The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1858-12-18

it, welfare. Th-i- ha:sltaus. ly tbs hi-h rhara-tar
ana tan peaceful 7aa orderly conduct Of .s resident
cannot c2naIado wi;hoat performing the agree
".'' ouiH "l expressing 10y eradication. ta1t tom
my last animal message. hv afariiuH me sufficient
tNa before the close y their Int session, Tor the
animation # a the bills presented 90 Tor aUpro-
va. ms change IN the practice - Con 2re mas
proved 90 Dee q wholesome reform Itcxcr'sda hone-
hf'a lnHneuco On the Transaction 81 LEGISLATIVE hG-i-
ness. AMI elected the general apprahat''n 81 tne
country. u enabled Congress tp adjourn with that
dignity and oahertiau So becoming 10 the pres nu-
ts'ye- Of this great public without having crowd d
INTO general appropriation lI' provisions foreign %
their nature. aud OF doubtful eo.l. u0raity ard cz-
pealanry. Lei rae warmly and Tou1y commend
E" th'T proceedings during t4e D.. ant s.,-i.li
wnuN'ray c.rr December : ~.
-s- - s-
Post Master Generals Report.
The expenses of the department over
its revenues. have regularly increased
since the reduction Of Uostagcs but this
increase, arising in a great degree from
the vast extension Of the operations of the
department, will not 20 on in ratio pro
roruonate to that Of the last few years.
The larger mail routes are now filed. and
the estimate for the next fiscal years cx-
pcnses, over the anticipated revenues,
may be regarded as the maximum for
some years to come.
To reduce this surplus expense. the re-
port suggests that the department shall
not IN any case be allowed to accept bid
LOT man service having any reference TO
lneconleyance Of passengers. or of freight
Of any KIND other than regular mail mat
ter ms would substitute on very many
large and small routes cheaper and more
easily obtained conveyance. and it is esti-
mated. would reduce the TRANSFORMATION
accounts by Sl,000.O0O per annum. And
here i is noted that the rapid EXTENSION Of
railroads has contributed most largely to
swell the expenses of the department.
The raising of the letter postage to five
cents, the abolition of the discount allow
ed for the quarterly or yearly prepayment
of newspaper and pamphlet postage, and
a further curtailment Of the much abused
ranking privilege, are strongly urged, If
Congress does not wish the estimated sur
plus expenditure to be met by the gen
eral treasury But the Postmaster Gen
eral thinks the exact principle Of justice
to be followed in legislation touching his
department Is. that "in conducting its or
binary bufness Of transmitting cores
pondence, the department should be
thrown entirely on its own revenues; but
whenever any service, on the sea or on
the land, IS required Of it, mainly if not
exclusively for national objects-such as
the extension of our commerce, the spread
Of our population, and the development
OF the various resources of our country
the cost thereof, in all fairness, ought to
be borne by the national treasury"
The whole number Of post Offices in the
United States, on the 3Oth June last, was
1897. The increase in the last fiscal
year. after deduction of 80 discontinued
is 1871. The number Of postmasters ap-
pointed in that time was S2S4. Of which
1913 to fill vacancies occasioned by resig-
nations, sos by removals, 2IS by death
-@2 10y change OF names and sites. and
2l2l by new Offices
On the 50th June last, there were S2Q6
mail routes in operation. with 1914 con
tractors, and 2GO.603 miles Of length Of
routes, Of which 24,45l railroad, HOS
steamboat, $500 coach. and 1855. 400 infe-
! rior grades. The total annual transporta-
ton of mails was 1876. 49l miles. costing
| >7.795,4lS.
The lettings Of new contracts for the
term commencing lst July last. embraced
twenty-one States and Territories. Of the
Northwest. West and Southwest. inclu-
| ding California, New Mexico. Utah. Ore
| gon and Washington, with an increase on
5Jth September OF p .973 miles in length
! Of routes over those of June Both. 9.O2G.-
coo miles Of ANNUAL transportation and
s2,2i3, 1876 Of cost.
The expenditures of the department for
! the fiscal year ending June 30th. were
S5I ,s-l555,s3 for transportation Of inland
| mails, including payments to route and
| local agents and mail messengers; S424,-
! +9' 81 for transportation Of foreign mails !:
| o-,355,ul6 p for compensation to post
| masters; S9lS.272 70 for clerk hire S93,-
| ol9 10 for postage stamps and stamped en-
| vclopes; S53, 52I Oh for mail depredations
and special agents: $50. 300 81 for wrap
| ping paper: o cents for dead letters
| claimed Sl06 ,277 g for printed blanks;
and the balance Of miscellaneous pay
| ments TO make up q total expenditure Of
Sl2,1-2 47O o.
The tsr-,-=- ,----;..t- t1'c -r,r,o tirr,c
were s.. iS6.792 SO. not including 500. 1000.
special grant from Congress for trausporta-
ton Of Congressional and departmental
mail matter. OF these receipts, $500
3li % were for postage stamps and enyel-
opes sold; S90f299 l2 for letter postage.
in money; S59l.976 90 for postage on
newspapers and pamphlets; Sl74038 10
from letter carriers; SIS. las is for post
age on registered letters; S3.4l0 &c from
dead letters unclaimed: $50 for fines.
The estimated receipts for 1859 are put
down at Sll.09i,393 90; the expenditures
at Slh716.52D o', leaving deficiency of
S3.6S2 l27 90.
The letter postage on mails exchanged
with Great Britain during the year ending
June 90 was SS0277l "A; with Prussia
>523,1G5 60; Bremen, 81. 905 %; France.
c-o5,S-6 II: Hamburg, Slj,SI9 G4-show-
ing large decrease on all these mails. ex-
cept the French and Hamburg, as com
pared with the year ending June 80. 1857.
and large increase on the two named
The net increased letter postage on Euro
pean mails was SS2,7i9 -. Much Of the
Continental correspondence that formerly
went via England and Bremen, now goes
via France and Hamburg.
The total postage on the New York. As
pinwall and California lines, was S306. ~
-; Charleston and Havana line. S9.125,-
2: New Orleans and Vera Cruz line. 81
H359 81.
The Postmaster General says foreign
steamship companies stand ready to trans
port the ocean mails for thestime of con-
tract allowed by law-two years-for the
sea postage only. lie thinks American
| steamers viii be found TO take these mails
il the contract be extended to a period
not exceeding ten ycars-cspccially rs the
law allows American steamers, not only
the sea- but the inland hostages on mail
! matter taken by them.
The report regards the projected ocean
steamer lines between Norfolk and Eng
land and New Orleans and Bordeaux. as
among the most important to be estab-
llshed. The lines to Bremen and Havre.
touching at southampton, should be CON
tinued and increased to semi-monthlv
service.
The establishment of line Of mail
steamers TO Brazil, the extension of the
California line from Panama to the South
Pacific coast the continuance of the line
to Vera Cruz, are strongly urged; and that
special compensation be made them be-
yond the mere receipts from postage
The eyactions of tie Panama route are
commented on /; the re-opening Of the Nj
caragua route, under direct treaty. is
urged, 50 as to take the transit out Of pri-
yatc hands: the importance of the Tchu-
antepec route is again alluded to- and tho
report concludes with recommending
strongly the establishment Of a steam mail
line from San Francisco to Japan and
! China.
The friends of Paul Morphy in New