Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1851-12-13

of the Department touching the establishment
Of navy-yard in conjunction With this dock
on the Pacific. Such station is highlynec
essary to the convenience and effectiveness of
our fleet in that ocean, which must be expect
ed to increase with the growth of commerce,
and the rapid extension Of our whale fisheries
over its waters.
The Naval Academy at Annapolis under
revised and improved system of regulations,
now affords opportunities of education and in-
structian to the pupils quite equal, it's believ-
ed, for professional improvement, to those en-
joyed by the cadets in the Military Academy.
A large class of acting midshipnlen was re-
ceived at the commencement of the last aca-
demic term, and practice ship has been at
tached to the institution to afford the ampless
means for regular instruction in seamanship
as well as for cruises during the vacations of
three or four months in each year.
The ad Vantages of science in nautical affairs
have rarely been more strikingly illustrated
than in the fact stated in the report of the ma
1 Wy Department, that by means of the wind
and current charts projected and prepared by
Lieutent Maury, the Superintendent of the
Naval Observatory, the passage from the At
lantic to the Pacific ports has been shortened
by about forty days.
| The estimates for the support of the Navy
and Marine Corps the ensuing fiscal year will
be found to be $5,856,472 10, the estimates
for the current year being $5,900,62l.
The estimates for special objects under the
control of this department, amount to 50, ,684,-
22o SO, against S2,21o9So for the present
year-the increase being made by the addi-
tional mail service on the Pacific coast, and the
. construction of the dock in California, author
lied at the last session of Congress, and some
slight additions under the head of improve
ments and repairs in navy yards, buildings and
machinery.
i deem it of much Importance to just
economy, and a correct understanding of ma
val expenditures, that there should be an en-
tire separation of the appropriations for the
support of the naval service proper, from
those for permanent improvements at navy
yards and stations, and from ocean steam mail
service, and other special objects assigned to
the supervision of this department.
The report of the Postmaster General, here
with communicated, presents an interesting
view of the progress, operations, and condition
of his Department.
At the close of the last fiscal year, the
length of mail routes within the United States
was 1867 miles; the annual transportation
thereon 53,272,252 miles; and the annual
cost of such transportation s., 3,42I,754.
J, The length of the foreign mail routes is es-
{ timated at l6,349 miles; and the annual
transportation thereon at 6I5 ,2o6 miles. The
J annual cost of this service is SI,472, 1877, ot
, which $44s,937is is paid BY the Post Office De
partment and S1,o23,250 ispaid through the
, Navy Department
} The annual transportation within the United
States Excluding the service in California and
Oregon, which IS now, for the first time, re-
r ported and embraced in the tabular state
ments of the Department. exceeds that of the
preceding year 6,162,855 miles, at an increas
ed cost of $547,ll0.
The whole number of post offices in the
United States, on the 30th day of June last
, was 1876, There were 1893 post Office:
established, and 256 discontinued, during the
year.
The gross revenues of the Department fol
the fiscal year, including the appropriations
for the franked matter of Congress, of the De,
partments, and officers of Government, and
excluding the foreign postages, collected fol
; and payable to, the British post Office, amount
ed to $6,727,7e6 rs.
The expenditures for the same period Tex
cluding S2o,59s 40, paid under an award t.
| the Auditor, in pursuance of resolution o
the last Congress, for mail service on the
Ohio and Mississippi rivers in 1882 and 1888
| and the amount paid to the British Postofice
for foreign postages collected for and payable
| to that ot6ce) amounted to $6,024,56 70
leaving balance of revenue over the proper
t expenditures of the year, of $703, ,299 99
The receipts for postages during the year
Excluding the foreign postages, collected fol
and payable to the British post ofice) amount
ed to $6,345,747 21, being an increase o.
] S997,6lo 70, or 18,65-lOO per cent over the
, like receipts for the preceding year.
5 The reduction Of postage, under the act o.
| March last did not take effect until the com
mencement of the present fiscal year. The
f accounts for the first quarter, under the op,
f Grafton Of the reduced rates. vii! not be sett
: tied before January next; and no reliable es
| Inmates for the receipts of the present yeal
| can yet be made. 1t is believed, however
that they will fall far short of those of the las
year. The surplus of the revenue now OF
hand is, however, so large that no further ap
preparation from the Treasury, in aid of tic
f revenues of the Department is required fo
f the year ending June 5Oth 1858, will proba
bly, be found necessary when the receipts o.
the irsttwo quarters of the fiscal year are full
ascertained.
In his last annual report the Postmaste
General recommended reduction of postage
/ to rates which he deemed as low as could b,
prudently adopted, unless Congress was pre-
pared to appropriate from the treasury, fo
the support of the Department, sum more
equivalent to the mail services performed BY
it for the Government The recommendation
of the Postmaster General, in respects to let
ter postage, except on letters from and tC
California and Oregon, were substantially a
dopted by the last Congress He now recon-
mends adherence to the present letter rate
and advises against further reduction unit
justified by the revenue of the Department.
He also recommends that the rates of pos
tage on printed matter be SO orevised as to ren
der them more simple, and more uniform
IN tba;r oparation rnon all nrinted matter