New-York tribune., 1876-09-30
WASHINGTON.
CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL.
DEAD LETTERS NOT TO BE RETURNED.
wAsHNGroS, Friday, Sept. 20, 1875.

WASHINGTON, Friday, Sept. ~, 1870.
E., w. Barber, Third Assistant Postmaster
General has recommended TO the POstmasteg-General
the dsconnuance of considerable portion Of the work
OF the Dead Letter Office. Mr. Barber recommends this
change in letter which contains important points He
SAYS that the reduction Of force in the Dead Letter Office
owing to the reduced appropriations and to the TACT that
clerks from other divisions cannot be assigned 70 That
duty, makes n necessary to abandon the WORK; THIS
branch Of tn service ia chosen because the return Of
ordinary letters without value is the least important TO
the department although OF considerable value to the
pube and the force employed before the reductOn was
barely adequate The system OF returning ordinary dead
letters was begun in 1861 having been copied from th;
postal departments Of other countries Js system VIII
be discontinued Oct TO- and is one OF the results Oh
the crippling reductions Of the Bourbon House.
MAIL SYSTEM COMPLETED.
On the first day of October mail service viii
be begun on about 700 routes which were let under reg
ular advertisements the 31st Of July last The con-
tracts have been executed returned with remarkable
purctuaty This service is considered important mas
much as 1t puts operation regular mail supplies on all
routes which various had not been accepted
at previous lettings ard embraces tie new routes ec
ated in tile early part of the last session OF Congress-
thus completing the entire system Of mail transportation
IN everv state and Territory OF the United States The
POstinastercUcral has just ssued advertisements 10.
the regular lettings for ts years service TO take ed ct
Jan. L. 1870 embracing 10 fou'eS III 4" "''''e' W w.
Territories.
BURNING OF PETROLEUM SHIP.
Information has been received ut the Treas
ury Department through tic Department Of STATE from
the United States Consul at Copenhagen that the snip
Ellen Dyer, Granville 2. Capp MASTER OF NeW-York,
laden with refined petroleum, took fire and was totay
DESTROYED near the island Of Thuuo in the Categat The
officers and crew took to the boats aud landed that
island whence they wcre brought TO Aarhus by the
Danish revenue cutter No. 49, and then sent TO Copen
hagen by the Russian yce-Consu at Aarhus The crew
eniiTely destitute and were relieved pY ,ae Cu
af, ,pbo and ~
the earliest opportunity.
BABcoCK's TRIAL
The Babcock case will not go to the jury
until tomorrow. The arguments to-iay we're by Col
Cook for Gen. Babcoek and by Mr. Riddle for the Gov
eIunent The Iatters argument was only begun. COL
Cooks argument went into the details Of the eVt
dcnce than did Judge Fullerton but contained no new
theories for the defeuse Columbus alexander and his
trends anticipate hung jury, Gen; BabcOck expect
m acqutta The entire effort Of the defense Is directed
TO GcCIre acquital.
IMPORTS AND EXPORTS.
The following is q reorganization OF tAe
values Of imports lnto the United states, and domestic
aud foreign exports during the month OF August as tur
nlshcd by the Bureau OF Statistics:
Weycsa,dls,. Domestic ez'pts Foreign
iS!G s5J,5i ,S64 s4i2sGO'4 ss5s.lii
hI9iS S3S euans Aug oi 4ilsIG7s s5ee94S7 lOO62l4
hss Has s @oIS9S 76 saS45a2Os lOCO2l8o
ESS HnS ~ IoaS Is75 SlO5lo s5SGlIOGO so253OO
ADc-.C ard Bullion
MHhth ending Aug. 81, ,,a-o ,-,o ooo 20. =, %
AI,in is7 'nuins ~ aug o. l97Gas7 4,s35,245 27SO27
hiiSs Ens Il. Hi"i is96 ~ ~ 7g4sGI 4O6lO222 4s2ls9s
Eigut months en,IBE =, =, 30 IA. 0tI a41 $40
81, lSlB.....---.- l4,oIotoV% "'''"''-3.
,,l,, .n,,ntt Al. Al. Specie values.
ISSG ''' '.-..7....'. ...... 9SJ,l5IOi5
MOnth cndng Aug. 81, ., roo az,
Fiyht months cn'hng ,-,,,,,,,
Aug 81, lS7B.,..-... 30Z,<t-'olf ''''''
Eleht months ending ,,-,,,..
Aug. 81, 1873 .......... ..... olfi1ll'l0o .'..''
tn, following shows the imports and exports OF the