Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-12-03

stated in the report Of the Navy Department. that BY
means OF the wind and current charts, projected and
prepared by Lieutenant Maury, the Superintendent of
tue Naval Observatory, the passage from the Atlantic
| By about 40 DAYS
| The estimates for tha support OF the Navy and Ma
rms Corps the ensuing fiscal year will b. found to be
Ing $500 CPL.
the estimates for special objects under the control
OF this Dep rtment amount TO S265t,220 SO, against
81 2lO $50 for the present year the increase being oc
| casoned by the additional mail service on the Pdci
ii: coast and the construction OF the dock ia Cslifor
| MIA, authorized at the last session of CONGRESS- and
some slight additions under thr head Of Improvement.
| and repairs in navy yards buildings and machinery
| IL deemlt ofnuch importance to Just economy and
| a correct understanding of naval expenditures, thai
there should be entire separation OF the appropr
atoms Tor the support OF the naval service proper from
| those tor permanent Improvements at navy Yards and
stu ms, and from ocean seam-InlI service, and 9th
cr special Objects assigned 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
| meut.
| At the close of the last fiscal wear. the length Of
mlll routes within the United States, was 1856 29)
miles, the annual transportation thereon So, PIP 252
| AL 75i. N'
| The length of the foreign mail routes is estimated
at e5i9 miles, and the annual transportation thereon
| at6l3,2O6 miles TIE annual cost of this servic. is
Sl472 1875 OF which $4l3937 is paid by the Post or
Navy Department.
The annual transportation ,cihin the Unlted States
excluding The service ia California and Oregon,
which ls now, tor the first time. reported and embrace
90 In the tabular statements OF the Department. ex-
ceeds that of the preceding year 6162 S55 miles at
an Increased cost OF Ss5l7 ITO.
The whole number of post offices in the United
States, on tne Both day of June last, was 10 1856 -
There were 1923 post offices established and 2o6 dis
continued, during the year.
The gross revenues of the Dspartment for the fiscal
year. including the appropriations for the FRANKIE mat
ter of Congress Of the Departments and off GERS of
Government, and excluding the foreign hostages, col
amounted to sc, 727 S66 70.
The expenditures for the period Excluding
S20, 500 40, paid under award of the AUDITOR in
pursuance OF resolution OF the last Congress- for
m III service the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in
1892 and 1885, and the amount paid the British post
once tor foreign hostages collected for and payable
90 that uifIee) amounted to So 024 5S6 70; leaving
lance OF revenue over the proper expenditures of
the year Of $703, 299 SO.
The receipts for hostages during the year (exclud
ing The foreign hostages collected for and payable to
the British post off ;e) amounted to Sc 3l5747 81 be-
ing al increase of 1897 $40 10. is s. 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 commenc emen Of
The present fiscal year the accounts for the first
quarter, under the operation of the reduced rates, will
lot be settled before January next; and reliable
estimate oil the receipts for the present year can yet
pc made. 1t is believed how .ver thai they will fall
tar short OF those of last year. The surplus of the
urthsr appropriation from the treasury in aid of the
revenues OF the Department, required for the cut
eat fiscal years but an additional appropriation for
the year ending June 80, 1853 will probably be found
necessary when the receipts of the first two quarters
If the fiscal year fully ascertalned.
In his last annual report the Posmater General re-
commended a reduction Of postage to which he
deemed as low as could be prudenty adopted, unless
Congress was prepared to appropriate from the treas
ury, Tor the support OF the Department. a sum more
than equivalent to the mail services performed by it
tor the Government. The recommendations OF the
Postmaster General, IN respect 10 letter postage, ex-
cept on letters from and to California and Oregon,
were substantially ado1ed by the last Congress. He
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 be SO revised to render them more
SIMPLE, and more uniform in their operation upoa all
classes OF printed matter. submit the recommended
TONS OF the report to your favourable consideration
The public statutes OF the Unied States have now
been accommodating for than sxt, years, and in
tersperscd with private ACES, are scattered through
numerous Volumes and, from the of the whole,
nave become almost inaccessible to the great mass OF
the community. They also exhibit much of The In
c'ngrnlty ard lmperectlon OF nasty legislation Az
1t seems to be generally conceded that there is no
common law" of the United States TO supply the de-
tees OF their legislation, it is important thar that
legislation should be az perfect as possible, defniag
every power intended TO be conferred every crime in
tended to be made punishable, and prescribing the
punishment to be inflicted In addition to some parti-
cular cases spoken OF more at length The whole Grim
ces are mperecty described, and others are entirely
omitted; SO that h4grant crimes may be commits
with imFunity. The scale Of punishment is NOT in all
cases graduated according to the degree and natu
OF the offence, and Is oeu rendered more unequal
by the different modes of Imprisonment, or peniteu-
nary confinement, IN tho different States.
Many laws OF a permanent character have been TO-
troduced into appropriation bills and is often diff
cult to de ernine whether the particular clause expires
win thr temporary act OF which is part contin
ues in force 1t has also frequently happened that en-
actne1tS laW hal hpan in,ro rad
into bills, with the title general subject of which they
haVe NIUE or no connexon or relation. In this mode
OF eSslaton so many endctmentS have been heaped
upon each Other and often with but little considera on
that in many instances, it is difficult search out sad
determine what is the law.
The Government OF the ,Uaitsd States is empha'i.
cay government OF w,ten laws. The statutes
should, therefore, tar practicable not aiy be mads
accessible to all but be expressed in Language so ain
and simple az 10 be understood by all, and arfang in
such m thod asio give perspicuty 10 every subject
M my OF the States have revised their public acts with
great and manifes benefit and recommend that pro-
vision De made by law for the appointment OF com
mission to revise the public oil the United
States arranging them in order, supplying deficiencies
correcting lncongrdteS. simplifying their language,
and reporting them to Congress for its action.
An act OF Congress approved 3)th September 1850
contained provision for the extension OF The Capitol
according 10 snch plan as might be approved by the
PRESIDENT and appropriated one hund ed thousand dol
lars TO De expended under his dection by such arch
tect as ne should appoint execute the same On ex-
aiming the var oGs plans which had been submitted by
different archtocts in pursuance of an advertisement
by commtee OF the Senate. no on was found 10 be
en- rely sas actory, and it therefore deemed adv
sa6le 10 combine and adopt the advantages OF several
The great object to be accomplished was 10 m Ike
sucn an addition as would afford ample aud convent
ent halls tor the deliberations of the two H uees of
Congress, with sufficient accommodations for spec a.
tors and sntabe apartments for the committees and
officers et the two branches oil the Legislature Ii was
also desirable not TO mar the harmony and beauty OF
the present structure. which specimen OF arcniiec-
lure, Is s1uaivesally admired. Keeping these piects
In view, concluded to make the addition by wings
de atched from lhs present. building, yet connected with
II by corridors. This node of en- Enlargement will leave
me present CAPT Of uninIurd, and flo great advau
tages Tor ventilation and the admission OF light and
Will enable the work progress wi hou, INFER.
rupIng the deliberations of Congress- To carry this
plan MO eie,t have appointed an experienced and
competent architect. Tine cornerstone was laid on
Inc 4th day OF Iuly last with snitahle