American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1844-12-04

extracts as we deem of interest:
The total transportation ofthe mail by horse
and in stages. railroads. and steamboats,, for TIN
year ending the 30th June, 1874, supplyln!
lI.l03 post-oiccs, at a cost Of So, 93S, 55 |, wa
IS, 100 ,62l miles, exceeding the transportation
for the year lS4l by 4l3, 100 miles.
The income of the Department for the yea
ending the 30th June, 1914, was as follows:
Letter postage, S3G76,l6 80
Newspaper postage, 549,743 So
Fines, 1876 90
Miscellaneous receipts, H. 45 Al
Total revenue reported, S4,29S,285 SO
! The total amount of expenditure settled ant
paid for the same period is 4,296, 867 10.
The Postmaster General states the suggestion
which has been made, to maintain the depart
( mcnt by direct appropriations by congress, in
stead of compelling it to rely upon its own re-
venues for support; and very properly propose:
| the proposition. In regard to a rcductlonn the
rate of postage. he says:
1t may be asked, what is the nature and char.
acter Of the reduction of postage which it is
deemed by the Department prudent and safe al
this time to be adopted?
! The answer to tins Inquiry, will depend main
! ly upon the fact how congress will settle the
question now mooted as to The best method Of
dcfraying the expenses of the Department.
Shall it, as heretofore, be required to sustain
itself, or it shall be thrown as an annual charge
upon the Treasury?
If the Department is to be left to lean on its
own resources, am prepared to recommend a
,I LOTT, f,,G rn &c
the single letter, rs heretofore recommended by
me in a report to the Senate of the United
States of the 5th of January, 1913, upon the
terms and conditions indicated in that report,
to which respectfully ask leave to refer you.
He reitera;es the suggestion made in former
reports, that government shall compensate the
department for the transportation and delivery
of its public correspondence, and the ranked
letters of public iunctonaries, by ''the assump-
ton, by the government, of the amount paid
the department for rail road transportation, Ell
thor by the purchase of the right, permanently,
or by annual appropriations. This expense is
stated to be $50, 569 annually If this be paid
by government, and the department be protect
ed from the abuses Of the iranking privilege,
and the nroads upon its revenue by private
expresses or posts, the postmaster general
thinks that the rates Of postage can be safely
reduced to five and ten cents.
lie refers to the losses sustained by the de-
partInent from private expresses, and the pros
ecutons which have taken place for such vio-
ations of law; the different decisions, Sc
The question Is yet to come before the Su
preme Court. On this subject he says
sit will not do for Congress to await the de-
cision oftho Supreme Court, upon the question
ia question which has been regarded as settled,
not only by judicial decisions, bnt the legisla-
ton of the country, and acquesced in by the
States and the people for near half century.
A power of punishment and restraint sufficient
to maintain the supremacy of the laws of the
land and suited to the present condition Of al
fairs, should at once be vested in the Judicial
ry Department.
81 cannot concur in the opinion have heard
often expressed, that the only remedy for this
evil is a reduction Of postage. There is no
rate of reduction which prudent legislation can,
at this time, make that will prevent successful
competition in the business OF carrying letters,
by individuals, over Post Roads. IF we take |
the system as a whole, the Government has
conveyed, and will convey letters as cheap as
1t can be done by individuals. But if private
mails are permitted to occupy the most poduc-
tive routes, it is conceded that individuals can
transport letters cheaper on these routes than
the Department
ono rate of revenue upon imported merchan !
disc, however low, will prevent smuggling, if
the penal sanctions of the law against it be re-
pealed.
'Without further legislation by Congress up
on this subject, it is idle to expect the Depart
ment to sustain itself at any rate of postage
The failure to pass some act amendatory Of the
existing laws, at the last session, quadruped the
number Of private mails then in operaton.-
Prompt and efficient legislation on this subject
is demanded by every consideration of public
policy
The balance of the report relates principally
to the policy of enabling the department to
contract for the transportation of mails to TO-
reign ports; and to the action of the depart
ment under resolution of Congress, "author-
izing the postmaster general to enter into regu-
latons with certain foreign governments, for
the interchange of Matchmaker and prepayment
of postage on letters to and from the respec-
tive countries
NAVAL. The U. S. frigate Potomac, Capt.
Gwynn, dropped down to Hampton Roads on
Sunday, and will sail to-day. The Norfolk
Beacon says, the Hon. VIM. Crump, of Vir-
yinia, U. s. Charge d'Afaires to Chill, and his
son Richard Crump, his private Secretary, and
Inc Hon. J. II. Bryan, of Ohio, U. S. Charge
i'AfTaires to Peru, and his son Richard Bryan,
MS private Secretary, 90 out as passengers in