Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-12-09

age accounts is estimated 6728 324 90
The appropriations for free matter, less
5000, 900 drawn in 1854.............. SOC, 900 90
The appropriation to supply deficiencies in
the year 1856, made by the act of Au-
gust 5, ................... 2,344,464 90
9,9s9,94 96
Estimated expenditures Of 1S55....... 9,841, 1921 33
Estimated surplus June &c. 1s55...... $148, o23 SO,
During the three years which commenced on the 1st
July, 1851, and ended the 30th june 1854 the De-
parment issued l66 All postage stamps and 25 076,
656 stamped envelopes, amounting in the aggregate to
$5507 0220 3, Of which $5092 30l7 70 sold, being
about 925 per cent. Of the whole amount issued
Having ascertained that the mode Of examining and
checking the quarterly returns Of posmasters rad
cay defective took occasion to invite attention to the
subject in my report of last year, and again advert to
because subsequent Investigation and experience have
convinced me that thorough check of the accounts
der the present system is wholly impractcable Such
check is indispensable the safety Of the revenue and
can IN way be effected certainly at little cost
and with 50 much advantage to the service by adopt
ing prepayment Of postage in all coming within
our postal arrangements with foreign countries
This plan, connected with well-digested system for
the registration of letters to which shall presently
allude would quicken correspondence while it would
facilitate and expedite the operations Of the post Offices
in mailing and delivering letters and inspire confidence
in the Department safe of transmitting letters
containing remittances.
Here the Postmaster General enters into the details of
plan for the registration of letters, SO as to afford
greater security to those of value transmitted by the
mails He proposes to give receipts for valuable letters
when posted and that duplicates of these receipts shall
be kept for reference at the office of mailing 1t is not
however proposed to make the registering of valuable
letters compulsory that the Government shall become
liable for such letters when lost but only enable each
person mailing valuable letter do so either in the
ordinary to add something to its security by
the payment of small registration fee. 1t would re-
eve the Department from the imputaton Of numerous
losses not properly chargeable upon it.
The cost of the service for the last fiscal year the
several United States mail steamship lines and
the isthmus of Panama is as follows
New York to Liverpool, Collins line, twenty /.
SIX round trlps .SSDS OUO w
New York, via Southampton, to Bremen, ele-
ven round trips 1888 1888 26
trips..... .... ~. 1877, 500 90
New York and New Orleans to Aspinwal
twenty-four round trips, including same
number of trips between New York and
New Orleans via Havana. 2S9, 900 90
Astoria, via San Francisco, to Panama, twen-
ty-four round S,26U w
Charleston, via Savannah and Key West, to
Havana twentyfour round trips. 600 %
New Orleans to Vera Cruz, twenty -four round
trips, emitting Tampico $4,000 90
Aspinwall to Panama. 1877 Oh
2,023,010 20
By the of Congress approved the Sd of March, 1S4
the President authorized to contract for the consuc
tionand equipment ofour rstcass seagong steamships,
to be attached to the navy of the United States 1t was
by the second section made the duty of the Secretary Of
the Navy accept the part of the Government Of the
United States the proposal Of e. K Collins and his
cates for the transportation of the United States mail be-
tween New York and Liverpool. The steamships to be
employed be constructed to render them
verble at the least possible cost into steamships Of
the first class BY the fourth section Of the act it
likewise made the duty of the Secretary Of the Navy to
contract with A. G. Soo for the transportation Of the mail
from New York to New Orleans twice month and back
touching at Charleston, if practicable, Savannah, and
from In hac wi n
month The fifth section authorized him to enter into
contract to carry the mail from Panama to Oregon once
month The sixth section made it the duty of the Secre
try of the Navy to provide in the contracts authorized by
the that the Navy Department shall at all times
else control said steamships and ut any time have
the right take them for the exclusive and service
Of the United States, due provision being made in the
contracts for the mode Of ascertaning the proper
pensaton to the contractors therefor On the first of
March, 1847 the Secretary of the Navy entered into
contract with K Collins and his associates The con-
tract contains all the spulatons required by the act OF
Congress The service to be performed twice each
month fo- eight months Of the year, and month
during the other four months The to be paid was
three hundred and eightyfye thousand dollars nine
teen thousand two hundred and fifty dollars trip, and
the continue in force for ten years from
the date of the commencement Of the service. A. g.
Soo contracted with by the Secretary of the Navy on
the Goth of April 1S4 to perform the service mentioned
in the fourth section The service was to be twice
month the to be paid two hundred and ninety thou
sand dollars and the contract to continue in force for ten
the commencement OIL the service. InlS con-
likewise all the stpuations required by the
act of Congress- and assigned by A. g. Sloo to Geo.
Law, Marshall o. Roberts, and B. r. McIlvain the Sd Of
September 1S4 The contract to transport the mail from
Panama to Oregon entered into with Arnold Harris
on the 10th of November 1S47. The service to be
once month the price to be paid hundred and
ninety nine thousand dollars and the contract
tnuc for years from the 1st of October 1913 All
spuaons required by the act congress are contained
in this contract Also which assigned the 10th of
November, 1S47 to William II. Aspinwa. On the 18th
of March, 1851 the Secretary of the Navy and Postmaster
General in pursuance of law passed the Sd Of March
1851 entered into additional contract with the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company acting by VIM. II. Aspinwa,
by which the service from Panama California and Ore
gon increased to twice month"; OF increased price
of hundred and thousand two hundred and
fifty dollars making the whole cost of the service three
hundred and forty eight thousand two hundred and fifty
dollars.
The object of Congress in the passage Of this act seems
to have been to build up naval steam marine which
might temporarily be employed for commercial purposes
In order to enable private individuals to build and
equip these steamships in the mode pointed out by Con-
gress Of money advanced to them and to
tain them until wanted for Government purposes large
Of money paid them for conveying the mails
IT, in the progress of time, it is discovered that these
steamships not suited for naval purposes that the
large paid their mail transportation have
created monopoly checking the energy and enterprise
others Of citizens, Congress- in my opinion is call
ed upon to terminate their contracts If it do
sistently with plighed faith By the terms Of the act
and of the contracts entered into by the Navy Department
and these companies in pursuance of the act it will be
that Congress- reserved to itself the right to pur
chase the steamships and thus terminate the