The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-12-02
+.-F-4. t-4lr aa.. .
AT THE CAPITAL.
A Very DUH Day and Suspension of BUSH
ness In Washington. ..

WAsHINGTON, December 1.-Owing to the
decrease OF cholera, instructions have been
given to discontinue the service OF most of
the sanitary inspectors Of the Marine hos
pital service attached to the United States
Consulates in Europe. The inspectors at
the Mediterranean and Cuban ports will be
retained Tor the present.
Nicholas NJ. Bell, Superintendent of for
eign mails, submitted to the Postmaster
General his report for the fiscal year ended
June 30th, It, shows approximately the
revenues on mail matter sent to foreign
countries by sea during the year to have
been $995.731 The expenditures, (of (which
$331,9O3 was for sea c~onveyanCe) were
%$S53,51O,s ~leavingia net revenue of 1892.
231. The cost of the ocean service has
steadily increased from $196,6S4, in 1880,
to 1892, 22l in 1854. The decrease ofS317
in 1885 is. explained first by the
fact that Il large, portion uf the mail
that has heretofore been dispatched to
Mexico by sea is now conveyed
overland, and secondly, from a general de-
preston OF business, and a decrease OF inn
migration to this country. The amounts
estimated to be appropriated for the pres
emit year is $3.50, 900. Referring to the Pa
that prior to August 1st most of the mails
for the Isthmus Of Panama and for Central
and South America, via the Isthmus, were
conveyed from New York to Colon and AS
pinwall, and from San Francisco and Pa
mama by the vessels Of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company, which declined to
convey the United States mails, after
that date, except those for Mexico and
Costa Rica, which it was Obliged to convey
under its contracts with those countries,
and which it still conveys from
~ -" TS-,-.o~ ~1A1-,-I 1:~.
n a letter, under date OF October
in advance with the dates OF the ~sailings OF
it's steamers, SO that at present the dis.
patch OF mails for Central and South Amer
lea from San Francisco is limited to those
for Mexico and Costa RIGA and for the
west coast OF Mexico by the California and
Mexican Steamship Company, the mails
previously sent from San Francisco to the
Central American States, other than Costa
RIGA, being 10Y sent to New Orleans for
dispatch with an average saving in the time
occupied in transit OF about seven days,
| and Il weekly instead OF a semi-monthly
service. The superintendent recommends
that Congress be asked to re-enact
the law requiring all steamships Of
United" States / register. ais Il condi-
ton OF their clearance, to convey the
mails upon such terms as the sare.. now or
may hereafter be allowed by Congress, and
adds that~"the intimate social relations
existing between the citizens OF the United
States and other countries and our rapidly
increasing trade relations with Mexico rem
der it almost necessary to the convenience
OF our citizens that provisions be made for
an Interchange by mail OF small parcels OF
merchandise, other than trade samples, ex-
change OF which is already provided for at
REDUCED RATES OF POSTAGE
subject to such regulations as may be nee
essary to protect our customs revenues.
But in the absence OF any act OF Congress
authorizing such an arrangement,
this department. has been COM
PEELED to decline to entertain the spe-
cial propositions to that effect, which have
been urged upon it by the Governments OF
Great Britain, Germany and France, as
well as to define becoming a party to the
parcel postal convention, signed at Paris,
November Sd, 1880, and the act additional
thereto, signed at Lisbon on the 21st OF
March last, which accomplishes the same
end and which embraces all the countries
OF Europe and the several ofthose ofCentral
and South America. | therefore recon-
mend that all legislation necessary to en-
able this department to adhere to the parcel
postalconvention OF Lisbon, above referred
to, and to execute special conventions with
foreign countries, having the same enc i'll
view, be asked OF Congress at an early
date