Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-12-17

80, 1864, of SS,259.I2.
POSTAL MONEY ORDER SYSTEM
The act approved May II, 1854, authorized
| the Postmaster General to establish, "under
such rules and regulations as he may find ex-
pedient and necessary, uniform money-or-
der system at all post Offices which he may
deem suitable therefor p and that this system
should be put into operation during the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1854.
A superintendent and assistant have been
appointed, one hundred and forty-one post
offices have been designated as money-order
offices, and the operation of the system COM
menced ON the first instant.
The maximum amount for which a money
order can be issued is fixed by law at thirty
dollars, the object of the system being to af-
ford cheap, immediate, and safe agency for
the transfer through the mails of small sans
OF money. The tendency of the system is to
exclude money from the mails, the presence
of which in letters is the frequent cause of
the loss OF correspondence, even the letter
does not contain money. The limit of thirty
dollars is believed TO be sufficiently large to
include all that class of remittances now sent
IN money through the mails, but in exception
al cases more than one OFder-can be procured.
The average amount contained in each money
letter received at the dead letter Office during
the fiscal year 1852 was 1888; during 1868,
it was 1920; and in 1854, S5.1s-showing
that, as a rule, money remittances by mail are
made in small amounts.
The mode by which safety in the transfer
of money is secured, consists in leaving out
of the order the name of the payee or party
for whom the money is intended. In this
respect money-order differs from an ordi-
nary bank draft or check. When a money
order is applied for, the postmaster will fur
nish the applicant with printed form of APP
plieation, in which the latter will enter all
the particulars of amount, name, address, &C.,
required to be stated in the money order and
advice. From the items contained in such
application the postmaster will fill up the
money-order and also the corresponding form
of advice. The order, when completed, is
handed to the applicant, upon payment of the
sum expressed therein and of the fee charge.
able thereon. BY the mail Immediately fol-
lowing the issue of money-order, the post
master transmits the corresponding advice to
the postmaster at the Office upon which it is
drawn. The latter is thus furnished, before
the order itself can be presented, with the
necessary information to detect fraud, if any
should be attempted.
A money order is rendered invalid unless
it is presented to the postmaster on whom il
is drawn within ninety days from its date
but the Postmaster General can issue new
order on the application of the payee, upon
the payment of a second fee. The same
course is to be pursued should the order be
lost. Ia this ease, the payee is to furnish
statement, under oath, that the order has
been lost or destroyed, accompanied by the
certificate of the postmaster that it has not
been paid, and will not be paid if thereafter
presented. The payee may transfer his or
Ian 80
that effect; but more than one Endorsement
is prohibited. Persons, therefore, residing
at places in the vicinity of those designated
in the list of money-order Offices can gener-
ally avail themselves of this system.
In commencing the mOney-order business,
it has been deemed expedient to begin with
the larger offices, and extend it to others as
rapidly as possible. Measures will also be
taken for its introduction in the army.
The establishment of the system ~ this
country will no doubt lead to arrangements
for the interchange of international money
orders with the several foreign countries with
which VIC have direct postal relations.
By the eleventh section of the act above
referred to, postmasters are prohibited from
depositing in any bank money-order fluids of
which they have the custody. 1t is suggest
ed that the business would be facilitated by
enabling the postmasters having moneys from
this source to deposit in the national banks
designated by the Secretary of the Treasury
as repositories of the public moneys, to their
own credit, and at their risk, and thereby re-
lieve the department from the necessity of
furnishing vaults and safes. Substantial adj
vantages would also result to the public in
terests by permitting all deputy postmasters
to deposit in these banks any public moneys
in their hands, under like conditions; and
such modification of the law is recommended
as will authorize such deposits to be made
under the direction Of the Postmaster Gen
eral
Report Of the Secretary of the Navy.
The Secretary of Nays report shows the
United States Navy Dec. LIST, consisted of
GIL vessels having a tonnage of $40, 1898 and
carrying 1910 guns. This is an increase of
SO vessels and l67 guns since Dec. 1S63.-
The vessels constructed for the navy since
March, 1861, numbers 203, carrying 1854
guns, not counting those which have been
constructed within the same period and lost
lin battle or by shipwreck. The officers and
men now ON duty number 81 ,000-Oficers,
5000; men, $4,000. There are six squadrons
on duty-the West Gulf, Admiral Farragut
East Gulf, Stribling, South Atlantic, Dahl
gren; North Atlantic, Foster; Mississippi,
Lee and Pacific, Pearson; besides the Po-
tomac Fiotills, Parker.
The East India squadron as an organiza-
ton has been discontinued. The cOnsullp-
tiOn of coal in the navy last year was about
500, 900 tons. The blockade extends along
coast line of 3,549 miles, a greater length
than the whole coast of Europe from Cape
North The irOn-clad feet has been inereas-
ed to II vessels. They carry 275 guns, all
of heavy metal. The number of prizes cap
tured during the year was 324, So of them
being steamers. The gross proceeds from
sales of condemned prizes were Sl4, 393, $50,
and the expenses S1,237, 153. The balance
of S13, 19O,S4I was divided equally between
the captors as prize money and the govern
ment as naval pension fund.
The Navy Department has cost $3.50, 647,-
POI in four years. OF this aggregate, $685.
733, 1872 were expended last year. The
available resources for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1865, are $lI9, 289, 059. The balance
on hand at the beginning of the fiscal year
was $50, 032, 224. Mr.. Welles enlarges upon
the satisfactory condition of the navy, CON-
mends its officers for sustaining its discipline
and efficiency, and adverts with emphasis to
the extraordinary growth of the service since
the first year of the war. He contends that
the blockade of the port of Wilmington is
more difficult than any other on the coast of
the United States, and says the navy is ready
to attack Wilmington as soon as there Is a
land force to co operate.
The withdrawal of large part of our land
forces from the island in Charleston harbor
had necessarily put stop to serious demon