The Arkansas banner., 1845-01-15


 years 1915 l846, and part of 1914, and for balances due from the Slate and fer otbar pur- poses.
 Posr OFFICE DEPARTMENT AND U $. NAvY.-- We have not room at this tme to publish the reports of the Secretaries of tie above departments; and therefore clip from exchange paper (Pittsburg Mercury1 the following condensed statements af their substance:
 POSTMASTER GENERALS RGroRT.-The Postmaster General states in his report, that during the administration of Mr. Tyler, the current expenses of the department have been met by its revenue, and that the mail service IS now greater than at the commencement of 1911: The incQme Of the department for the year ending 30th June, 1911, was so4,207,- eoh The amonnt of postage collected by postmasters during the four years was $17,- 48o,0S7, all of which has been paid over by them without serious daialcaion or loss.- The number of mail depredations for three years was l931 One hundred of the deprc- daiions have been arrested and tried Alleged loss, Sb462, l35, of which S304,212, have either been recovered or the loss satisfactorily ascertained. There has been great punc- tuality in the payments by the posinastels, and the agents have generally been faithful A reduction of postage is recommended to five cents and ten cents on single letter. the income. to sustain the department, and for iranked documents the government is to pay for the use of railroads for transporting the mails, now S760,000. Stringent enactments against private evasion of the post office laws are recommended; and il Is added that arrange menls are likely to be made with England and France relative to the postage on letters to and from these governments. The estab- ilshment of lines of mail steamers Is urged with considerable force The number of let ters carried out by the Cunard steamers lone, t is alleged, is 60,000 month, netting postage ol Sl60,000 per annum. Newl laws, which shall eliectually prevent the private malls entering into competition with the de pertinent, are declared to be necessary under any circumstances.
 The regort is well written, and proves that, notwithstanding the misrePresentatioils and the unprecedented objections with which he has had 10 contend, Mr. Wicklifle has admin. istered his department with fidelity, success and ability, not cxcelled, if equalled, by any of his distinguished predecessors,
 The report of the Secretary of the Navy, Hon. John Y. Mason, commences with the following statement of the present force of the Navy. and the additions to itnow in pro- gross, and the designations oi the seuadrons:
 The Navy of the United States consists of SIX ships of lhc line, one razee, fourteen fri- gates, twenty-one sloops of war, sixteen bsigs and schooners, three store ships, and eight steamers aioat.
 There arc now on the stocks in all unlin- shed state, four ships of the line, threc frgaes, one store ship, an iron steamer at Pittsburgh, and one at the Navy Yard at Washington, to be used as a water tank Since the last annual report, after careful survey and inspec- lion, t was found most conducive to the public [ interest 10 sell the frigate Hudson, and the store ships Consorl aud Chipola, and orders have been recently given for the sale of the Pioneer.
 The vessels in commission have been em- ployed as follows:
 In the Home Squadron, the frigate Roia- mac, tho sIoops rincennes, Vandalia, and Falmouth, the brigs somcrs and Lawrence, , and the steamer Union, under the command of Com Conner. In the month of August the | HUH 0uli Ol HltAlCO, and was put in ordinary, and her crew dis charged,
 In the Mediteranean Sea, the squadron was under the command of Com. Morris, until he : Jeff that station in the Delaware 7i in Eco f ruary, when the command devolyed on Com. Jos. Smith. Our naval forces inthat sea con- s sistof the frgates Cumberland and Columbus, i, sloops Plymouth and Fairfield, and the store ship Lexington. The new sloop St. Mary's | IS under orders, aud will proceed, as soon as she is ready for sea, to relieve the Fairfield. 5 On the coast of ElazA, the squadron has consisted of the Columbus 7l, frigales Rarilan : and Congress, sloops John Adams and Boston, f brig Bainbridge and schooner Enterprise. : In the Pacific Ocean there have been en- :. ployed ihe frigates United States and Savan- n nah, sloops Cyane, Levant, and Warren, n shooner Shark, and store ship Relief. The United States and Cyane have returned home, I been put in ordinary, and their crews dis- E charged. The new sloop Portsmouth has been iued for sea, and is under orders to the