, 1862-12-04

,1e than from any other single act Of reform.
&c uses this language:
SIT is my intention to adhere firmly to my
to diap1ace Incompetence aud
1rder MT control, without any discrimination
IN favor Of appointments rayseH have made
under nfsintormation Of facts"
THE q. $. POSTAL SERVICE.
From the Postmaster. Generals Re. |
port.
The report for this yea7 exhibits very |
healthy financial condition Of the Post Office
Department, and shows it to be thoroughly |
with the spirit Of improvement. |
The efficiency Of the service has been main- |
tanned at the highest point, accompanied by |
8 great diminution Of expenditures. The
grcss revenue of the department for this !
n=ea! year, Including the standing Treasury
amount appropriated for the relief Of ipdi-
viduals, was s9,012, ,549.5 Sc The expenditures
Tor the ssne year amounted to $l ,l25, ,364 13.
The regular postal revenue for 1862 is only
SAC. .470.50 less than it Vas for the fiscal year
1861, during a large part of which year revenue
WIS paid in from all the States OF the Union.
This fact shows large increase in the CORE
spondenee OF the loyal States. While the
revenues have been SO nearly sustained at the
highest standard, the expenses have been
expenditures vera s. 4sl Sol 9s greater than
last year. The following comparisons OF tig-
ures sre interesting:
Expenditures for 1850 for service in all the
States: ~ ST 77s.s9; revenues for ths same
Expenditures for 1861: service interrupted in
1861, ST., cue, ,759- II; gross revenues for 1851:
service interrupted in 1861, S9,049, ,296. 10;
deficiency. 81 ,462.Tl. Expenditures for
1862, s1l ,l25 364 IL; revenues f5r 1862, 80 0la;
5A9.56, deficiency, 81, 1854 s.. Reduction
6, "a, ,4os; reduction Of expenditures as com.
pared with 1861, s2,4st, ,,3s94.
The department has not been, for many
years, SO nearly Eelf-sustaining. This result
is largely cEiDg to the suspension of postal
expenditures in the South, which we're great
to tlrat-. A revision OF all discretionary ex-
pe@ses has been made, and Large Eeducsions
ordered. Tie pay Of agents has been re-
graded ard e4uafized. Economy has been 1e-
Established il the large offices, where waste
was found Ineompsteacy, wherever found
sr effort made to adopt 3 standard Of merit
and Of administrative efficiency, in lieu of
other and inferior motives for appointment,
! ne rustmasteE Hrtieral expresses 1ta ueSer-
lnlnation to adhere to this c9urse.
The number Of postage stamps issued to
Vo6tmasters during the year was T,O7S. .lSS.
The value Of letter envelopes S73::,::s,55 :s55 50.
The value Of stamped newspaper wrappers,
SCI, ,640.50; increase Of issus over 1851,
i5l55 lsi55. SIS The total value sold was 50 ''l0
The increasing demand on the part Of the
| public for the stamped newspaper shows that
| their introduction has satisfied q public de-
! nand, and promoted the convenience OF cor.
| respondents.
i In the first quarter o. the current ycar, end
1 3%45r 1F
t issued to postmasters was l04, ,000, 900. Thier
calls for about 200, ,0D0, 900, which would have
| been nearly sufficient to meet the usuM de-
Inand for year. This extraordinary demand
| arose from the Temporary use Of these stamps
as 2 currency by the public in lieu Of the
| smaller denominations Of specie, aud ceased
| NTH the introduction Of the SO called postal
| eurTel.Gv
| The difference between the ralue Of stamps
| Eold and Stamps cau6eled in the fiscal yeal
1862 shows S73S, $40 96 as the-amount in the
hands OF purchasers on the 1st Of July, 1862
and examined during the year is 2,0tS
which is a67, 900 less than In the previous
year. The whole number Of valuable letter.
sent out By the dead letter office was 81. .2339
Many interesting details are given in the ts-
port touching the operations Of the Office.
livery were ascertained, only 225 were attribu
table to the fault OF the postmasters; S22 let
tiers had no address whateyer.
| Congress at its first session passed an &C
authorizing the employment Of t#enty-fst
additional clerks to facilitate the return o
/ dead letters to their writer's, with the e1pec
tation that the receipts of postages thereon
would cover the appropriation OF $40. 600 70
their compensation. The result thus fl
shows that an excess Of revenue therefron
over the expenses he's accrued to the amoun
Of several Thousand dollars.
l rh11 hor fxf 7~nEf in h
| United States remaining established on th
30ih OF June, 1862, was rs, ,GS5, Of which ther
were in the loyal States and districts Il, 81
aud in the insurEectionary States and district
there were S,902.
The net increase in the established office
over last year 121. The number of cases act
ed upon By the appointment Office during til
year was Z, ,TS5. The total postages accrue
on United States and European mails darin
the year amounts to Il, 144 ,095 50, being a re-
Of so17, ,04osS. Of the total amount col1ecte
the excess collected in the United States vi
$212, ,G0IS6, which constitutes the balance
: paid to the several foreign departm ents, tt
, cost Of exchange being betrayed by the Unite
| States. The Postmaster General objects
: ! this cost as inequltab1e, and proposes, If po
sible, to retrieve the Department from th
= burden.
, The Postmaster General has made specl
/ | efforts to retrive the foreign correspondent
Of the country from its complexity nov {
{ postal officers. Separate negotiations ha7
? been. found altogether inadequate to secu
simple aud satisfactory arrangements. E
} therefore opened a correspondence In Augu;
> last through the Department Of State wit
; foreign admtnlstrations, proposing CONVEX
} lent point, to consider the enumerated dii
b I cu1tles, and the means Of remedying,
J, Several replies have been received from Il
Il various sgovernments, and all are favorable &,
: agree to the project. This country, compr'
, tion, ID especially interested In the subje
4 proposed to be brought before this Contt
il ence. It Is q species Of postal improvement
+ requiring the establishment Of greater uuffe
/, | nifty, and some common principle OF arrang
Il ment, snd is connected with our prospero
: commercial intercourse with other counttis
It The mali lettings which went into opel
e tion on the LIST Of July last In the Wc5te
e Division, and were effected on s1ch fayorat
+ terms as compared with the previous lettin
t, that reduction oo ct expenditure resulted
, the length Of the routes Eas Increased BY /
Ini1es, with an annual Increase Of transport
le t1on Of 754 ,4a6 miles. Notwithstanding Il
20 increase Of service, the net savings Is Of
n 8 per cent. Is compared with the prsyio
g. term.
e. The total annual cost OF the internal seryl
q In operation on the 30.h Of. June 1sst "
G s5,653, S34, to which add the cost Of the "
ous sgcncies, route and 1oca1, messenge
&c, $460, ,630.92 and the cost Of the service
IL that date Is S6,3l4, ,A64 %, which inclus
Al 81, 100000 for the overland mail route not
IS fore charged upon the revenues Of this
partment.
80 The saving In the lettings Of the West
,-, July, 1862, is attributed to a strict adheren
w to Che law OF 1915, authorizing what is knot
"a as star bids.
ii The report renews the recommendation
codifSing al the postal laws, and hopes itu
ha done 1t this session.
ss Among tee improvements under consfpe
Il non By The Postmaster General, Is that Of {
bosslng postal stamps on business and OF
Q envelopes, supplied Tor that purpose by I
49,. sonE desiring to furnish their own designs,
ls5 IL believed that this will largely Increase
- use Of stamped envelopes IL lieu Of stan
s6l which Is an object Of great Importance to
Department.
~, He also discourages the use of the mails
"a transporting money, and speaks favorabl,
. limited money order system, and offers
Il amendment to the registry system, bY WI
IS = return receipt shall be sent to the dlspas
= Ing party IS evidence of the fact and date
s7s ! delivery o. the package.