Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-12-30

although many are willing to file their stock
aud release all claim on the United States,
and receive the proportion of the SIS 900 200
accorded to them by Texas, while the United
States, with abundant means to pay, cannot
do 50, and the debt remains liable to claim
for interest. which, under the act, could not
well be refused.
LIST of February next, and there is every rea-
son to believe that the contract will be COM
piled with, and the mint there put into opc-
ration by that time, thus abundantlv supply
ing the people of the Pacific coast with coin,
! for all the purposes of exchange and COM
mcrcc, from their own mines.
The Coast Survey has made good PROCESS du-
ring the year. The means furnished appear
/ to have been carefully and economically used
by the Superintendent, and to have produced
ample results. The duties of the Light lIou.s
Board have been discharged with promptnc
and efficiency, and is believed, with economy;
There are now in operation 317 lighthouses
- ARE in course of construction, and A more
authorized, but not yet commenced. There
are A light vessels in operation. and five in
the course of constructions The estimate for
this service, for the lical year ending June 80,
/ 1854, was $500 1913 - : and for the year
ending June 90, 1858, it is 5000. 1913 II.
The act of Congress to provide for the
]
board vessels propelled, in whole or in part,
| hy steam has claimed the attention of the de-
The number of newspapers by the Cunard
line was ,O34 lG3 do Collins, 3Oj ,945 do
Bremen. in closed mails, 3.6l3; do IIayrc, in
closed mails. ! u.s. do several United States
lines, in Prussian closed mails, 33, 1875. Total
.3Sl ,S63.
The postage on the letters sent during the
year from Great Britain to the United States
by Cunard Steamers was S32j, 200 80 by the
Collins slramcrs, performing just half the
number of trips. it was but log, O6j 40
Other facts show a much greater patronage
to the Cunard than t. the American steamers,
which is attributed to British Partially.
An arrangement has been made with Great
Britain by which the United States avails
itself of the facilities Of communication Sc
cured by existing postal treaties between
Great Britain and the several governments on
the west coast Of South America, the mail.
being transported by line of British packets
plying between Panama and NaldiNia, touch
ing at the prominent intermediate ports.
The rates of postage ON Magazines has been
reduced to one cent an ounce to all foreign
countries, except Great Britain. Efforts are
being made to induce that Government to re-
ducc its charges for the transmission of the
French mails, with fair prospect of success.
satisfactory negotiations tor Postal Arrange
mentS have either been COncl uded or are pend
ing with France. Belgium. Prussia and Bre-
men. The States of Southern Germany will
be admitted to participation in the advantng cs
of the postal arrangement with Prussia upon
equitable terms.
The contract condiionally entered into by
his predecessor, for the conveyance of n mail
to California. via Vera Cruz and Acapulco
has been disapprovcd by the Postmaster Cen
era and nothing further has been heard from
the Company. 1t is stated that the Nicaragua
Company propose to carry seml-monihlv mail
between San Francisco and New York for
100000 per annum. 1t is suggested that if
Congress intends to withdraw from the Collins
Line the appropriation which they now receive,
the Postmaster General might be authorized to
pay to every steamer running between the
United States and England, fixed sum for
each trip. the trips not to exceed given nun.
Der each week. and thus throw the carriage Of
the mails open to individual enterprise and com
petition. Reference is made to the costract of
y. q. SoO, for the transportation of the mail
in Ocean Steamers from New York to New
Orleans, Charleston. Havana. Savannah and
Chagres. II is stated that the Illinois, Georgia
and Ohio are the only vessels accepted under
the act of 1917. The document closes with
a recommendation that moneys be appropriated
to enable the department to buy or erect suta-
bic buildings for post offices in the large cities
Of the Union.