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

| penSSS TO pay IOT VESSELS purcDaSeO, anu lOr
necessary alterations incurred in fitting
them for naval purposes, for the purchase
of additional vessels. and for the construc-
tion ard completion of twenty iron clad
vessels.
REPORT OF THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL.
The Postmaster-Ge report states
that the whole number of postoiiices in the
United States on the Both of June, 1861,
%, $50; and that the entire number of cases
acted upon during the same period was
| lO,630, including appointments made by
the President of the United States. The
whole number of appointments made by
| the POstmaster-General was 9,235, and the
number by the President during the same
period 337.
The aggregate earnings of the different
transatlantic steamship lines during the
year ending June 80, 1861, were 1892, ,S07 -
! So.
The expenditures Of the department in
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1861,
amounted to $13 3,G06,759 IL.
The expenditures were $l4,674,712 49,,
showing a decrease in 1861 OF 81 ,268,-
O13 IS.
The gaoss revenue for the year 1861,
including receipts from letter carriers and
from foreign postages, amounted to $0.349,-
295 40.
The estimated deficiency OF means for
1861, as presented il the annual report
from this department December 3, 1859,
was $5,988,424 04. Deducting the actual
deficiency, S4,65l ,966 96, and there is an
excess Of estimated deficiency over actual
deficiency of 81 I436,457 06.
The revenue from all sources dur
lug the year 1860 amounted TO. 80 ,2lS. .067 40
The revenue from all sources dur
ing the year 1861 amounted to. ..9. .049 296 40
Decrease OF revenue for 1861, $l6S, III 90
The net proceeds from postoifices in the
loyal States for the fiscal years ending June
80, 1860 $3,686 800 Sc. and in 1861,
! So ,80l ,487 o. showing an increase in 1861
of Sll2,796 50 and il the disloyal States,
in 1860, $500 $40 81, and in 1861, $677,
100 10, showing decrease in 1861 Of
SIP 639 81.
Tae decrease in 1861 from the net pro
ceeds OF 1860 il all the States, appears to be
$30,043 90.
Statement Of the receipts and expenditures of
the dislOyal States and amount alleged to be
due to contractors also. the amount actu-
ally paid to contractors from July l. 1860, to
May 81. 1861.
Total expenditure .............$ ,699, $50 ~
Total gross receipts. s....,.........l 24l ,220 05
Excess OF expenditures over re.
celptS.. -, 40 ,J10 a.
Amount alleged to be due to con-
tractors for transp p0rcati0n,. .3, 1861 II
Amount actually paid for trans
portation .......-..- ........., Z,3Zo 06l 63
Leaving amount alleged to be due
ana unpaid. .........---.-.... @Sl-.oJo 4J
The estimate 0! the total expenditure for
1868 is somewhat less than those of the
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
Tbe appropriation for GeieIcea in 1862
was So 39l $50 So, wae the amount esti-
mated to De repaired ir0C the Treasury i0r
1860, IS - l45,00J
Ina whole number OF ordinary lead let
teys received and tXlmjaej during the year
Was ABOUT 2 $50 co..
The number OF these letters containing
money, whch We're g-gia :ered and sent out
during the year ending June 30, 1861. was
lO,580
The 1umoer OF dead letters returned un.
opened TO iorelgu countries during the Il cal
year was ILL., III, which, ADDED to the
numoer oi domestic letters (l02 $500, sent
out as above, gIVtS tGe whole number sent
out from tue lead lat:e, office tor the wear,
2I5,033
The result o. successful investigation in
800 cases, confirms the past experience oi
the department, that the failure OF letter
TO reach its destination is, in the vast ma
or ty OF Instances, the iau!t alone Of the
writer or sender. Out OF the above 1850
valuable dead letters, 1905 were directed
to the wrong Otfice, 467 were mperfectly
addressed. 6l2 were directed to transi lent
persons 257 to parties who had changed
their residences, 82l were addressed to
fictitious persons Or firms, SO were uncaled
for, 10 without any directions, 2 1856 were
not mailed tor want of postage stamps, 10
were missent, and for the failure OF poss.
masters to deliver l33 no satisfactory rea.
son was assigned The department there.
fore eau Justly be held responsible for the
non-delivery OF but 2l2 OF these letters.
Much other valuable data is given on
the 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 disloyal states, 10000 could
not be returned, either because the sigma
ture of the writer was incomplete, or be-
cause the letter contained no clue to his
residerce. The experience of the Depart
ment shows that large proportion of do-
mestic letters written by educated persons,
and particularly women, are deficient in one
OK both Of these respects