The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1866-12-13

is.e0nly $265, ,093-1a sum within
SO S5l, ,141 of the amount estimated in
~ the nnualieport of 1864. The de-
creaseisof revenue compared with
~ the previous year was one and one
~ nth per cent, and theIincrease of
expenditures, owing principally to
81 the enlargement Of the mail serv.
sisiee.ih the South, was twelve per
cent On the Both of June last
there were in operation six thou.
= sand nine hundred and thirty mail
: routes, With anaggregate length Of
az one .hnndred and eighty thousand
nine hundred and twenty-one miles,
pn'an aggregate annual trausporta-
tiOn Of seventy-one million eight
hundred and thirty-seven thou
80 :,51 sand nine hundred and fourteen
srsmles, and an aggregate annual
= cost, ,dncludlng all expenditures, of
70 $S,4l0,1S4. The length Of railroad
,rs,routes isithirty.two thousand and
sd, nihety.two miles, and the annual
ri Transportation thirty million six
-Giohundred and nine thousand four
Sgl.hupdred1 and sixty-seyen miles.
THE length of steamboat routes is
~ fourteen thousand three hun 1red
"a and fofty-si& miles, and the annual
Soltranspoytation three million four
-,ighhndred aud eleven thousand
Snn,hine hundred AID sixty-two miles.
.diThe. mail service is rapidly incrcss.
otoihg9t throughout the Whole country,
~, - and its steady extension in the
10 Southern States indicates their
80 constantly improving condition.
The growing importance of the
foreign service also merits atten-
53seti0D. The Post Office Department
.oSeof Great Britain and our own have
-,Isagreed upon a preliminary basis
1ol fora new Postal Convention, which
.Y9itisi believed will prove eminently
-,2Pbeneficial to the commercial inter
20 ests 16f'the United States, lnasmuch
~ asi it contemplates reduction of
1.-THE international letter postage to
,oy0ne half the existing rates; re-
-9Iduetion of postage with all other
% countries to and from which cor
abSTespondence is transmitted in the
British mail, or in closed mail
q through tie, United Kingdom; the
establishment Of uniform and reas-
stonableIcharges for the sea and ter
,mSritcfial transit correspondence in
"a closed mails; and an allowance to-
81 each Post-oflice Department of the
fight to use all mail communica-
tions established under the author
aoitylofthe other for the dispatch of
~ correspondence, either in open or
brclosed. mails, on the same terms as
'sthose seapplicable to the inhabitants
of the country providing the means
.iref transmission. "a W.
The report Of. the Secretary of
sethe Interior exhibits the condition
,Of those branches of the public
,aservice which are committed to his
supervision. During tie last fiscal
year four million six hundred and
.twenty-mne thousand three hun.
'1dred and twelve acres of public
Land were disposed of, one million
Toeight hundred and ninety-two thou
sand five hundred and sixteen acres
of which were entered under the
lohomestead act. The policy origin
3ally. adopted relatiye'to the public
lands has undergone essential mod
sifieations. Immediate revenue,
D.and not their rapid settlement, was
:. the cardinal feature Of our land
system. Long experience and ear
nest discussion have resulted in
the conviction that the early de-
-'vefopment of our agricultural re-
sources, and the diffusion of an en-
sergetic population over our vast
Territory, are objects Of far greater
finfportance to the National growth |
and prosperity than the proceeds
,of the sale of the land to the high
est bidder in open market The |
-pre-emption laws confer upon the
pioneer who complies with the
terms they impose the privilege OF
purchasing limited portion of
unoffered lands y at the minimum
price. The homestead enactments
relieve the settler from the pur-
chase of money, and secure him a
permanent home, upon the condi-
tien of residence for term ofyears.
This liberal policy invites emigra-
-tion from the old, and from the
more crowded portions of the new
world. It's propitious results are
undoubted, and will be more sig
nally manifested when time shall
have given to it a wider develop