The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-29
WASHING ON.
Pen Pictures of the Sena-
tOrial Recruits.
WHO AND WHAT THEY ARE.
Postmaster General Cresswell Or
the Postal Car Difficulty.
MIR. HrNCKLEY CORRECTED.
ylsonfizMsd Appointments -Ritish Steamns
u Pay the american Tonnage Tax.

ylsoRfizMsd Appointments British Steamers
70 Pay the american Tonnage Tax.
WASHINGTON March "a 1879.
QAosstn nstsr General Creswcn COntradicts
the Statements OF Mr.. Hinckley Com
cerning the Postal Cars.
Postmaster General Creswen was about to leave
his house this evening your correspondent called
on him with reference to the postal car diflcuty,
which IL considered here the most pressing ques-
ton orthe day. Mr.. Creswel, ever courteous and
,Obliging, at once consented to give the desired
information, though he appeared much In haste
In order to save time your correspondent handed
him Q copy Of to-day's HERALD, pointing to the
letter Mr. Hinckey, President OF the Philadelphia
Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad. After glanc-
ing over the letter the Postmaster. General re-
Marked
.'Under the act passed last session the compensa-
ton to railroads carrying postal cars will be In
creased the next year 100000, and as soon as
shese perfect the system Of postal cars. which
implies the Introduction OF sixteen or seventeen
additional ones, the increase will amount to
$500, O00" 81
"Mr. Hinckley says in his letter that in 1850 his
railroad was paid $3s, 25o."
'In 1850 the railroads were paid according to the
act Of 1916, which act said that they must be ar
ranged into three classes, and the highest rate
shat could be paid to any Of them was 1915
Q mile per annum. These classifcations
were based upon the size Of the mails,
the speed with which they were conveyed
and the Importance OF the service. At first the
maximum weight Of mails which entitled rail-
road to $375 per annum was something over 10000
pounds 80 that Mr.. Hinckley's road, which is only
hmm drad mil lnnn bavQ carr naar
the maximum weight Of mails to have entitled
him to 1915 per annum." Now. under the bill
passed last session, Mr. Hinckey is benefited in two
important respects In the first place he Is paid
pro rata for the weight Of the mails, no matter
what that weight may amount to. There is no
limitation, but the price increases as the quantity
Of mails increases, and the rule OF increase after
reaching 5000 pounds, Is $25 per annum for every
200 pounds additional; 30 that II Mr.. Hlnckeys road
carries % 900 POUNDS OF mails or any smaller guam
fity in addition to that which he carried in 1850 he
will be paid for that increase under the bill OF the
last session, whereas before he would not. In ad
dition to that, under the last bill Mr.. Hinckey will
be paid for every line Of postal cars on his road
from twenty-five to fifty dollars per mile per
annum according to the length Of the cars. Thus
1t Ia not true what Mr.. Hnckley says-that the
compensation in 1850 was substantially the same
As that which he got under the bill Of
last session for carrying the mails on the
postal cars Mr.. Hinckley's mails win be
weighed as soon after the LIST OF July as pos
sible, and he will be paid for every pound he
carries, and 30 will every other road in the United
States, and the compensation OF the roads center
ing In New York will all be materially increased,
some Of them as much sixty per cent. Mr..
Rinckley has misrepresented the matter. He tries
70 make the impression that there will be no in
crease Of compensation On the contrary there
will be an increase for all the postal cars carrying
mails = New York."
The New Postal Cards.
BY the terms OF the contract the Morgan En-.
velop Company, Of Springfield, Mass, are to have
5000 900 OF the new postal cards ready for delivery
on the LIST Of May The law calls for 1OO,O 900 for
the rst year. but the Postmaster General Is OF the
opinion that onethrd more will be needed for that
period. The card Will be three by five and an
eighth inches in size and will bear a one cent
stamp and the water mark ~. S. P. o. D."
Award OF Southern Claims.
The Third Auditor has stated and reported to the
Second Comptroller over seven hundred Southern
claims which have been awarded Only about one
hundred and fifty now remain.
Tonnage Tax on British Steamers.
The Secretary Of the Treasury has informed the
agents Of the various British lines of steamers
ming to this country that the treaties between Great
Britain and the United States do not support their
claims for the exemption OF their vessels from the
tax on tonnage imposed by law. The Secretary has
also decided that fees shall be charged by collectors
OF customs for certifying in the original invoice of
imported goods presented by a merchant i'm
porter, but that no fee shall be charged for GER
tifcate Of the 0icer to duplicate invoice received
AZ q veridcation Of the original.
Payers OF Income Tax.
An of1cial statement shows that the total num- |
her Of persons in the United States who were as
sessed for income during the years 1871 and 1872
under the act Of July IA, 1870, were 74,775 and
74,337 respectively.
The Mississippi Levees.
The Senate Committee on the Levees OF the Mis- |
eissippi, at q meeting held here yesterday took |
measures for obtaining the specific Information |
upon that subject, through correspondence and |
otherwise, and will, during the recess OF Con.
8ress make personal examination Of that river |
and the general interests connected with 1t. The |
committee consists OF Senator Alcorn, of Misss- |
0ppi, chairman; Clayton, Of Arkansas; West, of |
Louisiana; Scnurz, OF missouri, and Gordon, OF
Georgia. The committee will prosecute the in.
quiry diligently and, at the session. will urge
that the general government take charge OF the
Devee system as matter OF great national concern
Uneonhrmed Nominations.
The following nominations were not confirmed
during the closing hours Of the Senate, and the
President has been advised accordingly
r. B. Hayes. Assistant Treasurer OF the United |
States At Cincinnati Ohio; John N. Stokes, Regis
Ter Of the Land once at Tallahassee, Fla genja-
min y. Wallis, Collector OF Internal Revenue Ninth |
district, Massachusetts,; Edward Ruhe, Collector |
OF Internal Revenue Sixth district, Pennsylvania;
Oeburn L. Harris, Collector OF Internal Revenue
Fourth district, North Carolina; william L.
Scruggs, Minister Resident OF the United states to
the United states OF Colombia; Robert Keller
Consul OF the United States at Sc. Martins, West
indies; Thomas E. Mitstead, Collector OF Customs
Yorktown, Va.
Treasury Balances.
The balances In the United States Treasury at the |
close OF business to-day were:-
Currency. s21leos2
special deposits OF legal tenders for the
redemption OF certificates OF deposits. %, 445,0oo
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