Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-12-05
REPORT OF THE POSTMASTER GEN.
ERAL.

From the perspicuous report Of Postmaster
General Dennison we make up the following
interesting particulars
The revenues Of this Department for the year
ending June 80, 1865, Were i4,556, 1880, and
the expenditures s13,69a, 72s 2s leaving a sur
plus OF $50, 43042 The number Of postage
stamps, stamped envelopes and stamped wrap
pers issued during the year was 81, s47, 49,. so
The Introduction of stamped envelopes bear.
ing request for the return to the writers of
unclaimed letters has considerably increased
the sale of envelopes, and is believed to have
diminished the returns to the dead letter Office
Business cards are printed Oh envelopes with
out additional cost when ordered in Quantities
NOT less tnan 1,OOofor the same parties; To en-
courage the purchase Of request envelopes, the
law should be changed so as TO allow the re-
turn Of such letters to the writers free of post
age. AS stamped envelopes are cancelled by
use, and therefore safer against fraud than
those With stamps attached, IL is submitted
whether the Postmaster General should not be
authorized in has discretion to furnish them as
the separate stamps are now, withoutreference
TO the cost of manufacture. New stamps have
been adopted Of the denominations of 5, 10 and
IS cents for preparing postage on packages of
newspapers forwarded by publishers news
dealers under the authority of law, whereby a
revenue will be secured hitherto lost to the De-
partment.
No progress has been made in the uerotia.
tons of postal conventions with European
countries on the basis ofthe resolutions adopt
ed at the Paris international postal conference
ana TeleTreO 10 In the last report.
Postmaster General Dennison does not favor
the course of substituting American lines to
British ports, as it would be impracticable to
satisfy the conflicting claims of our principal
Atlantic cities.
A new post office building is recommended
for the city of New York.
The number of dead letters received. exam
lned, and disposed Of was 4, ,OS7, an increase
of S59,s62 over the previous year. The num-
Der Of letters conveyed in the mails during
1865 is estimated at 467 ,591.6OO.
hn pDet,,
the law requiring the list of letters remaining
uncalled for to be advertised in the paper
having the largest circulation be repealed, and
the mode OF advertising left to the discretion of
the Postmaster General.
The number of offices is 419. including those
In the Pacific States and Territories, and some
of the principal offices in the southern States
Orders have been issued for putting inlo op-
Grafton SIS additional offices, The number of
money orders issued during the wear was
74,277, of the value of 81 800, 1225 So The excess
of expenditures over receipts is S7,O47.e7. As
the proceeds of the system will hardly equal
the expenditures until II is more generally es-
tablished, 1t is recommended that any balance
remaining at the close of the present may be
applied to the deficiency Of the next fiscal wear
The maximum amount OF money orders is $50,
which may be judiciously increased TO $50, and
the restriction to sums not less than one dol
lar removed, retaining the present minimum
fee.
Claims to the amount of million Of dollars
have been presented by contractors and others
in the Southern States for services rendered
previous TO the rebellion.
Although the service has been restored in
each of the Southern States, it ia not so gene
raj as the Departmental has desired and the wants
OF the citizens require, because Of the difficulty
OF procuring contractors and postmasters who
can take the oath prescribed by the acts of
July 2, 1852, and March 3, 1se3, requiring uni.
form loyalty 20 the government during the re-
beilion as the condition of holding office and
for the conveying of the mails.
Although, in view of the financial wants of
the Government and the large demands for
postal expenditures in the Southern States,
this department could but deem unwise any
present reduction of domestic postage, il ap
preciates the duty of the Government to lessen
all postage rates TO the minimum of not pre.
venting the department 10 support itself from
its revenues, and it perceives no reason why,
in few years, with our rapidly increasing
prosperity, aided by judicIous legisla a re-
duction may not be made to the maximum let.
ter rate adopted by Great Britain.
Among the many remarkable facts illus
trating the progress of the people of the loyal
States during the rebellion. In almost every
department. of material deve lopm ant an i social
advancement. having no precedent in history
and confounding the predictions of all having
little faith in the vitality Of free institutions
and the resources OF free people, that of the
increase Of postal CORES pondence. as shown by
The postal reveL ues, not the least interesting
and suggestive. The maximum annual receipts
Of tins department previous to the rebellion
from all the States as Ss, SIS, COZ 40 which was
exceeded in the sum OF 5000, 09I 80 by the
receipts Of the last year from the loyal States