Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-12-03
changed in the mails with foreign countries
"a 81 Qeo zoo an increase of 4 (lf6 50o ~

|
was ~ ,Se2 500, an increase Of &, 06G, SOP, or
25 per cent. over the number in 1871 and the
postage thereon amounts to 81 ,67l ,251.25.
| The total weight of the mails exchanged
with European countries exceeded S2l
tons. The cost of the United States
transatlantic mail steamship service
was S220,30l.I0. The total cost Of
the United States ocean steamship service,
including the amount paid to the subsidized
lines of mail steamers, was Sl02, 702 ,091.
| The following are the only steamship lines
now receiving subsidies for mail service I'M
der special acts of Congress: The Pacific
Mail Steamship Company receives $500, 900
per annum for conveying monthly mail be-
tween San Francisco, Japan and China, which
will be increased to 100000 per annum
Pfor a semimonthly mail on and after Oct. !,
1885, the United States and Brazil Mail
Steamship Company receives 100000 per
annum for conveying a monthly mail between
New York and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and
the California, Oregon and Mexico Steam
ship Company receives $75 900 per annum
for conveying a monthly mail between San
Francisco, and Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands !;
making the total amount of mail steamship
subsidies at present, $4,000 per annum.
| Our postal communications with all parts of
the civilized world have been placed upon
most advantageous footing by the improved
postal conventions and arrangements recent
ly concluded with the leading commercial
countries of Europe and America, and the
gratifying statement is made that with the
| conclusion of satisfactory convention with
France, the details of which have been def
nitely agreed to by the head of the French
postal department, subject to the approval of
the Minister of Finance, little remains to
be accomplished by treaty for some time to
come with respect either to reduction of rates
| or improved facilities of postal intercourse
Your favorable consideration is respectfully
invited to the recommendations made by the
| Postmaster General for an increase of ser.
vices from monthly to semi-monthy trips en-
the mail steamer route to Brazil; for subsi-
dy to secure the establishment of an Ameri-
can line Of mail steamers between San Fran.
cisco, New Zealand and Australia; for the
establishment of post office savings bank
and for the increase ofthe salaries Of heads
of bureaus.
| have heretoto recommended the aboli-
ton of the franking privilege, and see no
reason now for changing my views on that
| subject 1t not having been tayor0bly re-
garded by Congress, however, / now suggest
a modification of that privilege to prevent its
large and costly abuses. would recommend
also the appointment OF a committee or com
mission to take into consideration the best
method, equitable to private corpora
tons who have invested their time and capt.
| tai in the establishment of telegraph lines, of
acquiring the title to all telegraph lines in
operation, and of connecting this service
with the postal service of the nation. 1t is
not probable that this subject could receive
the proper consideration during the limits
of short session Of Congress, but it may be
initiated so that iurther action may be fair TO
the government and TO private parties con-
cerned. There are but three lines of ocean
| steamers, namely The Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company between San Francisco, China
and Japan, with provision made for semi
monthly service after Oct. /, 1873; the
United States ard Brazil line (monthly) and
line (monthly), plying between the United
States and foreign ports, owned and operated
under our flag. l earnestly recommend that
such liberal contracts for carrying the mails
be authorized with these lines as will insure
their continuance. If the eXpedicncy of ex-
tending the aid of government to lines of
steamers which hitherto have not received it
should be deemed worthy of the considera-
ton Of Congress, the political and CONNER
cial objects make it advisable to bestow such
aid on line under our flag between Panama
and the Western South American ports. By
this means much trade now diverted to 9TH
er countries might be brought to us to the
mutual advantage of the country and those
living in that quarter of the continent of
America. The report of the Secretary of the
Treasury will show an alarming falling off in
the carrying trade for the last ten or twelve
years, and even for the past year. | do not
believe that the public treasure can be better
expended in the interest of the whole people
than in trying to recover this trade.
An expenditure of s., 000, 600 per annum
c. III G,.a - -
US our proportion of the carrying trade of the
world, would be probably expended. The
price of labor in Europe has so much en-
HANGED within the last few years, that the
cost of building and operating ocean steamers
in the United States is not so much greater
than in Europe. 1 believe the time has ar
rived for Congress to take the subject into
serious consideration.
DEPARTMENT OF JCsTICE.
| Detailed statements of the disbursements
through the department OF Justice will be
furnished by the report of the Attorney Gem
eral, and though these have been somewhat
increased by the recent acts of Congress to
enforce the rights of citizens of the United
States to vote in the several States Of the
| Union, and to enforce the provisions OF the
| l4th amendment to the constitution of the
United States and amendments thereto,
cannot question the necessity or the salutary
effect of these enactments. Reckless and
lawless men, regret to say, have associated
themselves together in some localities to de-
prive other citizens of the rights guaranteed
them by the constitution of the United States,
and to that end have committed deeds of blood
and violence; and the prosecution and pun
ishment of many of these persons have ten
ded greatly to the repression of such disorder.
do not doubt that great majority of the
people in all parts of the country favor the
full enjoyment by all classes of persons of
the rights to which they are entitled under
the constitution and laws, and invoke the
aid and influence of all good people to pre-
vent organizations whose objects are by I'M
lawful means to interfere with these rights,
and look with confidence to the time, not far
distant, when the various advantages of good
order and peace will induce an abandonment
of all combinations prohibited by the acts re-
ferred to, and when it will be unnecessary to
carry on prosecutions or infict punishments
TO protect citizens from the lawless doings of
such combinations. Applications have been
made to me TO pardon persons convicted of
violation Of said acts, upon the ground that
clemency in such cases would tend to tran
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