Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1856-12-18

10 II SlHuuu iOt q 6tSei"tAOh
of valuable letters,
Postal conventions are pending with
Holland and Mexico, and an informal
arrangement has been concluded with
Hamburg for an exchange Of mails BY
the Ilsmburgh steamers. but only letters
to Hamburg itself can be sent by this
conveyance,
The aggregate postage. foreign and do
nestle. on mails transmitted BY the Uni
ted States steamship lines, was last year
81 .033 7l0, a falling of or some S25 900,
as compared with the previous year.-
Deducting the inland postage. the let
revenue from oceua postage by the Coll
Inns line was $3.50. 749, by ,be Bremen
line $50 .403, and by the Harvc line 81,
SS2
The total amount of letter postage on
British mails was sS97 64S. on Prussian
closed mails S299, 578. and on Harve
mails Sl6,9l4. The Postma,er COM
plains that the system Of optional pre-
psymen, works unfavorably to the United
Safes, the option Of not preparing being
dispropor,ionately avsiled Of abroad.
which throws he .rouble and expense OF
collecting ulmos, the entire postage. and
Of accounting to the foreign countries
Tor their share of it, upon The United
States Pos, Office Department.
The abolition Of the franking privilege
is urged. or else that the Department be
allowed 10 charge the Government the
ordinary rates on franked matter; also
the abolition Of the fifty per cent dei0c-
tion on the postage of periodicals pail
in advance. With these. changes and
the relief Of the Department from the
Postmaster General thinks that his De-.
pertinent would support itself,
As 10 the ocean mail steamers, the
Postmaster General does not understand
why some Of them should not start from
other por:s than New-York. The obvi-
Gus reason is that New York is the centre
at onco of our foreign and of our domss
tic traffic and that go far ss.the support
Of the lines depends upon passengers,
New York has decided advantages over
all other ports. The failure which the
Postmaster mentions in case Of the ocean
mails carried from New-Or.eans. are not
much Of an argument for diffusing the
service.
Affairs Of the Interior.
; The Secretary Of the Interior complains
bitterly Of. and dilates at length upon.
the immense amount Of work he has to
do, and the incongruous nature OF the
matters over which his jurisdiction ex-
tends. He protests against any further
burdens being imposed upon his depart
mont. and evidently hints. though he
says nothing directly on the subject, Of
the propriety Of erecting new Depart
ment or two to share his labors.
The surveys of public lands have pro-
grersed with rapidity; but of the seven
teen millions nearly or quite ready for
the market. a large portion has been
withdrawn from sale in consequences Of
the recent railroad grapts: and cannot be
restored for nine months or more.
The actual settlement clause in the
graduate act seems TO be almost uni
versslly neglected. and the Secretary up
pears to be Of opinion that il might be
dispensed with altogether.
There has also been a good deal OF
cheating in locating the State swamp
lands; but the Secretary thinks that the
shortest and easiest way will be to over
look all departures from law. and to con-
firm without question the selection made
by the States interested.
The sales of land for cash the last fis-
cal year have been 9.227 S76 acres for
So .821.4l4 There have been located
on military land warrants $3.50. .480
acres. There have heen selected under
rail road Donate about Is. $4,000,
acres. and confirmed to The States under
the Swamp Land grant 6.036,000 acres.
The public domain has thus been dimin-
ished to the extent of 80. 326. 900 acres.
The sales for cash during the second and
third years OF the current calendar year
were 2 600. .065 acres for 81. .906 .SS2.
The total sales for the four years pnst
have been 80, ,935. l74 acres for $27. .940,.
Isl; while. including, military bounties,
swamp lands. and railroad grants. the
total aIieuations amount TO about o..
900 600 acres.
On the 30th Of June last ihero were
49, pensioners, at cos. of $780,
694. In this department.. too. many
frauds are perpetrated. and the Secrets.
ry calls for additional power to strike
from the lists the names Of those who
have ceased to be entitled to invalid
pensions.
Tt< number of patents Issued during
he year is about 2. 500.
The abuses Of the Jadiciary depart
nent are still far from being cured. and
he Secretary calls for new laws which
We doubt not are very much needed-to
suppress tho pecula ting spirit which pre-
rails there.
Tho Indian Agents. too, the Secretary |
links. need looking after, and he sug
rests the appointment Of . tuveling a.
,ent to visit them and report on their pro. |
eedings.
There are now twenty Indian treaties
'efore the Senate involving the cession
( l22 0O0. 900 scres Of land for con-
Iteration OF about l.000.O 900. The I
indians within our limits are estimated I
I about SOC, 900 souls. As We become
,ore' familiar with The more remote /
'ibes. it is found that their numbers
L. a.