Morning journal and courier., 1883-05-04

| ouflng the early days or the postal service 1T
 the colonies of North America. This record
 is in the handwriting of Benjamin Franklin
 and shows that during period of eleven
 years only 365 letters containing valuables
 were sent to the dead letter office. The rec
 ords of the department to-day exhibit at 8
 glance the enormous difference between the
 postal service of the present and of the early
 days of the country's history. The number
 of letters received at the dead letter office l during the last year was 4, ,207, 496, or more
 than 13 ,000 each working day. Of this vast number nearly 20, 900 contained money to the
 value of upward of $44, ,O0O; 25, 900 contained checks, drafts, money orders and other pa pers to the total value of about $2,0Oo,- GOO; while 52, ,00O had enclosures of postage stamps. This vast amount of mail matter was sent to the dead letter office because three-fourths of the addresses could not be found; one-eighth were addressed to guests in hotels who had departed without leaving addresses nearly 300, ,0O0 were insuficiently prepaid, and as many more were either erro- neously or improperly addressed. Eleven thousand bore no superscriptton whatever. Wherever practicable letters are forwarded to the parties addressed, if they can be reached In any manner. If they contain valuables, and the sender is known, they are returned; otherwise the valuables are sold and the proceeds deposited in the United States Treasury. If letter-writers would ex- ercise an ordinary amount of care, the ma
 ority of the work of the dead-letter divi- sion would be dispensed with, and all the trouble, and annoyance of losses by mail would be avoided. But the business of this branch of the Postofice department increas- es from year to year.
 Secretary Folger has decided not to ap- point Solicitor Raynor as a substitute for Fifth Auditor Alexander to vacancy on the Hill Investigating committee as suggested by Congressman Murch The Secretary says the investigation must now go ahead, with MT. Alexander filling the vacancy in the com mission.
 The receipts of the patent office for the four months of the present calendar year are $68, GOO in excess of the receipts for the cor responding months last year.
 In his Star route argument to day Mir. Bliss continued the review of the testimony gen. erally and called special attention to that of Vaile and John w Dorsey and it's inconsis- tency with other sworn statements of theirs He will close to morrow.
 d naval review at Hampton Roads within the next ten days Admiral Porter and staff left here today on the United States steamer Despatch for Hampton Roads to make an in spection of the vessels now at that place. It is thought that the President and Secretary Chandler will be present at the review.
 The national board of health is informed that ninty-three deaths from yellow fever occurred in one week recently at Rio Janeiro at which. place the disease has been declared epidemic. The officers of the national board of health were busily engaged to day in trans mitting instructions, recon mendations, etc., to the southern health authorities relative to the immediate establishment of quarantine stations.
 MT. Sidney Dillon, president of the Union Pacific railroad company, has replied to the letter of Secretary Teller in regard to the money due the government by the road. After stating that the directors have carefully con- sidered the Secretary's letter and desire to comply with the law, he enters into long statement in justification of the position as sumed by the company prior to the passage of the Thurman act, July l, 1879. He states that the company was entitled to fair and reasonable compensation for carrying the mails The Postoffice department he states fixed it's own rates of compensation which the Supreme court disafirmed and affirmed the view of the company. The account of the company made up to July 10, 1878, for performing the mail service shows that S7 ,6S4, ,991. .25 is due the company by the government for this service. It is ad- mitted, MT. Dillon says, that $864, 1O711 is due the company, which leaves $82O. 99o. IA in dispute. The question whether the stand ard adopted by the company is a sound one remains to be determined by judicial decis- ion. For the entire period after the Thur man act took effect the company claim as due for postal services $4, ,65O,O27.19. De- ducting from this the amount of postal ser vices fixed by the department, $1,- 911, 138 .O8, according to MT. Dillon there remains in dispute $2, 738. .S89.11. It should be noted, Mir. Dillon says, that the $69, ,358; 82 paid in by. the company in July, 1881, is not credited in Secretary Tel ler's letters. MT. Dillon concludes as fol lows: The sum stated above, $2, 738, ,SS9.11 it will be seen is far in excess of the balance due the government as stated in your letter Without taking into account the $82O, 89O If due the company for postal services prior to the Thurman act as above it seems hardly reasonable to require the company under these circumstances to pay the balance thus claimed by you until the questions in contro. versy can be judicially settled. In submit ting this their view the directors ask that any error of princiL al or detail if such be found may be pointed out to you and the same will receive their respectful considera- tion.
 The Indian office has received through the regular official channel communication stat ing that in the late trouble with the Cree Indians in Montana sixty two were captured The Indians were taken to the Canadian border, their rifles given to them and with their ponies they were told to depart.
 Dr. Gregory of the civil service commis- sion called at the Postofice department this morning and examined the mode of making appointments in that department. He sup piled himself with the blanks, etc in use.