The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-12-06

friendship which nsw bid teenAhae ~ republic
Of the United States and France
The undersigned ayaiIs himself Of this occ
sion to offer TO NJ de Sartiges the assurances
his very distinguished consideration.
JJ CRITTENDEN.
Dir. Sartiges reloins, and endeayOrs To "esta
lsh, IN distinct manner the two folIowiI .
points: first that the instructions issued by Il |
government of the republic were spontsneot
and isolated; secondly, that those instruction
} were exclusive, for an exclusive case, and appI
cable only to the class, and not TO the nationalil
Of any pirate or adventurer that should attemJ
to land in arms on the shores of friendly powe
He had added that the existing laws in regard
the right OF search--laws about which the su.
capabilities OF the French government are
forciby reused AZ those Of the government
the United States were neither directly nc
indirectly affected by the order 10 repel yioIenc
by force since the instructions which have bee
issued to the commanding officer of the Frenc
station We're only intended to apply to case
piracy, the article Of the maritime code in fore
concerning pirates. In again asserting thos
two points categorcally, rs he now does, In
undersigned thinks that he has removed all caus
ofpreJudice on the pant of the President bot
as regards the Importance of an act agreed upol
in advance on the part OF France and England
and the likelihood that the laws which Cover,
the right of search will be in the least affected
He will add that the attitude assumed by presi
dent Fillmore and by his cabinet, under thes,
lameniabe circumstances, has been so upright
that the French government, so far from intend
ing to imply doubts, which did not exist, BY tn,
measures spontaneously adopted, it had on Tn,
contrary, reason to believe that it would find il
those same attitudes The American squadron
acting in the same spirit and pursuing similar
| object This consideration must prevent any
false construction tending to give to this act OF
the republican government the appearance of an
admontion or of reproach tactly addressed to
the government of the United States, and never
contemplated by the French government"
NJ. de Sartiges, in the course Of some further
remarks, has the following rather significant
paragraph:
" His government which understands the
complicated nature as well as the importance Of
relations existing between the United States and
Cuba, has seriously considered the declaration
formerly made by the government of the United
States, and which has been renewed on this
occasion, that the government could not sea
with indifference the island of Cuba pass from
the hands of Spain into those of another Eupo-
pean State The French government is like
wise of opinion that, in case it should COMFORT
with the interests of Spain at som future day
to part with Cuba the possession of that island.
or the protectorship of the same, ought not to
fall upon any of the great maratime powers of
the world"
To this letter Mr. Webster briefly repes.
8 that the approximations of this government and
the reasons therefor, in regard to the orders re-
ferred to, are considered to have been frankly
and fully stated in the note Of Mr. Crittenden
Of the 22d Of October last And, inasmuch as
NJ. de Sartiges now AYERS that the French gov
eminent had only in view the execution of the
provision of its maratme code against pirates,
further discussion of the subject would seem to
be for the present unnecessary" And here the
correspondence closes.
Annual Report Of the Postmaster General.
The annual report of the Hon. ~ K Hall,
Postmaster General, occupies nearly eleven col.
umns of the National Intelligencer, and presents
a voluminous exposition of the nature and ex
tent of the postal arrangements of the country,
the changes that have resulted from the law en-.
acted last session, and the additions and improve
ments that are yet needed to meet the exigencies
OF our extended territory, and the continuous
enlargement of our political and commercial
relations. We avail ourselves of the following
abstract of this interesting document, which ae
find in the Republic
| 1t appears that at the close of the fiscal year
the 30th Of June ast-sx thousand one hum
dred and seventy mail routes were in operation
in the United States, forming an aggregate
length of l96,290 miles, and involving an an
nual cost for the transportation of mails of
$3,422,754. The total annual transportation
amounts to 53,272 252 miles, of which $780,
TOT miles are performed upon railroads at an
| average cost of about eleven cents fvems per
mile; 5,454 9S2 miles in steamboat, at cost of
about eight cents three mills per mile; 1926
5oo miles in coaches. at about FIVE cents three
mills per mile and 1881 ,975 miles in modes
not specified, at about four cents eight mills per
mile. As compared with the previous year. this
statement exhibits an increase of 1884 miles
in the length Of inland mail routes, and of S547-
| no in the annual cost Of transportation but
this comparison il irrespective of the routes in
California and Oregon. In the former State
the annual transportation amounts to 537476
miles, and the annual cost to Sl3U, go: in the
latter to TO 900 miles, at an annual cost of $40
AL. There are six foreign mail routes-three
OF which are under contract with the Post Office
Department at cost of about 50 90 go per
mile; and three under contract with the NAVY
Department at a cost of about 81 40 & 10 per
mile.
During the year. $3.50 posimasters were ap-
pointed, nearly half of them TO FIJI the vacan-
cies occasioned by designations; 1877 TO fill va
nc'es occasion ed by death 206 in conse-
quence of change of site; 500 on the removal
of prior incumbents !; and ,698 on the establish
ment OF new Offices The entire number of
post-ofhces in operation is 1885, nearly 700
were established, and $50 were discontinued
during the year.
The gross receipts of the department for the
year described in this report were Sc, 7s6.493 %,
of which S5,369242 rs, were derived from
letters Grcluding foregn) postage and stamps
sod and 81 035,l 80 from postage on news
papers, pamphlets, &c To form true idea of
the revenues, however, allowance must be made
for the sum payableio the British post-office and
for the sum of additional appropriations With
these deductions. the ordinary revenues of the
year, stand at S6,55l 977 So being an in
crease of S999006 Al, over the proper rcven
ues of the preceding year
p.