Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1866-12-08

ciont war material TO meet any emergen-
cy has been retained, and, from the dis
banded volunteers standing ready to re-
spond to the national call, large armies
can be rapidly organized, equipped, and
concentrated. Fortihcations on the coast
and frontier have received, or are being
prepared for more powerful ornaments;
lake surveys and harbor and river inn
provements are in course of energetic
prosecution. Preparations have been
made for the paytient Of the additional
bounties authorized during tho recent
session Of Congress, under such regula-
tions rs will protect the Government
from fraud, and secure to the honorably-
discharged soldicr the well-carned reward
of his faithfulncss and gallantry. More
than six thousand maimcd soldiers have
received artificial limbs or other surgical
apparatus; forty-eight national cemete-
ries, containing the remains of l04,526
Union soldiers, have already been estab-
lsheh The total estimate of military
appropriations is S25, ,2O5,66o.
REPORT OF sECRgTARY OF TuR NAVY
IL is stated in the report of the Secre-
tary of the Navy that the naval force at
this time consists of two hundred and
seventy.eig vessels, armed with two
thousand three hundred and ffty-one
guns. Of these one hundred and fifty
vessels, carrying one thousand and twen-
! ty-ninc guns, are i'll commission, distrib-
uted chiefly among seven squadrons. The
number Of men in the service is thirteen
thousand six hundred. Great activity
and vigilance have been displayed by all
| the squadrons, and their movements have
been judiciously and efficiently arranged
i'll such a mmner rs would best promote
American commerce, and protect the
rights and interests of our countrymen
abroad. The vessels unemployed are un-
dergoiug repairs, or are laid up until
their services are required. Most of the
iron-clad fleet is at League Island, in the
vicinity of Philadelphia, place which,
until decisive action should be taken by
Congress, was selected by the Secretary
OF the Navy as the most eligible location
for that class of vessels. 1t is important
that suitable public station should be
provided for the iron-clad fleet. 1t is in
tended that these vessels shall be in
proper condition for any emergency, and
it is desirable that the bill accepting
League Island for naval purposes, which
passed the House of Representives at its
last session, should receive final action at
an early period, in order that there may
be suitable public station for this class
of vessels, rs well as navy yard of area
sufficient for the wants of the service, on
the Delaware river. The Naval Pension
fund amounts to $11, 100000, having been
increased $2,750,00u during the year
The expenditures Of the department for
the fiscal year ending both June last were
S43,324,5 and the estimates for the
coming year amount to 23,56S, ,43G.
Attention is invited to the condition of
our scamen, and the Importance of lcgis-
lative measures for their relief and i'm
proyement The suggestion on behalf
of this deserving class Of our fellow-citi-
zens are earnestly recommended to the
favorable attention of Congress.
REPORT OF THE PoST1IAsTER-GENERAL
The report of the Postmaster-G General
presents II most satisfactory condition of
the postal service, and submits recon-
mendations which deserve the considcra-
tion of Congress. The revenues of the
Department for the year ending June 80,
1866, were Sl4, 1886, ,9s6, and the expendi-
lures Sl5,so2,079, showing an excess Of
the latter of s065, 1903. In anticipation
of this deficiency, however, special ap-
preparation was made by Congress in
the act approved July %, 1866. Includ-
ing the standing appropriation of
500, 900 for free mail matter, rs a lcgiti-
mate portion of the revenues yet remain
ing uneXpendcd, the actual deficiency for
the past year is only s205, ,O93-a sum
within S5l l4l of the amount estimated
i'll the annual report of 1864. The de-
crease of revenue compared with the pre-
vious year was one and One-titth per cent,
and the increase of expenditures, owing
principally to the enlargement of the
mail service in the South, was twelve
per cent. On the 3Oth of June last there
were in operation six thousand nine hun
dred and thirty mail routes, with an ag-
gregate length of one hundred and
eighty thousand nine hundred and TWEEN
ty-one miles, an aggregate annual trans
portation of seventy-onc million eight
hundred and thirty-sevcn thousand nine
hundred and fourteen miles, and an ag-
grcgate annual cost, including all expen-
dtures, of ss,4l0,lS4. The length of
railroad routes is thirty-two thousand
and ninety-two miles, and the annual
transportation thirty million six hu ndrcd
and nine thousand four hundred and
sixty-seyen miles. The length of steam
boat routes is fourteen thousand three
hundred and forty-six miles, and the all
nual transportation three million four
hundred and eleven thousand nine hun
dred and sixty-two miles. The mail SER
vice is rapidly increasing throughout the
whole country, and its steady extension
in the Southern States indicates their con-
stantly improving condition. The grow
ing importance OF the foreign service also
merits attention. The Postofiice Depart
ment of Great Britain and our own have
agreed upon preliminary basis for q II NV
Postal Convention, which, it is believed,
will prove eminently beneficial to the
commercial interests of the United
States, inasmuch as it contemplates a
reduction of the international letter post.
age to one-half the existing rates; re.
duction of postage with all other coun-
tries to and from which correspondence