The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-12-14
THR R0sTMAsTRR GENRRAL,s RE.

in the United States on the 5Oth Of June, 1861
was 28, 66; and that the entire number Of CO
ses acted upon during the same period WAS 10,
6SS, including appointments made BY the Presi
dent Of the Unisdd States. The whole number
Of appointments made BY the Postmaster Gen
eral, 9, ,2S5, and tho number BY che President
during the same period S87. 81. ;lssg a,i
The aggregate earnings Of the different trans
Atlantic steamship lines during the year ending
The expenditures Of the Department in the
fiscal year ending June SO, 1861, amounted to
tl8, 606, ,769.11.s9 e8s - ns tsii85 81 $50
The expenditures in 1860 were 4l4, ,874, ,722. 90
showing decrease in 1851 of 81, ,26S, ,O23.7S.
The gross revenue for the year 1861, inclu-
ding receipts from letter carriers, and from for
eign postages, amounted to 81, ,s49, ,296. 40.
Fl The estimated deficiency of means for 1861,
as presented In the annual report from this De
partment Dec. 8, 1859, was IS, ,9sS, ,434O4. De-
ducting the actual deficiency, $A,65l ,066.9s,
and there is ll.excess of estimated deficiency
over actual deficiency Of $l;4s9, AS, ,O6.
The revenue from all sources during
b the year 1860 amounted to !. SO, ,21s ,06s.4O
The revenue from all sources during
74 the year 1861 amounted to. j. SO, ,049, 1896 40
- Decrease Of revenue for 1861. 81 GS, I'll 90
s. The net proceeds from post offices in the 10y.
al States for the fiscal years ending June 30,
1860, was %, ,6Ss, ,690.56, and in 1861, s., ,sOl,
4S7OS, showing an increase in 1851 of $l12,-
1888. So; and in the dsloyal States in 1860, $780,
546.57, and in 1861, S677, ,7O6. 10, showing de.
crease in 1851 Of $142, $685.
j The decrease in 1861 from the net proceeds
of 1860 in all tho States appears to be $780,
O43.29. e sa 1fa'
Statement of receipts and expenditures Of
the disloyal States, and amount allowed to be
due to contractors; also the amount actually
paid to contractors from July ], 1860, to May
81, 1861:
Total expenditure. IS, ,sss, ,1bo.47
Total gross receipts. .......-... PAL ,220.Ob
Excess Of expenditures over re-
ceipts,. ~, 3D., ,930. AZ
Amount alleged to be due to con. 8g,
tractors for transportation. 3,235, ,62s 12
Amount actually paid for transpor- g'a
tatiOn, 2.S23, l.63
Leaving amount alleged to be due
and unpaid, ........ $S12, ,695.49
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 Deficiencies in 1851 was
s., ,3O1 ,35063, while the amount estimated to te
required from the Treasury for 1862, is S3,.
$4,000. '3s"Tsi eif'~ sEf 97te
The whole number Of ordinary dead letters
received and examined during the year was
about 2,55o,0O Ia ielsi ff.
The number Of these letters containing mon.
ey, which were registered and sent out during
the year ending June 80, 1851, was 1O,bs0.
fhe number of dead letters returned unopen.
ed to foreign countries during the fiscal year
was Ill ,l47, which added to the number of do
mestic letters (l0S, ,ssO) sent out as above gives
the whole number sent out from the dead letter
Office for the year, 2l5, ,033. i3Da
The result of successful investigation in T.
$50 cases confirms the past experience of the
Department, that the failure Of letter to reach
its destination is, in the vast majority of instan-
ces, the fault alone of the writer or SENDER
Out of the above 1850 valuable dead letters,
S,095 were directed to the wrong Office; 467
were imperfcctly addressed; 6l2 we're directed
to transient persons; 257 to parties who had
changed their residences; s2l were addressed to
fcticious persons or firms; 83 were uncalled for;
10 without any directions; 2,l8e we're not mailed
for want of postage stamps; 70 were missent;
and for the failure of post masters to deliver
1873, no satisfactory reason was assigned The
Department therefore cannot justly be held re-
sponsib!e for the non delivery Of but 2l2 of
these letters. 10 st}atEl:
Much other valuable data is given on this sub
ject, and tits worthy of remark, that out of TO-
769 letters before alluded to, originating in the
loyal States, and addressed to residents of dis.
loyal States, 40 600 could not be returned, eth.
er because the signature of the writer was in.
complete, or because the letter contained no
clue to his residence. The 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 let
<ers, when returned to their owners, should be
charged with treble the ordinary rates of postage,
comprising one rate for return transportation to
the ded letter Office, one rate for registration
there, and one rate for return transportation to
the writer's or owners
A treaty with New Mexico has been conclud.
ed, awaiting the ratification by Mexico estab-
fishing common international rate of twenty
Eve cents on letters, with other useful provi-
sions =" ia Il
The Post t-Master.General has accepted the of.
fer made in 1857 by Great Britain for reduc-
tion Of the international rate between the two
countries on letters, from twenty-four to twelve
cents, which, however, has not yet gone into op-
Grafton, as it awaits the response Of the British
Office. @ H @ sHf
The above e'abstract presents merely few OF
the points of this important report.
The Postmaster. General gives at length his
reasons for the change of contracts, for disloy-
atty. Not only was it unsafe, he SAYS, to en-.
son who refused or failed to recognize the sane
tity of an oath, but to continue payment of pub.
lie money to the enemies Of the Government
and their allies, was to give direct aid and com.
fort to treason in arms We could not thus per.
NIT this branch of Government to contribute
to its own overthrow.
The Postmaster General also gives his reasons
for excluding disloyal publications from the
mails To await the results of slow judicial
prosecution was to allow crime to be consumma
| ted, with the expectation of subsequent punish.
ment, instead Of preventing its accomplishment
BY prompt and direct interference OF the ca
ses presented for his action, upon the princi
Piles which he names, he has, by order, excluded
| from the mails twelve of these reasonable pub
locations, Of which several had been previously
presented by the grand jury as incendnry ani
hostile to constitutional authority.
h.. While the Postmaster General did not claim
the authority to suppress any newspaper, how
ever disl0yal and REASONABLE its contents, thl
Department could not be called upon to Civ,
them circulation. ut could not aud would no
interfere with the freedom secured by law, bu
1t could and did obstruct the dissemination o
| that license which was without the pale Of tn,
Constitution and law. The mails established b,
the United States Government could not upoI
any known principles Of law and public right
be used for its destruction. As we'll could th
common carrier be legally required to transpor
machine designed for the destruction of th
vehicle conveying it. or an inn.keeper be com
PEELED to entertain traveller whom he knew 4
be intending to commit robbery in his ::house
+ He finds these views supported by the hig
authority Of the late Chief Justice Story, of th
Supreme Court Of the United States, who's
opinion he quotes l .5F
HIGHLY INTERE0TlNG FROM THI
J. SOUTHERN COAST. F7t
The ,Occspation Of 7ybee-z zaixalps small alsem,
Sat a fSht-Dsscripsion Of he leland and is 70,
l. afcatons.
sa4atls TEE RxPEDIrIoH TO TYBxE.
A correspondent Of the N. 7. Herald write
| under date Of Savannah river, Nov. 27th; i"
Az soon ~ the forts at Bay Point and Hilto
Head were occupied, 60 a. to form basis for Fl
ture operations, o number of vessels we're di
patched TO blockade several important roin