Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1860-01-18
Report Oh tha rostmastsr oanaral.

This report opens with an alusion to the death ~
the late Postmaster General aud Third Assistant Post
master General, which fllel this Department with
goom and Encouragement. Associated with thu
double calamity game another which aWakined pain
fal anxieties not only from its intrinsic magnitude
hut from the fact that the history OF the government
from It's foundation, furnished no parallel for such
misunderstanding to tie failure OF the Post bill.
With very rare eseeoli0Rs, every duty pertaining
To the transmission anl delivery Of mails, has beel
performed as cordially aud faithfully during the
last n ne months as amy former period. While, how
ever, this i reierrel TO with eradication, and can
not be TOO warmly eonmenlei, u must not DO forgot
ten that this fidelity, IN the midst OF abandonment
and priyation, has cost numerous and deseryi9I
class OF publ, servants severe peounlary sacrifice
Feeling anxious that they should be relieved as far
as possible from the endorsements in which they
were suddenly Involved, statements eydeneing tn
indebtedness Of the Department Ia iscontraeors and
agents have been issued To each, in the hope that, H.
the easy condition Of the money market their holueN
might obtain advances upon them without serious
loss II Is 70 he ieaId, however, that those who's
circumstances obliged them to dispose OF these Sc
eurties, have In many cases been compelled 10 sub
met TO u heavy discount IL is most earnestly urged
upon Congress the necessity Of making an early APP
preparation 10 meet all the existing liabilities OF the
Department,
fhe expenditures anil revenue Is then given, the
substance OF which is published in The Message, In
answer 10 thc ssnatc resolutions, the report states
tLattb whole number Of deaf letters during the
last 1s-ll y,T s r-hnuted o., 2ilp OpD Including
l,i .nl am " t, lsttef, % and Or, 900 &" held foe
"Vuu' III - t,,, ci,ss,, IA, nr,,ber
% t,55 ., H. ,,,,,.,.si ID, ti, malta nul fiIipg
i, - ,,.,. lIr...s3 man, be r.tIrn,trl 80 ness
lien -, r,iII,,,s tallD O0J, a wear N-co than
iiiy p1r cent % the eutiro Hlclhuis' ' u'"t os'
,,,iu5'r- A. .,,,r.r tb, lar,est o,tcs and towns
N,.,,c,r Il, c.,l,an ~, ian - heavy and uu-
,,t br,s'Isa n, m, D,6,rtmgrt aud the Postmaster
tencrI states that q. tho press Is 10 DO excepted,
and Il 10 be subsidized TO the extent Of les postage hy
die Government, thOn, undenlably, suoh subsidy
shouIJ bc contributed from the common treasury,
;nstead NJ being imposel MS at present. on the OPP
pressed revenue of the Post Office Department, which,
nnder all circumstances should DO maintained iny-
olatc
The contracts for the California mails ria the 18th
mus of Panama, expiring on the 30th September, 49,
10 md NOT heinz willing to extend them, because ut
tho exorlitnnt CONDENSATION exacted, he invited pro-
nos,s for their Transportation for nine months only,
In order that Congress- which has so constantly
peryiscl this service might have an opportunity OF
placing il ON such basis should be agreeable to 1t.
Tho result has been the conclusion of an engagement
with Cornelius Vanderbilt, who has stipulated for
rho conveyance OF the mails, for the period named,
M say h6o far those TO and from New York, and
al 10 OOD far those 10 and from New Orleans-to
which being added tho railroad charges, amounting
IN 75 900 the aggregate cost will be 262, 800, OF
with the salary of the mail messengers added, at the
rate of S35l 900 per annum, and showing an annual
pni "A 4
S3s6. $50.
Tho contractor has aso obliged himself to transfer
these mails to the Nicaragua Mt the earliest
mept practicable, and from his high character and
ndomitabe energy, connected with the vast capital
which bc Yields no doubt is entertained but that the
,a,es fms giycn will be PROMPTLY and faithfully re-
deemed This by avoiding the onerous Panama
railroad tariff will still further reduce the expenses
of transportation $4,000, and will establish on an
enduring footing great national thoroughfarc, tho
on-pipg of which has been and is the object of uni
vcrsol solicitude
In referring TO the overland mail, the report states
that the service upon this extended route has been
nerformed with great regularity and generally with
In schedule time but tie contract has proved one of
tbc heaviest burdens to which the department has
aver bcen subjected. With an expenditure at the
rote If 5000 600 per annum, the hostages received
in return have not amounted to more than $27, 229,-
al en- that after making allowances for such increase
&c nav be ontcinnted Mt tbe eyniration of the six
yeors FOR which the contract was entered into. will
have lost from this route alone more than three mil
i;oro ~ dollors
Tbe Attornev General having decided that owii>sS
To the omission of the customary clause in is con-
tract for curtaing the service he has been enabled
ia reduce it, The whole matter being thus placed be-
youd the control of the department. the action Of
Congress- alone is capable OF furnishing the remedy
desiTel-and cannot too earnestly recommend it,.
cnrlv and decided ntcrpositiop. If no compromis,
can he effected with the parties upon terms deemed
reasonable then IL is urged as an net of simple JUS
tice that this rtantic service which was establishes
ot the instance of CONGRESS- and in furthcrancc OF
GREAT nationn1obiects shall be at once charged upo
the public treasury. Until railroad shall have beer
Ihe rao'o INA. >, nsoftrnu mus: oe regaruIu a.
noromo tom ton in r,;" 10 ,sh;o' If
1iyIad ;ntn n;weelv Jenortnres woni1 aino twa
and half TONS for each. Tins recurring in view of
.ho co,Jiti,, Of ta rooJ ten coaches nstoad Of tb
sngle one now emn,oyed' and cosng. At the nresent
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