Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-03-06
MAKING total alnonnt apnrn-
Making the estimated cost for
the fiscal year....... .......... l6, Ala, ,o2l 90

The whole cost, then, it will be seen, 0: inland
transportation of the mails Tor the year ,.nded
June 80, lST3-the last year ot the fTankinT
privilege, and iuciuliug the unusual amount of
free matter thrown Il, on the mails during the
last three months Of its GXistencc-was Si3,
| 635, 81, while the sum appropriated for the
current fiscal year ending on the Both day of
June next. upon the estimates of the Depart
| mcnt, and including .hc S5)0,0O0 appropriated
for readjustnent Of pay on railroad routes under
the act of March, 1873, amounted to 5,J40, ,02O.
And the amount Congress is now asked to appro-
pirate for the next fiscal year for the same pur
pose is Sl6 4l3, S2l.
OF course very large proportion Of this in
crease is chargeablc to the establishment Of new
post Offices the extension of mail routes, aud of
the improved mail fici!itc, afforded, and no one
who will take the trouble to examine the subject
with any degree OF care can doubt it is entirely
legitimate and proper. But il is just evident
that the abolition of the frankng privilege has
not produced the benefits predicted by the friends
OF the measure, and that the increased revenue
which was expected 10 result from its repeal has
not been sufficient to dispense with or diminish
the usual appropriations for the deficiencies il
! the revenues OF the Department.
And | am entirely free to admit, sir, that |
cannot comprehend the lire of argument, which
| taking the whole number Ot documents formerly
sent to the people Of the country under the frank
OF members of Congress, and computing the
chargeable upon them If sent By rnIil AZ The
present rates, assumes that such sum represent
the amount the Post Office Department would
gain by the abolition of the privilege If the
same number of books and documents should BE-
sent by the mail, at the same rates. of course
the conclusion would be correct, and the leve-
nues would he increased by the amount paid
thereon but il they are not put in the mail, and
are forwarded by express, it is difficult To under
stand how the receipts of the Department will
be augmented, or how any person viii be benc-
fitted, but the stockholders Of the express com
panies.
Ii was not. sir. because ! believed the Govern
ment would derive any very substantial pecuDi-
AIRY advantage from the abolition of the fraukiHg
privilege that uniformly voted a. did in the
last Congress in favor of its repeal, but because
many persons had come 20 regard It n cIsoAai
privilege Of members OF Congress, and believed,
whether properly or not, that il was not Only
liable to abuse, but that il was abused by those
cntite, to its exercise. aS well ~ ny others. For
the same reason | should now Vote against It's
rc-enactmcnt. il it, original objectionable form.
and would oppose lis restoration with Huy lea
lures that coud b. regarded aa cuHfrrr.ng i
privilege pvreouJi - III" member himself, n any
sense or degree, al a. granting privileges which
could in any manner be abused Or perverted To
Improper 81 unauthorized purposes.
Mr.. small. VIA the gentleman yrid 10 TIE
for question
Mr.. Packer. Certainly.
Mr.. Small. 1 desire to ask the gentleman
| from Pennsylvania whether the estimate which
has been submitted for the expense Of carrying
the mail for the next year includes the expense
| of carrying so much of 1t by Express as the De
Partmcnt chooses to carry by express, and
whether that was done last year?
Mr.. Packer. | feel very confident the Post
Office Department does not send the mails or
mailable matter by express. 1t Is said some OF
the other Department, DO END matter By eX-
press which they formerly sent in the mails M
der the frank, but 10 what extent | am not adj
yised.
Mr. Small. You have 10 account, then, of
the expenses that have been incurred in carving
by express during last year!
Mr.. Packer. No, sir | have no reliable data
from the other Departments. 1t may be proper
for me to explain, in this connection, however,
that although the Post Office Department does
not send by express, it does send free in the
mails without the use of the official postal
stamp, such articles as are regarded in the ma
turc of supplies" fol- the Department itself !;
such as wrapping paper, twne, mail bags, locks
and keys, marking-stam blanks, stamped en-
velopes, &c, the daily average of which is.
understand, in the neighborhood OF half a ton IN
weight. If postal stamps were put upon these.
the apparent revenues of the Department would
| be increased by that amount, but whether the
! country would be any richer by the oivration Is
| a problem leave to others more skilled in anch
mysteries TO explain.
! Now, sir, having referred TO the deficiency"
| in the Post Office Department, permit me To say
! that ! do not think it will be difficult 10 show
| %hence it comes, nor TO de uonstrate 10 the
! House and the country why the expenditures in
! this Department are in excess of the receipts.
In the forty-eight States and Territories, in
/ GLIDING Alaska and the District of Columbia, the
/ expenditures for The fiscal year ended June 80,
/ 1873, exclusive of the amonnt paid for foreign
mails, mail bags, postage stamps, and items OF
a general nature, and including small amount
Of miscellaneous items, were S26, 500, 963.93.
And the receipts, exclusive of money-ordcr busi-
ness, fines dead etters, &c. were, $40 9O5, ,65S.4S
leaving a total deficit on this account Of
81, 704 ,305 45.
In only seven of the States did the receipts ex
ceed the expenditures, namely:
New Hampshirc ................... 500, 9S3 So
Massachusetts ......... ........ ... 64l 500 -
Rhode Island ............. .......... l04.593 o.
Connecticut ..... ............. To-. .G42 o.
New York. ............,..... ......l, ,3g2 526 80
New jersey. ......... 9.O5S O6