The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-12-08

Posr orrcE DrrAsrxEsr,

Posr OrricE DErARrnEsT,
December 2, le43.
Sra; Il /, Gauss Of salisfsctiou 10 the undersigned
in submitting 10 YOU tsment OF the condition Of
tho Post Oi2cc Department and its operations ioi
the past year. that he is enabled 10 soy, for the u
years he has had the honor Of superntending It's at
fairs, the annual current expenses have been met by
It's ANIMAL revenue that an extension Of the service
has been made, commensurate TO the grown and
spread Of our population ttfE
The idea Of making the Post Office Del artment a
source Of revenue " The Government has not been
entertained by any one charged with its management
since the termination Of the last during short
period Of which All increase Of fifty per cent. upon
the then rates Of postage was imposed for revenue
purposes Nevertheless, the principle upon which
II was originally ablished-that It's expenditures
should be limited by its income--has been distinctly
cngraited upon all the legislative enactmenls con
corning its organization and prescribing the duties Of
those charged with their administration.
have thought this principle, upon which the De-
partment has been established, asound and safe one
for the Government, and am opposed to its abandon
ment. II, however, the expenditures Of the Depart
meni were liked by law aud appropriations from the
general Treasury annually made TO meet them, much
Of that labor aud responsibility in the supervisio oil
the service, which now rest upon its Chief, would be
removed
1t is no small task, to say nothing Of the response
biliiy, so to adjust the mail service Of the United
States as to accommodate the wants Of the commu
nifty. and at The same time TO produce, by lis own OPP
erations, the revenue 10 meet its own expenditures
This reflection suggests to me the propriety here OF
doing act Of justice to those who have been assoc
aled with me in this Department, by frank acknow
edgment of the able assistance which they have
given by their constant and jealous abors thus
abling me to give TO the country the best service
which the means Of the Department would allow.
The amount Of annual transportation OF the mail
ascertained the 30th June 10 a. "a 1896 so
miles: the cost Of which was 50 1918.
The amount Of annual transportation on the 30tt
june le43 was IS, 252 S05 miles the cost Of which
was S2976, 2S4
1t will be observed that the cost of
for the last year less by Sl34 499 than il for
the previous year, whilst the transportation through
out the year greater by 4I6 Sl4 miles.
The number Of Post Offices supplied in ls42, was
ID, 1873 and the number supplied in ls43 was I3 l.
10 accommodate the service TO the extension OF
population, reductions in the service in sections
and extension increase in other portions of the
Union, were rendered necessary.
The aggregate of these reductions was Sl34, 253,
and the amount Of additional and new service was
S9S 555. For more detailed statement of service
refer your Excellency TO the report Of the First
Assistant Postmaster General, No. l.
For similar reasons it became necessary to dscon-
tnue, in the year preceding LIST july lS43 400 Post
Offices, and to establish, during the same period 4S
The total expenditures of the Department for the
fiscal year ending the Both June 1912, as stated in
personalities under date Of the 2Sth of February.
lS43 were S4,975,370 ~ In this amount was in.
cluded 1892 664 81 for debts paid out Of the special
appropriation at the extra session
The total expenditures of the service for the year
ending 30th June, l643, were S43747l3 rs. includ-
ing payments on account of debts due by the Depart
ment, for which the appropriation above was made
The amount OF gross revenue for the year ending
the 3Oth June, lS4 stated in my annual report of
Sd December ls42, 81 1919, 3I7 49, That OF 1912,
was 81, SAG, 246 ID
The of lS43, so far as the returns exhibit
the amount for the year ending 30th June is 81
925 49,
considerable portion Of the current revenue Of
the Department, for the years 1912 and lS43, has
been absorbed in the payment Of demands claimed
by Deputy Postmasters for expenditures in previous
years, by the allowance Of credits therefor in the set
Element OF their accounts which credits so allowed
have been charged TO the expenditures of those
the probable amount Of which is not less than $50,
900.
II will at once occur TO the impartial mind. that a
public service so complicated and extensive as that
OF the General Post Office, requiring the harmonious
cooperation of twenty thousand agents and officers
scattered over the extent Of our territory must
be subjected TO occasional, il not vexatious inter-
ruptons by the inhdelty of some of its agents and
oiten Dy causes which no exertlon can overcome or
foresight avoid.
IL is The duty OF the head Of this Department under
The regulations and restrictions Of law TO provide by
contract Tor the transportation and regular delivery
OF the mails This duty is performed once in four
years in each Of the great divisions of the Union and
IRON time to time, as The public exgencies require
Bonds with schedules for the arrival and departure
Of every mail are taken TO the Government, so as To
provide for the continuous travel OF the mail in un.
broken connection, by the division Of time and dis
lance III suitable proper ions When failures in the
regular delivery Of the mails, arising from negli-
gence OF Contractors or their Agents take place the
law IS rigidy enforced by fines and deductions from
their pay and when that is found inefficient TO pro.
duce strict performance Of the contract the higher
and only power given TO the Postmaster General of
annulllng the contract, is exerted.
When the extent OF our territory and the condi-
ton and nature OF the public highways and channels
OF INSTRUMENTATION are considered there is more
cause for admiration Of the general regularity Of the
system, than reason Of just complaint occasional
failures.
Upon two Of the great mail rouies-tbe one from
Washington City TO New Orleans, the other from
Baltimore TO Cincionati-there have been experi-
eDced within the last few months irregularities in
the service which have given rise complaints man.
lfes,cd through the public press The causes ofthe.e
failures have been investigated and where they have
been found to arise from neglect or on the
part OF Contractors the proper and only corrective
has been applied.
Many Of the failures, however. on these two linz.
have been caused by obstacles wholly beyond the
competency oil the most yigant Contractors 10 over
come The mail upon the great Southern route /,
transported by railroad and steamboats, from Wash
ington City TO New Orleans, with the exception of
the distance between Madison, In Georgia and Mo
bile, IN Alabama Between these points IL is trans
ported IN post coaches daily. The whole time al
lowed IL seven days eight and half hours; ip win
ter twenty-four hours more are allowed
That portion Of the route between Mobile and
New Orleans, and between Charleston and Nin.ing-
ton which Is performed by steamboats,, is dajculs
often oostruc,ed by high winds dense fog. IN
failure occurs, IRON any cause between Washington
City and Madison, Georgia where the stag, line
commences, double mail is thereby thrown upon
the stage service, which is often too large to he
transported IN single stage. A portion thereof IS
necessarily left, for the time, which produces confI
SION and 'rreguiary IN the delivery 1T Mobile and
New Orleans, for several successive DAYS Prom
causes not unlike these, irregularities and failures
have taken place ON the ure,t ,.,s,xr, -o,.,u