The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-12-08

."' N"' VI WAN, SECRETARY OF TIE
ihkAsoRf, SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
AND SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.
The reports Of the departments Of the ,,ay.rn.
ment are received, aud we make the condemnation
OF them given below, beginning with that az ,ha
Postmaster General;
REPORT OF TUE POSTMASTER GENERAL.
The whole number Of post Offices in tbe lJnit,.;
states on the 10Th otJune last was u a77 of xhicL
AGO are OF the class debominated presidential lha
number established during the last fiscs, wear
2i2l, and the humber discontinued T30 Leiny an
Increase of 1891. The number of postmas,er. n
pointed during the year was S 2S4 or these ! bg5
we're TO tll vacancies occasioned hv natIor
oeS by removals, 2iS by deaths a92 by chance n,
names and sites, aud 2,l2l on establishments o;
new Offices The whole number of ofsces on ,ba
lat of Dece ember, 1885, was 2s.573
The transportation statistics show that On ,ha
3oth of June last there was in operation 2gj
mail routes with length of 2CO. COZ miles n,
which, 81 43i miles are by railroads and II nie H.,
steamboats,. They are under the direction OF .o4i
contractors. The total annual TRANSPORTATION nt
mails was IS76o;l9l miles, costing 81 T954 ala ar
an average csst by railroad OF III cents per mile
by steamboat OF - cents aud mills per mile and
by coaches OF o cents and mills per mile Conn
pared with the service reputed on the 3ntb .,
June 1857, there is an addition of Is nO2 uiIas ,,
the length of mail routes while the cost ia increas
cd 81, 1882.
n serv ica
i+u route agents at compensation of 1894 $50. 2S
express route agents S2S 900; % local agent, $40
9S9, ana l@b+ mail messengers at Sls4 63i: making
q total of S577,313. This amount with the increas
ed cost of service under the new contracts COM
mencing on the 1st of July {x2243156) added IN
he cost Of service in operation on the 3otb al
June last (S.T95 AIS max es the total amount for
the current year Sl0,615 9i7, an increase of over
S3 100000 over the total amount of the year pre-
rous.
r,ba no, orrap1;tprae f,r tha i,o,, xo.u -, a..
june 3oth, including payments for letter carriers
and for foreign postages, amounted 10 S12,T224I0.
The gross revenue for the year 1858, Including
receipts from letter carriers and foreign postages
amounted to S7,4s6,1a2, being SCISSORS less than
the expenditures
The estimated expenditures for the year 1859
amount to S14 7T6 $50. The means applicable to
def,ay this amounts only to S11 ,094 39S, leaving
s36S212I TO be appropriated from the Treasury to
tefrsy the expenditures of 1859, as they have been
authorized by law.
The aggregate amount Of postage (sea, island
and forsigr) mails transported from JaIy l,
1857 TO February 10, 1858, by the steamers of the
New York and Liverpool {C0ilius) line WAS SILL
i9l 81. and By temporary steamships employed on
same line during Residue Of the fiscal year, end
ing June 30 1888. s4I ,631 Is, making a total OF
Sl52,S29 65, pos.ages for the year. The postages
by this line during the year ending June 80. 1857
amounted to $210,4G3 03
The postages upon mails conveyed during the
last fiscal year by the United States steamers OF
the New York. Southampton, aud Bremen line,
were Slo2 COS o9, and by the New York Sout ham D.
ton. and Hsvre line $l0j9 26, being decrease
Of s35 l5169 by the Bremen, and al increase oi
s., ,913 q by the Havre line as compared with the
previous fiscal year.
The amount Of letter postages upon mails ex.
changed with Great Britain during the year end.
ing June so. 1885, WAS $S02,7I1 6i with Prussia
1925 90; Bremen, 81 905 o. France s205 s26 42
Hamburg, Sl5,Si9 ~; being a decrease on BRUSH
mails Of 81 ,423ll: on Prussiau mails Of 81 los 81
on Bremen mails of $24 Ii 0; and aud incg ease OF
French mails OF Sl64,G3S 23, and on HAMBURG
mails of Sl4 4,S2o.l4 compared with the preceding
year Net Increased letter postsge5 on European
mails, Ss2749 -.
Tho Total postages on letter mails exchanged
with Europe WAS Sl,31S.14 81.
Speaking OF the European and American DOS tai
arrangement the Postmaster General saws: The
want of regularity heretofore has bad the effect
give the advantage to the British lines The evi.
deuce Is now before me, that of the correspond
ence for instance, between the United States and
Switzerland, out OF 5000 letters, $500 were trans
mtted by British vessels. owing, it is believed
mainly to the circumstance of the known regu-
larity Of these vessels in sailing on given dag
As calculated to furnish the requisite facilities o
communication between Europe and the southern
and southwestern States, the projected liues be.
tween Norfolk and England and between New Or.
leans and Bordeaux, in France, are amongst the
most important TO be established. IL is unneces,
sary to point out the advantages these lines wouId
be certain TO have in developing the resources Of
those States. They could not fail to be otherwise
than highly satisfactory. The eytortion of the
Panama Railroad Company for charging S1OO 00f
for conveying the United States mail only As
miles, ia noticed.
A good portion of the rerort is devoted TO the
New York and New Orlesus route, by which the
mails were to to be conveyed in AZ DAYS, via;
Richmond, Lynchburg, Chattanooga, Gran juno.
tion and Jackson, Miss Going south, the sched uis
contemplated the running of cars by night frem
Canton to New Orleans; but the early appearance
OF the yellow fever, as an epidemic, and its great
viruience, interposed a serious obstacle in the way
OF this service, che railroad company considering
it ruinous to their interests to approach tie in.
fected district. except during the day time. The
mails were thus necessarily delay ed over night
(I2 hours at Canton, and delivered in New OrIea q
swelve hours behind the stipulated time. As.
surauces have, however, teen given that such de
lays shall no longer continue.gud tits uot doubted
that the contract schedule will be fully com
piled with ipsurCg the delivery of the mails from
Washingten at New Orleans within four and hall
days.
farther stipulated that from and after 1st July
next the time shall be reduced twenty four hours
making the communication bets Washington
aud New Orleans in thee days and a hall, or
btween New York and New Orleans within four
days. Going from Lyuchburg to Gordonsyille and
not touching at Richmond.
The new experiment of having express agents
to 60 through with large mails long distances has
is also noticed as being complete success The
pay on this routc from New Orleans to San Fran
cisco Is S2S6,000 per annum-time, Is days.
The trauking system Is appropriately noticed
and it ia proposed that in lieu Of the irauking
privilege now allowed by law to members Of Con-
gress, the Secretary of the Senate, and the Clerk
of the House, or such other officer may be de
sgnated for the purpose, furnish the members
with postage stamps to be used all letters pubs
lie documents, aud packets transmitted by them
ia he n al ia lYls
furnished to each member, to be paid for out Of
the contingent fund Of each House. 1t is further
proposed that all letters aud packets, except news
papers addressed to members Of Congress, hall
be prepaid at the mailing office.
The Postmaster General advocates the raising of
the threescent rate upon letters TO five cents, and
the abolition of the discount now allowed by Law
for the payment Of newspaper and pamphlet post
age quarterly or yearly in advance.
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR.
The report of the Secretary OF War the ope.
rations Of the army, for the Past year, is very
interesting.
The ectual strength of the army On the 1st of
July, was II 496 and after deducting the number
required for forts stations, and what may be called
the police operations Of the army, only thirteen
reg iinents numbering little over II 900 men, are
left for the arduous duty of prosecuting sill the
Indian wars, which have extended this year from
the British possessions On the Pacific to the border
settlements Of Texas; as well as of crushing the
rebellion In Utah, which, from its vindicitive
spirit and large numbers, threatened ut its outset
10 become and indeed was, very formidable -
These regiments have accomplished within the
year O. march, averaging for each, the extraordi.
nary distance of twelve hundred and thirty four
miles These marches, ia the main, have been
made through the uniDhabited soltudes and ster-
lie deserts which stretch away between the settle
ments of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, upon
routes which afforded nothing 70 facilitate the ad
vance, except only tho borbage which the beasts
CT burden might pluck by the way side.
Every item OF supply, from horseshoe nail TO
the largest piece Of ordnance. has been carried,
from the. depots, along the whole line Of those
tedious marches, TO be ready at the exact moment
when necessity might call for them. The country
,raversed could yield nothing. The labor, fore-
sight, method, and care requisite to systematize,
and the energy, activity, and persistence to carry
cut such operations by the different departments,