding the heavy increased expenditure
consequent upon the act Of 7th July, ISIS. and al
though instead of the supposed gradual increase 81
revenue, the receipts for the quarter ending Jist
March last present, compared win the correspond
ing quarter Tie year before, oi more tnan
sir per cent. still the Department would probably 'no
sufficient relief in It's future operations from The &C.
crease of prices which, il may be calculated, WI be
hereafter demanded upon most of the routes, were II
not for their continually increasing exacons IN other
branches of the service =. -,
To present this subject in It's most nlciiigIbie form,
,h Frs Assistant Postmaster General has prepared
,obnlar view OF recent proposals. that comparison may
he made between the amount of present bids and the
sums now paid for mail service upon the same routes
This table is hereto annexed, marked u
q, an examination Of this statement, 1t Will he seen
,I,t in some cases the amount demanded By railroad
comnanes for transportation of the mails is more thnn
hundred per cent than IS PAID Tor coach ser
| vice upon roads forming connecting Inks between
the different railroad companies upon the same man
route, and that too, where the n'sh. service upon 'e
railroads in less than that performed IN coaches Suci
demands deserve more consideration from the fact that,
Wills: at the recent lettings IN New orS ana IN SIX
Eastern States, the accepted service ny coaches ana
other modes Of conveyance has been secured at an
average saving of trcnyt,co per cent upon The con-
tracts of 1877 there are but few instances where The
demands of incorporated companies have not been in
creased in such manner as imposed upon the neces
sity of suspendng the contracts. Nor Is the eS.rava
rant price demanded Tor mail transportation upon rail-
roads the only in which these interpretations
affect the revenue of this Department. The facilities
secured by this mode Of conveyance for sending letters
BY private hands, very seriously diminish the receipts
Of the offices upon these routes. single illustration
will establish this assertion
Boston is of the most important points of rail-
road concentration in the Union. lis business prospr-
rilv is proverbal and yet in that city the quarter end
iny 3st March last shows, compared with The cor
responding quarter of the year BEFORE decrease IN
postage receipts Of three thousand one hundred Gnd
nnstf,e doliars-being double the amount OF diml-
mutton to be found within, the time, in any other
post Office in the naan, with the single exception OF
Phlade phia which is another great terminus oil rail.
road communication.
These facts are presented in spirit Of unkndness
towards those 10 whose management these ncc!poIa-
tons are in,rused, but that have considered !; due
to the whole people TO refer 10 this subject, one
which will ere long call for National and State legs
ation, unless corrective be sooner applied by public
opinion.
A considerable saving will be found IN the curail.
ment of service generally, directed by my immediate
predecessor, in limiting the transportation Of The mails
to SIX trips week upon mos, Of the routes throug hou.
the nation. The embarrassed condition Of the finances
of the Department. If il was 10 remain unaided by Go
vernment clearly indicated, the propre;y Of seine
duction of service and the religious Of the c"
munity will certainly approve the feeling that selects
the Sabbath the day which that service should not
be performed Yet il cannot be denied that this order
has borne heavily upon contractors, and IN many IN
stances causes great arrangement in the transportation
Of the mails
Whilst in some sections Of our country this atera-
ton has not only received cheerful acquescancc,
but is warmly approved there has been great general
complaint OF its operation, and daily appeals for the
old facilities pressed upon the Department With
entering upon this subject at large 1t sufficient
for my present purpose to state that this order rur
ports to have been ven to reduce the expenses OF the
Department, and to aid in bringing them within It's
ceipts, return TO the former service, at this time,
might well be considered declaration OF my conf
dence in lis ability to sustain the expenditure necessary
for such restoration. have therefore felt il imperative
upon to adhere to this order Of cur,ailmcn,.
| The building being erected for the General
Post Office is far advanced to give assurance that
it can be completed before the of Congress in
December. This is much TO be desired not only fer
the convenience Of the transaction Of business, but
that the public property may be kept IN security Such
means, as are within my power, are continually en-
ployed to protect The present building from fire. but IN
its exposed condition the danger of destruction 10 the
books and papers Of the Office Of constant
anxiety.
All which is respectfully submitted
FRANCIS GRANGER.
| To the President Of The United States.
SENATE.
WtsHiSGroS, June THE first business Of the bo-
DIV to-day was the consideration OF the resolutions in
relation 10 lie death Of the late President II
solved that the usual badge Of mourning hc worn hy
the members and resolution Of coincidence with the
family of the deceased President supcradded -
Another emblem of grief ordered, which, we
fear, future events will associate with the misorunrs