, 1860-12-11
POSrOFFICE DEPARTMENT.

!
withstandlng its length, both important and
interesting. The retrenchmentB which have
been effected, and the increase Of revenue in
excess Of calculations, are the subject Of COM
llncent reference; though It is considered
certain TINT II reforms heretofore recommend
| OF the department would have looked much
| better. The total expenditures for the
Eiscal year have been 10 1s2 Il
OF which belongs to 1853 4,e98 009 II
Leaving the total expenditure for 1s6os14. s.
Expenditure more than rercnue...... s. GIG 7o5 -
There is, however, by reason Of appropria-
t1ons from the treasury, ! credit balance to
| the
Revenue account for 1850 of....... $1,2l1 4.
OF which IL available. only. 596,G95.17
The balance. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. $6l5, ,1G1 90
is made up Of arrcarnges from postmastere, ac-
cumulated since 1915, md which may as well
be charged to profit and loss. The increase OF
revenue for 1850 was previously estimated at
four per cent above 1859; it proves, however,
to be near seven per cent. But in the estimates
for 1861 and 1862, It is thought best to adhere
to the former calculation Of increase. The his
tory ofthe department since 1858 shows an In
crease Of expenditure Of about one million per
annum, until 1858, and similar increaEe Of
AGAC4CuEft CACCpt uCkhCEH Lie 5EAIB l9JC
and 1856, whcn the increase Of each was
hut half million. Between 1883 and 1859
the cincrease Of each WIS butt two million since
which period, although the expenditure has
continued about the same, the deficiency has
been diminished by about $66o, COO. The cstl-
mates indulge the hope that million more
will be saved in 1869,
The total sum received for stamps and
stamped envelopes was 90, ,261 533 81 an iu-
crease of SG08, SIS over the sales Of 1859
More than two-thirds Of the revenue Of the de-
partmcnt comes from stamps, and the accurate
management Of this part Of the business in
wolves greet Increase Of labor and expense to
the department, for which, and on other ac-
counts, tho Postmaster General asks for the
creation Of c1cTen new clerkshfps. The statis-
tics in reference to the foreign mail service,
and the negotiations with the British post
office on the subject Of international postugcs,
will be found Of interest. The latter are yet
incomplete, bnt the c1aims Of the United States,
which a1e the occasion Of dcmrr on the other
side, seem reasonable.
Sufficient time having c1aP5ed-three years
to give the people pc1fect understanding of
the obligation Of prepayment, the department
no longer notifies writer's Of un~prepaid letters
OF the fact It is curious that the number Of
letters Of this class has not diminished, and
there seems no way to effect change, but by
sending them to the dead letter office; which
Is now done. About {, OK, 900 OF dead letters
arc received annually; and it Is found that of
those which contain valuable enclosures, more
than threc.lourths arc misdirected, or il!cgibly
superscfibcd. The department is defended for
letters, and also for making the streets Of Bos-
ton, New York, ard Philadelphia post routes,
to the exclusion Of expresses, which measures
are claimed to be strictly legal But Is RECON-
mended that Congress pass anore definite law
upon the latter subject The criticisms Of the
people and the press upon these movements
OF the department., a1c rather querulously
eonplained Of The registry Of letters is COZ
sidcTed useless expense, Its only and very
doubtfal advantage being to divert the attcn-
tion Of robbers from the general to the regis
tered mails. It is thought that something BET
ter may be devised, BY which, at increased
rates, the government should be held respon-
slble, and safety IN conveyance insured.
We learn from this report that alr. Wander
bilt was induced to convey the San Francisco
1natls until March 4th, upon the express assur-
ance that the President should recommend
Congress to pay him well for the service. 70
which pledge Nj. Holt here adds his RECON-
mIcndation, intimatinS that the steamship
Ling came ito the relief Of the department
IN 2 conjuncture Of great embarrassment"
The case Of Mr. Fowler is very briefly nen-
toned Not q word IL said Of the clalm set up
by bis surcties that the department was aware
Of the deficiency At the time their bond was
<~A+A@At oAl L. - A4oEuSEuAo2h5 el1tEu IQ1t I1tf
resist the recovery on the ground that another
man Was to sign with them. The department
meanwhile stands in a ludicrous attitude Of in
11rcd innocence, very strongly contrasted with
the buFfncss-likc ability to take care of its ac-
counts, elsewhere manifested. Mr.. Dix is
mentioned with an evident sigh Of relief, aud
cordially patted on the back.
The report is enlivcned by one good Joke in
reference to bill now pending before Con-
gress for the establishment Of expensive mall
routes to San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and
Placeryi1lc, which Is attributed-with proba-
bIlity-to the solicitudes Of contractors. tIr,
Holt quantity intimates, that II their impor-
tunittes cannot Be soilhstood By government, it
would be better that dh<y and Metr descendants
should be peusloned for an indefinite period,
from the treasury" suggestion which might
be applied with manifest advantage to various
hangers on Of government
The present Post Office site having been
bought for $780, 900, there is $500, 600 left to
build with; but the Philadelphia site cost so
much that only $751; JOY is left, aud IN appro- |
priatiou will be needed. Various amendments |
of postal laws are recommended, and the re- !
port concludes with an e1ulting peroration |
concerning mail-bags, On which twenty-five |
per cent. saving has been eGccted-it Is to be |
hoped not at the expense Of the bags, which |
were not too good before.