The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1861-12-13


Postmaster 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 re-
| turn transportation to the dead letter office,
one rate for registration there, and one rate
| for return transportation tn the writers or
| owners.
A treaty with Mexico has been concluded,
awaiting the ratification by Mexico, estabr
| fishing a common international rate OF 20
cents Oh letters, with other useful provl.
sions.
The Postmaster General has accepted the
offer made in 1857 by Great Britain for a
reduction OF the international rate between
the two countries on letters from "A to II
cents, which, however, has not yet gone
into operation, as it awaits the response OF
the British Office.
The above abstract presents merely a
few of the points of the important report.
The Postmaster General gives at length
his reason for the change OF contracts, for
disloyalty. Not only was it unsafe, he says,
to entrust the transportation Of the mails
to a person who refused or failed to recOg
nize the sanctity of an oath, but to continue
payment of public money to the enemies OF
the government and their allies was to give
direct aid and comfort to treason in arms.
We could not thus permit this branch OF
government to contribute to its own over
throw.
The Postmaster General also gives his
reasons for excluding disoyal publications
from the mails. TO await the results oi
slow judicial prosecution was to allow crime
to be consummated, with the expectation OIL
subsequent punishment, instead Of prevent
ing its accomplishment by prompt and dl-
rect 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 treasonabe publica-
tions, of which several had been previously
presented by the grand jury as incendiary
and hostile to constitutional authority.
While the Postmaster General did not
claim the authority to suppress any news
papers, however disloyal and reasonable its
contents, the Department could not be
called upon to give item circulation. g 1t
could not and would rot interfere with the
freedom secured by law, but it could and
did Obstruct the dissemination OF that
license which was without tie pale of the
constitution ana law. The mails establish
ed by the United States government could
not upon any known principles of law or
public right be used Tor its destruction
AS well could the common carrier be legally
required to transport a machine designed
for the destruction OF tle vehicle conveying
il, or al innkeeper be compelled to enter
tain traveller whom he knew to be inten i
ing to commit robbery in his house
He finds these views supported by ihe
high authority OF the late Chief Justice
Story. CT the Supreme Court OF the United
States, whose opinion he quotes.
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OE THE INTERIOR.
The business of the Department OF the
Interior has lost much OF its usual lnteres,
through the interruption OF commercial and
agricultural! pursuits by the war. The
General Land Office, especially, shows The
result OF this decline. lhe army has sWaI~
lowed ~ almost entirely the class Of enter
prlsing men wno are usually the purchasers
OF Government lands, and sales in the
Northern States are almost suspended. On
the 3Oth OF September iast there was an
aggregate o. l34,2lS,330 acres 0. lind
surveyed ard ready tor sale. During the
fifteen months, ending Sept. 80, 1861, The
Department disposed of $3.50 532 acres,
Ot this amount over two million acres have
been located with bounty land warrants:
one and hail millions sold for cash, pro
duciDr 1925. 299: and about a million
Granted to Louis,a,,a Nicb;gan and Mn.
aeso;a, ,oy railroad nurnosgs. The war has
thus rt,iuced the receipts OF the oftice 10 a
uoinf hu1 ,1,,le ahnve IN. txnendiInres ot
the Uenartment i,s rot ;ncome 6ur;na the
year oeipg but 5000. 600. Vbe Doun;v
and warrants and scrin issued m to Sent
80, 1861, cover an accreyate Of 1l.11l12