The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1872-12-03

out OF the general treasury was S0,3l7, -
765 "a, an excess of 1899 707 % over the
deficiency for the year 1871. Other in
teresting statistical information relating
to our rapidly extending postal service
is furnished in this report. The
total length of railroad mail
routes on the thirtieth of June, 1872,
was 81, Gil miles; 8,077 additional miles
Of service have been put into operation
during the year new lines of railway
post Offices have been established with an
aggregate length of 2, 909 miles; the
number of letters exchanged in the mails
with foreign countries was "A, 362, 500, sa
increase OF 4, 066, SOP, or twenty per cent,
over the number in 1871, and the postage
thereon amouats to $l,S7l ,257. 25. The
total weight of the mails exchanged with
European countries exceeds 800 tons;
the cost of transatlantic mail steamship
service was $220, 30l 10; the total cost of
the United States ocean steamship service
including the am lunts paid TO the subSl-
dised lines of mail steamers, was 81 ,027,-
020.97. The following are the only
steamship lines now receiving subsidies
for mail service unler special act OF
Congress: The Pacific Mail Co. receive
$50O,00 per annum for carrying
monthly mail between San francisco,
Japan aud China which will be increased
TO 81 900, 900 per annum and semi
monthly mail on and after the first of
Oct. 1873; the United States and Brazil
Mail Steamship Co., receive S $l50, 900 per
annum for carrying a monthly mail be-
tween New York and Rio de Janeiro,
and Brazil and the California, Oregon,
and Mexico Steamship Co., receive
$3.50 600 per annum for carrying
monthly mail between San Ftancisco and
Honolulu and Hawaiian Islands, making
the total amount of mail steamship subsi
dies at present $7,25D,U00 per annum.
Our postal communications with all parts
of the civilized world have been placed
upon most advantageous footing by the
improved postal connections and arrange
ments recently concluded with the leading
commercial countries of Europe and
America. and the gratifying statement
is made that with the conclusion of
satisfactory convection with France, the de-
tails of which have been deinitly agreed
| to by the head of the French postal de-
| partment, subject to the approval OF the
/ minister of finance, little remains ID be
accomplished by treaty for some time to
come In respect to the reduction of rates
/ or improved facilities of postal intercourse.
/ Your fayerable consideration is respect
/ fully invited to the recommendation at
/ the close made by the Post Master Gan
eral for an increase of service from
monthly to semi monthly trips on the
mail steamship route to
/ Brazil for a subsidy to provide for the
l. IL. 4 inn fak
mail steamers between s.an Francisco,
New Zealand and Australia for the es-
adjustment of post Office savings banks
and for the increase OF the salaries of the
heads of bureaus. l have heretofore
commended the abolition of the franklng
privilege and see no reason now for
changing my views on that subject. 1t
not having been favOrably regarded by
| Congress, however, | now saggest mod
itcation of that privilege TO correct its
glaring and costly abuses.
POSTAL TELEGBAPHY.
/ | would rec ecommend also the appoint
ment of a committee or commission to
take into consideration the best method,
equitable to private corporation who have
invested their time and capital in the es-
tabii,hment of telegraph lines, of acquiring
;hc title to all telegraph tines B0w in
operation ami OI connecting their service
with the postal service OF the nation. Ii
is not prooaGls that this subject could
receive the proper consideration during
the limits OF short session of Congress
bat 1t may be initiated SO that further
action may be fair to the government and
to private parties concerned.
STEAMSHIP SUBSIDIES.
There are but three lines of ocean
steamers, namely The Pacific Mail
Steamship Co, between San Francisco,
China and Japan with provision made
to> Semi-monihly service after October
ls;, 1873 the United States and Brazil
line, monthly, aud the Ca ifornia, New
Zealand and Australian line, monthly,
plying between the United States and
foreign ports and owned and operated un.
der our flag. | earnestly recommend
that such liberal contracts for carrying
the mails be authorized with these line:
as will insure their continuance. II the
expediency of extending the aid of tht
government to lines of steamers whICt
hitherto have not received it should bt
ieemed worthy Of the consideration o
Congress, political and commercial object
make 1t advisable to hestOv
such aid on line under ou
flg between Pannapa and the Western
South American ports. By this mean
much trade now diverted to other coun
tries might be brought to the Unite
States to the mutual advantage of thi
country and those being in that quartz
of the continent of America. The repor
of the Secretary of the Treasury wili sho'
an alarming falling of In our carryin
trade for the last ten or twelve years an
even ior the past year do not believ
that public treasure can be better expend
ed in the interest of the whole peOpl
than in trying to recover this trade. \
expenditure Of S5.0O0,0J0 per annum tC
the next i've years, II il would restore
US our proportion of the carrying trade {
| the world would be profiEa5ly expended
The price of laboI in Europe has been :
much enhanced wi hiu the last few year
thar the cost of building aud operatin
ocean steamers In tle United States
l. not 50 much greater than In Europe
that believe the time has come for Coz
gress to take this subject into serlo'
consideration.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
Detailed statements of the disbur
ments through the Department of Justl'
will be furnished by the report OF Il
, Attorney General. and though these ha'
been somewhat lacrelsed by the receI
acts of Congress TO enforce the rights
/, citizens of the United States to vote
the several states of the L aIon and to e
| force the provisions of the fourteen
: amcndmaut {, the constitution OF Il
United States and the ameDdmen-s ther
o eaun0t question tae necessity a.
saiItry eiiec9 OF these enactment
e Reckless aud lawless mea i regret
; say have associated themselves togeth
: IN some localities TO deprive other citIze
!, the right guaranteed them By the G.
r stitutlou Of tie Uuited States and 10 h
I end have eom4nitte1 deeds of vloie ace, d
: the prevention and punishaleut ofina
n Of these persoas have teaded greatly
; the repression of such disorders. |
. n1t doubt that great majority OF the p'
: pie 10 all PARIS of the country favor |
t full eni ,yment by all classes of persons
t the rIghts 10 which they. are EMIT
e under tha constitution and the, laws. q