The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-12-05

Conifscfs were ordered and made BY the Navy Depart
ment for three lines OF war from New York
via Havana TO New Orleans. and from Havana to Cha
gres from Panama TO California and Astoria. and
between New York and Liverpool; all which, requiring
thirteen war steamships Were 70 carry the mall and to re-
from the treasury Whether this policy is to be continued
or extended entirely Congress but
proper 10 that any change by which this shall be
declared mail service and this great additional demand be
made claim on the income from postage. will greatly
embaass and derange the operations OF this department
So great the cost OF building and sustaining these
ses and SO small the postage to be derived herefom
that il WILL il ordered defeat the present system Of
sustaining the mails within this country, put end to all
extension OF Its accommodations, all reduction OF post
age, and all Improvement OF its condition II is much 10
be hoped that no proposition disastrous in its conse
quences will be entertained In any course Congress
may think proper TO pursue in relation TO these war
steamers, their support, while continued, must be drawn
from the treasury, as provided when adopted. and as is
done.
The transportation OF the mail across the lsthmus be-
ing in foreign country, the proper subject matter of
treaty. and is within the power OF this department
now done by The government 81 New Grenada IS very
ardily and carelessly performed, and the compensation
under The treaty probably inadequate Reliable informa
ton has been received that they would willingly yield up
this service. new arrangement should Immediately be
made by treaty. if practicable permitting this service to
De performed BY ourselves, but guaranyng its protection
there and placing under the direction OF this depart
ment The amount required by the treaty to be paid to
New Grenada for carrying that mail being in no other
way provided for BY Congress- has been paid by this de-
No steamship has YET been despatched on the mail SER
vice from New York TO Liverpool under the contract with
the Navy Department. but it is expected soon to be done
Since the last session of Congress the postal treaty with
Great Britain has been carried full operation BY reg
ulaions settled in pursuance OF the treaty BY this depart
ment and the Post Office Department Of that country,
which regulations have been promulgated The leading
feature 81 that arrangement is that letters which the
postage Is wholly prepaid, or on which none is paid,
pass through the mails between the countries, and
are despatched and delivered in the il
those countries were one and account is kept in each
of the postage collected for the other which period
cally settled The effect Of this is that while the
service is almost entirely performed by the British
ships the sea postage belonging to them makes the bal.
ance in accounting largely against U.S. The operation Of
this is inurys actually receive all we pays but
it stated in order te explain, that all this postage
goes into the account OF postage received in this depart
ment. and to swell its apparent amount, when il is sub
ec always the annual reduction OF this balance paya
bic to Great Britain. Whenever mail steamships
which is soon expected, it will endto correct this bal
ance
The efforts to extend this arrangement through Eng
land to France have not been successful.
Mail Service in California
By the third section of the OF Congress- entitled can
act establish certain post routes approved August
14th 1885," the Postmaster General authorized to
appoint posmasters al places the Pacific in California,
and to appoint agents for making arrangements for the
establishment of post offices and conveyance of mails in
California and Oregon Under this act, early No
vember, 1885, postmaster appointed for San Fran
CISCO and agents appointed and sent that bust
ness That postmaster entered his duties and for
sufficient income from The postage 10 pay the ex.
pense OF and assistance for his support he
resigned No report from those agents has ever been
received In april last another agent was sent, who i'm
mediaey departed and entered upon his Duties and also
another postmaster for San Francisco, who has also ar
rived there and from information received from them
and others, there is good 10 believe that all
sonabe exertons are being made to give the people
there all the mail facilities the limited means legally ap.
Picable will afford The laws regulating the post Office
duties and service are, in many respects i'll adapted 10
the circumstances and condition of that country. Many
letters have been sent there for persons passing the
letters the end of the second quarter after their arrival
they would be back before those persons would
rive there Indeed. the sending dead letters the de-
parment here those letters mailed from office TO
another in California would be more than useless
No suhcieat pecuniary means are al the command of
personal service and the price required for Office ROOM
are such that no allowance authorized by law can
Office in California Nor can the mails be
transported within the country for any compensation
which the postage received there will furnish No SUN
have been received by which 10 determine
the expense Of what has already been DONE but fully
appears that provision must be made much beyond the
yield OF the postage there, to meet the cost of
very limited supply OF mail accommodation that coun-
Try This subject requires the early attention Of Con-
extending mails to Oregon and New Mexico
Operations withm the Department.
As our country expands in dimensions and our settle.
ments extend in population increases in den.
sty and business in activity the service Of the mail must
avodaby that the busness and labor within the Depart
ment every year rapidly augmentng. demanding from
time 10 time addition OF force for their performance In
1886 the Department reorganzed and by law much
less number OF clerks provided for than had Heretofore
been used. In putting that organization into operation
il was Immediately found mpraccable TO proceed with
such reduced force only, and temporary clerks TO the
number OF eight were employed in 1897. They were
continued BY temporary appropriations until 1872 when
6y law they became permanent; but provision has
been made for any additional clerks since 1897
Such, in the mean time, has been the progress of the
service and such the increase Of business that the pres
sure on the clerks has become great and DELAYS 30
unavoidable absouteyto require new additional force
or the public service must suffer The pressure is in ali
the bureaus OF the Departmental the contract Office
where the care and arrangement OF the mail service is
extending IN daily demand, and where the extent OF cor
respondence Is permanently the greatest In the appoint
ment ONCE, business increases with the increase OF the
number OF Offices In the financial bureau, under The
branch fall: the Of the dead letter Office and the re-
cepts and charge OF the quarterly returns In the last
year there were received 100000 dead letters all Of
which have been opened and examined OF these eo4
containing money TO the amount OF S32oe9, have been
registered and the same sent out for delivery 10 the
owners, and pos letters containing other enclosures OF
value.
The inspection Office whose duties include all matters
relating 10 the performance failure OF mail service all
aepredatons on the mall and also the supply OF mail.
bags locks and keys is branch increasing in direct
raio with the general service In this Office alone during
the past year, there received I34436 communica
TONS Ihe number oil supposed depredations reported
was ,226, which were supposed to include SIso 1o7
Twenynine depredators arrested and the amonnt
OF money reclaimed. or otherwise accounted for was
s7777e