Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-12-08

and some slight additions ,ndef the had u improve
rrent-.snd repairs in navy yards, buildings and ms-
ehinery.
deem II of much imp r,ance 20 a jpst economy,
and a erect usdcr>tIBding 81 naval *. csdiiures.
that there should b. an entire .epara ion Of tie al-
prop iaiion Tor the support Of the naval ;. rvire prop
er from those for per naneni improvements at navy
Yards and stations, and hom nee N steam aasil SER
vice, md other spectral objects assigned TO the SUI
perry ision Of this Department.
The r-port u the P'-,msster General, herewith
communicated presents an Interesting view OF lie
progress, oferathuns, and condition Of lbs Depart
mcnf.
~ the elise Of the last fiscal year, the length 81
mail roites within The United States was Ig5. $50
miles, the annual tran 'porfation thereon SO, s72.252
N ie.; a,d the annual cost Of sich transportation
s3.d2i, ISL.
The length ofthe foreign mail routes is estimated
At ls3i9 miles; and the antnai transportation
thereon al Gl5 ,2u6 miles. The annual cost orfAi.
service i. 81 ,f72, iS7, Of " hich Si4s,937 is paid by
the Post Office Department, and Si,O.3, ISL is paid
through the Navv Department.
The a.nual transportation ,citiin The rnitcd
States (eSciudins The service in California and Or
egon, which Is now, for the first time, reported and
embraced IN the tabular Statements ~ the Depar IT.
inent) exceeds that Of the preceding wear 6, Isl. s55
miles, al an incfel--d cost OF S547, no.
The whole number Of pot Offices in the United
States on the Both day Of June last. was 10 7g5 -
f'S fEf 'bf 20 cttdbiiHntb, sul ZFO
discontinued, during the year.
The gross revene,es OF the Department Tor he d.
cal year, including the appropriations for the lran.
ed mater oi Congress, o ttbe Departments. ard fl
GERS OF Go' ernrneit I. and including The iorcian ro-
ta-es, col ec:ed Tor and payahlc to, British post Of
ice, amounted to s6,7z7 ,sG6,77.
The expenditures for Tie same period fexclulins
$50 ,53o,S 80, paid under an award Of he Adiiur, IN
pursuance Of resolution ofthc last Congress, 70
mail service on the Ohio and Missis-i ppi rivers in
1882 and 1893, and the amount paid u lie Britisir
post oiir'e for soreien hostages (coilec'ed Tor and pay
able to that oiiice) amounted to 5000, jCG, -; leav-
ing a balance of revenue over tie proper exp ndi
tufes OF the year Of s78J, 299, go.
: The receipts Tor postage during tie wear (~xclu-
d na the foreign Postage collected Tor and nayab'e 10
the British post ohs,e) amounted 10 Sc as TAT 81
being anineiease ss9I 6iO,79, or IS IS 100 pr cen.
owe. the like receipts FOR The preceding wear.
, ne reoueti,h on postage, under the act ~ March
last, did not take eject until the Commencement nj
tie pre-ent i.cal year. The account. for III, frs,
quarter, under the operation Of the reduc,d ,at,s
will not he settled before January next. and a .rai;a'
pie estimate oil The receipts fur tie present wear can
ye, he made. u Is believed, however, tLat they
VIII tall lar shoit OF those Of tie last wear. The
surplus oi'he f'tefi''es now on hand is, how ever, 50
large that No further appropriation from H.. tr,a.u.
ry, IN aid ofihe revenues or the Department. :. ,r-
g'iiref Tor the current fiscal year; but an ,h,,,,t, nal
appropriation hr the wear ending June 20. 1879
val probably be found Necessary when IA. rcco;rt5
OF the hrst two quarters Of the fiscal year ar. fully
aseertained.
Ia his last annual report the Postnaste, T. neral
reeomm nded a Reduction Of p stage 10 rates y a;cb
he deemeda a. low as could be pr,,d, nil, .dcp,e ed. mn.
les I o'grcss wa pr pared To- a; ?. opriate from IL
Tor the support, Of the Department ,.un
more than cquival Mt to the mail services NJ, r,n-
ca ny u Tor the Government The recnn.irenda.
lions on the Postmaster General, in re- rcrt 10 Liter
an.t ANA x..V ., tAst.-
and Oregon, were substantially adopted Lv The last
Congress. He now recommends adhere,cc l., tLo
present letter rates, and adj Kisses again.ta C,,,L-r,a.
dncii"n until justified by ihe revenue Of the De.
parfmen'.
lie also recommends that the rates of postage on
pr'ntei matter be 50 revised as 10 render tica, mnie
and IN IRE uniform in their operation np,n ali
classes OF printed matter. I submit tn r.e,rm.n
'iions oil The report to your iav raIle eonsid,ra-
ton
The pub ic statutes Of lie United States have
now been accumulaiine Tor more than sixty vcars.
and interpreted with private ac,>, are scatieted
'hronch numerous volurncs, md, from lie al, -,
he whole, have berornc almost inaccessible TO the
great mass nf the %conmuni v The, a,.o-evhihi,
much Of the incongruity anil inp.rlcction Of h,sty
A. u seems To he CEREAL y conred,d
hat there is M common law" Of the United states
20 supply the detects OF their / gisiatiop, il is most
Important that that lesi-iati1n shou,l he as n,rfer,
r ''''N l'N u ttIut 10 ne con- |
erred. evciy cr me iniende to re made purisha- |
lie. md prescribing the punishment 10 be iuI,,t, d. |
~ addition 10 some Particular eases srokcn of more
I length, the whole Grimm a, code is now lam.n.o-
iy detective. Some offences are II " imnct Iccily
escf bed; ard Others are entirely omitted. so that
agtant crimes m'v be committed with impuniiy.
he scale OF punis hinent IS not in al eases gradra-
d according to the degree and nature al The oC.
.nre, and rs often rend red more uncarzl ~ tIe
ihercnt modes OF iInprisonment, or pruilentiarv
in the d.1cront States.
Many avs OF a permanent character have btcn
into appropriation bills, ard il is often
'itiault to determine " neither the particular cl,use
>iir's "uh he temporary act Of which IL is a nart.
continues in force. 1t has also frcqnentlv hap.
cned that enac'mcnts and provisions Of law have
zen introduced into bills, with the title or general
i'lect OF which they have little or no conncxior
r re'ai' N Ia this mode It legislation so many
1artmcnt" hive been hesped upon each o he,, and
with hu' little confederation. thet. in ,nanv
stances, hi* diilicul' t. search out ard d,tcruirc !
ha, islhe law.
iheEovernmcnt of he United Sta,csi. IA, haiti
any government OF written laws ! hr statutes
ho'''', ti'eieIpre, a. lar as praciirLale nut onl, be
n"ue accessible t. all, but he expressed III larg,ace
I" piain and sensible a. 'o he I'M ers.ood by N. ard |
'ffaiigehm such inei'nd a. tn give perspirui'v 10 ey-
r, subject. Many of the States have t,,istd Their
'ho'ic acts with great and manifest h-n,ni: ami
ec'inhcnd mat pro, ,slnn be made bv law Tor The
prominent % "A commission l., re,i e he rnbi ! |
tstn'es oithe uhii,d STA es, arianyin. them Ia a.
'e': ~ 'piylns dehcicheies, e ~tr,cling I.cnr.ruitieS,
II 'nl ~ sua.c, and reporting lhom 10
oigress IL its ac.i a.
WA OF Corsre>s approved 31th S,b onber.
ss9o, c'a'a;heia troyision fr he oAte.>i.nol The
,arioi, arc"rdin. tu such PIN a might he arpruv
d Nv ne Pre'iieat, and a. proritlci one bundled
q l''rs tohe expanded under l. d rec,ion,
Y such architect as he sho,'d appoint to execute
he "a me-. I'm rNamfr,uv ~. - ,a = a. /