Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1848-12-23

Interrogation, they were sold aad the money
placed ia the treasury.
The number Of men il the naval service, au-
,hosised by law during the war, has been redu.
ced by discharges below The maximum fxed
for the peace establishment. Adequate sqad-
rons are maintained 10 several quarters of The
globe, where experience has shown their SER
vices a,ay be mos, usefuIly employed and the
naval service Was neve: 10 coadition Of high.
ct discipline or greater efici-ncy.
l invite attention 10 The recommendation Of
the Secretary Of the Navy, on the subject Of
the Marine Corp. The reduction Of the corps
at the end Of the wa. required that four off
GERS Of three OF the lower grade should be
dropped from the roll. A board Of officers
made the selection, and those designated were
necessarily dismissed. bu, without. any alleged
fanlt. concur in opinion with the Secretary
that the service would be improved by rsdu.
cling the number Of Iandsnen and increasing
the marines. Such measure would Justify
an increase of the number of officers 10 the
exlen, of the reduction by dismissal, and still
the corps would have fewer officers than a cor
responding number OF men in the army.
The contracts 70! The transportation Of the
mail 10 steam ships, converted into war steam.
ers promise 10 realize all the benefits to our CON.
merce and 10 the navy, which we're antlclpa-
ted The frs, steamer which was secured 10
the government, was launched 10 January.
1915. There are now seven, and in another
year there will probably be no less than severn
teen aAoa,. While the great national advan-
tage is secured, our civil communication and
intercourse are increased and promoted with
Germany, Great Britain and other paris Of
Europe-with all the countries OF the west
coast Of our con,inent-and especially with
Oregon and California, between the northern
and southern sections Of the west. Cons:dera.
| bic revenue may be expected from postage;
bu. Ire connected line from Cnayres and
thence across The Ishmus ~ Oregon can
no, fail 10 exert most beneficial influence no,
| now 10 be es,ina, ed in the Intercourse Of the
manufacture, commerce, navigation and cur.
reocy of the Uui,ed States. As an impor.aa.
part OF the System, l recommend to your IA
vorabIe consideration the establishment, OF the
proposed line between New Orleans and Vera
Cruz. Ii promises the most happy results i"
cemeptlng friendship between the wo Repub.
lies, aud extending reciprocal advantages 10
the trade and manufactures 10 both.
The report Of the Postmaster General will
make known 10 you the operations OF the de-
! partner, for the past year.
|, Is gratifying to find the revenues OF the
Department. under the rates Of postage now
established by law, 50 rapidly increasing. The
GROSS amour, of postage during The last hsca!
wear amount 10 81, 37l ,O77, exceeding the All
nual average rec-ip's Tor the nine years mme
diateIy proceeding the passage OF the act OF
the 81 of March, 1916, by the sun of .6,453.
and exceeding the amoun, received the year
ending Inc 30h June, 1877, by the sum OF
Sl25 1874.
The expenditures for tie year, excluding
the sun OF S24.672 allow ed by Congress
a, its las, session. 10 individual claimants. and
Including the sam of $lOO,5oO, paid Tor the
services Of line steamers between Bremen
and Nav York, amounted to $4.l95 ,Si5, which
is less than the average of nne years previous
to the &C, OF 1915, BY $3o0,743
The mail routes on the 30lh day June
last. were l63, 300 miles in extent being an
Increase during the last year Of nine thousand
three hundred and ninety miles. The mails
were transported over them during the same
term 4i,O!2 SO mites, making an increase al
transportation for the year OF 2,l246SO Dile
whilst the expense was less that OF the pre-
vious year BY four thousand two hundred and
thirty five dollars.
The increase in The mail nsportaiion with.
in the last three years, has been 37o,3l'
miles, whilst the expenses were reduced S456,
737-makIug an increase Of service at the
rate of Is per cent. During the past year,
there have been employed in contracts with
the Post Office Department two ocean stea'h'
ers 10 conveying the mails monthly between
New York and Bremen; and one since Oc'o'
her last, performing SEM monthly services BE-
tween Charleston and Havana.
A contract has been made for the transmits
sion Of the Pacific mails across the lsthmus,
from Chagtes to Panama. Under the author.
ty given to the Secretary Of the navy. .hre g
ocean steamers have been constructed and
sen, 10 the Pacific, and are expected to enter
in the mail service between Panama and Ore
gon, and the intermediate points, on the first
Of January. Of mex, year: and fourth has been
engaged by him, for the services between
| Havana and Chagres, so that regular mail
line Will b. kept up, after that time between
the Uui,ed States aud our territories on The
the Pacific.
Notwithstanding the great increase in the
| mail service, should The revenue continue tn
increase tbs present year, a. i, did |" The last.
there will b. received nearly four hundred and
fii,y thousand dollars more than the expenses
The considerations have satisfied the POST
master General that, with certain modilca'
lions OF the act of 1915, the revenue may be
further incre ased, and reduction Of postage
made TO uniform rate Of five cents. without
any interference of the principle which has
been constantly and properly enforced, Of max
ing tina, Department sustain itself.
A well dlges,ed postage system is the best
means Of dffnsing intelligence among the
people, and is Of SO much importance in a
country so extended as this Of the U. States.
,ha, recommend to your favorable considera
lion, the suggestions Of the Postmaster Gen
| eral for il 8 improvement