The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1861-12-18

of 1860 in all the States appears to be $50 oI2 20
Statement OF the receipts and expenditures
of the disloyal States and amount aileged 10 be
due to contractors; also, the amount actually |
paid to contractors from july l., 1850, to May
81, 1851:
Total expenditure 80 CSC $50 Z!
Total gross receipts Observation-Disclosures. 2Il 10 %
Excess of expenditures over receipts 81 As. $50 81
Amount alleged TO be due ID contractors
Tor transportation l3o t3s l.
Amount actually paid Tor transportation. S2S ool rs
Leaving amount alledgedto be due and
unpaid ..........-..s Oh ,oe5 40
The estimate OF the total expenditures for
1868 is somewhat less than those OF previous
years heretofore submitted The 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 appropriations for expenses in 1862 was
81, ,39l $50 63 While the amount estimated to be
required frOn the Treasury for 1868 is So, l45,-
| 00O.
The whole number OF ordinary dead letters
received and examined during the year was
about 2,55O,OOO.
| The number of these letters containing money,
which were registered and sent out during the
year ending June 80, 1861, was l0,5s0.
| Tee number of dead letters returned unOpen-
|
! III. .l47, which, added TO the number OF domes
tic letters UO3, SSO) sent out above, gives the
whole number sent cut from the dead letter of
| fee for the year, 2l5,0SS.
! The result OF successful investigation in $50
cases, confirms the past experience OF the depart
ment, that the failure OF letter 10 reach its
destination is, in the vast majority Of instances
| the fault alone of the writer or sender. Out OF
the above 1860 valuable dead letters, 3,O95
were directed to the wrong office; 467 i'm
perfectly addressed; 6i2 we're directed 10 tran
sient persons; 2o7 to parties who had changed
their residences; 92l were addressed to hcti-
tiOus persons or firms; SIS were uncalied tor;
10 with ut any direction 2, l36 were not mail
ed for want OF postage stamps; 7e we're mssent;
and for the failure OF pOstmasters to deliver 1873,
no satisfactory reason was assigned. The de-
partment, therefore, can justly be held response
Die tor the non. delivery of but PIP OF these
letters.
Much other valuable data il given on this
subject, and it is worthy OF remark, that out OF
76, 769 letters, before alluded to, originating in
| the loyal States, and addressed TO residents OF
disOyal States; 40 900 could not be returned,
either because the signature OF the writer was
incomplete, or because the letter contained
no clue TO his residence. Tie expe-
rience Of the Department shows tha, a large
proportion of domestic letters, written by edu
Gated persons and particIarly women, are def
c!ent in one or both those respects.
In view Of these and other facts. the Post
master General suggests that valuable dead let
ters, when returned to their owners, should be
charged with treble the ordinary rate Of p stage,
comprising one rate Tor return transportation to
the dead letter Office, one rate for registration
there, and one rate for return transportation TO
the writers owners.
A treaty with Mexico has becn concluded,
awaiting the ratification by Mexico, establishing
common international rate OF twcnty.iive cents
on letters. with other useful prvv,siens.
The Postmaster General has accepted the offer
made in 1857 by Great Britain tor reduction Oi
the international rate between the two countries
on letters. from twenty four to twelve cents
which, however, has not yet gone into operation,
as it awaits the response Of the British office
The above abstract presents merely lew o
the points Of the important report.
The Postmaster General gives at length his rea
sons for the change OF contracts, for disloyal;y
Not only was it unsafe, he says. to intrust tn,
transportation OF the mails to a person hO re
> fused or failed to recognize the sanctity o! al
oath, bnt to continue payment Of the public
u money to the enemies Of the Government ant
; their allies. was to give direct aid aud com.or
: to treason in arms. We could not thus permi
: this branch Of Government to contribute to it
own overthrow.
J. The Postmaster General also gives his reason
for excluding disloyal publications from tb,
:, mails. To await the results of slow judicia
: prosecution, was to allow crime to be consum
i mated, with the expectation of subsequent pun
J, ishnent, instead OF preventing It's accomplish
g n,eDt by prompt and direct interference. y
, the cases presented tor his action upon the prn
cpes which he names, he has, by order, exclu
ded from the mails twelve of these treasonsol
}. publications, of which several haG been pre-
viously presented by the Grand Jury as incen
|. diary, and hostile to constitutional authority.
J. While the Postmaster General did not ciair
q the authority to suppress any newspaper, hos
Q ever dislOyal and reasonable its contents, tn
Department could not be called upon to Civ
them circulation. " IL could not and would no
a. interfere with the freedom secured by Iaw. bu
!. it could and did obstruct the dissemination c
n that license which was without the pale Of th
r. Constitution aud law. The mails established b
ls the United States Government could not, upo
any known principles of law or public right, b
used for its destruction. As well could the con
% mon carrier be legally required to transport
machine designed Tor the destruction of the VI
hicle conveying it, or an .inn-keeper be compe.
g ed to entertain q traveller whom he knew to b
;, intending to commit a robbery in his house.
He finds these views supported BY the big
authority of the late Chief Justice Story, of Ia
Supreme Court of the United States, who's
~ opinion he quotes.