The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1851-12-11


val Of vessels in port mud is believed TO have had
an injurious elect upon the discipline and etiicien-
ey The service. To moderate punishment frnm
one grad tn pnothsr s among tho humane reforms
eftne age; but b. abolish one Of severity, WIN
applied 90 generally to of on shiP-board an1
provide nothing in its ST. ad. i' TO suppose Pros
ross Of Improvement in every IndiNluuh u'nous
seamen which is not assumed Oy Tue Les1'"'
ln respect to any other class Oi men II Is n"peI
that Congress, in the ample oppo tuni'y afforded
by the present aession. will thoroughly investigate
mi, imbortant subject aud establish such modes
OF l.,srminius guilt aud such gradatiUns oi pun
i,bment a, are consistent with humanity aud the
4 per,ons rights of individuals aud at the same
time shall ensure the most energetic aud efficient
performances OF duty and the suppression oi crime
in our Ships Of war
Thestons dock in the navy yard at New Yo k.
which was ten years IN process OF cnnsirnciiou
has been sV far Fl, ished ne ~ be surrendered up
Ia the authorities of the yard. The dry-dock Bt
Philadelphia iS reported rs completed, aud is ex
pected soOn tn be tested aud delivered over To the
agents Of the government Thit at Portsmouth
New Hampshire, is alsu nearly feady tur dellHe'
ry; and u contract has been conclu led. agreeably
to the act Of Congress At ils last session. tur
floating secti nal dock nn the hay Of San Enncis'
eo. | invite your attention In the reeonmendh-
tion Of the Department touching the establish
ment OF a navy-yard in conjunction with tins dock
on the Pacific. Such station is highly necessa
ry to the convenience and effectiveness of our flee
Ia that ocean which must be expected lu hcroase
with the growth of commerce, aud the rapid OK
tension of our whale fsherius over tS wuiers.
Tho Naval Academy at Annapolis under r.
vised aud improved system of regulations now
affords opportunities ui education and lnstrncton
To the pupils quite equal, it is believed, inr pro-
feseiOnul Improvement Ia those eni1yed by the
cadets in the Military Academy. large class OF
acting midshipmen was received at the commence
nent Of tho last academic term aud practice
ship has been attached Ia the Institution. tn nord
the amplest means for regu ar instruction in
manship, as we'll us for cruises during tho vaca.
tiOns Of three or four mouths in each year.
The advantages Of science in nautical afinrs
have rarely been more StrikiugIy illustrated than
in TIE fact state d in lhe repori OF the Navy De-
partmenf. that. by mems Of tle wind and current
charts. projected aud prepared by Lieutenant
Maury. tho Superintendent ul the Naval Ohsrrva
tory, the passage from tlis Alllnc To tho Pacific
poris Of onr country hns been sInrleurd by about
forty days.
The estimates for the support of the Navy and
Marine Corps the ensuing fiscal yenr will he lound
TO be O., 5,856472 TO- the estimates for tho current
ysar being t5,960.62l
Tho ,eStimnles for special objects under tho con
againSl t2,el0 09O forlthe present year--tlle in.
crease being occasioncd by the additional mail
service on the Pacific cunst, aud the construction
OF the dock in California, authorized at tho last
session Of Congress, aud sune slight additions un-
der tho head Of improvements and repairs in ma
Vy.yardS. buidngS aud machinery.
deem il Of much importance 10 just economy.
and correct understanding Of naval expenditures
that there should be nn entire separation Of tho
appropriations Tor the support Of the nnvul scr.
vice proper. from those Tor permanent improve.
mentsa tnAvy.ysrds and stations aud from ocean
stehm msil service, Bnd other special objects 40
signed to the supervision oflhis Department.
The report of the Postmaster General herewith
communicated, presents al interesting view OF
tho progress, operations. aud cOnGiliUn OF his De-
pRTiment
Al the close of the last fiscal year, the length
OF mail routes within the United States wins 1876.
290 miles, the annual transportation thereon So
272 .252 niles and the annual cost Of such trans.
Poriation t3,42l,75i
The length of tho foreign mail routes is ebtirna-
tod at ls,349 niles aud the annual transportation
thereon at 206 miloS. The annual cost nt this
service is ai 472,l87. Of which t4d8 937 is puid
by the Post Office Department, and 81 1923 $50 is
paid through the Navy Department.
The annual transportation piUin tho United
States (excluding the service IN Cuilornn, aud
Oregon which is now, for the frat time reported
and embraced in tho tabular statements Of tho
Department. exceeds TINT OF the preceding year,
,l62, ,B55 mles, at nn increased cost of t547 no
The whole number OF post offices in the United
States, on the 30th day Of June last, was 1876.
There were l,60B post offices oStab blished, aud $50
discontinued, during the year.
Tho gruss revenues Of the Department for tho
fiscal yoar, including thc appropriations for the
frank al nnaftar nI TnuUraaa nf thp
aud officers OF Government, aud excluding the for
sign postagss, collected for aud payable 10, the
British post Office amounted 10 f6727, 1866 70
The expenditures for the same period (eGCu
ding 39o,599 ~, paid under nn award to the Au.
ditor in pursuance Of resolution of tho last Con.
gress, for mnil service on tho Ohio aud Mississippi
rivcrS in 1882 and 1899, aud tho amount pnid to
the British post office for foreign postages collect
cd for and payable to that oilice) amounted to
t6,O24, 500 70. leaving balance ol revenue over
tho proper expenditures Of the year, OF t703 300
The receip is for postages during the yoar. tex
cluding the foreign posinges collected for and
payable to tho British post olRce) amounted "a
S6,3A5,7i7 81, being an iucreaso uf 1897 6l0 70
or 1855 100 per cent. over tho like receipts for the
preceding year,
The reduction of postage under the act oI Marcl
last. did not take effect unit tho commencement
Of tho present hscn yenr. The accounts for tn,
first qunrier, under the operation of the reduced
rates, will not be settled before Jnnunry next
aud no reliable estimate iOr the receipts NJ th,
present year eau yet bo made. II is believed
however, that they will tall far short Of those o
tho laSt year. The surplus Of the revenues no W
on hand iS, however, 40 large that no further ap-
preparation from The lrenanry, in aid nf the roye.
nuos 0ftho Department ID required for the cur
rsut fiscal yeHr: but M additional hnprOpration
for the year ending June Sd, 1859. will probably
lie iound necessary when tho receipt. Of the frat
two quarters OF the fiscal year fully aIccrlnin.
cd.
In lie Inst annual report the Postmaster Con,
sral recommended reduction Of postage To rates
which hc deemed as low ns conld be prulently
adopted unless Congress VIVA prepared to nppro.
Priute from tho treasury, for tho supnort of the
Dopnrtmcnt n sum more tlum equivalent to the
mail eel vices performed by it lnr the Government
The recommendations Of the Postmaster General,
10 respect IN letter postage except on letters from
aud to California aud Oregon woro substantially
adopted by tho lust Congress lie now rooon,
mend' auhoronee 10 tho present loltor rircs, and
ADVISES aganNa luriher reduction until justified
by lhe revenue OF tie Department.
lie nlao recommends thut tho rates Of postnpe
on printed matter DO 80 revised M tn rondsr ihon,
moro simple, and more uniform in th,, onor.
ton, upon all printed nattor, ,ubui, m. pa.
sommondhuna 0i tho report u your I,v,rol,l,
consideration.
The public statutes " tho United St,t,s b,v,
now bosn accommodating for more thnn sixty y,nr.
and, in,erSpersed with private Hcts nru scaitcr,,
through numerous volumes, aud, ilpu, the coat n
The whole. have become almost inaccessible Il
the grsat mass tlhe community They aIso "a
-. a. Il