The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1860-01-03
Abstract of the Report of the
POstmastep General.

ulTu ASSlsbauU I OSGLuAStGE Neu6fdi, WHICH
TILED this Department with gloom, and dis
enlargement. Associated with this double
calamity, came another which awakened
painful anxieties, not only from its intrinsic
magnitude but from the fact that the his
tory of the government, from its foundation,
furnished no parallel for such disaster-al-
luding to the failure of the Postal bill
The expenditures andlrevenues is then Civ
en-, the substance of which is published in
the Message. In answer to the Senate's re-
solution, the report states that the whole
number of dead letters during the last fiscal
year is estimated at 100000, including
about 100000 ''drop letters" and $4,000
'held for postage" Deducting these two
classes, the number of letters actually con-
yeyed in the mails, and failing to reach the
persons addressed, may be estimated at less
than two millions (G2, 000,O 0O) geer. More
than fifty per cent. of the entire acc umula-
ten OF dead letters occurs at about 40 out
Of the 49, 39 post offices, including of course
the large cities and towns.
Newspaper Exchanges impose a heavy
and unjust burden on the Department, and
the Postmaster General states that if the
press is to be excepted, and so is to be subsi-
dizedto the extent of its hostages by the gov
eminent, then undeniably, such subsidy
should be contributed from the common
treasury, instead of being imposed, as at
present, on the oppressed revenue of the
Post Office Department, which, under all
circumstances, should be maintained invio.
late.
The contracts for the California mails via
the lsthmus of Panama, expiring on the
Goth September, 1859, and not being willing
to extend them, because at the eXorbitant
compensation exacted, he invited proposals
for their transportation for nine months
only, in order that Congress, which has so
constantly supervised this service, might
have an opportunity of placing it on such a
basis as should be agreeable to it. The re-
suit hss been the conclusion of an engage
ment with Cornelius Vanderbilt, who has
stipulated for the conveyance of the mails,
for the period named, at 1900, for these
to and from New York, and Sl50,000 tor
those to and from New Orleans--to which
being added the railroad charges, amounting
to $75, 600, the aggregate cost will be $780,
500, or, with the salary of the mail mes
sengers added, at the salary OF 1851 600 per
annum, and showing an annual gain, as COM
pared with the pre-existing contracts of
1887 ,250.
The contractor has also obliged himself to
transfer these mails to the Nicaraguan route
at the earliest moment practicable, land from
his high character and indomitabe energy,
connected with the vast capital which he
Yields, no doubt is entertained but that the
pledges thus given will be promptly and
faithfully redeemed. This, by avoiding the
onerous Panama railroad tariff, will still
further reduce the expenses OF transporta-
ton $50, 900, and will establish on an endu
ring footing great national thoroughfare,
the opening Of which has been and is the OBJ
ject of universal solicitude.
In referring to the overland mail, tho re-
port states that the service upon this extern
ded route has been per formed with great
regularity, and generally within schedule
time; but the contract has proved one otthe
heaviest burdens to which the departm ent
has ever been subjected. With an expendi-
ture at the rate of 100000 per annum, the
hostages received in return have not amoun-
ted to more than $27, 229 90, so that after
making allowance for such increase as may
be anticipated, the department, at the expi-
ration of the six years for which the con-
tract was entered into, will have lost from
this route alone more than three millions of
dollars.
The aggregate amount of postage (sea, in
land, and foreign) on mails conveyed to and
from Europe by the several lines of mail
steamers employed by this department, was
$4S4 ,6G8 81; and by the British packets of
the Cunard line performing an equal num-
Der of trips, $805, 1929 Ga. The North Ger
man Lloyd and. Hamburg lines of mail pack
cts also conveyed mails to and from Bremen
and Hamburg, respectively, the hostages on
which amounted to $48, l5l II, making the
total postage on United states and European
mails, conveyed by all lines during the year,
ST ,338, 449 SO. There is a vast amount OF
interesting detailed matter which we are
forced to omit, The report concludes with
several pages on retrenchment, contcnding
that the Post Office Department should be
self sustaining.
aba DIV al bo
classed under the folloMing general heads
Curtailments in transportation, discontiu-
uing routes, and making new contract for
ocean service to California, SIZES, 500; dis
continuance Of special and route agent mes
sengers, &c, SIT ,430; Withdrawal of extra
allowance to poatmasters, S23, l72; total
81 ,S26,47l.
The Postmaster General recommends the
adjustment Of the ranking privilege, and
alIudes to the garing abuses OF it.
Remorse Of Coa8cjence.-At Hanover, N.
Y, last week, woman went to the Police
Office and stated that she had murdered her
brother in her own house, and that she wish
ed to be taken into custody. The police
went to the house and found the dead body
OF her brother. whose name was Basel, ~
ing in one OF the rooms with his throat cut.
She had committed the deed, she said, be-
cause he had violated his promise not to get
drunk.
The "Soiid Men" of Memph5s.-The Av.
alanche publishes a list ofpersons, the value
OF whosesproperty in Memphis, Tenn, is as
sessed at and above $40, 600. 1t appears
that three own property to the amount of
over half million; twelve lover 100000;
fifteen over 5000, and f0rty-two over $780,
900 and upwards. Many OF those enumerat-
ed own twice as much property outside Of
the corporate limits OF the city.
Cashmere Goat9. The Savannah (Ga.)
Republican mentions the importation OF
these animals lately made to Savannah,
all the way from Smyra, accompanied by
native Greek. This, says the Republican,
is the second importation Of the pure breed
OF Cashmere goats made to this couatry.-
W IL Stiles, the importer of the last lot, has
eight of them.