Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-01-19

ear ending Year ending
Both June, 30h June,
1854 1853
Revenue from let
tiers, stamps od
f'rsign hostages,
newspapers and
pamphlets. and
from emoluments
paid over. i. s6,lll.6s7 ls s6.472 Cos %
Expenditures for
compen sation
postmasters and
clerks for Offices. 1885 $40 So, 1887 o52 o.
or 3S 26-l00 or 43 Si-l00
per cent. per cent
The proportion of the revenue fsom hostages
expended for compensation to postInastersn
and clerks for Offices in 1854, was SO 26-l0O
per cent. Allowing the same rate upon the
revenue Of 1855, the expenditure for those OBJ.
jects would be S2,i76,454 &c, instead of ST..
1882 62 and after deducting the sum of
5000, estimated for the relief of special
cases, there is still increase Of expenditure
over 1854 of S3l6,49S 81, resulting from the
operation of the act of June -, 1854.
The expenditures for transportation have
very much increased during the last year, and
a principle cause of this increase is owing to
the very great extension of railroad service
In the past year there has been 1874 miles of
new railroad added to the mail service in va
rious parts of the country, at a rate of annual
cost, as it stood on the Both June last, of
$286,636. Some of these routes are very i'm
portant, and traverse sections of country in
which the cost of old service taken up was
very inconsiderable.
In connection with this branch Of the sub
iect it may be well to state that while the in.
crease of revenue in 1854 over that of the
year preceding was Is $500 per cent, the in
crease of the year ending June 80 1885, over
that Of the year ending June 80, 1854, was but
7 3-5 per cent, caused, no doubt, in some de-
gree, by the commercial inactivity of the last
year. These three causes have contributed
very much TO increase the deficiency of the
past year.
Every annual statement of the expenditures
of a department having such vast number OF
accounts as the General Post Office must neces-
sarily embrace many which should have been
settled and paid in previous years, but taking
one year with another, the amount Of such
items has been so nearly equal, that particular
reference has rarely been made 10 them. In
the past year, however, so many payments have
been made by authority of special acts Of Con.
gress that statement Of them is deemed pro.
per.
The account Transportation is charged with
the following sums, to wit:
For additional mail pay granted by the
act Of March 3, 1855 TO w. M.F.
Magraw Jacob Hall, and George u.
Giddings, contractors on routes No.
SOIL No 9l2 End No II, 900. re.
.peciively, for one year from the
18Th day Of August, ls54-in ALL. $4,000 90
Les. the portion from 1st Of July 10
18th August, 1855, which is charged.
BILE on the year 1856. ............ 6433 OF
42,ss6 90
Paid IT, p. Monroe for mail service
between Sacramento and Shasta,
CaIifornia, 1854 and 1851, per act Sd
March. 1855, slh section. $500. 5,54l &C
Paid the Michigan Central railroad,
per act, 80 March, 1855. Tor services
performed in ls49. 5177 co
Paid Graham g. Finnal. per net 21st
December, 1874, for compensation
for service 10 1si7.......... 5000 90
Paid out OF Post Office revenue 800. $4,000 %
Pursuant 10 the act for the relief of Daniel
Searle & CO., approved March 2, 1855, there
was drawn from the treasury and paid TO them,
for services rendered under a contract made in
1855, the sum Of $4,695 So, which is also
charged to transportation 1855.
The expenditures for mail depredations and
special agents were increased in 1855 by the
sum of s3,l75, paid under the act Of July 4,
1894, TO y. vi. JOggln, Iule hpeclal agent IN
California, for services and expenses prior to
April I, 1853, and by the further sum Of
$4,000. being the difference between $1,000
and $4,000 per anuum allowed The present
agent in California by the act Of 3la May
1854, from lst July, 1853, to June 30, 1855
in all 1895.
IT will be seen that the payments for balances
due on our postal accounts with foreign coun.
tries were greater in 1855 than in the previous
year. The following statement will explain:
The whole amount Of balances paid 20 Great
Britain and Bremen in 1855 was. s3l63l5 II
In this sum is included the following amount
Of balances which had accrued to Great Britain
and Bremen respectively prior 10 lst July, 1854,
to wit
Balances in favor of Great Britain for the 81 3D.
and 9TH quarters Of 1853, aud the LIST and Cd
quarters Of 1854, paid 10 1855. $780, $50 OF
Balances in favor OF Bremen 10 June
30, 1854, paid IN lSj5............ 1885 30
S2i3,724 Al
Such is tie condition Of the revenue Of the
department for the year 1855, which goes
further 10 show faat the rates fixed by the act
Of Sd March, 1851, Sgil not enable the depart.
ment to sustain itself FROM its own revenues.
This must be the case for some years, and large
annual appropriations must continue 10 be