Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-11


advantages that flow from it. 8a
Semi-monthly service, last reported fran this
department. continued between New York and Cali
iornia and Oregon until July last when under authority
OF provision contained in the naval appropriation act
OF March 3D. 1851 the running Of the mail steamers on
the New York. Havana New Orleans, and Chagres lines
was as to afford direct dispatch Of
the mails to and from the Pacific This service is now d
yded into three distinct lines viz from New York and
New Orleans to Aspinwall both Direct and from New
York by Havana to New Orleans. This change is made
with the assent OF the Secretary Of the Navy the APP
phcauon OF the contractors and with the
that the Government is responsible for any additional
expense involved in it. The former arrangement may be
restored at the desire Of either party on one months
notice.
The Convention between this Department and the past
Ofce Department Of Prussia which at the date Of the
last annual report from the Postmaster General remained
has since been concluded and went INFO ope
ration In October last This Convention provides for
closed mail to be dspatched.n each direction between
the United States and Prussia regularly thrice week. via
London and Ostend New York and Boston are the Offices
OF exchange on the part of the United States and AK la
Chapele Is the corresponding Office of exchange the
part of Prussia.
by this Convention a uniform postage rate Of thirty
OF which optional in
is established for all letters not exceeding half an ounce
IN weight between the two countries Six cents is the
rate established for each newspaper to be prepaid This
Convention also provides for the transmission of mails
not only through Germany bat also through the United
States to countries beyond and has induced this Denart
ment to discontinue the closed mail to Bremen 1t is es
timated that the countries ncluding the German Aus
trian Postal Unon which thus brought into postal
communication with the United States embrace popula
tion OF seventy millions.
As necessary consequence of our Convention with
Prussia the larger part of the Continental
which formerly went by the way of Bremen now sent
VIA London Ostend and AK la Chapele the latter being
the more expeditions route. The mails for Bremen.
however, and such may be addressed via Bremen TO
other German States and countries beyond will continue
to be dispatched monthly by the New York and Bremen
line
A pro,et of Postal Convention between the United
States and Belgium has been prepared and submitted by
this Department for approval to the Belgian Government
ana is confidently expected that in the Of few
months at furthest arrangement which shall be mutu
ally advantageous will be duly sanctioned and put in
operation.
Our Postal Convention with Great Britain h& not vet
been modified admit of the exchange of closed
mail with France via England the British Government
with reference to such mail still insisting on transit
postage OF twenty-four cents ounce.
France has manifested disposition for improved mail
facilities with this country and has made proposals for
postal treaty with the United States to operate ndepen-
IDENTIFY of our treaty with Great Britain How far the me-
gotations on this subject have progressed not at
present prepared to state 1t hoped however that they
may be conducted to favorable issue at an early day
Connected with this project France proposes in conunc
ton with the United States to establish union line of
mail steamships direct between New York and Hayre.
Under our postal treaty with Great Britain additional
articles have been agreed upon and ready for sigma
ture providing for regular mail arrangement between
the United States and the West Indies generally and
points the coast of Mexico and northern coast of
South America, at which the British mail packets touch
To the British West Indies the United States single
OF letter postage which must be prepaid letters sent
from and collected letters received the United States
WIN DC ten cents, where the distance from the mailing
ONCE Is under 1900 miles, and twenty cents where the
distance exceeds $500 miles To the West Indies not
British, Mexico and South America by this channel the
British postage Of twenty cents the single rate also
to be prepaid must be added to the ten twenty
Sfafae rata
This arrangement is expected will go into effect without
delay.
In accordance with the wishes of the Hawaiian Govern
have been made by which letters for
the Sandwich Islands dispatched in sealed packets by
each mail steamer from New York and conveyed through
to Honolulu without being opened On all letters and
newspapers for these islands, however as well as to China
by this route required that the United States postage
to San Francisco be prepaid
The act of March 3, 1851, " to reduce and modify the
rates of postage in the United States and for other pur
poses authorized the Postmaster General to allow in
creased commissions TO postmasers whose abors had
been increased and their commissions reduced by the
operation of that act. The maximum allowance thus
authorized was twenty per cent added to the amount of
commissions received for the fiscal year ended June 80
1851 In the exercise Of the authority thus granted the
late Postmaster General issued order on the 29h of
October, 1851, allowing increased commissions all post
masters entitled thereto varying from ten twenty per
cent according to the gross receipts Of their Offices.
This order applied to the settlement of the accounts for
The fiscal year 1852, and reserved the of allowance
20 be made thereafter for future consideration after
accounts for the first three-quarers of that year should
been adjusted by the auditor When the result of
his adjustment reported to him. the late Postmaster
General issued the following order which in force
Posr OFFICE DEPARTMENT, August 4, 1852
The Postmaster General being satisfied that the labors
have been increased with the increasing
of the country and by the operations Of the
luce and modify the rates Of postage in the United States
md for other purposes approved March 1851 that the
highest additional allowance Of commissions authorized by
he sixth section Of that act will not afford them than
reasonable compensation for such increased abors is
Ordered That with the restrictions and limitations herein
er mentoned the Auditor Of the Treasury for the Post
Office Department in settling the Of postmaster for
he fiscal year ending 30th Of june 1853 and for
seeding year until otherwise ordered SHALL upon satisfactory
roof being furnished him by affidavit otherwise that the
abor Of any postmaster have been increased com
Missions reduced provided for by said act allow credit
uch postmaster the amount Of commissions allowed
lis Office for the fiscal year ended the 30h Of June 1851 with
wenty per cent thereon added thereto.
Provided hoVeve That the commissions be allowed at
my post Office oher than distributing oce) shall not ex-
eed the hostages collected such office during period
which such allowance is made And provided further That
here shall not be allowed Office where the compensation
II the postmaster is by law limited fixed annual salary,
compensation any greater than shall be required 10
such salary compensation and the
expenses Of his Office. N. X. HALL.
Postmaster General.
It will be perceived that this order makes IL necessary
the settlement Of each postmasers quarterly account
compare the current business Of his Office with that of
he corresponding quarter of the year 1861 and that his
commission account for each quarter must remain un-
etted until the end Of the year. that the aggregate
MISSIONS accrung be compared with the commissions
flowed for that year The effect of this in delaying and
the settlement Of accounts in the Auditors
ce and increasing the labor Of such settlement Is fully
hown in the following letter from the Auditor who
ommends repeal of the provision requiring this mode
settlement and return TO the old system Of uniform