The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-16
POSTAAsTTR GENKRAL's REPORT



The following resolution, adopted by the Senate
22d December last
hsosesd That the Postmaster General be directed .,
report To the senatc such ehangss in the laws regulating
hostages and the Post Office Departmental in his opinion
could make that seifsustaining department y,
Ia responding 70 this resolution hope il viii not Ii
deemed aniss to submit to the Senate few prclimnar,
observations.
Whom took charge of the department in March 1881
no expectation appeared be tanned ia any qutte
that under the then existing legislation of Congress t
fost oce Department was TO be male self sustaining
From March to the soth June, 1851 the department
was almost entirely engaged III winding up and fsina
the business OF the then year under contlact.
ana engagements over which the head Of the depart
ment had no eontrol, and was subject To respons
bility. Esa. ~ hss.s = ts0ls
On closing up the business of that fiscal 1886 T.
IL was aeerained that the expenditure exceeded die reve
nue by the sum Of 81, IT'S 40. ts u aHa
In the preceding year ls56-it had exceeded it by
lo of0 Of and the annual reports of my predeoes-
sors exhibit the fact that there was large deficit for
many preceding years. saaaa &ls s4n ,Ifei
My predecessor in all his annual reports never failed to
notify Congress OF such of expenditure
nue. and to point out the tue low rates
postage and the fanking privilege (which were forcing
this result ON the department
In LIS report OF December 4, 1885, lac SAYS the re-
duced rates of postage having largely reduced the reye-
has not Been possible 70 coine he expenditures Of the de-
payneat oaia is income and the Postmaster general has
been compelled to apply to Congress annually appro
He further adds that - the laws should be SO framed MS
to produce sufficient amount of revenue TO dclray all
proper expenditures If my views regarding the abo-
lition OF the franlng pryilegea measure which would
greatly reduce the expenses OF the department not
adopted by Congress, would recommend the passage
law enabling the department to charge the ordinary
rates of postage letters and printed viii now
pass free through the mails" If in addition to this
the clause in the act of the Both Of August 1882 allow
Ing deduction OF fifty per cent newspapers and PEI
rodcals when paid quarterly yearly in advance be
abolished recommended IN my last annual reports
and the department be relieved from expense of
mail steamships and Isthmus service, it would with a
proper economy, soon sustain ITSELF"
Notwithstanding these repeated appeals Congress made
successful efforts to raise the posages to repeal
the clause in relation TO the postage newspapers and
periodicals. or in any manner to repeal restrict the
ranking privilege 1 as
In this apparent willingness the part of Congress
that the treasury should continue supply the INSULT
cheney of the revenues entered the administration of
the department with actual deficiency in the
Of the year ending June 80, 1857 Of 81 1853 40 the
annual deficit having been gradually and uniformly ac
eumnatng under the pressure upon the department for
increased mail facilities with the knowledge and ppa
rent acquiescence Of Congress- since the various
auctions of the hostages.
In the first year $3.50 my administration of
the department this Of expenditure over the reve
nue. has Increased to being an increase of
81, 0Sl, l25 80. a s
From this sum is to be deducted the amount of slO9-
or 49, allowed to George Chopenning under act of
Congress- and the further of STA 59s 49, RENTED
the contractors between Cairo and New Orleans by act of
March 3d. lS57sec pages "A and 20 OF annual report of
1857 leaving only increase in the deficiency of 1907
i53 80 for that year
The cause of this is fully explained in my last
annual report, and in communication to the chairman
of the Committee Of Ways and Means House of Repre-
sentives, dated March "a 1858, Mis-. Doc No 1903
The increase OF the during the year remark
ably small amounting TO only Sl32, s4l To- and being
$780, 2S9 less than the increase of the previous fiscal
year. occasoned, doubtless, by the general financial EN-
b,rrasslnent of the commercial community.
The estimates of receipts and expenditures for the
present fiscal year ending June 30, 1882 submitted
to Congress in my letter Of March "a 1853, (Ex Doc
No. 90 in which the additional transportation
under the contracts to be let in the ensuing month
and so into operation on the ls of July 1853 es
mated at 81 000 000 and of post established
by the act OF March 3, 1851 to be put in operation
the LIST of July and LIST of October 1855 at S52T $50
making increase in the probable expenditures Of the
year 1869 of $40 from those two alone and
rendering probable that unless the correspondence of
the country is stimulated by the partial recovery from
the financial embarrassment of the past year the def
cheney in postal receipts will amount to 440 after
deductng the Of 500 900 annually paid to the de-
partment under the provisions Of the acts approved March
g. 1877 and March 3, 1881, for the mail service per-
formed for the two houses OF Congress and The other
departments and officers of the government in the trans
pprtation of free mattor." @
Upon opening the bids referred to for mall service in
the twenty great States and Territories lying In the
wiley of the Mississippi and extending the entire
Northwest, West and Southwest portions of our CONT
nent il was found that contracts could not be made
sum less than the estimated cost and when due regard
is given to the fact that four years had elapsed since the
previous maillettings and during that period the great
OF emigration had rolled westward and towns aud
cities had sprung into being, with nagc-like apidity
out of scattered hanles and sparscy populated neigh
boihoods demanding largely Increased mail facilities
such a result is not surprising. .a
The cause of the excess of expenditure receipts
for the current year is fully explained in my annual
port at the present session. particularly In document
una ked I'D prep red with great care aud fullncss
This document states all the important improvements
made in each State and will enable each member Of
Congress to see the Increased service In hin congress
sional district e
In no remembered instance has service been put on I'M
Til Congress had established the line postroad and
the had been regularly advertised according law
The contracts have been made on the bost terms
with the lowest bidder
In has the existing service been raised to q
higher grade, frequent mails been granted than
the increased growth and business of the cities and settle
ments through which they passed seemed fairly entitled
to. $1,000
IT, however the solicitudc of petitioners the earn
est recommendations of members of Congress- who have
generally manifested trustworthy zeal to extend in
creased postal facilities TO their constituents SHALL Ia
any instance have induced The department. put in or
Grafton service which not needed to have given it
a frequency grade not required by the reasonable
wants OF the country II will be quite easy for the depart
rnent to correct the by the dsconnuance Of the
service. u -
This document exhibiting, IL does almost perfect
map OF the recent changes and improvements of the
vice. il is hoped and believed win be OF great utility In
enabling Congress 70 determine whether the postal eii
ties thus far extended be probably diminished in the