Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-12-07
Reports of Heads OF Departments
Postmaster Generals Report.

1861. are SlSG1SOOO.
The number %! postage stamps issued during the
wear was 3S74g 49,, representing 81 W. 6a';So
Scanned enyeloles % 040 I25, representing ~ i5o
STAMPED ,vrappers l,l6j $50, representing SZo'olo,
MIN in all SIP SI7, 43G5O-an increase oi
II s-3 los over the previous year. The amount soIu
,v,s SD 3Jg piss being Sl625 loo.@i more tp"i'
tIna previous year. tabular statement eAnol9
the annual receipts aud expenditures OF lne Ios'-
olice Department from January Isl lo'l' u '"us
3Jth ls65, a. follows; -
Aggregate receipts. ;-.'''''''''' -oISetsS si "a
Aggregate expenditure
Deficit ............. '.'''.''''''
Averaging as follows Receipts, s5'oVo,l4l per
onnum. expenditures, SEO5iL'V'4o per ""H"'u
deficit 81 2SS 02S.6l per annuHi: .... so.,.
The mail service in operation on SOth
lime 1865. embraced 6,Ol2 routes ol the aggregate
I.ngth of ll2 $40 miles, costing 50 40 9of' eAtIu-
sfye OF compensation u route ana O'neI agents.
amounting - S556 oo2.'o. 81, ~ ,,t
- irnod. % iOl miles, cOsting......-.- - tU'4-l
Staambosts. l3USs miles costng....... 329og9
C,Iartv yc lO5 Sol miles, cOsting..... 3lI9S 500
The aggregate miles OF transportation were
T5e cost per mile for transportation by railroad
was II cents: Steamboat LAT cents; ceier't!' o.
no cents. The net amount OF fines imposed on con-
tractors, and deductions maue FOln 'ue'' pay ""'is
the year. was 500 il3 81.
Til nnnber of routes ordered into operation in
states lately in rebellion is 2il; their length loo4"a
miles. and compensation s72l949; atedncuon com,
plrel with former cost ui service IN thVsc states VI
sSSI 100 per annum." Proposals have been invited
fr ,,rrvin, mails i'm Virginia, West Virginia, North
Carolina. south Carolina ana Florida nom January
III lS66 to Juue 3Oth, 1851, ana III Georgia. Aia-
hama Mississippi. Arkansas, LOUISIANA anu IeA"7
from July lst l96j 90 Jun" 31th, 1901. tHc huiii'G
OF post Offices established On 3Oth june loo'' @
i'm u.p,udcl Offices in southern States, was > 81
pay- offices est bished during the year. ooO; Offices
discontinued 5'2- changes OF names and S'leS, M
of reservations there were 500; removals 10 :
deaths. 231, changes ol names ahd SIZES, l'- es-
ENLISTMENT of new offices. $50, total appointments,
an Tn, number of offices IN the late disioyaI
Stl,,s Is s 9U2 OF which 1851 were r2-opened ON No
ynr,Le, u l,l5. Number of route agents. 3>'; AZ
,,r...f,. conversation. S22t 522. NuuUer oil local
AGENTS ~: aggregate compensation epVSt' NUh-
her of special AGENTS. 50 aggregate compensation
- 7,A Number OF baggage masters, ITO a""le-
-. .,,,,,.r.,tinn IS 6N Number of postal tail
,-.,,- .,rL. 81. aggregate COMPENSATION, SioOOu
Dc1G Iriicr.--ihr number OF deadletters disposed
of wa, 3SUS7, an increase oil o792o- over 'e pre-
yious veIr The number containing money ana le-
mailed to owners. was - l2f VIII a. S'cIosu.t9
,,nountfnr 10 S2i4G73 81; o; these 3526S, contain
inc 500 q5i 90 were delivered, leaving $50 unde-
Iiy.raL with enclosures of the valUe OF SD 40 "
The uumber containing sums less than one dollar,
WIS 10 100 amounting To Si,O+i -, oil WhIch -"9o
cnnt.iin,, - 81 % were delivered to the writers
The number oil ft4l-itltt lttltl9 80
uj6 The number OF letters containing checks
hills of exchange deeds and other papers OF value
va n sol with nominal value OF S332].SSS Of
which 10 TAG cOutaiug So 2l6 40 were delivered
leaving unclaimed l,55S, OF the value oil 50 ,o''
The number containing photographs, Jewelfy anu
r;s,all ,n-ouS articles was G. gO2 OF these 4lOOO
we're delivered. and 2S3U2 remain Tor disposal or
l,i,,r worthless have been destroyed. The number
nf valuable letters sent out was lOr99 an increase
of 3S 1872 over previous wear. lie huluOct contain,
ug stamps and articles oil small value was o,3o'' anu
al nulii and instructed letters lbb,2lo. Inc num-
I.r mi ordinary dead letters returned 10 the writers
,y,s lsS so and the number not delivered was
~ 3Ul being about % per ceat, oil the Wh"'e' vi
tho, not delivered less than four per cent were lc-
fused by the writers The numberol foreign iet'erS
returned WAS l67 40, and the number received from
f,,,,-n countries wa, SS Col. The number OF letters
conveyed m the mails during 1850 i estimated az
e7 al Am of these 36S 0oI were returned to the
dead letter office including 3b6,O9i army ana navy
letters The total number lost or destroyer was
40 l2i. or one in every 2U0 mailed. Less than -
,, cent advertised letters are delivered. 1t is pro-
n1sad 10 Tcpsal the lar requiring the list 81 IetcrS
m he gubRSacd an newspapers Ct the largest ciTrN.
I7t,of. and 10 Ieare he mode IF Circrtr'RS to He
discretion Of The Postmaster General
The estimated AMOUNT of claims OF contractors ana
Others residing in the southern States, for services
pr.yiouS to the war; is not less than slOOOOOO.-
Many of these claims have been presented, but none
have been paid under 4 rule adopted early III tle
war. OF not paying claims to parties known To ne
ENGAGED in aiding the rebellion. Balances were
due from Southern post master. at t9c ou,'!eIN VI
Nh, war amounting to S369O27 81, few OF which
have been paid. The aid of the courts and other
AGENCIES are being employed to collect the amounts.
The report SAYS Although the service mas been IT,
stored in each OF the southern States Is not 80
General ~ the Department has desired, and TIE
y,nts of tbe citizens require. because IF tie dH-
,UIfy Of procuring contractors ant post masters
rbG ran taLc tie oath prescribed by the acts o! July
, 1863 and March 8. 1868, requiring unltOrm loyalty
20 the Government during the rebellion, a the con
dition of holding Oice aud Tor tine carrying oil the
mails The principle ON which the Post Once De-
lrtmeDt was established is that OF de.rdynS lt eN-
nanses ont of its revenues. In practice, however II
mas rarely done So The past year j. one OF the eN-
,eptional instances in which THIS has Deen accom-
plsled The same result Is not anticipated LOT t'c
current year. in consequence Oh the expenditures III
.ident To the REIMBURSEMENT OF the service IN tae
south. without the prospect for some time NJ least
of any considerable revenues from that source.
Report OF Hon. Hugh McCulloch, Secretary OF the
Treasury.
This report will be read with an interest perhaps
uneoualled since the days Of William Duane, Nicho-
las Bjdile. and the United States Bank. Seldom
mas an executive document been looked for with
more anxiety. We subjoin but brief synopsis de-
ferrinra more ample abstract,
The Secretary discusses the three questions OF the
currency. the public debt and the revenue lie goes
into full exposition OF the objections 10 Chlltu
states notes a. permanent currency, tie chlet oil
which he states to be the fact that the Government
,r the United states Is one of limited ald dehncu
movers and that the authority to Issue notes as
money is neither expressly gwen To Congress .! Tue
Constitution, nor fairly To be inferred except rs
measure OF necessity in great national emergency
lie hoIdsit to be the GROWING glory OF the Con,
titut,on that this great war has been waged ahd
Chased without the power OF the Government being
ENLARGED or is relations 10 the States being changed
The Secretary, after very ably meeting the vari-
ous objections 10 Il reduction Of the currency recon-
mends
FIr.,. That Congress declare that the compound
interest notes shall cease to be legal tender rom
the dav OF their maturity.
S,ruud. That the Secretary be allofLeu' III Ms
discretion. 10 sell bonds oil the United states bearing
interest az rate not exceeding six per cent ana re-
le.ms6,e and PAYABLE at snch periods a. may be
conducive to the interests OF the Government Ion Tue
purpose ot retiring not only compound interest notes
but the United States notes.
In reference 10 the debt, tac Secretary believes
that If KEEP, al home II need not be oppressive UuI
that it Is still national burden ana the WoiA Oh 't
moving il should not be long postponed.
The secretary sees no way %. removing IL bul ny
am increase OF the national Income owe: the eNpeh'
d.tGrcs. 1t should be our ambition not 10 pePue''u
II 10 our descendants. -.
The ur,t step should be to fund the maturing obll-
cations The next should be 10 provide Tor rdisihI
I'M the least odiDus manner. the revenue necessary
10 nav the interest and certain definite annual
amount Tor the pa ment OF the principal Mr. Mt' Ill
loch hopes tllt Congress VIII he decided ana en-
pha:ic on this point -,,,,-,,
The debt on the 3lst Of October wa; - oJo OIL
,37. %. dedlct.ng moneys in the Treasury II wa
- 40 s5i75O. tie estimates it on July l. leoo' IL
3 900 900 600 The annual interest, Il funded NJ
i've and a.hdl per cent. would be slo5 ulJ UVo nat
If unde at five per cent it would he Sl5J 90 VN.
Ii 500 100000 per annum should be applied 10 pay
accruug interest, and 10 reduce the principal funded
AZ the higher rate OF i've per cent. the debt wonI
be paid IN thty-two years ~ i've and a-haii per
cent in a little over twenty-eight wears.
The Secretary believes that no act oil congress
would be mo.t popular than one which should pro-
vide for such an eNtinguishmeut OF the debt
Upon the subject OF internal revenue, the report
recommendS-
FIRST That the collection Of the internal revenue
taxes which accrued before the Establishment OF
revenue offices iR the States recently IN rebellion be
indefinitely p. sponcd.
Second. lhat all sales Of property in those states
under the direct tax law be suspended until tht
states shall have an opportunity OF assuming la'
ws> done by the loyal states the payment oil Inc
| tax assessed upon them.
H. oh ~ q fI-T