Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-12-07

ask OF the Emperor's government in the premises,
and on this, as on all other occasions, receive
with pleasure the assurance that the government OF
His Imperial Majesty has at heart relations Of
friendship and esteem with the government Of the
United States. Feeling which, II Is my constant
desire and effort to cherish and strengthen them.
/ win hasten to communicate this correspond
ence to my government, and will also inform the
American Minister to Spain, who is still in London,
Of the result which has been arrived at.
avail myself Of the opportunity to renew to
your excellency assurance OF the very high con-
alteration with which am your obedient humble,
servant J. Y. MASON.
Postmaster Generals Report.
From this voluminous document we select
such facts and suggestions as are ofgeneral in
terest:
1t sets out with stating that the whole number
of post Offices in the United States on the 30th
June, 1854, was 23, 648 OF this number 257 are
offices the annual commissions from which amount
to one thousand dollars or upwards. The number
of Offices established during the last fiscal year
l,S42, and the number discontinued Ola, showing
net increase In one year of l ,228 The number
of which the sites and names have been changed
In the course Of the year was 499 The number Of
postmasters appointed during the year was 8,6ls.
OF these, 1876 appointed to I'LL vacancies
casioned by designations; 1877 by removals 800
by deaths; 294 by change Of names and sites
and l,842 on establishment of new Offices The
total number Of Offices on the LIST OF December,
1854, was %, 925.
The total annual transportation OF mails was
63,387 ,005 miles, costing $4,68O,676.
Compared with the services Of the 80th June,
1853 there is an increase Of l,494, 463 miles Of
transportation, or about Q IL per cent, and OF
$l34,7O8 cost being about three per cent. The
increase Of railroad service is 2446,684 miles, and
the expense 1851 281 being 10 per cent. in trans
portation, and not quite per cent in cost.
The increased transportation by modes not spe-
cited, is 377, l57 miles, or about per cent, at q
cost Of $37, 500, or 8 35-1OO per cent
The transportation by coaches is less by 439, 796
miles, or about per cent, though at an increased
cost Of $83, 1877, or $500 per cent.
The steamboat transportation during the past
year was reduced 889,582 miles, or l5 8-S per
cent, at reduced cost Of $l4S,230, or 80 7-l0
per cent.
A comparison Of the service under the new con.
tracts commencing 1st July last, as in operation
the 3Oth September, with that under the expired
contracts in the northwestern and southwestern
sections of the Union shows that the annual trans
portation of mails has been increased 1890, 800
miles, at an increased cost of $39b373 per annum,
divided.
The total annual transportation under the new
contracts as adjusted for the quarter ending 30th
Sebtember is 9,047 $50 miles, and the total an
nual cost $2,375,7S9.
There were in service on the Both June last, $50
route agents, at a compensation of $lSl 500 per
annum 81 local agents, at s15,490 per annum |;
and 968 mail messengers, at S92, l3l S0per annum
making total cost of $2ss,221 so per annum to
be added to the other cost Of transportation stated
above at $4,630,676.
There were in operation on the 3Oth September
last 232 railroad routes; their aggregate length
was 1921 l-2 miles, and the cost of mail trans
portation thereon was 81 ,928,747 80. Add to
this the sums paid mail messengers route and local
agents, and the whole cost of this service win be
81, 1876, 249 SO.
The report refers to the difficulties existing be-
tween the Department and the various railroad
companies in regard to the price paid for the trans
portation Of the mails, and suggests that they
could best be settled by a committee Of Congress.
Of the sum of SO, 577 ,424 IL expended by the
department for the last fiscal year, there was paid
as compensation to postmasters $l,707,70s 80 !;
extra compensation to postmasters, by the act of
March 8, 1851, $34,799 81 ship, steamboat, and
way letters Sls,549 81 transportation of the mails
including the mails to Bremen, Havre, and Hava-
ma, and the mails across the Isthmus of Panama,
$5 40l 3s2 3d. and the balance for various specified
purposes.
The gross revenue of the fiscal year
was s6,255, $50 %
Annual appropriation 100000 90
$685., $50 %
This leaves a deficiency of 81, 1921 1897 90, to
which must be added another balance, making a
total deficiency of $l,755,32 90, which Is 1851
756 81 less than the deficiency Of the previous
year.
The report recommends that the clause in the
law authorizing reduction Of one-haf of the post
age charged on newspapers, ndperiodicals, where
the postage is paid in advance, shall be repealed
1t also recommends the adoption Of plan Of legis.
laton to guard against the loss of valuable letters
The cost of the service for the last fiscal year on
the several q. s. mail steamship lines, and across
the Isthmus Of Panama, Is as follows:
New York to Liverpool, Collins line, twenty-six
round trips ss5s,o0o 90
New York, via Southampton, to Bre-
men, eleven round trips 1883 26
New York, via Cowes to Havre, ii
round trips Is7,5oo 90
New York and New Orleans to Asp
inwall, twenty -four round trips, in
GLIDING same number of trips be-
tween New York and New Orleans
via Havana $4,000 90
Astoria, via San Francisco, to Pana-
ma, twcnty-four round trips s4s,2so 90
Charleston, via Savannah and Key
West, to Havana, twenty-four
round trips 10000 90
New Orleans, to Vera Cruz, twenty
four round trips, emitting Tam
pico $1,000 90
Aspinwall to Panama ll9,727 03
2,o2s,olo 20
BY the act Of Congress-, approved the third Of
March, lS47 the President was authorized TO con-
tract for the construction and equipment Of four
frst-class sesgoing steamships, to be attached TO
the navy OF the United States
The Postmaster General thinks the prices now
paid to these lines are entirely too high, and re-
commends that the prescribed notice for the ter
mination Of the contract should now be given
No progress has been made in the pending ne.
gotiations with Great Britain relative TO the ad-
mission Of France into the arrangement as con-