The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-12-13

uCll OF SlO ,oOU,UOU, nccueu Ior CuIIcut CA
penses to pay for vessels purchased, and for
necessary alterations incurred in fitting
them for naval purposes, for the purchase
of additional vessels. and for the construc.
tion and completion of twenty iron clad
vessels. -<- AT~ S 2e
| REPORT OF THE PosrMAsTER-GENERAL.
The Postmaster-G Generals report states
that the whole number of postoffices in the
United States on the Both of June, 1861,
% ,5S6; and that the entire number of cases
acted upon during the same period was
l0.638, including appointments made by
| the President of the United States. The
whole number of appointments made by
| the POstmaster-Generai 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 30, 1861, were 1892, 1897 =
63.
The expenditures of the department in
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1861,
amounted to $l3 3,606,759 IL.
The expenditures were $l4,874,772 80,
showing decrease in 1861 OF 81 ,268,-
OI3 IS.
The gaoss revenue for the year 1861
including receipts from letter carriers and
from foreign postages, amounted to $8.349, :
295 40.
rhe estimated deficiency of means for
1861, as presented in the annual report
from this department December 3, 1859.
was $5,988,424 O4. Deducting the actual
deficiency, $4,65l ,966 SO, and there is an
excess Of estimated deficiency over actual
deficiency of 81 i436, ,457 06.
The revenue from all sources dur
ing the year 1860 amounted to. .S9, ,2lS, ,067 40
The revenue from all sources dur.
ing the year 1861 amounted to. .9.049, ,296 40
Decrease of revenue for 1861, sl6S,77l 90
The net proceeds from postoffices in the
loyal States for the fiscal years ending June
80, 1860, $3,688,69O Sc, and in 1861
S3,80l ,487 08, showing an increase in 1861
of $ll2,796 So; and in the disloyal States
in 1860, $500, $40 81, and in 1861, $677,
100 70, showing decrease in 1861 Of
$I42,839 81.
The decrease in 1861 from the net pro
ceeds of 1860 in all the States, appears to be
$30,043 20.
Statement OF the receipts and expenditures ol
the dislOyal States and amount alleged to be
due to contractors also, the amount actu
ally paid to contractors from July l, 1860, tC
May 81, 1861.
! IOtal expenditure. .S1,699, lou Al
Total gross receipts. s............. ,24l ,220 0i
Excess of expenditures over re.
ceipts.. ........... ......... 81, 1880 4:
Amount alleged to be due to con-
tractors for transportation. ...3, l35, ,637 IL
Amount actually paid for trans
pOrtatlOn ........... ...-....,Z,0Z5 ,Obl I'd
Leaving amount alleged to be due
ana unpaid. .......-...... SolZ,o3o ~
The estimate OF 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
The appropriation for defences in 1862
was S. ,39l $50 63, while the amount esti-
mated to be required iroG the Treasury for
1860, is $3 las 900
The whole number OF ordinary dead let.
ters received and examined during the year
was about 1000 coo.
The number Of these letters containing
money, which were registered and sent out
during the year ending June &c. 1861, was
lO,580.
The number OF dead letters returned un.
opened to foreign countries during the It's cal
year was Ill, ,i47, which, ADDED to the
numoer of domestic letters (l02,S90), sent
out as above, gives the whole number sent
out from the dead letter office for the year,
2l5,033.
The result of successful investigation in
1860 cases, confirms the past experience Of
the department, that the failure of letter
to reach its destination is, in the vast ma
iorty 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 were imperfectly
addressed, 6l2 were directed to transient
persons. 257 to parties who had changed
their residences, 82l were addressed to
fictitious persons OR firms, S3 were uncalled
for, 10 without any directions, 2l36 were
not mailed for want of postage stamps, 70
were missent, and for the failure OF post.
masters to deliver 1873, no satisfactory rea.
son was assigned. The department there.
fore can 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 bis
residences. 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
or both of these respects.