Gross receipts for the year, including $200,000 appropriated for government postages, and $ 48,739 collected from and belonging to the accounts of preceding years, Expenditures for the year, The receipts exceeded the expenditures, $4,371,077 4,326,850 44,227 During the year, 1,309 new post-offices were established, and 296 were discontinued. 2,169 postmasters were appointed in consequence of resignations; 184 in consequence of deaths; 240 for changes of sites of the offices; 1,309 to new offices; 197 by removals; 3 where commissions expired, and were not renewed; 14 where commissions were renewed; 5 by becoming Presidential appointments; in all, 4,121. 2. Table of Mail Service for the Year ending June 30, 1848.* 167,008 17,744,191 14,555,188 8,713,200 41,012.579 2.549,266 *The entire service and pay of the route are set down to the State under which it is numbered, though extending into other States, instead of being divided among the States in which each portion of it lies. †These embrace some express transportation. The Baltimore, Wilmington, and Philadelphia Railroad is under a Maryland number. $ This embraces the steamboat service from St. Louis to New Orleans. This embraces the steamboat service from Louisville to Cincinnati, and from Louisville to New Orleans. This includes the route from Mobile to New Orleans. 3. Number of Post-Offices, Extent of Post-Routes, and Revenue and Expenditures of the Post-Office Department; with the Amount paid to Postmasters and for Transportation of the Mail, since 1790. *The returns for 1816, 1817, and 1848 are for the first three years under the new law, passed March 3, 1845. 4. Revenue and Expenditure of the Post-Office from 1st July, 1836, to 30th June, 1848. Newspapers and Pamphlets. The above statistics apply wholly to the revenue under the old law. The following table shows the income for the first three years under the new law : From the above tables it will be seen that the annual average income for nine years, ending 30th June, 1845, was $4,364,625; and that for the three years under the new law it has been $3,938,056. The average expenditure for the nine years was $4,499,595; and for the three years it has been $4,130,239. The average revenue from letter-postage for the nine years was $3,807,993; and for the three years it has been $3,210,319. The increase in revenue from letter-postage in 1847, over that of 1846, was $317,260. The increase in 1848 over 1847 was $351,347. The increase in 1848 over 1846 is $668,600. The postage on newspapers and pamphlets has steadily increased, and has not only exceeded the average of the nine years preceding June 30th, 1845, but has been larger than that of any of the single years. This is owing partly to the increased rates of postage on newspapers and pamphlets under the act of March 30, 1847. The reduction in the expenditures has been made in the lettings in the different sections, where the service has been taken at reduced prices, under that provision of the act of 1845 which directs the acceptance of the lowest bid, without regard to the former contractor, or the stock which he * Exclusive of fines. may have had on the road. At the same time the mail service has been increased, both in the number and extent of the routes, and in the frequency of the transmission of the mails. 5. Business of the Post-Office and Compensation of Postmasters. It was estimated that the number of letters paying postage, including ship and steamboat letters, drop-letters, and printed circulars, which passed through the mails for the year ending June 30th, 1847, was $52,173,480. This estimate was founded upon the revenues of the preceding year, and upon the October returns of 1845. Besides this number, there were not less than 5,000,000 free and franked letters, and about 1,800,000 dead letters were returned to the department. A similar estimate for the year ending June 30th, 1848, would give, as the number of paying letters for that year, 58,069,075; and of these it is supposed that over one fourth, and less than one third, paid the ten-cent rate. Between December 1st, 1847, and October 1st, 1848, there were sent through the mails, free of postage, about 5,000,000 copies of speeches and other matter weighing under two ounces, and about 177,000 public documents, besides the letters written by the members of the House of Representatives; and there still remained to be forwarded more than one half of the public documents ordered to be printed at the preceding session. In seven days, from the 6th to the 12th August, 1848, 450 bags of free matter, weighing 35,550 pounds, - -or a daily average of 5,078 pounds, - passed through the city post-office at Washington. About 2,000,000 dead letters are annually returned to the department, and as many more newspapers, periodicals, &c., are sent to the various offices, and never called for. The rates of commissions of postmasters are as follows, viz.: — 2. On any sum between $100 and $ 400 in any one year, 5. On the amount of letters and packets received for distribution at offices designated by the Postmaster-General for that purpose, 6. On all sums arising from the postage on newspapers, magazines, and pamphlets, 40 per cent. 33 30 66 12 66 7 66 50 66 7. Box rents not exceeding $2,000 per annum. The postmasters at New Orleans and Washington have special allowances for extra labor. To the postmasters at offices where the mail is regularly to arrive between the hours of 9 o'clock at night and 5 in the morning, the commission on the first $100 collected in one quarter may be increased by the Postmaster-General to a sum not exceeding 50 per cent. To postmasters whose pay does not exceed $2,000 per annum, two cents are paid for the delivery of each free letter or document. The term letter postage includes all postages received, except those which arise from newspapers sent from the offices of publication to subscribers, and from pamphlets and magazines. 6. Rates of Postage within the United States. For a letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight (avoirdupois), sent not exceeding 300 miles, Sent over 300 miles, A letter over half an ounce in weight, but not exceeding an ounce, is rated with two charges of single postage; over one ounce, but not exceeding two ounces, with four charges; over two ounces, but not exceeding three ounces, six charges of single postage, and so on: there being two additional charges for each succeeding ounce, or fraction of an ounce, beyond the first ounce. When advertised, two cents additional are charged on each letter, or four cents, if the advertising cost so much. The postage of a single letter to Oregon or California, via Chagres and Panama, is 40 cents, - to be prepaid or not, at the option of the sender. For drop-letters (not to be mailed), each. For all letters or packages, conveyed by any vessel not employed in carrying the mail, from one post or place to any other post or place in the United States, For any pamphlet, magazine, periodical, or other matter of every kind that is transmittible by mail, and has no written communication on it, of one ounce or less, or for a newspaper exceeding 1,900 square inches of surface, sent from the office of publication,. For each additional ounce, or an excess greater than a half For newspapers of 1,900 square inches or less, sent from the office of publication, not more than 100 miles, or any distance within the same State, On each newspaper sent to Oregon or California, the postage is 4 cents; to be prepaid, except when sent from the office of publication. Transient newspapers, i. e. those not sent from the office of publication, are subject to the general newspaper-postage rates; but the postage is in all cases to be prepaid. For handbills, or circular letters, printed or lithographed, not exceeding one sheet in size (sent any distance), to be paid upon delivery at the office and before they are put in the mails, 5 cents. 10 66 As the postage on these articles is chargeable on each copy, postmasters will carefully examine all packets, and rate the postage accordingly. When the article to be mailed is a circular, pamphlet, or newspaper, it should be so enveloped or folded that it can be distinctly seen at the office to be such, and also that it contain no writing, marks, or signs, to serve the purpose of written communications. If not done up so as to open at the end, it is to be charged as a letter, by weight. No packet can be mailed which weighs more than three pounds. Bound |