New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-12-07

place the in possession of the British lice in
London Of not les3 than 50 900. When a i. e,,,id
cred that all this outlay Is made on our mar; githout
receiving any equivalent in return one OF lne N .t
pointeoly exhibited.
No satisfactory progress has been made since nv
last report toward electrg postal convention win
France, nor hAs the contemplated arrangement With
Belgium been yet coneummsted
Some steps have been taken with reference IN ma
tai conV entich with Mexico. A mutual exchange of
dead letters has already been agreed upon and car
rcd into effect; and | row await n pr0iec; which
Mexico "a to propose. for more perfect
by which 1t s expected the rates Of postage between
the two countries will be materially reduced.
Unoer our postal convention with Great Bdtain the
Phuadephia Past-Ohce with the concurrence ofth.t
government has been constituted an Office OF ex.
change for United Sts'es and Britisb mails. Tne
articles OF agreement this subject are hereto an
nexed regret 10 ATE that my proportion for the
REDUCTION OF pamphlet and magazine postage be-
tween The two countries TO one cent an ounce on
either side has been positively declared by the British
Post Department Tue combined Iate Il At present
altogether too bigh, beDg eight cents an ounce for
all works OF this kind above the weight
In the month Of March last an arrangement was
made with the proprietors Of the Australia Pioneer
Line oil monthly packets 10 convey mails regularly
between New York and Port Philip Australia at two
cents letter, ore half cent per newspaper and one
quarter cent an ounce FOR pamphlets and nazazines
and, with the view Of sfOrdiDg TO citizens the
cheapest practicable means Of communication with
that country, have fixed the rstes all out going
matter by that line at FIVE cents letter two cents
each for newspapers, and one cent an frac-
ton OF an ounce for pamphlets and magazines pre-
payment required Thee rates embrace both the
United States inland and postage. As the United
states postage cannot be prepaid incoming letters
by tbs line, they treated ordinary ship letters
Similar Dgements have been made during the wear
with the propretors of the steamers Black Warrior
ana CahaM ba 10 convey mails semi-mOnthly between
New.fofk and Havana, and New Orleans and Ha.
fuvor nj "a iaff nj -. u al
eor OF the steamship Jewess TO convey mails once ia
every twenty days between New-YOrk aud Nassau
New-Providencei returning by way of Havana at the
same rate Of compensation.
BY these agreements an important point has bean
gained IN sustaining tbs Department in the efforts
which should be made in all future arrangements 10
keep TIE cost Of the ocean service if possible within
its receipts.
To the appendix marked Al invite your particu.
lar attention. and that of Congress.
1t exhibits full statistical information on the subject
OF the foreign mails; embracing the amount of post
age inland SEES and foreign on nailable matter re-
oeSed aud sent by the different mail steamship lines
during The year; the amounts Of letter pos.ages on
British, Pfussian, Bremen, and Havre mails; the
portion thereof collected by the United States Great
Britain. Prussia, and Bremen respectively: and the
amounts OF unpaid aud paid matter received aud
seLt by each OF the lines Of mail steamers. The
gToes and net revenues received by the Department
IRON each OF the transatlantic mail lines are shOwR
and also the derived from the correspondence
with Great Britain, Prussia and Bremen res 1ectvely
under the existing postal arrange ments with those
countries, both including and excluding the United
States inland postage. II also shows the number Of
letters and newspapers exchanged during the year.
between the United States and Grea. Britain, in
British mails between the United States aud Bremen
in Bremen mails, and between the United States aud
the Kingdom Of Prussia in closed mails; the number
of letters ian ounces received aud sent ia closed
mails under each Of our closed mail arrange
ments aud the number of letters and newspapers
conveyed by the several home lines of ocean
steamers Other valuable statistics connected with the
the foreign mail service are also fully stated.
The usual report Of fines and deductions will be
duly furnished for the information of Congress.
These fines and deductions for the year ending the
30th June, 1884, amount TO sll0,4s6 49, The amount
for the previous year s37 92O 81. The increased
amount has been mainly caused by a more rigorous
exacton than heretofore Of foreitures incurred for
defective service. The aggregate amount of fines
and deductions for the last year has thus been greatly
increased.
an pleased TO say that the introduction into the
Post Offices of a better system of responsibility for
mail bags has resulted in checking the waste of this
species Of property. The consequence has been
decrease OF twenty per cent in the number Of letter
mai bags procured during the year ending 30th jane
last n COMPARED with the preceding year; though /
the ordinary increase in the transportation of letters
has required the OF greater number of bags than
were actually used before.
NV assistants ard chief aud other clerks have faith
fully attended to all their duties during the past year.
no the PkEsDEAT JAMES CAMPBELL
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