Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1841-12-27
REPORT OF TIE posT MASTER GEN.
ERAI

did not exceed so,enty-fye; the number of miles
of post road, l875 the revenue, 81, 1886 the ex.
pendiurc, $40 l40. In 1910, the whole number
of post offices was l3lS8 the number Of miles Of
post road l55,730 the gross revenue for the same
yenr WINS Sl549,2G5, aud the expenditure was
$l950, ll0.
The total amount OF revenue for the current
year is estimated at - $50 600 aud the total cx-
pendture at S4,400,000.
To bring the expense within the revenue, the
commissions heretofore allowed TO the depu'y
Postmnsters are re-adiusted, by which the nett
annual income Of the Department will he incre"s-
ell 100000.
The report recommends discrimination III
the imposition OF postage on the newspapers pro-
per, and the mammoth weeklies, which, weighing
each nearly pound, are transported from Boston
or New York TO Louisville, KY. for cent ana a
half, while letter OF friendship or OF business Is
taxed twenty-five cents.
The Report recommends also mat publishers oil
newspapers shall be obliged to pay the postage on
their papers in advance. This we are confident,
would stop outright one bali Of the papers now
sent by mail and not merely decrease The rGven-
tie of the department, but form strong barrier
against tue spread OF intelligence among the poo
pie
The expense Of transporting the mail IN the dit
ferent modes was, on railroads and steamboats,,
39lG,4j0 miles at the cost of $685., S43; on horse
and in sulkeys l2.0SS, 500 miles at n cost OF $751;
S07 il stages and coaches l695l,2l3 miles, at
the cost Of dl,79l ,635; making total aggregate
OF annual transportation of 81, S96,J25 nlles, nj
the cost of S3l59,375.
The sum paid to The different railroad compa-
MES is over 300 000 and the Secretary propos-
es that the credit of the United States, to al a
mount not greater than the sum necessary to pro-
duce at five per cent. interest this amount pad To
these companies, be advanced to these companies
for the right to transport the mail upon these roads
in nil titur n free Df charge UDOu the
Department.
ii the Government was required TO pay postage
upon official correspondence and the ranking
privilege reduced TO proper limits, it is the opln-
ion Of the Secretary that the revenue of lbe De
partmcnt would he increased sufficiently to pay
not only The interest, but in less than Thirty years
The principal OF such debt - Boston Mail.
We annex that part of the report relating to
railroad ransporlalion
"An anxious desire TO effect some permanenl
arrangement with the railroad companies for hc
transportation of the mil, upon basis which
shall he both Just and uniform, considering the
nature Of the service performed 10y each, induced
me to invite meeting Of presidents of the differ
ent compan eS, in the city of Washington, OH The
lst of January next; and | am gratified at the
prompt manner in which all who have been heard
from have consented to attend, aud hope is
" cherished that some arrangement, satisfactory 10
all parties and beneficial to the public, may yet be
effected.
"Thc improved state of INSTRUMENTATION by
railroad and steam, operating under chartered
rights granted to the States aud over which it is
not pretended that the General Government, much
less The Post Office Department, can exercise any
control, imposes upon Congress- in my opinion,
new duties and obligations, which can only he
cancelled by the adoption of some measure
whereby the Pos Office Department may, upon
adequate consideration, secure by compact the
right transport the mail in the cars of raliroad
companies, and at the same time give to The De-
partment the power to control the departure and
arrival Of the same.
"There is now paid to the different railroad
companies, annually, over 100000 for the ser
vice, with power in the Department TO regulate
the travel, arrival and departure Of the mail and
constant and frequent difficulties, both in enter
ing into and the execution OF contracts are presen-
ted.
alt has occurred to me that the present was u
most favorable period for the adoption of some
measures by Congress, whereby TO secure TO the
United States the right TO transport the mail upon
these roads in all time come free of any charge
upon the Post Office Department, by the advance
mcul of sum in gross which may be agreed up
on, TO each Of these companies, or such of them
rs may he willing to contract. Many of the rail-
road companies, and some of them constituting
most important links in the great chain of inter
communication between Boston and Charleston,
owing to the great arrangement of the monetary
concerns OF the WORLD aud the depression of all
State and company stocks, find themselves labor
ing under embarasSments and difficulties which
the aid Of the General Government, applied in the
way proposed, would efieclually remove, ami a
the same Time secure to the United States the ad
vantage and the ample equivalent of transporting
the mail upon these roads.
The credit Of the United States to on amour
not greater than the SUM necessary 10 produce,
tl,n InIH
Pos, Office Department to these companies annu
ny would, | have no doubt, he sufficient 10 nc
conpish this desirable end. The prompt and ia
vorabe action of Congress upon this subject n
the present time would elfeciually secure the Go
yernnent against the danger of being called upol
for occasional and large appropriations 10 NEE
the balances due by the Department.
" DO ! ask the United States to do more 70
the Pos, Office Department than justice wou
seem 10 demand, especially when it is remember
cd that the whole expense OF the ohcinl CORES
pondeuce of the Government and the public, an
private correspondence of those entitled by law I
the franking privilege, is sustained and paid by
tax upon the correspondence Of The community
If by this arrangement the Department is relieve
from the heavy annual charge rs now rated, IAN
it has neither the power to lessen it CT prevent i
increase it may be hoped that the object So niue
demanded by considerations of public jusic
THAT Of reducing the lax upon the friendly bus
ness correspondence OF lndlvduas,) wlll be aitaII
ed and , at the same time the usefulness OF IL
public mail greatly enlarged and extended
those portions of The Union hitherto measurab
denied the necessary mail facilities.
of The Government was required 10 pay pos
age upon official correspondence, and if II
frankng privilege was abolished or reduced
PROF e. limits, the revenue of the DEPARTING
would he increased TO an amount sufficien,
itself 10 pay the int crest upon the debt to he j
CURED ny the DrOuOseu urrau cement. and lIut
date the principal in less than thirty years.
From the Nutioual Intelligencer
THE GENERAL POST OFFICE.
We publish the following circular, of which
copy has fallen into our hands, as well TO she