Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-12-25
Postmaster Generals Report.

Tins is always an interesting report The
mails are annually transported over am aggregate
distance oi 53212, 2j2 miles, and more than eight
and "a half millions of this performed by Railroad.
The cost Of all this is nearly three and half
millions of dollars. California and Orpron are
embraced in this service, and the whole of the
vast area of country between the Atlantic and
Pacific. Under the five and ten cents rate of
Postage the Department last year received So
1s6, 1913, or am increase of S9990O6 over the fs-
cal year ending June 30, 1910. This is under
the Old law.
The Estimate of Expenditure for the present
year IS -, l2},4is but the precise income from
the law of March last, establishing the three
cent rate Of postage, cannot be cstmated for the
reason that the law has not been long enough in
operation to demonstrate its effect upon the Rev
enues. 1t will, therefore, require another year to
show the effect Of that law upon the Revenue,
both in reduction of letter postage aud the rates
Of postage on printed matter.
The Postmaster Is opposed to any further re-
duction of postage; he says that 1t will require
all the surplus money Of the Department in the
Treasury, and a large appropriation besides, TO
meet the annual expenditures Of the Department
under the present working ofthe low rate system.
lie shows that between a country ike Great
Britain, and this, no just comparison can be
drawn, and that there are reasons internal and
external which prove the imposbiity of placing
the two systems on the same basis
lie SAYS -
"lhose who take the position that the people or
country should not rest satisfied with any reduc-
ton OF postage until 1t be made as that of Great
Britain, seem to forget that our rates of postage
are now, IN fact, comparatively much cheaper
than that of Great Britain and that the condition
of the two countries. in regard to nearly every
thing winch should influence the rates Of postage,
is widely different.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland has an area Of about l50,000square miles,
and a population of about twenty eight mill
IONS, while the orvu Of tie inhuOiled pVtuus Of
the United States may be estimated at more than
100000 square miles, with a population Of
twenty-iour millions"
The efforts to make more convenient postal
arrangements with different European Govern
ments are likely to be successful.
Application has also been made for the extern
sion Of the trips of the steamers Of the New York
aud llayre line to Bremen.
A postal arrangement with the Canadian Post
Office Department has been concluded Under
this arrangement the postage on a single letter
from any point in the United States to any point
IN Canada is ten cents, or six-pence Of Canada
currency-eXcept where the letter is to be
transmitted over 5000 miles from the bound
ny line at the point of crossing, when the
single rates Of postage Is fifteen cents payable in
either country.
An agreement ola similar character has been
made with the Post Office Department of New
Brunswick, embracing IN It's provisions Cape Bre-
ton, Nova Scotia, and New Foundland.
The Post Master Of San Francisco was some
months since instructed to make up and forward
by every convenient opportunity all letters for
those distant countries where the inland postage
to the San Francisco office was prepaid.
An order went into effect on the first Of July,
last establishing two cents as the rate 10 be
charged on each newspaper mot passing through
Great Britain mailed in the United States for or
received from any foreign country, other than the
British North American provinces and the West
Coast of South America
A rate of two cents for United States postage
on newspapers transmitted between the United
States and Great Britain has been already fixed
by the existing postal treaty with that couatry.
| Kossuth is evidently weak in health, being af-
fected with either debility or disease of the
chest lie stated 10 deputation, on Wednes-
day, that he had organic disease of the lungs,
and that splitting of blood was, with him, fire.
| quent occurrence.