The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-02-01
WASHINGTON.


WASHINGTON, jan. 31.--CJmmander Oscar
F stanton has beeu ordered 10 tue command
OF the receiving ship Vandalia, at Portsmouth.
NOMINATIONS.
The President nominated to the Senate to-
day Thomas Loring, Collector OF customs at
plymouth, Mass, and Francis A. walker, OF
massachusetts, Superintendent OF the census
INTERNAL REVENUE RECEIPTS.
The internal revenue receipts to-day were
Sl,2S7 400, and for the present month SlZ.419,-
oOO, a gain of 81 100000 over January, 1867.
REDUCTION AT THE NAVY YARD.
Five hundred men were discharged from the
navy yard to-day, mostly from the bureaus OF
contraction and repairs. One hundred more
VIII De transferred TO the bureaus OF yaros anu
uocks and equipment aud ordnance, IeavlnS
about 100 men at work in the yard. THOSE TO
oe retained are the actual residents OF " ASH
lngton, who have families to support.
THE POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
The Senate Committee on Post Offices and
Post Roads, in their report to-day IN 1avor
OF the bill reported back to establish postai
telegraph and 20 establish postal teiegrdpn
company, express the belief thaG the time mas
now come for connecting the telegraph WIN
the postal service. America is the only COUP
try in which correspondence by telegraph IS
Entrusted solely to private corporations: Inc
Investment, in proportion to the length ot tne
ihes, Is large, the rates are higher and the TEL
though there is no nation where 1T could be
used to SO great an advantage. In all other
countries the charges are UNIFORM for the same
Instance; here they vary in Inherent sectlons
ana are higher at the South than at the East,
and higher at the West than at the East, and
therefore discriminate against those sections
Where from the infrequency of the mails and
the means of communication the telegraph is
must needed. The average cost OF construct
ing telegraph lines in this country is $40 per
in fiya EuFnnpan
tries Is S75 per mile. 1t is not asserted that the
wires can be built here as cheap as in Europe,
2ut there is no reason for this great difference.
uiSn rates are required in this country to
yield far return upon the nominal invest
ment. Competition has reduced the tariff be-
tween few competing points, but at an in
crease OF capital and private expense. A per-
manent remedy for this evil is large reduc-
tlon OF capital, the consolidation of the COM
petlng companies, reduction of Office expens-
es by a union with the post offices, and by the
prepayment of kilograms by stamps. This will
enable great reduction to be made in salaries,
with corresponding reduction of private ex-
penses on each message, and will extend the
benefit of the telegraph to all classes and re-
move the causes OF competition. Tue commit
tee give statement of capital expenses and
earnings of the Western Union Company and
allude to the Belgium and British lines, aud say
that thew do not feel justified in the present
condition of our financial resources to recon-
mend government telegraph which would
involve the expenditure of from eighteen to
twenty millions of dollars for the lines of one
company alone, and an arpual tax upon the
whole people for the benefit of the small num-
bers who use the telegraph. The advantages
of the system recommended are in the reduced
rates as shown by the annexed tables, in uni
tor.n rates for equal distances. and in fixed
rates for press news, and establishing as a right
that which is now enjoyed as favor. The tel
egraph companies have already agreed that the
United States NAV purchase their lines by as
seuting to the provisions of the act passed July
20, 1866. The committee concluded by saying
that the postal telegraph system will depend
for its success in the economy with which it is
managed.
RECEPTION.
The President will give his next public re-
ception on Thursday evening, from eight to ten
o'clock.