The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-12-03


The total estimated expenditures for the
current year amounts to 81 1913 AS 69, which
are TO be met by the balances now standing to
the credit Of the Department, the receipts from
hostages, and the appropriations made by the
acts of March, l647, and March, 1851 The
succeeding year will necessitate further aid
from. the Treasury. At present, no reliable
estimate of the revenues of the current year can
be made in consequence of the non settlement of
the postmasters' accounts for the first two
quarters
| An idea of the amount Of free matter sent
from and received at the Washington Office,
may be formed from the fact that, for the two
years ending in July last, this branch Of bust
ness would have yielded 81, 240,s2O at the
rates then in force, or ST ,795, 920 at the pre-
sent reduced rates. This does not include the
free circulation Of newspapers, and so forth. 1t
is thought that the reduced rates of postage on
printed matter, AND the extension of privileges
to publishers, will diminish that branch of
revenue at least $500, 900 per annum. The re-
suits of the experiment now in operation sat
| isfy the Postmaster General that there should
not be more than two, or at most three, differ
ent rates of inland postage on newspapers sent
to actual subscribers and that those on peri
odicas and other printed matter, including
transient newspapers, should be reduced in
number, and more nearly assimilated TO the
ordinary newspaper rates. This change, he
thinks, can be adopted without materially di-
minishng the revenue.
The Postmaster General disapproves Of the
disposition manifested in some quarters to urge
a further reduction in our inland rates Of letter
postage, before the results of the last reduction
are properly ascertained. He points out the
dssmilarity in the circumstances Of this coun-
try and Great Britain, and maintains that the
results of the system now in operation in Brl-
tain admonish not to attempt a further re-
duction until justified by our revenues. Look
ing at our entire circumstances, the sparse popu-
lation of immense sections, and the extent and
expense of the area traversed by our mail routes,
he concludes that we have, beyond all question,
the cheapest postage in the world.
The new contracts for the supply of innu-
merable articles required for use in the Depart
former ones and an intimation is made that an
improvement in the adhesive qualities of post
age stamps will hereafter be observable
An opinion is xpressed-founded upon in
formation obtained by agents Of the Depart
ment-that, if the contractors be favorably dis
posed, the mail between this city and New
Orleans can be expedited twenty-four hours !;
that the time required between this city and
New York can be reduced to eleven hours; and
that the mails from the South, leaving here in
the afternoon, may be delivered in New York
in time to be forwarded to Boston, Albany, and
West, along the Erie railroad, by the morning
trains from New York. An effort will also be
made to preserve at New York close connex-
ion of the trains carrying the mails which leave
here in the morning with the evening trains
which take such mails beyond New York If
the negotiations now in progress TO effect these
arrangements fail, the attention of Congress
will be called TO other feasible modes of expe-
diting the great mails between the eastern and
the southern States.
An appropriation is recommended to meet the
deficiency of salary allowable to the special
agents of the Department, and also to pay the
salaries of supernumerarles who have been en-
ployed in the Dead Letter office More than
1000 pounds of dead letters were received
from California during the last summer
Congress is asked to legalize contracts that
have been entered into for mail service in Cali
fornia and Oregon; and mention is made of
other contracts which have been formed with
the Pacific Steamship Company, and with the
mail steamers from New York TO Havana
The President of the Panama Railroad Com
pany had given notice that, on and after the first
instant, the company would be ready to trans
port the mail across the Isthmus and the Post
master General has agreed to avail himself of
the rrangement-leaving Congress to author
ize the payment therefor.
The contract with the Collins line of mail
steamers, between New York and Liverpool,
requires the performance of but twenty trips out
and back during the year. AS the English
government had made new arrangements by
which the weekly trips of the Cunard steamers
were to be continued throughout the year, it
was deemed highly important to continue the
weekly trips of the American steamers also.
Under these circumstances, Mr. COLLINS was
requested by the Post Office Department TO
continue his trips, with an assurance of a re-
commentator of adequate compensation. If,
therefore, the extra trips are confirmed, it is
earnestly recommended that pro rata COM
pensation, with such addition, if any, as NAV
be necessary to give to the contractors fair
and liberal compensation for the extra service,
be authorized by Congress. The Postmaster
General remarks that 'the unrivalled qualities
and speed of the ships of this line, and the very
satisfactory manner in which the service has
been performed, establishing the superiority of
American skill and enterprise in the construc-
ton of ocean steamers, and in ocean steam navi-
CATION, entite the propretors of this line to the
most favorable consideration, and cannot doubt
that Congress will make the appropriations re.