The gross amount received for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1852, for postages on mailable matter from the Collins line, New York and Liverpool, was $228,867.61; for the year ending June 30, 1853, it was $303,733.70, and for the year ending June 30, 1854, $307,913. The net revenue by this line for 1853 was $ 192,313.87, and for 1854, $153,378. The gross amount received during the year ending June 30, 1852, from the New York and Havre line was $80,804.08; for year ending June 30, 1853, the gross revenue was $100,070.44; the net, $ 71,147.74. For the year ending June 30, 1854, the gross revenue was $86,864.35; the net, $46,303.82. The letter postage by the Cunard line for the year ending June 30, 1853, was $578,033.39; newspaper postage, $20,683.26. The revenue to the United States by this line, for the year ending June 30, 1854, was as follows: total letter postage, $589,160.65. The United States portion of this, 5-24ths, being the United States inland postage, was $122,741.80. Add newspaper postage, $ 17,088.70, and it gives $ 139,830.50 for the total to the United States. On the above total postage the United States pays for commissions $137,346.59. Net revenue, $1,483,91; deficit without inland postage, $121,257.89. 5. REVENUE AND EXPENDiture. Revenue and Expenditure of the Post-Office under the old Law (prior to 1845), under the law of 1845, and under that of 1851. By reference to the detailed statement of the receipts and expenditures of the Post-Office below, it will be seen that the "letter postage" includes stamps sold, and also how the total annual receipts, &c. are made up. Under the Act of 1845, the gross revenue from letter postage fell off in 1846, the first year of the reduction, $988,738.92, or 27 per cent; in the second year, 1847, it increased $363,959.49, or 133 per cent over 1846. In the year ending June 30, 1852, the first year after the reduction by the Act of 1851, the gross revenue from letter postage was reduced $1,185,993.73, or 22.33 per cent; in 1853 the increase from the same source over that of 1852 was $246,434, or 5.83 per cent of the whole income from this source in 1852; in 1854 the increase over this revenue in 1853 was $950,359, or 21.25 per cent thereof. The cost of the transportation of the mails has increased rapidly each year. In 1849 it was $2,577,408; in 1850, $2,965,786; in 1851, $ 3,538,064; in 1852, $4,225,311; in 1853, $ 4,906,308; in 1854, $5,401,382; and the estimate for 1855 was $6,167,312. The following is the detail of the receipts and expenditures of the Department for the contract year, ending June 30, 1854 : — The whole amount of letter postage on British mails was $979,648.30 ; of this there were collected in the United States from mails sent by British packets (the Cunard line), $372,119 42; by United States packets (the Collins, Havre and Bremen lines), $267,666.19; in all, $639,785.61; and in Great Britain, by British packets, $217,041.23; by United States packets, $122,821.46; in all, $339,862.29; making the excess collected in the United States, $299,922.92. Thèse were thus divided: British Postages collected by the United States. 33,458.28 $328.052.82 Deduct United States inland and sea, 21-24ths, 234,207.91 15,352.68 107,468.78 152,685.71 $175,367.11 Amount by United States packets, $122,821.46 Excess of British collected by the United States, This balance is collected by the United States, and sent to Great Britain at an expense of not less than $ 65,000, for commissions to postmasters, and exchange. Deducting commissions to postmasters, &c., and United States inland postage, from the amount of postages accruing to the United States from the Bremen mails, there is a deficit for the year of $1,501.84; and deducting the same from the amount received from the Prussian closed mails, there is a deficit of $5,395.56. The amount of postages for the year, on mails received and sent between the United States and British Provinces, under the existing postal arrangements, by which each party retains what it collects, was $156,768.41, and of this there was collected in the United States $77,537.21, and in the Provinces $79,231.20, giving a balance to the Provinces of $1,793.99. In 1853 there was a balance in their favor of $ 1,543.22. The number of letters and newspapers exchanged between the United States and Great Britain, in British mails, during the year, was The number exchanged between the United States and Bremen, in Bremen mails, during the year, was By Bremen line, "Bremen steamers, "Collins line, Total, Letters. Newspapers. The number exchanged between the United States and Prussia, in closed mails, during the year, was Letters. Newspapers. By the Cunard line, 366,642 25,025 66 Collins, Havre, and Bremen lines combined, 345,652 25,031 Total, 712,294 50,056 The following number of letters and newspapers was conveyed, to wit: By the New York, New Orleans, Aspinwall and New Orleans and Vera Cruz line, Total, 3,060,221 3,540,666 By the Charleston and Havana line, 6. COMPENSATION OF POSTMASTERS. The commissions allowed postmasters are as follows, viz.:1. On the postage collected at their respective offices, not exceeding $100 in any one quarter, But if mails arrive regularly at any office between 9 P. M. and 5 A. M., then 2. On any sum between $100 and $400 in any quarter, 5. On the amount of letters and packets received for distribution at general distribution offices, 6. On newspaper postages in all cases, 60 per cent. 70 per cent. 50 per cent. 40 15 66 7. Box rents not exceeding $2,000 per annum. The postmasters at New Orleans and Washington have special allowances for extra labor. To postmasters whose pay does not exceed $500 in any quarter, one cent is paid for the delivery of each free letter or document, except for the delivery of such as are for himself. On postages on letters received at a frontier office to be sent to Canada, 3 per cent is allowed; if received from Canada for distribution, 7 per cent is allowed. Those postmasters who are required to keep a register of the arrival and departure of the mails, are allowed ten cents for each monthly return made to the Postmaster-General. Two mills are allowed for de livery of each newspaper not chargeable with postage. Additional allowances may be made to the postmasters at distributing and separating offices, to defray actual and necessary expenses, when the commissions, allowances, and emoluments are insufficient. 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. 7. RATES OF POSTAGE WITHIN THE UNITED STATES.* For every single letter in manuscript, or paper of any kind in which information shall be asked for, or communicated in writing, or by marks, or signs, sent in the mail not exceeding 3,000 miles, Sent over 3,000 miles, Upon all letters passing through or in the mail, except such as are to or from a foreign country, the postage must be prepaid, except upon letters and packages addressed to officers of the government on official business, and so marked on the envelope. This is not, however, to interfere with the franking privilege. For a double letter there shall be charged double the above rates; for a treble letter, treble the above rates, &c. Every letter or parcel not exceeding half an ounce (avoirdupois) in * Established by the act of March 3, 1855. 3 cents. weight is a single letter, and every additional weight of half an ounce or of less than half an ounce is charged with an additional single postage. When advertised, one cent additional is charged on each letter. For a letter delivered by a carrier, there is an additional charge of not exceeding one or two cents. For drop letters, prepayment optional, (not to be mailed,) each, 1 cent. For all letters or packages (ship letters) conveyed by any vessel not employed in conveying the mail, . To this charge of 2 cents is added 4 cents, when the letters are not transmitted through the mail, but are delivered at the post-office where deposited; and the ordinary rates of United States postage are added when the letter is transmitted through the mails. Each newspaper, periodical, unsealed circular, or other article of printed matter, not exceeding three ounces in weight, to any part of the United States, For every additional ounce or fraction of an ounce, 2 1 If the postage on any newspaper or periodical is paid quarterly or yearly in advance, at the office where the same is either mailed or delivered, then half the above rates are charged. Newspapers and periodicals not weighing over one and a half ounces, circulated in the State where published, are likewise charged but half of the above rates. Small newspapers and periodicals, published monthly or oftener, and pamphlets not containing more than sixteen octavo pages each, when sent in single packages, weighing at least eight ounces, to one address, and prepaid by affixing postage stamps thereto, shall be charged only half a cent for each ounce or fraction of an ounce, notwithstanding the postage calculated on each separate article of such package would exceed that amount. The postage on all transient matter, unless prepaid, shall be charged double the first-mentioned rates. Books, bound or unbound, not weighing over four pounds, shall be deemed mailable matter, and shall pay, For all distances under 3,000 miles, per ounce, For all distances over 3,000 miles, 1 cent. 2 66 Fifty per cent shall be added in all cases when not prepaid. All printed matter chargeable by weight shall be weighed when dry. The publishers of newspapers and periodicals may send to each other from their respective offices of publication, free. of postage, one copy of each publication; and may also send to each actual subscriber, enclosed in their publications, bills and receipts for the same, free of postage. The publishers of weekly newspapers may send to each actual subscriber within the county where their papers are printed and published one copy thereof free of postage. No printed matter shall be sent at the above rates, unless either without any wrapper, or with one open at the ends or sides, so that the character of the matter may be seen without removing the wrapper; or if any written or printed communication is put on the same after its publication, or upon |