New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-08-11
PARTY MACHINERY AT THE CAPITAL.
Correspond s,cs Of the N. Y. Tribune.


A writer in staid conservative paper Of
Philadelphia, in q letter from this city, states
that there are less dead letters the last quarter
than the previous quarters He then gives the
number returned to foreign countries, but gives no
number for previous years, nor no figures stating
either the exact number or an estimate of the do
mestc dead letters. II the statement is intended
to convey the idea that our Dead Letter Office
shows that there is any improvement ia our postal
system, the attempt is failure. As for the num-
Der being less or more, there are no date 70 snow;
but the record of valuable" letters shows great
increase in the dead letter business. The money
f und in dead letters according to the records Of
the Department, can be seen in the following
quarterly returns:
Qcsrer ending January 1883
Quarter endn Jolly ls56.... 1900
Here are exact figures from the official records.
This increase Of money in dead lettersis far greater
han the increase Of correspondence. With the
present laws regulations and management Of the
Post. Offce Department this increase Of uncertain
" and failure and death Ofvaluabes intrusted to
the Post Office is certain and inevitable. The
tree is known by its fruits. Here are the tangi-
bic actual results.
The system Of compulsory prepayment being
found failure and producing great loss, inconve-
nence and distress, the plan 10 now adopted Of
sending note to the party addressed informing
him Of his letter that 10 {" detained for unpaid
postage" Let us see how that looks in an eco
nOmica point OF view, as plain business arrange
meDt You know there are men like your corre-
spOndent, who are radical enough to apply the
cOmmOn-sense rules of business to national affairs.
way prOpOsed-and operating successfully in
other cOuDtres-is to send forward all letters
whether paid or unpaid, and charge the unpaid
ones double. Our Postmaster General has G, diff
ferent law. Let US see tie result. A letter is un-
l...k A
following movements Of the CircumOcutiOn Ofioe:
Letter :.ss y rS:,S.:s. to addressed
Letter that detained |, forwarded (psd) cts
Three letters carried over the srOund Money paid fr tho
In addition to all the trcabe, labor and cost Of
mailing, transporting and receiving the three let.
tiers, one Of them has to bs printed, filled ~ and
dispatched by the Postmaster or government OF.
fcia and for this service six cents are paid By the
common sense way of doing it, the first letter
mailed would be forwarded at once; ak cents
would be charged and the government would get
as much money as ia the other case and
perform less than ono third the amount OF
labor. Is not this CircumlOcution Office
And yet this same senseless way Of doing busi..
ness is attempted to be applied to all transientS
printed matter and Senators allow the bill to psss
the Upper House with searce dissenting voice \
But our Representative will look t. itn the other
branch of Congress. The bill was ,ebbied through
W OH lOslHdsttT 15ucftl anu DIS list AJsst3rI
Last year The f2IBUNE predicted that th6c
would be falling ID, comparatively, that il, Ia =,
tbas usual gain Of receipts in the Post Office q
paItment, as Consequence Of 9lpulsc ~ pre,p AZ
rnent. That prediction will be correct Nos ha,
there are yet say Official disclosures to pros g il
bat 1t must ARR arom the Very nature ef tho tease
Here IS another specimen Of the Ci,ounLso uton
Office. The quarterly and yearly statistics .of the
Post-t fhce Department are not pormit.sd to see
The light uItI SIX, twelve, or eighteen moaths have
elapsed. The financial afairs Of the Post Office
Department rom and after the 6rss Of July, 1854
never came 70 the public eye until the appes rance
OF the POSTMASTER Gep erafs report in January.
Zoo. In Great Britain, last after ,i,,
close Of cash quarter, there is statement of Inc
national business in ell the departments, Vsr.
Navy, Treasury, POFt Office, &c published in az
the newspapers. Our Mr.. Guthrie, Secretary II
the treasury, hhe ILan Of sense az he il, giyea
statis1ssi resume OF bis department, and allows it
10 De paoiished, eveI quarter. Other Of cur Sec
Ie.anss may do the same. But tae Post
CWce ana rs management will not
pea; the hght; Abreast thinks the present caie
OF mat establis A1ent | may be told that the
re'arns DO no. come in under one, two, or three
BoDtns, as dis is such "a great country no"
'hey DO con 40 in at some time Ihe quarters ac,
counts for the quarters ending October 800 am
January and April, 1856, are al! ere this-or A.
some re ,asonabe period after the quarter closes
| accer6bIe and could be given Din brief to Con,
| pres and the public 1t would afford bssis ioc
| leP,,latjon. aud it would show tae peOple--who,
| Va. are sometmes told, own the entire nation ai3
nil It's properties-it would show the sovereigns''
hoo ,heir affairs stood, and how their servants
attended to their business in the Official reports
Of the Post -Ofiee there IA most acomp,.e, irreg,