Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-12-30
Report of tho Postmaster General.

This report opens with an allusion to the death
OF the late Postmaster General and Third Assist
mt Postmaster General. which filed this Depart
ment with gloom and Encouragement. Associated
with this double calamity. cnme another which
awakened painful anxicties, not only from its in.
trinsic magnitude, but from the tnct that tho his.
tory OF the government, from its foundation, fur
nished no parallel for such u disaster -alluding to
the failure of the Postal bill.
With very raro exceptions, every duty pertain
ing to tho transmission and delivery of mails, has
been performed rs cordially and rs faithfully du-
ring the last nino months ms at any former period.
While, however. this is referred to with gratiica-
ton, and cnnnut be too warmly commended, it
must not be forgotten tha, this fidelity, in the
midst of Abandonment and p~rivation, has cost n
numerous and deserving class of public servants
severe pccuniary sacrifices. Feeling anxious that
they should DO relieved MS far AS possible from the
Embarrassment in which they were 30 suddenly
involved, statements eyidencing the indebtedness
OF the Department to its contractors and agents
have been issued TO each, in the hope that, in tho
easy condition Of tue money market, their holders
might obtain advances upon them without serious
loss. 1t is to be feared, however, that those whose
circumstances obliged them to dispose Of these &C.
curities, have in many Gu ,es been compelled to
submit to u heavy discount. 1t is most earnestly
urged upon Congress tho necessity of making an
early appropriation to meet oil the existing liabil-
tiles Of tho Department.
Aee NhN WYNN az thCu EttSu
the substance Of which is published in the Mes
sage. In answer to the Senate's resolution, the
report states that the whole number of dead let
ters during tho last fiscal year is estimated Mt q
500. including about 500, 900 drop letters and
10000 "held for postage" Dedueting these two
in the mails, and failing to reach the persons ad.
dressed, may be estimated at less than two mil
lions 1000, 000) a year. More than fifty per cent
OF the entire accumulation of dead letters occurs
at about 40 out Of the 28.539 post Offices, inclu-
ding OF course. the larger cities and towns.
Newspaper Exchanges imposes n heavy and
unjust burden on the Department, and the Post
Master General states that IL the press is to be ex-
ccpted, and is to be subsidized to tho extent of its
passages by the government, then, undoubtedly,
such subsidity should To contributed from the
common treasury. instead Of being imposed, as ut
present, on the oppressed revenues Of the Post
Office Department, which under all circumstances ,
should be maintained inviolate.
The contracts for the California mails via the
Isthmus OF Panama, expiring on the 30th Septem-
Der, 1859, and not being willing to extend them,
because ut the exorbitant compensation exactcd,
he invited proposals for their TRANSPORTATION for
nine months only, in order that Congress, which
has so constantly supervised this service, nigh.
have an opportunity of placing it on such basis as
should be agreeable to it. The result has been
the conclusion Of an engagement with Cornelius
Vanderbilt, who has stipulated for the convey
ance Of the mails, for tho period n med, at $751;
/ 500. for those to and from New York, and $50, 600
for those to and from New Orleans-to which
being added tho railroad charges, amounting to
$75,OOO. the aggregate cost will be $262, 500. or,
with the salary Of the mail messengers added, at
the rate Of 1851 900 per snnum, aud showing an
annual gain, az compared with the proexisting
contracts, Of 1887, $50.
The contractor has also obliged himself to trans.
tar these mails to the Nicaraguan route at the ear
nest moment practicable. and from his high CHAR
acter and indomitable energy, connected with the
vsst capital which he w;elds. 20 doubt is entertain
y and faithfully redeemed. This. bv ayoidipo
the onerous Panama railroad tariff, will still fur,