Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1862-12-04
OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS.

urunh on tnt btretts Vi W
OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS.
Annual Report OF the Secretary Of War.
This report is very voluminous, and sets out with
the statement that in the ten military departments
In which the army is operating, there is, according
to recent Official returns, force of 755s26 officers
and privates, fully armed and equipped. sincethe
date of the returns this number has been increased
TO over 10000 men. When the quotas are filled up
the force win number million Of men, and the es-
Inmates for next year based upon that number.
The military operations In the several depart
ments during the year are then reviewed at length,
aud various reports referred to. review of the
whole field OF operations shows that whatever dis-
asters the Union army may have suffered at par
hcular points, a great advance has nevertheless
been made since the commencement OF the war.
The report recapitulstes the advantages that
have been gained during the year, and anticipates
active movements at an early day in every direc-
ton, under the lessons acquired from the inacton
OF the past. The army Is eomplimented for Its
gallantry, and sorrow expressed for those who
The reason assigned for the appointment OF pro-
vost marshsls In the loyal States, the temporary
restraint OF certain persons, and the suspension
OF the writ of habess corpus 10 the opinion enter.
tained by the Secretary OF War that the aid and
comfort Of disloysl syinpsthifers constituted the
OF the North.
The expenditures for enlistm tments, recruiting,
drilling, and subsistence OF volunteers, regulars,
and militia, amounts TO S2O,6s2,252
Legislation is suggested for keeping the old regi-
ments filled up by volunteers.
The services of the governors OF loyal States are
thankfully acknowledged.
The Quartermaster Generals report Is noticed In
detail, as are those of other officers OF supply and
the enginery OF war.
The issues of the Ordnance Department are stated
at 800 field and siege and i,2O5 forti9cation
non; 1894 gun carriages, caissons, mortar beds
travelling forges and battery wagons; lZ6 CSC small
arms aS 2sl sets OF equipments and accoutrements
auADt m ar
and small arms, still leaving large supplies OF orb
nance stores At the arsenais and depots.
Reference is made to harbor iortihcations which
have received the particular attention OF the De-
partment, and IL Is believed that citectual means
OF defence will be established.
A variety OF minor matters are referred to in
brief
The Secretary proposes outright TO strike down
"turn against the rebels the productive power that
upholds the insurrection." II is added
! "a population OF four millions true to the in
terests of the Union, with slight assistance from
the army, will, under proper regulation and gov
ernment, be OF the greatest assistance in holding
the territory once seovered The principal staples
of the South are the product exclusively Of their
labor II protected upon the lands they have here
tofore cultivated, with some organization, and
with support from small detachments of loyal
troops they would not only produce much Of what
Is needed 10 feed our armies and their trains, but
they would forever cut of from the rebellion the
| resources of the country thus occupied"
By these measures 1t is believed that the rebel
lion will be swiftly suppressed, and they are ac-
cordingly urged upon the adoption of Congress-
Annual Report Of the Postmaster Gene
| raj.
The report OF the Postmaster General, Tor the
past year, exhibits healthy financial condition OF
the Post Office Department We subjon an alb.
stract Of the main points OF the report
The gross revenue OF the Department for the II 3.
cal year including the standing Treasury credit for
free mail matter, and small amount appropriated
taR tIaa rail- ial ni ala "A
expenditures for the same year amounted to SIl :.
1876 364 The regular postal revenue for 1862 Ia only
ing large part Of which year revenue was paid in
from all the States OF the Union. This fact shows
large increase in the correspondence of the loyal
States.
| While the revenues have been 30 nearly sustain.
ed at the highest standard, the expenses have been
largely reduced For the preceding year the ex'
The Department has not been for many years SO
nearly self-sustaning This result Is largely ow.
Si o al
eepts there, But not alone to that 4 revision
Of all discretionary expenses e. has been made, and
been regarded and equalized; economy has been
established in the larger offices where waste was
found; incompetency, wherever found in official
position, has been removed; and an effort made to
adopt a standard of merit and of administrative
efficiency In lieu OF other and inferior motives for
appointment. The Postmaster General expresses
his determination 10 adhere to this course.
The number OF postage stamps issued TO post
masters during the year was 2ol ,3o1 1906 the num-
Der OF stamped envelopes was 24,95s, ,3UO The
value Of these stamps was S7,U7S,lls the value OF
the letter envelopes, S7ss go The value OF stamp
SHtT SS sS ] rRS total s soa
s6,9i0,l3l
The increasing demand on the part of the publ,
for the stamped newspaper wrappers shows that
their Introduction has satisfied u public demand
and promoted the convenience OF CORES pondents
In the frst quarter of the current year, lending
9Oh of September) the number Of stamps issued Il
DDgtmagteFA hundred and m
their calls being for about two hundred millions
which would have been nearly sufficient TO mee
demand arose from the temporary use OF thost
stamps as a currency by the public In lieu OF tn,
the Introduction Of the so-called postal currency
The whole number of dead letters received ant
examined during the year IL 2,252,0ls which II
26I 600 lees than in the previous year. The Who'll,
number of valuable letters sent out los the Dea,
Letter Office was 81 ,23a. Many Interesting detail
are given in the report touching the operations o
this office. out OF 81 1873 cases where cause OF non
delivery was ascertained only 2a5 We're attribute,
to the fault Of poatmhstera. Eight hundred ant
twenty-oHe letters had no address whatever
The whole number Of post offices In the United
States remaining established on the 3Oth June
1862 was $3.50 of which there were in loyal State
and districts 1912, and in the insurrectionar!
States aud districts there were $500 The net In
in the established offices over last year wa
l2l. The number OF cases acted upon BY the ap
pointment office during the year was 1856
The total postages accrued on United States an,
European mails during the year amount TO Sl,l44,
0J0, being reduction from the amount OF the pre-
vious year OF S2l7, $40. OF the total amount col
lected the excess collected In the United States wa
s22,6O1 which constitutes the balances paid to tn
several foreign departments, the cost OF eXchang
being betrayed by the United States. The Post
master General objects to this cost as inequita BILE
and proposes, II possible to relieve the Department
from this burden.
The mail lettings which went into operation OF
the LIST OF July last In the western division were Of
fected on such favorable terms, as compared will
the previous lettings, that a reduction Of eNpeRdi
tuFe resulted TO the amount of S33l,OOO. At tn,
same time the length of routes was increased b.
6l69 miles, with an annual increase of transports
tion of 764,425 miles. Notwithstanding this in
Seat as q With the term He