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

Marine Corps the ensuing fiscal year will be found
to be S5.s56,472 10, the estimates for the current
year being $500, GIL.
The estimates for special objects under the con-
troll Of this Department amount to So 6s4 ,220 SO,
against S2.2l0,9S0 for the present year, the in
crease being occasioned by the additional mail
service the Pacific coast and the construction OF
the dock in California, authorized at the last
sion Of Congress, and some slight additions under
the head Of Improvements and repairs in navy
yards, buildings and machinery.
deem it of much importance to just economy,
and correct understanding OF naval expendi-
lures, that there should be entire separation of
the appropriations for the support OF the naval ser
vice proper from those for permanent improve
ments at navy yards and stations, and from ocean
steam. mail service, and other special objects as
signed to the supervision of this Department.
The report of the Postmaster General, herewith
communicated, presents an interesting view of the
progress, operations, and condition of his Depart
ment
At the close of the last fiscal year, the length Of
mail routes within the United States 1876, 290
miles, the annual transportation thereon 50, 272 252
miles; and the annual cost of such transportation
$3,42l,75
The length of the foreign mail routes is estimated
at lS,349 miles; and the annual transportation
thereon at 5,206 miles. The annual cost of this
service is $l472 1877 of which 44s,937 ID paid by
the Post Office Department, and ,023, $50 is paid
through the Navy Department.
The annual transportation toithin the United
States Excluding the service in California and Ore
H. AZ. 4
embraced in the tabular statements of the Depart
menD exceeds that of the preceding year 6,l62, 500
miles, at an increased cost of = 547,ll0
The whole number of poet Offices in the United
States, on the 3oth day of June last, was ,796.
There were ,69s post offices established, and $50
discontinued, during the year
The gross revenues of the Department for the
fiscal year, including the appropriations for the
franked matter of Congress, of the Departments,
and officers of Government, and excluding the
foreign hostages, collected for and payable to-, the
British post office, amounted to $6,727 500 rs.
The expenditures for the same period (excluding
$40, 500 40, paid under an award of the Auditor,
in pursuance of resolution of the last Congress,
for mail service on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers
in 1882 and 1888, and the amount paid to the Brit
ish post office for foreign hostages collected for and
payable to that ofce) amounted to 5000, 500 49,;
leaving balance of revenue over the proper ex-
penditures of the year of $703, 299 80.
The receipts for hostages during the year Eek
GLIDING the foreign hostages collected for and pay
able to the Brtish post ofice) amounted to $685.,
TAT 81 being increased 1897 6l0 10, Is 90 100
per cent over the like receipts for the preceding
year.
The reduction of postage, under the act of
March last, did not take effect until the commence
ment of the present fiscal year. The accounts for
the first quarter, under the operation of the
duced rates, will not be settled before January
next; and no reliable estimate of the receipts for
the present year can yet be made. 1t is believed,
however, that they will fall far short of those of
the last year. The surplus of the revenues now
on hand is, however, so large that no further APP
preparation from the treasury, in aid of the
nues Of the Department, is required for the cur
rent fiscal year; but an additional appropriation
for the year ending June 80, 1853 will probably be
found necessary when the receipts of the first two
quarters of the fiscal year are fully ascertained
In his last annual report the Postmaster General
recommended reduction of postage to rates which
he deemed as low as could be prudently adopted,
unless Congress was prepared to appropriate from
the treasury, for the support of the Department,
sum more than equivalent to the mail services
performed by it for the Government. The recon-
mendations Of the Postmaster General, in respect
to letter postage, except on letters from and to Cal
ifornia and Oregon, were substantially adopted by
the last Congress. lie now recommends adherence
to the present letter rates, and advises against
further reduction until justified by the revenue OF
the Department.
He also recommends that the rates of postage on
printed matter he 30 revised as to render them
more simple, and more uniform in their operation
upon all classes of printed matter. submit the
recommendations of the report to your favorable
consideration.
The public statutes of the United States have
now been accommodating for than sixty years,
and, interpreted with private acts, are scattered
through numerous volumes, and, from the cost Of
the whole, have become almost inaccessible TO the
great mass of the community. They also exhibit
much of the incongruity and imperfection of haety
Legislation As it seems to be generally conceded
that there is no Common law" of the United
States to supply the defects of their legislation, it
is most important that that legislation should be as
perfect as possible, defining every power intended
to be conferred, every crime intended to be made
punishable, and prescribing the punishment to be
inflicted. In addition to some particular cases
spoken of more at length, the whole criminal code
is now lamentably defective. Some offences are
impcrfcctly described, and others arc entirely
omitted; so that fragrant crimes may be commit
ted with impunity. The scale of punishment is
not in all cases graduated according to the degree
and nature OF the offence, and ia often rendered
more unequal by the different modes of imprison-
ment, or penitentiary confinement, in the differ
ent States.
Many laws of permanent character have been
introduced into appropriation bills, and it is often
difficult to determine whether the particular clause
expires with the temporary act of which it is
part or continues in force. II has also frequent
ly happened that enactments and provisions Of
law have been introduced into bills, with the title
or general subject of which they have little or
no connection or relation. In this mode of lc