The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1863-12-23

Post Office Department, and other like d.
ties. require, under the Consultation and
existing laws, the action Of the President
and heads Of Departments. The anecessiSo
ties of the military service frequently foriy'
bid delay, md ssme legislatioais required.
providing for the exercise oftempsrary aui''
thoriiy. until regular action can be had at
the seat of Government. would suggest II
especially in the Post Office Department q
that an assistant be provided for the States I
beyond the Mississippi, with authority ID Z
the head of that Department te'vest in this I
assistant all such powers now exercised
by the. Postmaster General, as may be rels
auisite for provisional control Of the funds
Lof the department in those States,a and
their application to the paymept Of maif'a
contractors fer superintendent Of the iSsit
cal post Offices, and the contracts for carr /
rying the mail Tor the temporary employ
ment of proper persons to fulfill the duties
OF postmasters and contractors il -urgenti
crses. until appointments can be made, and ]
for other like parpsses. Without some
legislative provision on the subject, there !,
lis serious risk of the destruction of the
mail service, BY reason of. the delays and
hardships suffered by contractors under the !
present system, which requires constant
reference to Richmond Of their accounts,
= we'll as Of the returns Of the local post
masters, before they can receive payment
Tor services rendered. Like provision IL
also necessary in the Treasury Depart.
ment; while, for military affairs. it would
tn kae eufH IL H. o. a
sident and Secretary Of War to delegate ta
the cAmmsnding general so much of the /.
discretionary powers vested IN them by
law as the exigencies OF the service shall Z
require.
NAVY.
The report Of the Secretary Of the Navy
gives IN detail thesapef atioRs of that De.
partnsnt since January last, embracing in
formation Of the disposition and employ :.
ment Of. the vessels, sficer. and men, and
the construction Of ,esseIs at Richmond.
Wilmington. Charleston, Sa. AMMAN, Mo- s
bile, Selma, and on the river Roanoke,
Neuse. Pcdee, Chattahoorhe and Tnmbig-
bee The accumulation Of ship timber and
supplies. and the msnafactuie of ordnance,
ordnance stores and equipments. The
tunndries aud workshops have been great
" improved. and their capacity TO supply
all demands for heavy ordnance for csast
deficiency in the requisite skilled labor.
The want Of sach labor snd Of sesnea seri-
ously effects the operations Of the Depart
meat,
Tue skill. courage and activit, oil our
cruisers at sea canscl be- too highly csm-
mended. They have Inflicted heavy loss
es on the enemy. without sufsringa single
disaster. and have seriously damaged The
shipping interests ef the, United States. by
compelling their fnreIgR conmercr I. seek
the protection Of neutral aags.
Your attention 10 iavited 10 the saggss-
tions Of the report on the subjects st sup
plyisg seamen for the service, and IL the,
provisions OF the law in relauaa 10 the
volunteer navy.
,PasT orrIcs.
The Postmaster General reports the re-
ceipts uf ,hs' Department for the fscsi year
ending thr solhoi June last. to have seeR
35,3jy ,653 Oh, and the expenditures fsr
the same period 81. $50. .s04 81. Tnelststs..
nent thas exhibits an excess Of rresipis
amounting to s6.5 5,0%s ~. instead Of a de-
sciehcy Of more thar . m,ilies II lstisrs,
as was the Gaze in the preceding ascal wear.
II is gratifying to perceive that the De-
partment has thus been made seif-ssstsia.
ing. in accordance with sound principle.
aud ~iih the express requirement Of the !
Consultation that its expenses should be
p,d sst oi its swn revenues after the lst
Nsrch, 1853.
The reppt gives full aud satisfsctary
acesuat Of the operations sf the Post 0iics
Department fas the last year. and espts,ns
the measures adopted for giving more GER
taiaiy sad regslariiyol 70 the service N The
St,tes beyond the Mississippi. aid o,
which reliance is placed for obyiating the