Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-01-19


 l3. making total of $l52,s29 65. postages for the year. The postage by this line during the year ending June 3O 1857, amounted to S2l0, ,463 O3.
 1 The postages upon mails conveyed during the last fiscal year, by the United States steamers Of the New York, Southampton, and Bremen line. were Slo2,6 sos 09, and by the New York, Southampton and Havre line, $1O5,9 26, being decrease of S35 l5l 69 by the Bremen, and an increase of S7,873 21 by the Havre line, as compared with the previous fiscal year. | The amount of letter postage upon mails ex- changed with Gpeat Brtian, during the year ending une 1858, was $S2O,7 I'll 64; with Prus- sia, S325, ,763 60; Bremen, $27 ,9O5 92; France, S2o5.S26 Az; Hamburg, $l5,S79 "A; being a decrease on British mails of $71 423 II; or Prussian mails of $1 1O9 97; on Bremen mails of S2l IF O7; and an increase on French mails of S164,63S 23; and on Hamburg mails of $l4,62 l4, compared with the preceding year. Net increased letter postages on Europen mails, S82,749 p.
 Speaking of the European and American postal arrangement, the post master general says:
 "The want of regularity heretofore has had the effect to give the advantage to the British lines. The evidence is now before me- that of the correspondence, for instance between the United States and Switzerland, out of 5 GOO let ters, 4,SO0 were transmitted by British vessels, owing, 1t is believed. mainly to the circumstance Of the known regularity of these vessels in sai- Ing on given day.
 As calculated to furnish the requisite facili. ties of communication between Europe and the southern and southwestern states, the proec- ted llne between Norfork and England and be- tween New Orleans and Bordeaux, in France, are amongst the most important to be establish ed 1t Is unnecessary to point out the advan- tages these lines would be certain to have in developing the resources of those states THev could not fail to be otherwise than highly satis- factory. The extortlon of the Panama railroad company for charging SlO0OOO for conveying the United States mail only AS miles, is noticed good portion of the report is devoted to the New York and New Orleans route. bv which the mails were to be conveyed in Az days, via Richmond, Lynchburg, Chattanooga, Grand Junction and Jackson, Miss. Going south, the schedule contemplated the running of cars by night from Canton to New Orleans: but the early appearance of the yellow fever, as an epidemic, and its great vrulence, inter. posed as serious obstacle in the way of this service, the railroad company considering it ru- nous to their interests to approach the infected district, except during the day time The mails were thus necessarily delayed over night 02 hours) at Canton, aud delivered in New Orleans twelve hours behind the stipulated time. As surances have, however, been given that such delays shall no longer continue, and it is not doubted that the contract schedule will soon be fully compiled with, insuring the delivery of the mails from Washington at New Orleans within four and half days.
 The parties to the foregoing arrangement have further stipulated that from and after 1st July next, the time shall be reduced twenty tour hours, making the communication between Washington aud New Orleans in three days and a half, or between New York and New Or leans within four days; going from Lynchurg to Gordonsvllle and not touching at Richmond The experiment of having express agents to go through with large mails long distances has proved highly successful. The Tehauntepec route IS also noticed as being a complete sue cess. The pay on this route from New Orleans to San Francisco Is S296OO0 per annum-time | b days.
 | The franking system is appropriately mo- tced-and 1t IS proposed that in lieu of the tranking privilege now allowed by law to mem bers of Congress, the secretary of the Senate and | the Clerk ot the House, or such other officer as may be designated for the purpose, furnish the members with postage stamps to be used on all letters, public documents, and packets trans mltted by them in the mails, and keep an ac- count ot the stamps furnished to each member, to be paid for out of the contingent fund of each House. It is further proposed that all letters and packets, except newspapers address cd to members of Congress, shall be prepaid at the mailing office.
 The postmaster general advocates the raising ot the three cent rate upon all letters to five cents, and the abolition ot the discount now a- lowed by law for the pay ment of newspaper and pamphlet postage quarterly in advance.