The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1866-12-25
90. u. Nat.s.lal 90.

f Ter the 81 those II car readers
who hav ua hsi tlse time to wadt
through ,a mameruus public decu.
mtnis 81 aayt lnsa beforr them, &c Gull
oui aud c34denag ntsi'y interesting facts
bearing ulap The national welfare and
progress We have fasded the inotings
II tie different departments embodied
IN the ppsdents 's'essaec. a. we pres
eume that al eur readers who pretend
g any interest IN puhlc affairs viii have
carefully pemsed that document. lor
their own sake. i no, for tho writer's
The aeregaio area Of the pubic lands
ot tho tftcd States, surveyed and m.
surveyed g t55. igSs. 500 acres -awhifh
Is seventeen times the whol6 ~;
face Of Prussia, including her territorial
increase anee the war With Austria.
7 only one II The old revolutionary
pensioners is now living Samutl Down.
ing of EdinbUrg. Saratoga county Ncv
York. tie Is more than hnndtkH
years old OF the widows Of resolu,
tlonary pensioners who we're mnrfied
before the close of their husbands
military service, only two are living.
Tho present strength Of the regular
army Is only 8S,5A5. which is nearly lT4
600 short of the minimum strength con-
templaied by law The volunteer force
is now II .0l3, colorod and white, most
n colorod, During tho last four years
the Government has supplied TO disabled
soldiers about 1000 legs, 2,240 arms 0
feet and 55 hands and il has about ons
Thousand moro limbs 10 distribute.
We have now an iron-clad fleet of 81
vessels, and there are moro to be COM
pleted. The incomes last year paid
revenue Of 500, ,s9I, 435, which was
nearly three times the revenue OF last
year from the samo source. The cigar
smokers contributed to the support Of
tho Government $3,474, 437, and the
ehewors and the tobacco smokers nearly
four times Ms much. Distilled spirits
gave revenue Of $40, 1Ds,57S; and tho
Commissioner thinks that the Govern
ment loses more by evasion under this
head than any other, except possibly
that Of income
Ii is estimated that 150,000 freefmen
and their children are now attending
school in tho Southern States. Tho
issues of rations, on the first Of June, To
whites and blacks wero about equal.
The Freedman's Bureau has now in its
possession for distribution 272, 23I acres
OF land, besides 22S tracts in Tennessee
and lll0 parcels Of town property.
The Government sold during the
past year Sl2, ,204, 729 worth Of postag6
stamps and envelopes. We sent
abroad l,SS6,9l6 letters. and received
from abroad 4,543, $50 We sent near
" three millions Of newspapers, and res
ceiyed little over ono million. The
number of post offices is 23,62S; OF
which there have been re-openod in the
rebellious States 2,77s. Forty-six have
the free delivery system, and the plan
gives excellent satisfaction.
The number Of money-order Offices
now IN operation are 7G6-about doub-
le that Of the previous year. Nearly
four millions of dollars we're were thus
safely passed through the mails.
The average amount Of onclf
order was 1882. The number Of dead
letters was about four millions and
half They contained $24l $50; ana
drafts, checks, deeds, &c, having n nom
nal value Of $7S2G,sSl; and G7,016
photographs, articles Of jewellery, &c
Between eighty and ninety per cent. Of
the whole We're returned The Post
master General indorscs previous es-.
innate that more than throe-fourths of
the dead letters are owing to careless
ness IN writing the address,
The expenses Of Congress last year
were $4,03i, ,523; of tho Executive De-
partment $5,921, $50, of the Judiciary,
sl,6273i9. Our foreign intercourse
cost Us $l,33S,3SS The lighthouses
establishment Of the country cost 81
37S,S58 The funeral expenses OF tho
late President Lincoln were $39, ,000.--
The gas for the Presidents House and
the Capitol is put down at $4,000
hope the light was in proportion, The
fuel for the Presidents House cost $12,.
600; the painting Of il s., 600; the re-
pairing Of the conservatory 10000;
and the refurnishing of the house 76 600
al Of which is calculated to give nm
impressive idea Of the size and appoint
monts Of that establishment for which
50 many candidates arc in training.