Baltimore commercial journal, and Lyford's price-current. [volume] (Baltimore, Md) 1840-1849, 1848-12-16

cradle loans of specie required for distant dis
burScmcnt, and when the banks, the fiscal agents oil
the Government, and the repositories of its money,
were suspended the public credit must have sunk
and many millions Of dollars, the case during
the war of 1872 must have been sacrificed in dis
counts upon loans and upon the deprecated paper
currency which the government would have been
compelled TO use.
MAIL OPERATIONS.
! The report Of the Postmaster General will make
known to you the operations OF that department Tor
tn" past year.
1t is gratifying TO fluid the revenues of the depart
ment, under the rates OF postage now established Oy
law, rapidly increasing. The gross amount OF
hostages during the last fiscal year amounted 10 four
million three hundred aud seventy one thousand aud
seventy seven dollars, rXceCd ding the annual NV erase
+, crvrd for the nine years Immediately preceding
the pa sage Of the act of Sd Of March, 1915 by the
sum of 4 b 1853, and exceeding the amount received
for the year ending 30h June, 1871, by the sum OF
| S+a5,ISi
The expenditures for the year, excluding the sum
of ninctyiour thousand six hundred and scvcntytwo
dollars, allowed by Congress at its last session TO in.
divdual claimants and including the of one hun
drcd thousand five hundred dollars paid for the
vices OF the line of steamers between Bremen and n.
York, amounted to four million one hundred and
ninety eight thousand eight hundred and torty-f
dollars, which is less than the annual average Tor
the nine years previous to the act of 1915, by three
hundred thousand seven hundred and forty eight dol
lars.
The mail routes on the 30th day of June last were
| 1863, POS miles in eXtcnt-being increase during
the last year Of 800 miles. The mails were trans
mittcd over them, during the time, 4 l2,579
miles; making increase of transportation for the
year Of 3 $50 miles, whilst the expense less
than that of the previous year by 1925.
The increase in the mail transportations within
the last three years has been 5,37S $40 miles whilst
the expenses were reduced $3.50 37-making an
increase of service at the rate of fifteen per cent.
| During the past year there have been employed,
under contracts with the Post Office Department., two
Ocean Steamers, in conveying the mails monthly be-
tween New York and Bremen, and line since
October last performing semi monthly service be-
tween Charleston and Havana; and a contract has
been made for the transmission of the Pacific mails
across the Isthmus from Chagres TO Panama.
Under the authority given TO the Secretary OF the
Navy, three ocean steamers have been constructed
and s,nt to the Pacific and expected TO enter
upon the mail service between Panama and Oregon
[ and the intermediate points on the LIST OF January
next, and fourth has been engaged by him for the
service between Havana and Chagres, that rcgu-
lar monthly mail line will be kept up after that
time between the United States and territories
( on the Pacific.
Notwithstanding this great increase in the mail
service, should the Lcvcnuc continue increase the
present Icar it did in the last, there will be
crivcd 45l 900 more than the expenditures.
The considerations have satisfied the Post Master
General, that, with certain notifications oh ahe Act
Of 1915, the revenue NAV be still farther increased,
aud reduction of postage made TO uniform rate OF
five cents, without an interference with the princi
pie which has been constantly and properly en-
forced, of making that Department sustain itself
well digestcd postage system is the best means
of dfFusng intelligence among the people, and is OF
much importance in country extensive as that
OF the United States that recommend to your favor
able consideration the suggestions OF the Postmaster
General for its improvement.