Report Of The Postmaster General

The Postmaster General' report states tlial tl'e wliole number of postoffices in the United Slatea on the 30 1 il of June, 1861, was 28,580: '"i tlial the estira number of caséis, ,-l upon during the same perioii was 10,638, ineludiog ap pointoienU made by ihe Presiden! of' the United Sínica. The whule r.unroer of appoiruments made by the Postmaster General was 9,285, and the number by Iih President daring tlie ?aiue period, 337. Tbe ftggregaie esini-sgi of tlie different rans-atlaiitie steainship linus duriug the ■ear enJmg June 38, 1861, were $392,887 03. The expenditures of tlie dep."rttnent in ,Iie fiscal year endino; June 30, 1861, auioiinted to S13.606.759.ll The exvnditnres were 14 874,772.89, Rhowing i decrense in 1861 of $1,268,013.78. The gross levemie fol the yoar 1861, nnludinii receipts from letter carriers and 'rom foreiijn puaUlge ainonnted to $8,349,290 40. The estimated defieincj of means for 1861, as presentad in the annnal report TOtn this department December 3, 1859, wan $5,988,424.04, ü-dnctina; the actual deQciencv, 8 1,651,960.98, and there is an exee.-s of e.-tiii'Hte dcfi'iency over actual defioiency of $1,430,457.06. The reverme from all sourcea clunna tlie year 1860 araountef] tu $9,218,067 40 The reveime frora all sources tlbring the year 18C1 araouütedto. 9,049,296 40 Decreaseof reremie forl8Gl.. 168,771 00 net phiceetfs fróra Post-offices in lie lova' Suies for the Heal vear ending June 30, 1800. $3.688,690.56, and in 1861, $3,801,487.08, showing an in crease in 1801 of 112.796.52; and in the lis],hl States, in 1800. 820,546 57, und in 1861 $677,706 70. showing a decrease in 1861. of $142,839.81 The d.crcMse in 1861 trom the net proceods of 18:10 in i!I the States appeafi to be $30.043.20. Statement of the receipts and expenditures of tlie dialoya] State" and amount alleged to lie due to coiitiactors ; also ihe ammint actually paid to contractors frotn July 1, 1860. to May 31, 1861. Total expenditure $3,690,150 47 Total gross receipts 1,241,220 05 Excess of expeiuiitures over receipts 12,467,950 43 Amouut alleiied to be due to eontractors for, transportaron 3,135,637 12 Araount actually paid for transportaüoii 2.323,061 63 Jieavins arnount alleged to be due and uipaid $ 812,595 49 The cstiinate of the toUl expcnditures fiir Í863 is pointwh;it leea tlian thnso of previous ears heretotbre sulmitld. - Tliis dilit-rmice arises fioin the fact that oolv pftrtial estinmtes are ma.le fof the cost of postul st-rvice in States where it is now suspended. Tlw appropnalion for defences in 1862 was 85,391,350.61, Hile the amnuntestimateil to be required (Voin the Treasury for 1860, is $3.145.000. The wl oio nuiiilier of ordinnry doad letters rtceive I mid eiBmined dtiring the yesf wasahout 2.550,000. The Duinber of these letters containing money, which were registered and sent out dunne; theyear ending June 30, 1861, was 10,580 Tbe ïuimber of dead letters returned unopened to foreigh couutries during the fiscal year was 111,147, wiiich, aiHei! to the uuniber of domestic letters (103,880,) sent out as aboye, givts the whole iunn ber sent out from thf dead letter office fur the jeár, 2 '5,033 The r.-sult oi' successful investiiratioi) in 7,560 cais, cufiuua ihe past experience of the dipmtujent, that the failure of ■ a leiter to reaph its desiination is, in ihe vnsl niajorny of in-tames, thö fault al'.me af tbe wnl.T pr s.nder. Out of abova 7,560 vahi.ibic dend letti-rs, y 096 ei,, diiectttd to the vrontf office, 467 ere iinperiecily addresst-d ; 612 weie ilirec '! 'o ti ■msii'iit peisoiis; 257 lo partiü- win h-.d chaneii tln-ir reaidences; 821 were a.idresae.l to fictitioii pcisonsor timis; 83 oie niiL'al!eil lor; 10 without any diiections; - ];!ö weiv nut mailed for wa'i.t of pu-tü stHinps; 79 wero misHi-nt; and for iIih failure of postmasters to deliver 133, no satisf;ictory reason was sHgned. TIn' di')iirlnii-ul tuerefore can futly h held rLppBttbU for the non-deliveri of hut 212 of these leltars. Mucli O' her vahiable data i givou ou this su ■]. (, ..i il is uoiihy q( ri-mait t lint. ou'" of 76,769 lettere, before alluded to, origiimting in the loyül States, and i addressed to residents of disloyal Statef, 40,000 coiikl nol be reiumed, citlittr becaus the eignature of tho wrik'r w;w incomplete, or becausa the klier contamed no clue lo hia residence. Tlie experience. of the Department shows that a largo pruportion of doinestic leltcrs written by educntfi'1 persona, and partlcularlv womeu, are deficience in one or both these respecta. lu view of these and othcr facls the Postmaster General suggests tbftt valiiable dead letters, when returneid to their owners, should be charged trebel the ordinary rate of pottage, comprisiog, one rite fuf return Iransportation to the dend lelef office, oue rate for régietration theie, and one raie tur return transportaliun lo ma writeis or owners. A tiealy with Mexico has been concluded, awailirig tlie ratificaticn at Mexieo, estabüshirjí; a cominoii international rata of twenty-five cenls ora Imitéis, wilh ütLer useful provisions. The P stmnster General lias afecpted tbe offer made in 1857 by Great Britain for a leduction of tbe international rata between tbe two coutiliics on letters f rom twenty four to iwelve cents, whicti, how ■ pver, lias not yel pone iiito operation, 13 it awaits tbe respousj of tbo Brilia'j office. The above abstract presenls nicrely a few of the pciiits of the important report. Tbe Postmiister General giíea at lenpth liis reason lur t!;e cliang of conlrncts, f,.r f!is!o}!ilty. Not onl}7 waa it utreafe, he saya, to entrust the tiansportatioc of the rmiils to a person who refused or turna to reco'iiiza tlie sanctity of an oath, but to conimue payment of public money to tbe cn mies of the governmetit am! líieir allies as lo give direct aid and comfort to '.r ason in arms. V couM not tbus pt,imil tliis branch of government to contribute to its own overthrow. The Posi iiiaster General also givfs bis re sons for excluding disloyal pvblicatiotis f rom the mails. To await the resuli of íslow judicial prosecntion was to allow crime io be consummaled, wilh the expeclatioD oí' subsequetit punishment, instead of preveDting its accomplishliicnt by prompt and direct inteiferunco. Of ti.e cases presented for bis acüon, uptin the principies whicli he nfimef, he has, by order, cxcluded f rom the mails twehe of lítese treasonuble publiCttiions, of lohieh, several had been prevwvsh presented by the grand jury us vicendiury and hustile to constitutional auihorily. Wlaleiae fosvnaner utnerai aiu wn duim the authority to supp'-ess neicapapers, kowerer disloyd and trensonalle its contenis, the Department eould not called upon to give ttem circuhiliou. - " It could not aml wtuild not interiore with the freetiom fecured by hw. bt it conld and did obxtruct the Jiisemiitatioii of that lítense which was icitkoutthe pale of the conatilvtion and laxo. T!:e ina'.is establishod by tae United States government could tiot, upon m.y ka.nvn principies of law or public rigbt lo usoJ for in detructioD. At vvell could ihu cüinmoti carrier be lgpl!j required to tránn the machine designed for t!ie (JeHtüicLio'i of the vellida convevinir i'.oran inkeeper be ciimpelled to eutertain a Iraveler wbom he knew lo be intending to conuiiil u robberry in Lis house." He finds these views suppor'ed by tk hiü;h autbority of the lale (ef Jüsticj Story of the Suprema Caurt of tlie United Stalts, wbose opinión he quotes.