Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-01-05
ABSTRACTS

" Mc RGeHS Of the Heads ot departments. -
REPORT or THE SECRETARY OF THE Treasury
The actual receipts for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1853, were SCI ,33T ga 40, over four
millions less than the estimate the balance
in the treasury ,Iulyl, 49, haS ,632, l36
81, making the total sun, TIL VI III ljivice Of 1853
$7596o,7 i0 -. The expchditufcs Of the year
were %54 ,026, SlS q.
The receipts for the first fiscal quarter of 1854 .
were SCI ,o42, So2 3d. aud the expenditures for
the Same quarter SIS ,0Sl 1888 70.
The estimated expenditures for the fiscal year
ending June so, 1854, are S57,25l 1888 l6, and I
the appropriations liable to be expended in that
year are sos HI 1881 Oh. ~
The estimated resources for 1854 are $780,
266,G0i 62; expenditures S5l ,060, 277 IL. Lcav-
ing balance in the treasury July /, lS55sof
SIS ,206,%21 30.
\ table accompanies the report, giving a list
of articls Of torei IN import which it is propos-
cd to add to the free list, for the purpose of re-
ducing the revenue. Tines, articles Welded last
year eight millions of revenue. This table,
however, and other tables mentioned in the re-
port have not been received
Mr.. Gurthi, proposes to arrange the articles
now paying duty in two classes, one to pay 100
per cent and the other 2j per cent This, he
thinks, will give much less trouble in collecting
the revenue. lie suggests specific duty on
iron, and that salt b., made free and the fishing
bounty repealed, leaving "that branch of indus
try to the fair competition which causes other
maratime enterprises to flourish
y large number of clerks in the Department
do not receive sufficient compensation for their
support, and the Secretary asks Congress for an
increase.
Secret inspectors of the customs and supernu-
merary officers of the revenue cutter service have
been dismissed
Light houses and lighted vessels, the new GUS
tom house, the marine hospitals, and greater
safety of life on board steamboats,, are some of
the topics of the report, which is able and
thorough.
POSTMASTER GENERALS REroRT.-The whole
number of post Offices i'll the United States at
the close of the last official year ending June
80, 1858, was %, 800, Of this number 2j5 are
OF the highest class, the postmastcrs of which
arc appointed by the President.
The expenditures of the Department during
the last fiscal year were $7,9S2,75S The gross
revenue from all sources was S5,940.724.
1t appears from the foregoing statement that
the gross revenue of the year ending June 80,
1853, fell short of the expenditures by tho sum
of S2,042,03l.
Sl,57l 900 Of this deficiency is supplied by
the balance on the Auditors books on July /.
1852, and by the appropriations to supply def
clencies, amounting to upward of 81 600, 600,
leaving S646 600 to be provided by Congress for
the s,rvice of the year ending June 80, 1858.
At the close of the fiscal year, ending on the
80 June last, there were in operation within the
United States, 6,692 mail routes. The aggregate
length was 2l7 TAB miles, and 5, 5S3 contractors
employed thereon.
The annual transportation of the mails on
these routes was Gl ,S92, 442 miles, and the an
nual cost thereof, 81 ,495, 96S being about sew
en- cents two mills per mile. of these I'll ,S92,-
342 miles of annual transportation, l2,9S6,705
miles are required to be performed on railroads
at cost of 81 ,G0l 80, being about twelve cents
three mills per mile 6,6S5,o65 miles in steam
boats, at cost of S632,369, being about nine
cents four mills per mile; q $3.50, 3206 miles in
coaches at cost of 81 ,20G, 95S, being about
hive cents six mills per mile and - 800. 446
miles IN modes not specified, at a cost of 055,-
ol5, being about five cents per mile.
During the past year, commencing July |,
1882, 1913 post Offices were established; 479
were discontinued and there were appointed to
Office during the said year, besides the 1895
postmasters to the newly established Offices afor-
said, 5000 $50 upon resignation, 225 on death,
lS2 by change of site, 81 where the postmaster
had moved away, and 2,32l on the removal of
prior incumbcnts being 1867 postmasters APP
pointed during the year ending the so of June,
| 1858.
The cheap postage system creates an actual
deficit in the revenue of the Department, OF
nearly So goo, 900. The last cheap postage act
gives postmasters, in certain cases, an extra
commission of 20 per cent, which costs about
half a million II year. The European Mail Ser
VIC has cost immensely more than the receipts
amount to, and the California Mail Service costs
two-thirds more than it pays Postages or
newspapers under last reduction. have fallen oiti
| S400, 900. -