Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-01-26


for report on the best means of rendering the
postal system of the United States self-sustain-
ing institution. In response to this resolution, and
at the expense of mach labor, that officer has pre-
pared and submitted the snbjoined very full and ia
teresiipg report;
PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT, Jan. Is, 1859.
SIR: have the honor to acknowledge the receipt
Of the following resolution, adopted by the Senate
on the Odd December last:
"ResoIUe9 That the Postmaster General be di-
the laws regulating hostages and the Post Ot1ee
Department as, in his opinion, could make that
selfsustaining Department"
In responding TO this resolution / hope 1t will
not be deemed amiss 10 submit to the Senate few
preliminary observations.
When took charge of the Department in March,
1857, no expectation appeared 10 be entertained
in any quarter that, under the then existing le-
gislaion of Congress, the Post Office Department
was to be made sef-susiaining one
From March to the 30th of Jane, 1857, the Depart
ment was almost entirely engaged in winding up
aud finishing the business of the then current year,
under contracts and engagements over which the
new head of the Department had no control, and
was subject to responsibility.
On closing up the business of that fiscal year
1856 SIT wa ascertaiued that the expenditure
exceeded the revenue by The sum Ct S4 l5S 7lS 40.
In the preceding year-lS56-it had exceeded 1t
by 81, 482 046.52; and the aunusl reports OF my
predecessors exhibit the fact that there was large
deficit for many preceding years
My predecessor in al his annual reports never
failed to notify Congress of such excess of exPendi
ture over revenue, and to point cut the causes
chiefly by low rates Of pes age and the fraGking
privilege-which we're forcing the results on the
Department.
In the report of December /, 1856, he says, ''the
reduced rates of postage having largely reduced
the revenue, has not been possible to coHe the e1
psndures ofths department withm It's income and the
Postmaster General has been mpelled to apply to
Congress annually to appropriate the deficiency from
the general Treasury"
He further adds that claws should BE- so framed
as 20 pI Oduce sufficient amount of revenue TO de-
fray all proper expenditures" al my views re-
gardiug the abolition of the franking priviege-a
measure which would greatly reduce the expenses
of the DepaTtment--be not adopted by Congress,
l would recommend the passage of q Law enabling
the Department to charge the ordinary rates of
postage on letters and printed matter which now
pass free thu ough the mails" "If in addition to
this the clause in the act Of the Both Of August
1852, allowing a deduction of fifty per cent on
newspapers and periodicals when paid quarterly
or yearly in advance, be abolished, recJm>
mended in my last two annual reports, and the
Department be relieved from the expense of ocean
mail steamships and Isthmus service, it would,
with proper economy, soon sustain ITSELF.
Notwithstanding these repeated appeals, Congress
made no successful efforts TO raise the hostages,
to repeal the clause IN relation to the postage
on newspapers and periodicals, or in any manner
to repeal restrict the Thanking privilege.
10 this apparent willingness on the part of Con-
gre-s that the Tr esury should continue 10 supply
the insufioiency Of the revenues, / entered the
administration Of the Department with an actual
deficiency in the revenue of the year ending June
go 1857, of 81 153 7lS 40, the annual deficit haV.
ing been gradually and uniformly accommodating
under the pressure upon the Department for in
creased mail facilities, with the knowledge and ap
parent acquiescence of Congress- ever since the
rious reductions of the hostages
In the first year-l657-'S-O my administration
of the department this excess of expenditure over
the revenue has increased to So, 234 1870, being
an increase of 81, 0Sl, l25 80.
From this sum is to be deducted the amount of
SlG9, 072. 95 allowed to George Chorpenning under
an of Congress, and the further of S14 $685..
46, RENTED to the contractors between Cairo and
New Orleans by act Of March 3d. lS57-see pages
q and 25 of annual report of l857-leaving only
increase in the deficiency of S697 1889 for that
year.
The cause of this excess is fully explained in my
last annual report, and in a communication to the
chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means,
House of Representatives, dated March "a, 1858,
Mis-. Doc. No 108.
The increase Of the reuenue during the year was
remarkably small, amounting to only Sl32, 04l.lO
and being $500, 2S9 less than the increase of the
previous fiscal year, Occasioned doubtless by the
general financial embarrassment Of the commercial
community.
The estimates Of receipts ana expenditures for the
present fiscal year endizg June 80 1853, were sub
mtted TO Congress in my letter of March q, 1858,
Ex. Doc No. 60 in which the additional cost Of
transportation under the new contract to be let in
the ensuing month, and 60 into operation on the LIST
Of July 1858, was estimated at 81 900 600; and of
sbol ~ Of roh q
1857 to be put into operation the st Of July and
LIST Of October 1858, at S527, 820; making au in
in the probable expenditures Of the year 1899
of S., 527, 800 from those two sources alone, and
rendering it probable that, unless the correspon-
dence of the country il stimulated by the partial
covery from the financial embarrassment of the past
year. the deficiency in postal receipts will amount
to So 290 440, after deducting the sum of 100000
annually paid TO the department under the provis-
ions of the acts approved March g. lS47, and March
g. 1851, for the nail service performed for the two
Houses of Congress and the other Departments and
officers Of the Government in the transportation of
free matter.
Upon opening the bids referred TO for nail ser.
vice in the EVERYONE great States and Territories
lying in the valley of the Mississippi and extend
ing all the entire Northwest, West, ond South
west porto of cur continent, it was found that
contracts coulO not be made for sum less than the
estimated cost; and when due regard is given to
the fact that four years had elapsed since the pre-
vious maiettings and during that period the great
wave Of emigration had rolled Westward and towns
and cities had sprung into being with magic-like
rapidly out of scattered hamets aud sparsey pop
ulated neighborboods, demanding largely increased
mail facilities, such a result is not surprising.
The cause of the excess Of expenditures
ceipts for the year is fully explained my
annual report the present session, particularly in
8 document marked HI prepared with great care
and fullness.
This document states all the important improve
ments made il each State, and will enable each men,
Der of Congress to the increased service in his
own Congressi 5nal district.
In no remembered instance has service been put
on until Congress had established the line post
road, and the ane hat been regularly advertised
according to law.
The contracts have been made on the besi terms
with the lowest bidder.
In case has the existing service been raised TO
a higher grade, more frequent mails been grant,
ed, thau the increased growth and business Of the
cities and Sc leus to which they passed
seemed fairly eatitIol 10
II, hOwever the sol tud OF petitioners, or the
earnest recommen iltions OF members of Congress,
who have generally manifested praiseworthy zeal
II extend Increased postal facilities to their
Shall IN any instance, have induced the
Department put in operation service which was
not needed, or % hsye given it frequency grade
not required by tie reasonable wants of the COINS
t'y II will he quite easy for the Department to
rect the error 10y the discOntnuance of the service
This document, exhibiting, it does, almost a
perfect map Of the recent change sndimprovements