National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1872-12-05

Italy, Sweden, Norway, and Spain WA sl,.
SOS Sd.05, an increase Of. sl22, 1854 over
the amount reported for 1871. The postages
on lettcrs sent exceeded tic hostages on let
ters received from the same countries In the
sum Of go 776. 80, being over II per cent. Of
the aggregate amount. The poStages collect
cd In the United States amounted 10 4Slg "a.
80, and In Europe to sIS4, COZ. IS; the excess
Of collections In the United States being 1884,
B34.b5, or $50 per cent. Of the entire postage
receipts from European correspondence.
Comparing the year 1879 with tho year
1871, the rate Of Increase In the total number
of letters exchanged with foreign countries
was 20 per cent, and the rate Of increase In
the amount Of hostages thereon was sc per
cent. The increase In the number Of letters
exchanged with European countries was 2D.3
per cent, and the increase Of postagss thereon
amounted to l0.4 per cent.
The total weight Of malls exchanged during
the year with European countries was ,Bi0,-
CSC pounds, lover 800 tons) the weight Of
letter correspondence being 35l, 9O5 pounds,
and Of printed matter and samples !, 2SS, 7S4
pounds The aggregate weight Of mails sent
to Europe was Sl3,9S9 pounds, and Of mails
received from Europe 500 700 pounds. The
weight Of letter correspondence sent TO Eu-
rope was lSBiSB pounds, and Of letter cor
rospondonce received from Europe 1876, 10
pounds. The weight Of printed matter and
samples sent to Europe was 827, SO3 pounds,
and Of printed matter and samples received
from Europe 600, 0Sl pounds.
The cost Of the United States transatlantic
mail steamship service for the year 1872 was
s22O,3Ol.7O, being increase of s40, 1881
over the cost Of the same service for the year
1871. The payments made to tho respective
steamship lines conveying mails to Europe,
receiving the sea hostages as full cOmpensa-
ton for the service, were "a follows, Wis The
Liverpool and Great Western Civilians Il
GulOn) line, for SO trips, from New York to
Queenstown, eos, S62.67; the Inman line, for
o. trips, from New York to Queenstown,
eos 96l.t7; the Hamburg American Packet
Company, for 10 trips, from Now York TO
Plymouth and Hamburg, and also for con-
Veying mails from New Orleans TO Santander,
(Spaln,) and Hayro, (Franco,) sI9 422.3S;
trips, from New York to Southampton and
Bremen, and also for conveying mails from
Baltimore and New Orleans to Bremen, s28-
1895; the CunArd line, for 80 trips from
Boston TO Liverpool, S5, 6S9.23; the Canadian
line, for So trips, to Liverpool s3, 9T3.8S; the
Baltic Lloyd line, for trips, from New York
to Stottin, S92.62. Total, SEQ, SOTO.
Tho United States hostages on malls con-
yoyod to and from the West Indles, Mexico,
Panama, South Pacific, Belize, (HOnduras,)
Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Bermuda
amounted to Sl37, 1881, and the cost Of the
sea conveyance thereof Yns SSl, 1927. The
United States hostages on mails exchanged
with Brazil, Japan and China, the Sandwich
Islands, New Zealand, and Australia, by
means Of the subsidized lines Of direct mall
steamers, amounted to S3S,9I5.22.
The total cost OF the United States ocean
mail steamship service for the year 1872 lin
| Guiding sT95 900 paid from special approprla-
lions Tor steamship service to Japan aud
China, to Brazil, and to the Hawaiian lslands)
was 81, OF O2O.0T.
Contracts FOR the conveyance of the mails
from Now York to European ports, copies OF
which are annexed, have Soeu executed with
| the Liverpool and Great Western Steamship
Company for the Wednesdays mail from New
| York TO Queenstown and Liverpool; with the
| Hamburg American Packet Company for the
/ Thursdays mail from New York TO Plymouth
and Hamburg with the Oceanic Steam Navi-
CATION Company for the Saturdays mail to
| Queenstown and Liverpool; and with the
/ North German Lloyd, Of Bremen, for the
Saturdays closed mails from New York to
the continent OF Europe, via Southampton.
| Each Of these companies receives tho sea
| hostages on the mails conveyed rs full COM
pensatlOn for the service, and the contract
with each expires on tbs 3lst OF December,
1873, when II Is hoped that the sailing-days Of
the respective transatlantic steamship lines
can be so adjusted as to secure the dispatch
Of malls from New York to Europe on each
weekday by steamers Of approved speed.
The contract for the conveyance Of an ad-
dltional monthly mail on the mail steamship
| Ihulb DtlNttl Dan ETuuNlbCO anu Japan anu
| China, authorized by the act Of Congress ap-
proved June l, 1872, has been awarded to the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company, Of New
| York, the contractor for the existing monthly
service, the bid Of that company for the per-
Torrance Of the required service, at u COM
pensaton of 800, 600 per annum, being the
only one received under the advertisement
issued by this Department. \ copy Of this
contract Ia annexed.
| A new contract has been executed with the
Pacific Mall Steamship Company, contractor
for the mail steamship service to Japan aud
China, under the stipulatiOns and provisions
| of the acts OF Congress approved February
II, 1885, and February IS, 1857, which dis.
charges and releases from future response
| bility the suTetles for said company under the
| previous contracts, executed the 10Th Of OctO'
Der, 1864, and the 10Th of March, 1867, re-
| spCctiycly and substitutes new auTeties IN
their stead. This contract contains all the
stipulationI and conditions Of the two con
tracts previously executed, and was made al
the request Of said company, for the sole OBJ
jeCt OF accepting new suretlcs and releasing
tho original sureties from further response
blllty, az they have retired from the manage
ment and direction Of the company. copy
| thereof Is hereto annexed.
| respectfully renew the recommendation
made In my report OF last year for an increns,
Of service from monthly to semi-mOnthll
trips on the mall steamship route to Brazil
and also for moderate subsidy In aid of tn
establishment and maintenance Of an Amcrl
, can line Of mail steamers between San Fran
, cisco and New Zealand and Australia, by wa!
, Of the Hawaiian Islands.
A postal convention has been concluded
with the Kingdom Of Denmark, q copy o
which Is appended, establishing, from Janu
! airy l, 1873, u reduced International postag
! OF cents per single rate on letters exchange
A with that kingdom, and moderated charge
: on prints OF all kinds patterns and sample
9 | Of merchandise. Similar postal convention
/ have been agreed upon with the postal az
4 mlnistratlOns Of tia Kingdoms Of Sweden an
' Norway, and now await formal execution
Q These conventions will establish reduced II
: teTnAtiOnal letter postage Of o cents per slngl
: rate to Sweden and 10 cents per single rate
4 Norway.
3 A second additional convention has bee
: concluded with Switzerland, establishing
. | regular exchange Of correspondence, In close
Q malls, at reduced postage rates, by the rou
}, through Germany, via Bremen or Hamburg,
: copy OF which Is annexed.
, The postal conventions with Ecuador IN
: the Argentine Republic, referred to In my Ia
:, report, have been ratified by the Government
, of those countries, respectively, and tho raj
|, ncatiOns thereof exchanged at WashlngtO
II Copies OF these conventions are hereto a
q neIed,
/ A postal convention with Newfoundlan
It reducing the international letteT-pOstage tn
l. cents, has been concluded, a copy Of which
= annexed
During my administration, improved post
is conventions and arrangements have been co
l. cluded with the leading commercial countri
le Of Europe and America, establishing great
" reduced pOstage-charges on correspondent
n with all parts Of the civilized world. Fran
q Is the only commercial cOuptry of promlnen
d with which any serious difficulty has been e
N countered In eiiectlng reduction Of pOstal
and otherwise improving the conditions OF !
ID ternatlOnal mail communication. have Il
a. satisfaction to state, however, that the neg
A tiatlons with the French government Il
nj promise OF the early conclusion OF a post
convention, fixing the single rate Of intern
tiOnRl postage at s cents (i0 centimes) per
re- grammes, and providing for the exchange
re printed papers Of every kind upon satisfa
No tory terms. The draught of this conyent
M has been definitely agreed to by the Fren
ma director Of posts, and has been submitted (
We tho approval of the minister Of finance.
NJ conclusion will place our postal commune
M tions with oil parts of the world on me
advantageous footing, leaving little to be q
ar complshed by treaty for some time to CON
va with respect either to cheapuess OF rates
le- facilities Of postal intercourse
lar AppOISTNRNTs