Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1851-12-05

sion of crime in our ships of war.
The stone dock in the navy yard at New
York, which was ten years in process of con-
struction, has been so far finished as to be sur
rendered up to the authorities of the yard The
dry dock at Philadelphia is reported as com
plcted, and is expected to be tested and
delivered over to the agents of the Govern
ment. That at Portsmouth, New Hampshire,
Is also nearly ready for delivery and con-
tract has been concluded, agreeably to the act
of Congress at its last session, for a floating
sectional dock on the Bay of San Francisco. /
invite your attention to the recommendation Of
the Department touching the establishment of a
navy yard IN injunction with this dock on the
Pacific. Such station is highly necessary
to the convenience and effectiveness of our fleet
in that ocean, which must be expected to in
crease with the growth Of commerce, and the
rapid extensions of our whole fisheries over its
waters.
The Naval Academy at Annapolis, under
revised and improved system of regulations
now affords opportunities of education and in
sruction to the pupils quite equal it is believed,
! for professional improvement, to those enjoyed
by the cadets in the Military Academy A
large class of acting midshipmen was received
at the commencement of the last academic
term, and a practice-shop has been attached
to the institution to afford the amplest means
for regular instructions in seamanship, as we'll
as for cruises during the vacations Of three or
four months in each year
The advantages of science in nautical affairs
have rarely been more strkngY illustrated than
in the fact stated in the report of the Navy De-
partment that BY means Of the wind and cur
rent charts projected and prepared by Lieu
tenant Maury, Superintendent of the Naval OBJ
seryatory, the passage from the Atlantic to the
Pacific ports OF our country has been shortened
by about forty days.
The estimate for the support Of the Navy and
Marine Corps the ensuing fiscal year will be
n he g SlE tha "a
current year being S5,900,62l.
The estimates for special objects under the
control OF this Department amount to 81, ,GS4. .220
49, against H2,2lO, $50 for the present year, the
increase being occasioned by the additional
mail service on the Pacific coast and the con-
struetion OF the dock in California authorized at
the last session of Congress, and some slight ad-
dItIons under the head Of Improvements and re-
pairs in navy yards, buildings and machinery
deem Itot much Importance 10 Just economy
and a correct understanding of naval eXpeDdi-
lures, that there should be an entire separation
of the appropriations for The support OF the ma
val service proper from those for permanent i'm
proYements at navy yards and stations and from
ocean Steam-mall service, and other special OBJ
jects as assigned to the supervision of this De-
partment
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 1866
290 miles the annual ira tsportation thereon So
212,252 miles; and the annual cost of such
transportation So, 42I, ,75I.
The length of the foreign mail routes is esti-
mated at IS,3i9 miles; a1d the annual trans
Portatlon thereon at 6l5, ,2U6 miles. The annual
costof this service is Sl472, 1871, of which S4IS,-
934 IS pad by the Post Office Department. and
Si,023,2JJ Is paid through the Navy Depart
ment.
The annual transportation within the United
States excluding the service in California and
Oregon, which is now, for the first time, re-
ported and embraced in the tabular statements
OF the Department. exceeds that of the pre-
cedlng year 6,l62655 miles, at an increased
cost of Sj4IlI0
The whole number Of Post Offices in the L.
States, on the Goth day Of June last was ~, 1876
There were I69o post offices established, aud
$50 discontinued during the wear.
The gross revenues Of the Department for the
fiscal year, including the appropriations for the
iranked matter Of Congress Of the Departments
and officers Of Government, and excluding the
foreign postages, collected for, and payable 10
the British post Office, amounted to So, 727 500
20.
The expenditures for the same period (cxclu-
ding so j99, 40, paid under an award of the
Auditor, III pursuance of resolution of the last
Congress, for mail service OF the Ohio and Mis-
sissipPi rivers in 1882 and 1883 and the amount
paid to the British post Office for foreign posages
collected for, and payable to that Office amoun-
ted to S6,G24, 800 - leaving q balance of
revenue over the proper expenditures of the
year of SOB 299 SO.
The receipts for postsgcs during the year lex
Guiding the foreign postages collected for and
payable to the British post office amounted to
>b3l3, I4l II, being an increase of S997 $40 70,
or lS.6j-lO0 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 COM
mencement OF the present fiscal year The ac-
counts for the first quarter, under the operation
Of the reduced rates, viii not be settled be fore
January next; and no reliable estimates 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 appropriation from the treasury,
in aid OF the revenues of the department, is re-
qulrcd for the current fiscal year but an addi-
uonaI appropriation for the year ending June 30,
1888, 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 Cen
4eral recommended reduction Of post to rates
which he deemed as low as could be prudently
adopted unless Congress was prepared to appro-
pirate from the treasury, for the support of the
Department, sum more than equivalent to the
mail services performed by it for the Govern
ment. The recommendations of the Postmaster
General, in respect to letter postage, except on
letters from and to California 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.
lie also recommends that the rates of postage
on printed matter be so revised as to render them
more simple, and more uniform in their opera
tion upon all classes of printed matter | sub
NIT the recommendations of the report TO your
! favorable consideration
] he &C IL.