Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-12-05

Denclency... u, 2OI, 4OI
No appropriation is needed to meet this
defect, as the Department has already unex-
pended appropriations amounting to 50, 100,-
900. Appropriations are however called for
for the steamship service between San Fran
cisco, Japan, and China, to the amount of
| $3.50, 000 and for the Brazil line for the
same amount. Of course the statements re-
lating to the new contracts are at the present
moment the most interesting. The state
ment is as follows:
The mail service in operation on Both
June, 1865, embraced 8,Ol2 routes, of the
aggregate length of 142, $40 miles, costing
So, 246, Ss4, exclusive of compensation to
route and other agents, amounting to $685.
| 602.75.)
Railroad, 4ol miles, costing o., 7O7 42l
Steamboat, l3,oss miles, costing...... 1853, COS
Celebrity, &C., l05, s5l miles, costing. g. 10, S65
The aggregate miles of transportation were
81, 993, 4S4.
Railroad. .2i,OS7,0
steamboat: IA ,oSo
Celerlty, Sc.....1.. '.oli 4ol, ljO
The cost, per mile, for transportation by
railroad was III cents steamboat, l4i cents
celebrity, &C., 10 cents.
Tho increased length of routes was 3, 1853
miles; of transportation, 1878, 1877; and of
cost, $428, For other details Of the con-
tract service see appendix.
Until September Is, 1864, the service on
the Lincoln and Portland route was per-
formed by the California stage Company, at
the rate Of 500, 900 per annum. Under pro-
posals for continuing the service until 1866
and 1868 the only bidder was the same COM
pany, at $3.50, 900 per annum, which, being
regarded as excessive, was accepted only to
June 30, 1865, for the purpose Of again in
viting competition. This was done by ad-
vertisement, dated October IL, 1864, under
which the California Stage Company was
again the only bidder, at 5000, 900 per an
nun, which was declined. Tho service was,
however, offered to the contractor for an
other year at the compensation of 5000, 900
per annum, which was refused. Arrange
ments were then made with responsible par
ties to convey the mail at 1925, 900 per an
NUN to June 80, 1865; after which it Is hoped
the service will be performed at moro reason
able rates.
The overland mail service from tho Mis-
souri, river to California is performed under
two contracts, one from Atchison to Salt
Lake city, and the other from the latter
place to Folsom city. On the Western
division the service has boon performed with
reasonable regularity while on the eastern
portion it has been more or less irregular,
owing, as alleged by the contractors, to high
water, bad roads, and hostilities of the In
dams, disappointing the expectations of the
| department as to the value of the service.
| Railway post offices have been established
on several leading railroads, and arrange
ments are in progress for their introduction
on other lines. The result, so far, encOur-
ages the hope that the system, by accelerat-
| ing the transmission of correspondence, and
lessening the number of distributing Offices,
will be of permanent advantage to the postal
interests OF the country
The work of preparing post route maps,
under the appropriation of the last Congress,
is progressing favorably.
The net amount Of fines imposed on con-
tractors and deductions made from their pay
during the year, was $50, 443.37.
The number, descriptions, and costs OF
mail bags, mail locks and keys purchased,
appear in a tabular statement annexed. The
increased expenditure for bags, compared
with previous years, was owing to the wants
of the army and the increase of free and
printed matter.
The number of routes ordered into opera
tion in States lately in rebellion is 241; their
length lS,64Of miles; and compensation
1874, 949 a reduction, compared with former
cost of service in those States, of 1881, 100
per annum. This, however, results in part
from reduced service, which, II increased to
the standard Of frequency previous to the
war, on the present rates Of pay, tho cost
| would be-
For railroad service $3.50. O53, instead of
$3.50, 1855 per annum.
For STAR service 1926, s4S, instead of
$500, 026 per annum.
For steamboat service, which having been
increased, estimated at former number of
trips, is 500, sol, instead OF $203, 668 per an
mum, making the aggregate pay pro rata for
all the service $3.50, 4O2 instead of 81, 6O3, O5S
per annumj showing an aggregate decrease
pro rata of 1922, 056 per annum.
Proposals have been invited by advertise
ment for carrying mails in Virginia, West
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
and Florida, from January l, 1866, to June
30. 1867.
Number Of routes advertised. ........... sj2
Number for which proposals were re-
| CelNeu OIL
Number for which no proposals were re-
oeiyed. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 3S5
Number Of proposals accepted 232, at an
| aggregate ot......,.......,.,....... .9lO2,7l4
| Number Of offers made by Departmental
| an aggregate ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1876, $50
Number Of proposals suspended, 90, being
those of certain railroads, and routes of doubt.
full utility.
Advertisements have been issued for car
rying mails in Georgia, Alabama Mississippi,
I Iii