The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-12-19

due and unpaid $Sl2,575 4s
The estimate of the total expenditures
for 1863 is somewhat less than those oil
This difference arises from the fact that
only partial esti q ates are made for the
coast Of postal service in States where il
is now suspended.
The appropriation for deficiencies 10
1862 was s5.3Ol ,S5O.63, while the a.
mount to be required from the Treasury,
for 1868, is So .645, 900.
The whole number of ordinary dead
letters received and examined during the
year vas about 2 $50 600.
The number OF these letters containing
money, which were registered and sent
out during the year ending June 30, 1861 I,
was 10 $50.
The number Of dead letters returned
unopened to foreign countries during the
fiscal year was Ill. .l47. which added to
the number of domestic letters (l03, ,6S6)
sent out as above. gise- the whole num-
Der sent out from the Dead Letter Office
for the year. 2l5 ,033.
/
in 7 800 case. coUfrms the past expert
eRee of the Department that the failure
OF letter to reach its destination is, in
the vast majority of instances, the fault a.
lone of the writer or seDder.
| Out of the above $50 valuable dead
letters, 3.O95 we're directed to wrong Of
icers, 467 we're inperfectly addressed,
6l2 we're directed to transient persons,
257 to parties who bad changed their
residence, s2l we're addressed to fcti-
tOus persons or firms. S3 we're uncalled
for, 10 without any direction, 2, 80 were
not mailed for want of postage stamps,
79 were mis- sent, and. for the failure Of
postmaster to deliver, 1873 no satisfactory
reason vas assigned The Department,
therefore, can justly be held responsible
for tho non delivery of but 2l2 of these
letters
Much other valuable data is giseu on
this subject, and it is worthy Of remark
that out of 96, 769 letters. before alluded
to, originating in the loyal States, 10000
could not be returned, either because of
the signature of the writer was incom-
plete, or because the letter contained no
clue to his residence. The experience of
the Department shows that large por.
tiou of domestic letters. written by edu-
Gated persons, and particularly By wo-
men, are deficient in one or both Of these
respects.
10 view Of these and other facts, the
Postmaster General suggests that valua.
able dead letters, when returned to their
owners, should be charged with treble the
ordinary rate of postage; comprising one
rate for return transportation to the xri-
ters or owners.
A treaty with Mexico has been couclu-
ded, awaiting the ratification BY Mexico,
establishing common International rate
of twenty five cents on letters, with other
useful provisions.
The Postmaster General has accepted
the offer made in 1857 By Great Britain,
for a reduction of the international rate
between the two countries from twenty
four to twelve cents, which, however. has
not yet gone into operation. as it awaits
tie response of the British Office.
Tho aboVe abstract presents merely a
few of the points of the important report.
The Postmaster General gives ct
length his reasons for the change of con-
tracts for disloJalty Not only was it IN.
safe, he Gays, to ontrust the transporta-
ton of the mails to person who refused
or failed to recognise the sanctity of an
oath, but to continue payment of public
money to the enemies of the Government
aud their allies vas to give direct aid and
ufort to treason in arms. We could
not thus permit this brsnch Of the Gov
ernment to contribute to its own over
throw.
The PoStW aster General also gives his
reasons for excluding di.toyal pubIica-
tions FROM the nails To await the re-
suits Of slow Judicial prosecution vas to
allow crime to be cousummated. With the
expectation OF su6sequeD: punl, ,bment in
stead Of preventing it's accomplishment
by prompt and direct interference. OF
the cases pre-ented for b., action, upon
the principles which be names. be has. by
order, excluded from the I'd ails twelve of
these reasonable publications, OF which
several had been previously presented by
the Grand Jury as iDceudiary and hos
tile to constitutional authority.
While the Postmaster General did not
claim the Authority to suppress any news
paper, however disloyal and treasohable
the Department could not be
called upon to give them circulation. at
could 0ot, and would not, interfere with
the freedom secured BY Law; but it could.
aud did. obstruet the dissemination of
that license which was without the pale of
The Con-titution and Law. The nails es.
tablished by the United States Govern
nent could not, upon any known princi-
pies of Law or public right. be used for
It's destruction. As we'll could the COM
mon carrier be required to transport
m sehine designed tor the destruction of
the vehicles conveying-it, or al Innkeeper
be compelled to entertain traveller
whom he knew to be intending to commit