New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-12-05

sSnsx.uzsx-~u-sss.-
when completed. the ssu Of ssgtcco per snsus
from the Treasury.
Whether this policy Is to De ocntiased OF .,
tended. Is eaassly a question for Congress buel
sens proper TO observe, that asy change b
WHICH this .baii be declared wal sevfos ard ri
| er=s, .Sditionsl demand be maze claim on IN
trccr-e From postsse, Will greatly enoarrtss az
ssdsrgsr the operations oi the Department
50 great 10 TIE ccss Of 6nudlng and sussainisl
these veoel. and 81 small the postsee 70 - de
uved sherrfroD, that Il vii, Il 40 ordered, deies
the prescu; system OF sustainins the mails within
ma co1Et-y-pst an end - ali ex.e0sion Of iss &C
,otsSse dstions, al reductions o. postage, ard a.
| Improvement OF its Condition. IL 10 much 70 DC
hoped, that no proPcsi,ien 80 Disastrous in its Goa
| sequecess viii % entertained. In any coarse
Congress may think p-oper N pursue in rsiatioo
| IN those war steamers, their support. while cen
| tinGed. must be drwn from the Treasury, a. pro
| vidsi when adopted ard a. 70 nov done
| The transportation Of the mail ac-oss the 18th
mas. being IN focega country. 10 the proper sub.
Act matter Of treaty. AID "a TOT within the power
| OF this Department lts, however, respectfully
suggested that this service BOW done by the gov
erameut Of New Grenada Ia very tsrdhy aud care
lessls pesformed, and the comp snsstion under the
treaty PROBABLY inadequate. Reliable Information
hss seen received thst they would willingly yield
up this service. new arrangement should In
uiei5stsiy be made By treaty, II practicable. per
mltrng the service 70 Dc performed by ourselves
bat gusrsntyng tie protection there, and placing
| under the direction Of this Department The
amount required BY the treaty b es paid 60 New
Grenada for carrying saat mail, being .r no ether
way provided for by Congress, has bosa paid by
this Department up 10 this time.
No steamship ho yet been dispatohe ed on the
mail service from Nex-N0rk TO LIVERPOOL under
tie contract eith tho Navy Department, but it Il
| expected socn 10 be done.
Since the last Session Of Congress the pcs,a
treaty with Great Butsin hes been carried into
full operation, by regulations settled 10 pur,aspoe
OF the treaty BY this Department aud the Post-
Office Department OF that country, which reeuls.
tons have been promulgated. The leading feature
Of that arrangement at letters upon hich the
postage 10 wholly prepaid, or Oh which bone 10
paid, pass through the mails between the too
coun,rie. and are dispatched and delivered In tho
same manner 90 II those countries oere one and
al account 10 kept IN each VI the postage collected
Tor the other. which 10 periodically settled.
Tho effect Of this 10, that while the sea service
10 almost entirely performed by the British ssesm.
ships. the sea postsges belonging a. them makes
the balance In sccoaHsiog largely sgsinst ia TIE
operation Of this IL no injury, az We actually re-
ceivs al Ne pay bat t 10 stated In order 10 ex-
plain that now all this postage goes into tho &C
count Of postage received in this Department. and
. swell ils apparent amount, when 10 10 subject
always 10 the annual reduction OF this balance pay.
able 70 Great Britain. Whenever our mail steam.
ships shall perform service between New .Yosk
aad Liverpool, which IL coon expected 70 sill tend
to correct this balance.
The Efforts 10 extend this arrangement through
Engl.nd TO France, have not been successful.
MAIL SERVICE ~ cALipoRsIA.
Nv the third section ofthe act Of Congress, on.
titled An set TO establish certain post routes, sp-
proved August II. ls<s,' the Postmaster. General
Was author zed to appoint Postmastsrs at plaoes
GA tho Psohc, In California, and 10 appoint SCENTS
t1r masking arrangements Tor the establishment 81
POst. hi,es and conveyance OF mails Ia California
and Oregon. Under this act a. early az Novem.
Der, ls4S, q Postmaster was appointed tor Ban
Francisco, and agents were appointed and sent
on that business. That Pcstmsste entered on
his duties and, for q time, attempted their dis
charge but finding, shs writes, no sufficient IN
como from the postage - pay tho expense OF room
and assistance, or even Tor bis support he re-
signed No report from those agents has ever
been received. IN April last another agent was
sent, who immediately departed and en-
tered upon his duties and also another
POstm aster for San Francisco, who has also
arrived there and from information received
from them and others there 10 good reason Ia be-
lieys that all reasonable exersions are being
made to give 70 the people there all the mail
facilities the limited means legally applicable win
sif lrd.
The laws regulating the Post Office duties and
service are, In many respects, ii adapted 20 the
circumstances and coalition Of that country. Ma
ny letters have been sent there for persons passing
the overland route snd Il the same we're ~ be
treated a. dead letters at the end OF the second
quarter after their arrival, they would be sent
back before those persons " ould arrive there. In
deed, the sending as dead letters, u the Depart
ment here, those letters mailed from ono Office 10
another in Caiornis, would be worse than useless.
No Sufficient pecunisry means are atthe command
fthe Department, for tab service. Tie price OF
Sr oifiees.fooS' are sucS t6st no allowances noW
Authorized by law can secure Post Office In Cali
fornis. Nor can the mails DO transported within
the coantry for any compensation which the post
age received there will furnish.
No suni sicnt returns have been received by
which 10 dstermins the expense OF What has al
ready been dooe, but IL fully appears that proyi-
SONS must DO made much beyond the yield Il the
postage there, to meet the cost OF even very Inn
tod supply Of mail accommodation la that ooon-
try Tnis subject requires the early attention Of
Congress, and at this same time provision shosis
DO made Tor extending mails to Oregon and New
Mexico.
OPERATIONS wIrHrs TIE DEPARTkgsr.
As our country expsnds In dimensions and our
settlements extend Ia ares-ss our population In
creasAs in density end business In activity. tho
service Of the mail must have q corresponding adj
vaocement; and IL follows unsvoidably that the
business and labor within tho Department are ev
cry year rapidly sugmeDting demanding from
time 70 time addition Of force for their perfHm-
sncs. In 1890. the Department vas reorssnired,
and by law much less number Of clerks provided
for than had heretofore been used. 10 putting
that organization into operation, 10 was immedi
ately found imprsoticable 10 proceed with saob
reduced force only, and temporary clerks % the
number Of eight were employed In 1887. These
wore continued by TEN porary appropriations ansu
1912, when by law they became permanent, bet
no provision has been made for any additional
clerks since 1887. soch In the meantime has
nees the progress Of tho service, and such The
increase OF business, that the pressure on the
nlsrhs has become 90 great ana delays 90 una
voidable a. absolutely 10 nq1ire new sdditions
force or the public service mus, suffer. Tho pres
sure is ca eli ths burssos Of the Department
Ia tho contract cEice. where tho care ara "
raosemsnt Of the mail service 10 extenoihSm
daily de mand and where the extent OF o'nespon-
dence 10 permanently tho greatest 10 ns sp-
Doiptment Office busnsss Increases VIII tho 70.
crosse Of the number Of Cfses. 10 me nnanc'n
pure.u. undsr the third assistant the labor mucn
inere,ssd AZ 20 that branch falls the care OF Tho
d,,S.letter cfice, and the receiPI and charge Of
,ba ooartsriy returns In the last year there were
rsceived Q 100 600 dead letters, all which have
3, an ooeped sns examined or these, fs64 con
t.sios money % the amount Of t52 oeS, have been
,,vi.tered and the same sent oat fOr delivery 10
~ oznsrs and ges letters containing other en-.