The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-12-12
Postmaster Generals Report.

Postmaster Generals Report.
This report is quite leog'hy. Some
extracts will doubtless be interesting to
our readers, as they should interest every
freeman in the nation.
Post OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
25lh NovEMBER, 1874.
To he President Of The United States:
Sir: ii will bo gratifying to YOU ana no
doubt 10 he county, 10 be Intormed' US
ore,iuinarv TO detailed report OF the
ooera,ions Of this Department during the
mas, year, aud of its present eo"dl,loo, that
for the time il has been under the super
inrendance of The undersigned, and during
the whole OF your Administration, lis cur
rent expenses have been met by It's currenI
revenue. and ne amour: of service Is now
greater than at the commencement OF the
year l94l.
A further extension of the usefulness OF
the Department, would have been made
bnt for embarrassment and difficulties 1t
had 10 encounter by The operations OF prI-
ya,e mails established upon the leading
lines Of nos, roads connecting the lmror-
taDt commercial cities aud towns OF The Y
nited States.
Ia me absence oil Mat Legislation hereto
fore suggested as necessary 10 protect the
Department against the lnroads upon lis
revenue, there is cause OF congratulations
no. surprise, that | have not yet oeen
compelled 10 curtoll the service beio" lis
present amount. 81,
Tbe total Transportation Of the mail BY
hose. and in stages, railroads and steam
boas, for the wear euding The 30lh Of June
1914, supplying IA, l03 post offices, al ii
cost of S2,933,55l, was 400 GA miles
exceeding the transportation lor The year
l84l, by Ais, 100 miles.
The income ofthe Department for the
year ending the 30h June, 1874, was as
follows:
Isuer postage. S3,676,l6l So
Ti,,,s 1875 90
Misc Ianeous receipts. ll.245 AZ
Total revenue reported. 81, 237 235 So
The total amount Of expenditure settled
and plil for the same period is S4,29o,
8G7 70.
The year which has passed has been
distinguished in many portions OF the
countfy, particularly 10 the South and
Yves, by excessive IA MS and hooos' 'n'
terposing distractions to the regular transit
Of The mails, which it was impossible iot
the MOS, vioiIant and entelprlsIng contrAc
tors to overcome. With exceptions OF
this i.ind. the service has been geneFaI'y
well performed by Contractors
The revenue CO Tested by Postmas'ers
with very few exceptions, has been promp
,lv paid and accounted for. and ii is worth
Y OF remark, that of he $l7 ASS Uo7 Il
collected by Poslmasters wnhln the las
four years, no material loss has been, o
will be, sustained by the Governments
The number Of cases Of mail depreda
tons reported 10 The Department, for three
wears preceding the II b October, 1874
isl,o34. Amount oil alleged loss, si4o2
1876. Amount of moneys recovered, 0
less satisfactorily ascertalned, BOA 2l2'-
One hundred mail dcptedators have beer
arrested and tried. during the same period
| am warranted in the expression OF TIT
oninion, that the number OF mail depreda
lions has been diminishing within The las
few wears, and greater security by great
er vigilance, has increased public co n
dence in this mode OF transmitting none
from one portion of the country 10 IN
other.
From the above facts it may be inferrr
that the Special Agents o! the Depart
ment have not been altogether unmHd'u
oflheir duiy. IL IS not alone TO silent III
ueslirarioas into cases IF losses by MA
that ,heir abors have been coatlned. -
They are charged with general out dec
supefin!.ndence Of The service and III
preservation of the public property OF III
Department.
the necessity and importance of sue
supervision, and The udvartige OF
strict system Of responsibility may, l
degree, be known from The value and &
mount expended annually for potion
the public properly. Take for insIanc
the item OF mail bags. The amount e'
pcuded for this purpose, for the fou
wears, Including the amount of accom-
Suspended prior 10 the first OF July, l84
which amount of suspended accounts W.
nlid in l84l>2, was S2l6 666. III
amount actually expended for the 70,
wear, arec-diog the frs eff Jolly, 1874,
$70.559 40,
Pubiic opinion seems to demand r
doc,ioo in The rates Of leuer postage. Z
as far as | have been enabled to unde
stand that public opinion, 1t IS based up'
The necessity and pfopriety Of ndherng
This vital principle, and sustained by t
nrnlmcnl TINT reduction Of posta