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

4
pound, making the total cost Of the transporta-
| lion amount to $l33,6 ,688 68. BY the act of Sd
| March, 1851, the Postmaster General was au-
| thorized "to enter into contracts or make suit
| able arrangements for transporting the mails
between Chagres and Panama with regularity
and despatch, provided the rate of compensa-
ton shall not exceed 22 cents pound" Un-
der this authority the Panama Railroad Com
pany has been paid the full maximum compeL-
saion of % cents pound from lst December,
1851, to lst April, 1855, since which have re-
cognized their service, and ordered payment 10
be made at l8 cents pound. The railroad
was completed in January, 1855 the locomo-
tive for the first time passed over the entire
route on the 28th, and the mail was for the
first time carried through by on the 18th OF
that month The road being completed, and
the company having made considerable de-
duction in their freight charges, the reduced
price for irst-cass freight in no instance ex-
ceeded Is cents pound, considered that l8
cents was liberal compensation for the mail.
In fixing this sum, took into consideration
the great cost of the road, the sacrifice both OF
life and property in its construction, the mag
nitude of the enterprise, and its Importance IN
national point of view. The company have
declined to acquiesce in this decision, and
claim to receive the full maximum price OF ~
cents until permanent contract shall be made
at fixed annual sum.
The new distribution schemes referred to in
nv last annual report have been completed
and sent to the several distributing post offices.
This work involved minute examination OF
all the mail arrangements of the country, with
a view to a definite allotment for each distri-
buting office, so as to insure the TRANSMISSION
of mails in all cases by the most direct and ex-
peditious route, and at the same time to guard
against the too frequent distributions which
have heretofore prevailed. Each distributing
Office has now alphabetical lists o! all the coun-
ties in all the States Except California; with
the proper distribution point annexed TO each
county. Thus, the postmasters have the PLAIN,
est instruction as to the proper distribution or
mail matter for every portion of each State.
There are in all l,645 counties, formed INTO
757 different groops to suit the several distri,
buting Offices, and show the course OF the mail
from each office to every county in the Union,
and the whole number of points thus indicated
for the fifty distributing offices is 81, ,25O.
In my last annual report recommended the
adoption of a system of registration Tor giving
greater security 10 valuable letters intrusted to
the mails. By the third section of an act ap,,
proved March 3, 1855, Congress authorized
which any person desiring to post valuable
letter to be sent by mail might, at his option,
have it registered upon payment of fee OF
five cents in addition to the rate OF postage
chargeable thereon, it having been estimated
that this additional payment would cover the
expenses incident to such registration. 10
carry into effect the authority thus granted by
Congress, it became necessary to prepare ana
distribute among the sever post Offices blanks
for new system of accounts, to show, 10
respect to registered letters, not only the re-
ceiying and sending Of each mail, as formerly,
but the receiving, sending, and delivery OF
each particular letter. These blanks, with
accompanying instructions, were prepared ana
distributed as early as possible after the passage
of the act referred to, and were In the posses
sion Of each postmaster before the commerce.
meut Of the fiscal year, u st July, lS3o,l when
it went into operation. To guard as much es
possible against the mistakes and errors likely
10 arise from innovation upon the long es-
tablished forms in which postmasters' accounts
had been kept, preserved aud adapted these
forms to the new requirements OF the law, and
have thus endeavored, by the simplest meana
possible to secure uniformity and accuracy IN
The keeping and rendering of the accounts.
A lust estimate of the value and ultimate
success of the plan Of registration adopted
cannot be formed from the short experience
had Of it. Its operation brings to the i'm
mediate knowledge Of the eIartment not only
every failure, but every delay in the transporta-
ton and delivery Of registered letters; and In
carefully observing its operation with view
to such notifications as may be required,
have in each days report found abundant
proofs Of its usefulness, and also Of the neces.
sity of perfecting it by such means as experience
may suggest.
By arrangements with Prussia and Bremen,
the registry system has been extended to letters
conveyed between the United States and Ger
many. (see articles Of agreement annexed.)
The expenditures Of the department for the
last sscal year are reported by the AUDITOR 10
have amounted to $9,969,342 20, under the
following heads-to wit:
Compe 10 postmasters...... S213o,330 y
shin stea n,boat, and way letters. 1876 %
TRANSPORTATION Of the mails. G,GI6,S34 co