Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-12-15
Report.
tFrom the Spirit of the Times
n pngT1I AgTEn GENER AIS

document OF such length that few people will
undertake to perusc it. We give, therefore,
for the benefit our readers its point and snb-
stance.
The whole number of Post Offices in the
United States June 30, 1s49, was 16,747, 921
new ones having been established and 333
old ones discontinued, within the present
year.
There were 6,333 postmasters appointed
within the same year
The effect of the Post Office laws of 1si5
have been such as to reduce the expenses of
the service, though greatly increased. within
the income derived from posiages.
The cost of the Mail service previons to
1s45 was cents mill per mile; now it is
cents and mills per mile.
There were 4,943 mail routes, comprising
in all ,7o3 miles, up to July, ls49, and
4,190 Mail Contractors. The whole cost of
transportation on these routes was S2.42s,5 ,515.
The mails by sea cost S255,69 additional.
The gross receipts for the year TO 3olh
June, ls49, were $l,7O5 176. To this add
appropriation by Congress of 100000, and
we have the whole revenue si,9o5, 176. The
gross expenditures were i,476,o ,o49, leaving
an excess of revenue of S425, 1877, to which
add the amount ofappropriaton by Congress
not used S265, $685. showing the sum of $691,-
$50 balance nnexpended of the revenue of
the past year.
The estimates for the coming year are
! thus set down.
The probable revenue from postages, &C.,
| will be. for The year ending June 80, 1850,
/ S4,s92, 166. Add TO this the previous balance
on hand, S691, ,6S2, and the appropriation for
/ free mail matter, and we have a gross receipt
of S5,7S3,s4S. The probable expenditures
is put down at S4,75O,l3 This will leave
a balance to the credit of the Department,
June 30, 1850, of 81, l,o33,71O. So that, even
at the present low rates of postaye-rates
that, it was thought, al first, would bring the
Department in debt every year, there is
nett profit TO be expected of a million per
annum.
Why then, should not the postage be sill
further reduced! Why should not a letter
be delivered at our doors, the Department
paying the carriers? Why compel all who
receive letters TO pay nearly half as much for
bringing them from the Post Office TO their
door, as is demanded for carrying them 100
miles by the maitland why should % cents
be asked to carry letter to Europe, when 10
cents would be sufficient, and the profits of
the Post Office will easily remove this bur-
den from the shoulders of the people?
The carriage of the mails on railroads and
in steamboats,, averages a cost of nine cents
per mile. Where it is carried, (of course
more slowly,) on horseback and in coaches,
the cost averages three cents per mile.
The increase of letter postage last year
was Is 2-1O per cent. aud the whole increase
was IA is per cent 1t is rot thought that
such an increase will occnr every year. Only
per cent is considered the natural increase.
The number of letters paying postage, last
year, was sixty-two millions! This is an
, average of over three letters 10 every man,
woman and child in the country!
The postage collected on these letters was
S3,SS2,762: On newspapers and pamphlets,
ssl9,O16. The letter postage has to pay not
only lis own expenses, but most of the ex-
pense of carrying the newspapers, SC
The franked or free matter that goes through
The mail is enormous. For the year ending
3o,h June, 1s47, the free matter recelued by
the Public Departments, would have paid
S25o,3S3. The amount seat was, at least
equal, making snm Of S500,767. This does
! not include the franked letters and document.
$ and speeches of the Houses of Congress.
The extra number of pub. docs. of the two
last sessions of Congress, was 370,350, weigh
: ing ACT, 1862 lbs; printed speeches, 6,5s2 500
weighing ,53l lbs! And this does not in
/ clude the letters sent or received by the mem
e bers of Congress.
: The whole amount of free written an,
!. printed mail matter sent and received b.
d Congress, during the year ending June 80
It lS4s, is put down at 5,32o,o9s, which shoul'
!. have paid postage of s792,7oo.
). Besides this, sos, l6l has to be paid L
postmasters to deliver this free matter AM
this year all the blanks, returns, and cores
pondence used in taking the census of 1856
will travel free, also, Three thousand ream
of blanks are already engaged.
. Congress appropriates 100000 per annur
or 10 pay for the whole of this extra expense
X leaving the post office TO pay the other hd!J
~ million and more out of It's profits! This
- =, unjust. sag
sn The Report does not suggest that tn
&c, Franking System should be abolished.
~ The Report iptinates that il is good polio
! to keep the newspaper and pamphlet posiag
at their present low rates, and advises II
ductiou Of letter postage, graduated nicely
the receipts and expenditures of the Depar
!. ment. This is very we'll .oesl q ~ &
Five cents for all single letters, wheih'
within or over three hundred miles, is SUI
gested as fitting price. This will do vel