The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-12-04
WASHINGTON.
President Hayes in Favor of w oman's
Suffrage.

President Hayes in Favor of woman's
Suffrage.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8. Mrs Sarah j. Spen-
Ger and Mrs. Sargent, the wife of Senator Ssr-
gent, this forenoon asked the President to rec
ommend in his message legislation by which
women should be recognized in foreign as we'll
| as domestic appointments; also that he recon-
| mend an amen5ment to the constitution 10
ORDER to secure wOman'S suffrage in the United
States. The President replied that at a future
time he might state 10 writing his views, but
would now say that if Congress should recon-
mend for the adoption By the states such an
amendment to the constitution it would meet
with his approval.
Report of Postmaster General Key.
Postmaster-General Key says the total ex-
pendltures of his department were $33 1885,
322l4 receipts, 1853, 1926 excess of ex-
penditures over receipts, So, 954, 1918.
In addition to the receipts shown above,
there was realized on grants from the Treasury
for varions purposes hereinafter detailed, the
sum of $7, ola, 300 90, making the total amount
received from all sources, $34 544 1856 &C. an ex-
cess over the expenditures of 81 1858 562 49, In
Guided IN the above statement of expenditures
is the sum of 81, 1885, $780, paid on liabilities
incurred in previous fiscal years, and not pro-
perly chargeable to the expenditures of the last
fiscal year. Deductinga this sum from the ag-
gregate amount leaves 1872 800, 504 "a, as the
actual expenditures for the year.
The sum of 81 ,024, 7l9 16 was derived from
newspaper publishers; 3,28S, 300 dead letters
were received containing $40,062 IL in money
and 81, 3Ol, 7S0.49 in valuable papers; $4754
could not be restored to owners There were
forwarded 1878, 127 registered letters and $780,
80 was collected in fees. There were at the
close of the year 4O98 offices supplied by mail
messengers, at an annual COST of 1868, 497.
There was an increase over the preceding year
in length of routes of IL .022 miles; in annual
transportation. II ,083, 543 miles; and in cost
$183 755. Deducting the decrease in cost for
railway, postofice clerks, route, local, and 9TH
er agents, $15, 500, the total increase was $685.
100.
The amount Of fines imposed upon contract
ors and deductions made from their pay for
failures and other deluquencies for the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1877, was $9S, 755. 46, and
the amount RENTED for the same period was
S25, 80, leaving the net amount of fines and
deductions $64, 232. IA. The cost of repairing
mail bags has been reduced go per cent. There
were 543 arrests for offences against the postal
laws The percentage of losses in one in 5000
letters sent through the mails.
The cost of the United States transatlantic
mail steamship service for the year 1877 was
Sl59, 742 49, being reduction of $12, 500. 81 from
the cost OF the same service for the year 1876.
The negotiations for postal conventions with
Peru, Victoria and Chill, referred to in the last
report, have been unsuccessful; but it s hoped
that improved postal facilities will soon be es-
tabllshed with those countries by their adhesion
to the General Postal Union treaty. There is
no portion of the world with which the United
States has as unsatisfactory mail arrangements
as with South America.
The number of domestic money orders issued
during the year was 1926, 93l, amounting to
S72, 1920, 509.70, and the number paid was a. 769.-
673, amounting to S72, 448, 1868. The domes-
tic orders repaid amounted in value to $780,
318 Y. which sum is to be added to the amount
of orders paid. making the total payments 49,
90S 475 rs, and the excess of the payments over
the issues $87,965.55. Fees amounting to $685.
1885 were received by postmasters for the issue
of domestic orders
A decrease is shown by the foregoing state
ment of the years transactions, when compar-
ed with that of the previous year, amounting to
ST. 215 1853 o. or 5.4S per cent. in the orders is
sued; 81, 1874, 4149 90 or 46 per cent, in the or
ders paid; and $21, 956 55, or 3 40 per cent in
the fees received. The chief cause of this not
able decrease in the amount of the money Or
der bsiness during the last year was the contin-
ned financial depression, which has seriously
affected the business of the country and di.
minished the number of remittances for various
purposes.
The New York Nominations Not Confirm
ed.
The New York customs nominations have
failed with the session. Gen. Harlan is an As
sociate Jastice of the Supreme Court, the mo-
ton to reconsider his confirmation not having
been acted on.
Various Matters.
The President sent to the Senate this after
noon the following nomnations:-JOhn B.
Hawley, of Illinois, Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury; Ezra A. Hayt. Commissioner of In
dian Affairs.
In executive session, on motion of Mr.. Conk-
ling, the Senate removed the injunction of Sc
crecy from its vote by which the nomination of
Owen 2. Fitzsimmons was confirmed.
A paper was addressed to the President to-
day. signed by numerous Republicans in Con-
gress, asking him to appoint ex-Gov. Packard
collector for the port of New Orleans
Gen. Harlan arrives here Saturday next and
takes his seat the following Monday as Asso-
ciate Justice of the Supreme Court.
1t is understood the Attorney -Ge neral has
rendered the opinion that the failure of the
Senate in extra session to confirm the new off.
Gers appointed in place of the old officers sus-
pended actually reiDstates until future action
of the appointing power the officers, and in
structions to this effect have been transmitted
by the Secretary of the Treasury to some of the
officers in question. There are cases in Vir-
ginIa Louisiana and other Southern States.
which may come under this ruling, but thus
far, according to the best information, it has
been practically applied only to the Texas
cases.
The only bills that became laws during the
late extra session of Congress were the army
appropriation bill for the current year and the
navy deficiency bill.