The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-03
Affairs in the Post Office
Department.
GENERAL HOWARD RISES TO EXPLAIN.
Tho Secretary Of War Wants the Counterfeit
Presentments Of Ills Predecessors.
How Government Salaries
Are Fixed.
WASHINGTON, July 2, 1873. 4
Tho Poatal Service

The Postal borvtccs
An ofllcial statement prepared to-day ct the Post
ONCE Department shows the number Of post ofrices
In the United States on June 80 1875 to be 80 244
an increase during the year OF 1851 The number
of miles Of railroad service on the same date was
es,5l4. an increase during the year OF 56os miles.
The following is an Oiicial statement Of the condi-
ton OF the postal card contract to June 3O:-Requi
sitions on the contractor to date, from 1855 oces
33,645 900 cards; orders suspended at the Depart
ment, from 5,o15 offices. 9,4S4.O00 cards; total
number ordered by 6,708 p0stmasters to date
q, 129, 900; number issued to June go inclusive
90, $50 900; balance unified % $40 900 postal cards.
The Postmaster General to-day issued an order
authorizing the employment Of thirty additional
carriers by the Philadelphia Post ONCE, at salaries
OF $500 per annum, commencing August l; also
the employment OF twelve wagons. with drivers.
for the free delivery SERVICE at a total additional
expense net exceeding $751; 900 per year. commenc-
ing October 1.
Third Assistant Postmaster General Barber re-
turned to Washington to-day and resumed his
duties.
An extension OF the postal service s ordered on
the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota Rail
road, between Centre Point and independence.
Iowa. at $685. per annum.
General Howard and the Freedm ms
bureau.
General Howard, referring to the various re-
ports concerning him in connection with his late
management of the affairs OF the Freedman's
Bureau, declares that he never IN Supplied dol
lar Of the public money, and challenges proof to
the contrary. The moment there shall be Official
charge which he says is not likely to occur, he will
demand a court martial as the most efrectual means
OF clearing HIM of every vestige of unjust sus-
pioion.
Pictures OF the Secretaries OF War.i
The Secretary OF War, In his intention OF secur-
ing for the Department pictures Of previous Secre-
taries OF War, has already caused to be placed
cOnspicuOusly in the Secretary's ONCE and ante
room portraits Of ex-Secretaries Knox, Dexter,
Dearborn, Eustace, Pickering, Scott Calhoun,
POinsett, Holt, Cameron, Stanton and Rawlns.
Others are now being painted for the Department.
The Secretary is DESTROYS to procure original por
traits, If possible from which copies will be made,
OF ex-Secretary McHenry, OF Washlngton's Ad-
mnstration; Grlswold, OF Adams; W. H. Craw-
ford, OF Madison's; George Graham, OF Monroe's;
John Bell, Of Harrison's, and George W. Crawford,
Of Taylor's.
Fixing Salaries.
Supervisor Hawley OF New York. has been here
to-day in consultation with Commissioner Doug
lass, adjusting the salaries of deputy collectors,
clerks and other internal revenue officers in New
York. Salaries were fixed IN the various districts
according to the amount of business done therein.
Claims OF Civil Employees.
About one hundred and twenty thousand dollars
will be required to pay the claims for the additional
twenty per cent compensation allowed to certain
civil employees of the government in the city OF
Washington. BY recent decision Of the Court OF
Claims under act OF 1867, which decision was az
frmed by the Supreme Court OF the United States,
upon one class OF these claims only was the appeal
taken from the first decision OF the Court OF
Claims, and those were Of laborers employed In
public grounds, guards at the Jail and wOrkmen
upon the Capitol extension. Upon the Supreme
Court Affirming the decision OF the Court below, and
ordering that these persons be paid twenty per
cent, 1t was understood that the workmen
in the Navy Yard and Government Printing ONCE
who had been before the Court OF Claims would
also be allowed additional compensation, and the
Court OF Claims so ruled, directing that Judgment
be entered in favor OF all OF them, numbering about
one thousand one hundred. The ninety days al
lowed by law for the government to appeal to the
Supreme Court on the latter cases will expire on
the 14th inst, and unless an appeal be taken by
that time, the claims will be paid. The impression
is however. that no appeal will be taken, although
some OF the accounting oicers OF the Treasury are
Of the opinion that judgments must be
paid out OF the appropriation made by Congress to
pay awards Of the Court of Claims for the fiscal
year. Others hold that the ninety days allowed the
government for appeal preclude the payment Of
claims until the present fiscal year expires, and,
therefore, the money must be paid out OF this
years appropriation.
Change In the California Postal
Service.
The Postmaster General to-day issued orders, to
take effect on the 10th inst, disseminating the
steamship mail service between San Francisco and
San (aI i.h 10 md Inv tha
Northern Pacific transportation Company five
times per month, the establishment of daily mail
service by railroad and stage between San Fran
cisco and Los Angeles, having, in the judgment OF
the Department, rendered the sea service un-
necessary.
The Increased Pay OF Officers.
The new law, passed at last session OF Congress.
increasing the pay of certain heads OF bureaus
went into effect yesterday. Hereafter the Super
vsing Architect OF the Treasury VIII receive $4,000
per annum; the Examiners of Claims in the De-
partment OF State; the Solicitor OF the Treasury;
the Commissioners of Agriculture, General Land
once and Pensions the Auditors OF the Treasury,
Assistant Postmasters General and Superintend-
ents OF the Money order system and of Foreign
Mails $4,000 each; two chiefs of the Diplomatic
and Consular Bureaus in the state Department
and chiefs Of Bureaus OF Accounts, Indexes and
Archives, s.. 400 each.
Article OF War No. IS.
Upon question referred to him by the Secretary
of War, the Attorney General decides that the lin
itaton oftwo years prescribed by the eighty-eghth
article OF war runs In favor OF ain offender subject
to trial by court martial If he IL within reach or
subject TO the control OF the military authorities
Notwithstanding he may conceal his offences and
that the manifest impeachment to prosecution re-
fe red to in said article means not mere want Of
evidence, but want OF power or jurisdiction In
the military authorities to make the offender an
swerable TO justice.
Timely Precautions Against Boiler Ex-
plostons.
General E. d. Smith, supervising Inspector Gen
era Of Steamboats,, leaves here on Friday for q
tour in the Northern, Eastern and Western states,
to visit all local boards OF inspectors and institute
series ofexperiments in boilers, boiler iron, &C. 1t
Is his intention to enforce the requirements Of the
law and have ONLY such persons licensed as are