The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-01-10
THE PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.
Post Office Department.

The report of the Postmaster General shows
net increase of S62 post offices during the yea
ending 3Oth of June, lS55-the whole number
OF offices at that date being - LILO, and on the
Both of November 3i,77O On the 3Oth of
June last, there were 1893 mail routes. at an
estimated length of 277,90S miles. The total
annual transportation of mails was 67,4Ol / &c
miles, which cost s., 1855, 23S. Compared with
the service OF the year previous, there is an in
crease of 1897 ,G25 miles Of transportation. or
OF about 81 per cent, and of S675,22l cost, or
about 10 4-l00 per cent. The increase by rail
road service is 3,483, 1872 miles; by modes not
specified, 3,57j,l77 miles-while the TRANSPORT
alton by coaches is less by 1925 ,62S miles: and
by steamboat ,335, 656
Ihis change results mainly from the reletting
OF contracts in many of the Southern and West
ern States and Territories. On the Both of
June last, there were in service 3 i route agents
at compensation of S245, % local
agents, at Sl9.32S; and 9sl mail messengers Mt
sloo4 100; making a total of 1851 97O.3 to
be added TO the cost of transportation. This
makes the total amount for the current wear
SJ,S24, 0s9.30, which will probably be increased
to S6,0O0,000 by new service and routes. The
cost of foreign msil service, not included here.
amounts to S6ll ,407. The Postmaster states
that, on the Sd of April last, he concluded q
contract with Mr.. James F. Joy, to convey the
mails from Cairo to New Orleans and back.
daily, he having full powers to negotiate such
contract on behalf of the Illinois Central Rail.
road; but though the latter used every exertion
to comply with their engagement, they failed to
do SO, from the high price demanded of them
by the owners of the boats on the line, aRd the
route was accordingly advertised for reletting.
The new distribution schemes have been
completed, and each distributing office has now
alphabetical lists of all the counties in all the
States except California. In accordance with
the late act OF Congress- suitable measures have
been adopted TO put in operation the new sys-
tenn of registering valuable letters, but it has
not been sufficiently long in operation to be
able to form a ust estimate Of the success of
the plan. The Postmaster has, however, found
abundant proofs of its usefulness, and of the
necessity of bringing it TO perfection.
The expenditures of the Department for the
last fiscal year amount to S9,96S, 342, and the
gross revenue derived from postages-inland
and foreign-are S6,642, 1868, which, adding
the annual appropriations made in compensa-
ton of mail service to the Government, by the
acts of Sd March, lS49, and Sd March, 1851
amount to 1892, 1868. Deducting the bal
ance against the United States due to foreign
Powers for postal accounts, from the above, the
actual gross revenue of the Department for the
year ending 30th of June, 1855, will be
$7,335,l77.
The gross revenue of 1854, after deducting
foreign balances, amounted to S6,8l6,65 81 |,
making q difference in favor of 1855 of
S5lS,5l9l0. The erceSs OF expenditure for
1855 ocer that Of 1854 is S2,626, 2O6.l6 This
excess is attributed partly to the increase in