Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1864-12-16
ANIMAL REpnRr nE 1HE POSTMASTER GENERAL.

The report of ex-tsnv. DennisOD, the new
Postmaster General states that the postal
revenues for the year ending June 30th, 1864,
were $I2,438257 78, and tbe expenditures
$I2 644, ,786 20, showing an excess of the lat
ter of S206.532 y. The increase of expendi-
lures over those OF 1868 is ll56 per
cent, and he increase OF revenues ii 3s per
cent The estimaf ed expenditure for 1865 ia
! $I4O98, 800, and the revenue Sl3,l ,l84,547 79,
During the year 334, ,O54 ,6I0 postage stamps,
| 26,644, 300 stamped envelopes, and l,574.5O0
newspaper wrappers, of the value of Sl0,974,-
| 329 so were issued The number Of routes
is ,083, extending 1918 miles, aud under
/ the charge Of 1858 contractors. Attention
| is called to the fact thai but few of the rail-
road companies carrying The mail are under
contract, notwithstanding he express provision
| Of the las and Nr. Deuuison promises to
| apply to Congress for more stringent legisla-
ton, 10 case they continue to refuse the obli-
CATION The overland mail to San Francisco
has been contracted for at S750,000 papers
aud documents to be carried by steamer for
SI6O,000.
Inquiry has been made of General Grant as
to existing mail arrangements for supplying
cur armies with mails. He replys that they
| are received with regularity and promptness.
! The foreign mail service is treated of at length
and ii is shown that new and improved ar
Engagements for postal communication, are con-
stan,ly being made. The contract for ocean
| mail steamship service between Brazil and the
| United States has been awarded TO a new
American Company for $24O,O0o, aud the
| Secretary suggels that other routes now
monopoizsd by foreign vessels including that
| between San Francisco. Japan, and China
should be occupied by American mail steam
ers.
The whole number of postofEces in the
United States, including the suspended ones,
was, in June, 28,877- about 10000 of them
being in the loyal States. Forty-seven hun
dred postmasters were appointed during the
last year, chiefly to fill vacancies occasioned by
designations. In sixty ysix cities the free de-
| avery of mail matter has been introduced, av-
eraging about ten carriers to each. The mail
routes are 139,l73 miles in length, and the
mail contracts last year amounted to $685.
4I9.
very readable portion of the document
relates to dead letters, of which more than
three and half millions were received and
examined during the year. The character of
at least large portion Of these may be told
by the fact that nearly twenty-seven hundred
of the letters contained photographs, and
something less than fifteen hundred enclosed
articles of jewelry. Twenty-Five thousand
mouey letters, containing $131,6I1, went to
the dead letter Office of which number 90,
600 were delivered, with contents amounting
to $I04665. Claims of postmasters robbed
by rebel troops or guerillas have been settled
during the year to the amount of $5,958, and
seventy y-seven claims are pending.
The report concludes with an explanation
Of the operations of the postal mOney-order
system, established under au act of Congress
passed last spring.
Upon the whole the exhibit made by the
Postmaster General of the condition, plans
and doings of the Department are quite salts
factory, and shows an energetic and
economical administration.