New-York tribune., 1893-12-05
PART II.
DEC. 5, 1893.

violations Of the Internal revenue laws. The
expense Of the United States courts, exclusive
of Judges salaries for the year ending July !,
1885, was $2,874 1888 II. and for the year ending
July l. 1S93 $,52S 81.
1t Is therefore apparent that the reasons gwen
in 1885 for change in the manner OF enforcing
the Federal criminal law have gained cogency
and strength by lapse OF time.
recommending legislation fixing degrees OF the
crime OF murder within Federal Jurisdiction, az
has been done in many Of the states; authorfz.
Ing writs Of error on behalf OF the Government
in cases where final judgment Is rendered
against the sufficiency Of an indictment OF
against the Government upon any otner ques.
ton arising before actual trial; limiting the right
Of review in cases Of felony punishable only by
fine and Imprisonment to the circuit court OK
appeals. and making speedy provision ior tne
construction Of such prisons and reformatoriee
as may be necessary for the confinement OF
United States convictS
THE POSTAL SERVICE.
The report Of the Postmaster-General contains,
detailed statement Of the operations OF the
Postoffice Department during the last fiscal year
and much interesting information touching this
important branch Of the public service.
The business of the mails indicates with abb
soute certainty the condition Of the business
Of the country. and depression in financial at:
fairs inevitably and quickly reduces the postal
revenues. Therefore a larger discrepancy than
usual between the Postofice receipts and ex.
penditures is the expected and unavoidable re-
suit Of the distressing stringency which has
prevailed throughout the country during mucn
of the time covered by the Postmaster-Generare
report. At a date when better times were an.
ticipated 1T was estimated by his predecessor
that the deficiency on the 3Oth day of June, 1893.
would be but little over a million and half
dollars. 1t amounted, however, to more than
s., 000, ,000 At the same time, and under the In.
iuence of like anticipations, estimates wers
made for the current fiscal year ending June 30.
1894 which exhibited surplus Of revenue over
expenditures Of SS72245 H. but now, In view OF
the actual receipts and expenditures during that
| mar alrpa0Y eXDlreOs
the present Postmaster-General estimates that
that at its close. instead OF surplus, tnere
will be deficiency of nearly $8000,OO0.
The postoffice receipts for the last fiscal year
amounted to $75,S96 1888 16 and its expenditures
to $S1 074 104 90 This postofice deficiency would
disappear or be immensely decreased II less
matter was carried free through the mails an
item of which Is upward Of 300 tons Of seeds
and grain from the Agricultural Department.
EXTENSION OF THE SERVICE.
The total number Of postoffices in the United !;
States on the both day of June. 1898, 6S,403,
an increase Of 1924 over the preceding year.
OF these 1850 were Presidential an increase In
that class of 2O4 over the preceding year.
Forty-two free-delivery offices were added dur
ing the year to those already existing. making
a total of 610 cities and towns provided with
free delivery on June 30. 1893. Ninety-three
other cities and towns are now entitled to this
service under the law, but 1t has not been ac-
corded them on account Of insufficient funds to
meet the expense Of its establishment
1 am decidedly OF the opinion that the pro-
| visions Of the present law permit as general an
introduction of this feature Of mail service as is
| necessary or justifiable and that 1t ought not
to be extended to smaller communities than are
| now designated.
The expense Of free delivery for the fiscal
year ending June 80. 1894, will be more than
81, ,OOO, 900, and under legislation now existing
there must be constant increase In this item
Of expenditure.
There were 640l additions to the domestic
money-order offices during the last fiscal year,
being the largest increase In any year since the
Inauguration Of the system. The total number
of these offices at the close OF the year was
1S434. There were 13.3O9.735 money orders issued
from these offices, being an increase over the
preceding year Of 1240,293, and the value or
these orders amounted to $l27,576,433 s.. an In
crease of S7,509, ,632 So. There were also issued
during the year postal notes amounting to $l2,-
903,076 73.
| During the year 1876 International money y-order
offices added to those already provided,
making a total of 2407 in operation on June 80.
| 1893 The number of international money orders
issued during the year was 1899. an increase
over the preceding year of 72,525. and their
value was SIG, ,S37 Sc, an increase OF $,221,-
| 500 81. The number Of orders paid was 3o0.9l7.
an increase over the preceding year Of l3.5O3.
and their value was s5,2S3,S75 20, an increase OF
| 1914, ,094 SO.
From the foregoing statements 1t appears that
| the total issue Of money orders and postal
| notes for the year amounted to S156S21 .34S "a
The number Of letters and packages mailed
during the year for special delivery was 1885,
693 an increase over the preceding year OF near:
ly % per cent. The special-delivery stamps used
| upon these letters and packages amounted to
| s337 500 30 and the messengers fees paid for
their delivery amounted to 1852 u, leaving
a profit to the Government OF $s09I6 80
The Railway Mail Service not only adds to the
promptness OF mail delivery at all offices, but
il Is the especial fundamentally which puts the
| smaller and way places In the service on an
equality in that regard with the larger and
terminal offices. This branch OF the postal SER
vice has therefore received much attention from
the Postma ster- General. and though 1t Is gratt-
| nnf ic a
efficiency and great usefulness am led TO agree
with the Postmaster-General that there Is room
for its further Improvement.
There are now connected to the Postof1ce
esta blishment %, 1924 employees who are in the
classified service. The head Of this great De-
partment gives conclusive evidence OF the value
of civil service reform when. after an experience
that renders his judgment on the subject abso-
lutely reliable he expresses the opinion that
without the benefit OF this system 1t would Do
impossible to conduct the vast business intrust-
ed to him.
7 desire TO commend as especially worthy Of
prompt attention the suggestions OF the Post,
ma ster- General relating to a more sensible ana
business-like organization and better distribu-
ton of responsibility in his Department.
THE NAVY.
The report Of the Secretary Of the Navy con-
tains history of the operations of his Depart
ment during the last year, and exhibits most
gratifying condition of the personnel OF our
Navy He presents a satisfactory account OK
the progress which has been made In the con-
struction of vessels. and makes number OK
| recommendations to which attention Is es-
| pecially invited.
| During the last six months the demands for
| cruising vessels have been many and urgent
| There have been revolutions calling for vessels
to protect American interests in Nicaragua,
Guatemala Costa Rica. Honduras, ArgentinS
and Brazil while the condition OF affairs IN
Honolulu has required the constant presence OK
one or more ships. With all these calls upon
our Navy il became necessary, In order 10 make
| m a sufficient fleet to patrol the Behrfng Sea
| under the modus vivendi agreed upon with
| Great Britain to detail TO that service one Ves-
| sci from the Fish COMMISSION anu '"iee ho''A
| the Revenue Marine.
Progress In the construction Of new vessels has
not been as rapid as was anticipated. ihere
hoya been DELAYS in the completion OF unar-
''e' -.sss.l. hut for the most mart they have