The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-12-11
81
l62,4s5 %
Qh On0 IA

inces ................ lo2,aso 70
And on West Indies, Central and
South American mais...........,. 95,2OO IA |
SS27, SAP SO
The cost of the United States trans-Atan-
tic service performed by steamships receiving
the sea postage only was S405, 479 sc. OF
this amount S2l3, $50 % was earned Dy the
New York, Queenstown and Liverpool (Dale) !
limo ST., loo 20 by the Canadian line S73,-
273 IL by tho New York, Southampton and |
Bremen and S47, 769 so by the New York |
Southampton and Hamburg lines, respect |
lively.
The cost of the ocean transportation of
mails to and from West India ports by Unit
ted States steamers, receiving different rates
of compensation within the limit OF the post
ages, was $50, 1868 80, being 81, l19 .95 less
than the total hostages on the mails convey
ed And II, 09l co was paid for the sea and
isthmus conveyance of the correspondence
with Central and South America.
The excess of collections in this country
over the postage abroad upon the correspond
ence exchanged with Great Britain and the
continent of Europe, was Sal ,5S2 80, caus-
ing balances against this department on set
Elements OF the quarterly accounts with the
respective post departments, amounting to
1922, 439 S.
No progress has been made in the nego a
tions OF postal convention with European
powers on the basis of the resolutions adopt
I'd AZ the Paris international postal confer
ence but arrangements have been agreed up
| on with Venezuela and the United States of
Columbia, adopting the principal recommen-
dntions Of the Paris conference.
Additional articles to the United States
and British postal convention have been exc
cuted, constituting Baltimore e new office of
exchange on the side of the United States.
| The service to Brazil. authorized by act OF
| May Is, 1864, has been put into operation,
| the first steamship having left New York with
| the mails Tor Brazil on the 30th of October
| last.
The contract for the mail steamship service
| to Japan and China was awarded to the Pa
cifc mail steamship company, whose bid for
| the required service at the cum of $500 600
! for twelve round trips per annum, between
San Francisco and Hong Kong touching on
outward and homeward passages TO land and
| receive male, at the port of Honolulu, in the
Sandwich Islands, and the port of Kanagswn.
| in Japan, was the only one received. The
company to build four frst-class sea-go
ing steamships, Of from $500 to 1000 tons
burden each, government measurement, and
| commence the service on or before the fret of
January, 1867.
BY existing law no provision Is made for
compromising sailing vessels conveying tho
mails 10 foreign ports. 1t Is recommended
that authority be given 10 the postmaster
general to allow such vessels SO employed
compensation uos to exceed the sea postage.
THE POLICY OF GRANTING SUBSIDIES.
The postmaster general discusses at some
length the policy Of the government in re-
spect to ocean mail service, and objects to any
cnange 10y granting OF subsidies, except as in
cidental AID to certain Classes of new routes
like those TO Brezl and China. In 1858, a
law was enacted limiting tine compensation
10 the sea and United States inland postage
when the conveyance is ~ an American, and
TO the sea postage 0Qy when by tor
eiCn vessel. Under this arrar cement In 1859
American steamers received $l99 POI, aver
aging 81 ,063 AID foreign steamers mp!uye
a. United States mali packets, Sl25, $40, av-
eragiug S4.73O Il per trip.
In 1860 American steamers received S22S,-
l49 averaging 1904; and foreign steamers,
STAT ,OS5. averaging -, SIS per trip.
In lS6l American steamers received $751;
IA. averaging S6 S33; a d foreign steamers
S235,7l3. averaging S2.740 per trip.
In 1862 American steamers received S33,-
500, averaging - 1854: and foreign steamers
S2S5, SSi. averaging - 094 per trip.
In 1868. "a and '65 the service was per-
formed entirely in fer ign vessels and the av-
erage for each trip had been increased in
1865 to $. go.
The annual subsidy paid by the British
government TO the Cunard lire Is Gig. 800.
but the postage earnings, which amouted
during the last year to $3.50, 600 with this
country alone. are retained by the govern.
ment, it will lie found that the actual bonus
paid to that line was small.
NEW OFFICES OPENED.
! whe total number of nost Offices sbIisbeI
June 30, 1868, including suspended Offices in
the southern states, was 2S $50. During the
last year $50 Offices were established and $50
discontinued; 1915 postmasters resigned
925 were removed and 229 died.
The free delivery system has Teen discou-
tinued at % OF the smaller Offices and is now
, in operation in As of the principal cities. The
number of carriers employed was ISL, at an
aggregate compensation of S44S 664 81.
! The attention of the department has been
again called to the subject of erecting a new
post Office building IN the city OF New York
and the measure Is recommended to the favor
: of congress.
} DEAD LETTERS
> The number of dead letters received, ez
, amined and disposed of was 4, 36S, 0S7, ar
increase of $50 262 over the previous year.
! The number containing money and re-mailed
TO owners was -, 1874 with enclosures amout-
ing to S244 373 81, The number of letter,
, containing checks, bills of exchange, deeds
&C., was l5,304 with nominal value of 50,
500, SS8 Of which 1916 containing 50, 246,
= l49 were delivered to the owners. The mum
: her of unpaid aud misdirected letters weI