The national Republican., 1861-12-07
Leaving amount alleged to be due


The estimate of the total expenditures for
1868 Is somewhat less than those of previous
years heretofore submitted. This difference
arises from the fact that only partial estimates
are made for the cost of postal service in States
where it Is now suspended.
The appropriation for defences in 1862 was
Sc, ,39l, ,35063, while the amount estimated to
b., required from the Treasury for 1860, is
3l45,O00.
The whole number of OF dinary dead letters
received and examined during the year was
about 1850 900.
The number of these letters containing
money, which were registered and sent out
during the year ending June 80, 1861, was
lO5SO.
The number of dead letters returned un-
opened TO foreign countries, during, the fiscal
year, was Ill ,l47, which aided to the humber
Of domestic letters, (lO3, $780, sent out Us above,
gives the whole number sent out from the dead
letter Office for the year, 2l5 033.
The result Of successful investigation in $50
cases, confirms the past experience of the De.
partinent, that the failure Of letter to reach
lts destination Is, in the vast majority OF in
stances, the fault alone Of the writer or sender
Ont of the above I, $50 valuable dead letters,
3,095 were dir ected to the wrong Office I; 4G7
were imperfectly addressed; 6l2 were directed
TO transient persons; 257 to parties who had
changed their residences S2l were addressed
to fictitious persons ur firms SO were uncalled
for 10 without any directions ; 2,l33 We're not
mailed for want Of postage stamps; 79 we're
mitsent; aud Tor the failure Of postma. ters to
deliver 1873, no satisfactory reason was assign
ed. The Department, therefore, can justly be
held responsible for the non delivery If but 2l2
of these letters.
Much other valuable data Is given on this
subject, and IL is worthy Of remark that out of
76,769 letters, before alluded to, originating In
the loyal States, and addressed to residents OF
disl0yal States, 10000 could not be returned,
either because the signature Of the writer was
incomplete, or BECAUSE the letter contained no
clue to his residence. TIE experience of the
Department shows that large proportion Of
domestic letters written by educated persons,
and particularly women, are deficient in one
or both of these respects.
In view of these, and other facts, the Post
master General suggests that valuable dead
letters, when returned to their owners, should
be charged with treble the ordinary rate OF
postage: comprising one rate for return trans
pnrtation to the dead-letter Office, one rate for
registration there, and one rate for return
transportation to the writer's or owners.
A treaty with Mexico has been concluded
awaiting the ratification by Mexico establish.
ing common International rste Of twenty-five
cents on letters, with other useful prov isions.
The Postmaster General has accepted the
offer made in 1857, by Great Britain, for re-
ductiou Of the international rate between the
two countries on letters trop twenty,four to
twelve cents, which, however, has not yet gone
into operation, AZ 1t awaits the response Of the
British office.
The above abstract presents merely few of
the points Of this important report.
The Postmaster General gives at length his
reason for the change Of contracts Tor disloy-
atty. Mt only was II unsafe, be says, to en-
trust the transportation OF the mails TO person
who refused or failed to recognize the sancLity
Of an oath, but to continue payment OF public
money to the enemies. of the Government and
their allies was to give direct aid aud comfort
20 treason in arms. We coul not thus permit
this branch of Government 10 contribute to its
own overthrow.
The Postmaster General also gives his rea-
sons for excluding disloyal publications from
the mails. To await the results of slow Judi
cial prosecution was to allow crime to be cony
summated with the expectation Of subsequent
punishment, instead OF preventing its accom-.
plshment by prompt and direct interference.
OF the cases presented for his action, upon the
principles which he names he has, by order,
excluded from the mails twelve of these trea-
sOnable publications, Of which several had
been previously presented by the grand jury
as incendiary and hostile TO constitutional au-
thority.
While the Postmaster General did not claim
the authority to suppress any newspapers, how
ever disloyal aud treasonable It's contents, the
Department could not be called upon to give
them circulation. at could not and would
not interfere with the freedom secured by law, ,
but Il could and did obstl uct the dissemination
of that license which was without the pale Of
the Constitution and law. The mails cstab
lished by the United States Government could
not, upon any known prii oipes Of lazy or pub
lie right, be used for lis destl uction. As well
could the common carrier be legally required
to transport a machine designed for the do
struction of the vehicle conveying 1t, or an
inn-keeper be compelled to entertain trav-
eller whom be knew to be intending to com.
init u robbery in his house"
lie finds these views supported by the high
authority Of the late CEirf Justice Story, OF the
Supreme GOllrl Of the IInit,l A Statps ubns.