The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-12-03

professional Improvement, To those enjoyed
by the cadets in the Military Academy A
large class OF acting midshpmsn was received
at the commencement of the last academic
term, and practice-ship has been attached to
the institution, to afford the amplest means for
regular instruction In seananship, as we'll as
for cruises during the vacations OF three or
four months ia each the year.
The advantages of science in nautical affairs
have rarely been more strikingly illustrated than
in the fact stated in the report of the Navy De
partment, that, by means OF the wind and eur
rent charts, projected and prepared by Lieuten-
ant Maury, the superintendent of the Naval Oh.
servstory, the passage from the Atlantic to the
Pacific ports of our country 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 55,s56,472 10, the estimates for
the current year being $5,900,62l.
The estimates for special objects under the
control Of this department amount to 81 ,6S4,-
$40 80, against $22l0,96O for the present
year, the increase being occasioned by the ad
dtional mail service on the Pacific coast and
the construction of the dock in California, au-
thorized at the last session of Congress, aud
some slight additions under the head of improve
ments and repairs in navy-yards buildings and
machinery.
deem it of much Importance to just econ
omy, and a correct understanding OF naval ex-
pendtures, that there should be an entire sepa.
ration Of the appropriations for the support Of
the naval service proper from those for perma-
nent improvements at navy yards and stations,
and from ocean steam-mail service, and other
special objects assigned to the supervision of
this Department
r. al d.
with communicated, presents an interesting view
of the progress, operation, and condition of his
Department
At the close of the last Fl zeal year, the length
of mail routes within the United States was 1866
900 mil es; the annual transportation thereon
53,272 252 miles; and the annual cost of such
transportation $342l ,754.
The length of the foreign mail routes is esti-
mated at 8,349 miles and the annual trans
portaton thereon at 6l5206 miles. The annual
cost Of this service is 81 ,472 1877 of which
S448937 is paid by the Post Office Department.
and S. ,O23,25O is paid through the Navy d.
par tment.
The annual transportation wiihin the United
States Excluding the service in California and
Oregon, which is now, for the first time, report.
ed and embraced in the tubular statements of
the Department. exceeds that of the preceding
year $751; 1886 miles, at an increased cost of
$547,ll0.
The whole number of post-offces in the Uni
ted States, on the Both day of June last, was
1876 There were 1868 post-offces estab
lished, and $50 discontinued, drrng the year.
The gross revenues Of the Department for
the fiscal year, including the appropriations for
the ranked matter of Congress, of the Depart
nents, and officers OF government, and exclud-
ing the foreign hostages, col ,ected for and pay
able to, the British post-ofice, amounted to S.,
727 $3.50 78.
The expenditures for the same period (exclud-
i g 800 500 40, paid under award of the
Auditor, in pursuance OF a resolution of the last
Congress-, for mail service on the Ohio and
Mississippi rivers in 1892 and 1888, and the
amount paid to the British post office for foreign
postage collected for and payable to that ofiice)
amounted to S6,O2l566 10; leaving balance
of revenue over The proper expenditures OF the
year of $7O3 299 80.
The receipts for hostages during the year Tex
Guiding the foreign hostages collected for and
payable to the British post ofiice) amounted to
S6,3157i7 81, being an increase of S997,6l0
10, or Is 65-l0o 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 CON-
mencement of the present fiscal year. The ac-
counts for the first quarter, under the operation
Of the reduced 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 10 further appropriation FROM the
treasury, in aid OF the revenues OF the De-
partment, is required for the current fiscal
year bat 40 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 ascer-
tanned.
In his last annual report the Postmaster Gen.
eral recommended reduction of postage to
rates which he deemed as low AS could be pru-
IDENTIFY adopted, unless Congress was prepared
to approximate from the treasury, for the support
of the Department, a sum more than equivalent
to the mail services performed by il for the gov
eminent. The recommendations of the Post
master General, in respect to letter postage,
except on letters from and to California and
Oregon, were substantially adopted by the FAST
Congress. He now recommends adherence to
the present letter rates, aud advises against a
further reduction until justified by the revenue
He also recommends that the rates of postage
on printed matter be so 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 con sheraton.
The public statutes Of the United States have
now been accommodating for mo'e than sixty
years, and, nterspersed with private acts, are
scattered through numerous volumes. and, from
the cost Of the whole, have become almost mac
cessible to the great mass Of the community.
They also exhibit much Of the incongruity and
imperfection OF hasty legislation. AS it seems
to be generally conceded that there is no -com-
mon law" of the Uuited States to supply the
defects Of their legislation, it Is most important
that that legislation should be as perfect az
possible, defining every power intended to be
conferred, every crime intended to be made
punishable, and prescribing the punis ment to be
inflicted. In addition TO some particular cases
spoken of more at length, the whole criminal
code is now Numerically defective Some of.
fences are imperfectly described, and others are
entirely omitted so that higrant crimes may
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