Vol.

Of citizens of Ohio, praying the adoption of measures for
the occupation and settlement of the Territory of
Oregon
Of Asa Whitney, praying a grant of land to enable him.
to construct a railroad from Lake Michigan to the
Pacific ocean

Of the American Indian Mission Association, praying the
adoption of measures for promoting the permanent
welfare of the various Indian tribes

Of Fitch, Brothers, & Company, praying a settlement of
their accounts as navy agents, and indemnification
for losses sustained by them by the revocation of
their appointment

Of the Chamber of Commerce and of citizens of the city of
New York, praying the establishment of a branch
of the mint of the United States in that city
Of the Cherokee Indians who have become citizens of
North Carolina, praying remuneration for prop-
erty unlawfully sold by agents in the employment
of the United States

Of the Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends in New
England, praying that Texas may not be annexed
to the United States

Of John S. Hanna, against the annexation of Texas
Of A. Fitch, in behalf of Fitch, Brothers, & Co., in rela-
tion to their navy agency as navy agents at Mar-
seilles

MISCELLANEOUS DOCUMENTS.

List of committees of the Senate

Constitution for the State of Iowa
Acts of Parliament extending the jurisdiction of Great
Britain over certain parts of North America
Report of the exploring expedition to the Rocky moun-
tains in the year 1842, and to Oregon and North
California in the years 1843-44, by Brevet Captain
J. C. Frémont, under the orders of the Topograph-
ical bureau
Proceedings and documents relating to James W. Schaum-
burg, from which the injunction of secrecy has
been removed

00

- 11

- 11

2d Session.

REPORT

OF

THE POSTMASTER GENERAL,

SHOWING

(In compliance with a resolution of the Senate)

The revenues and expenditures of the Post Office Department, from April 1, 1841, to June 30, 1844.

FEBRUARY 24, 1845.
Read.

FEBRUARY 25, 1845.
Ordered to be printed.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT,

February 22, 1845.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following statement, in answer to the resolution of the Senate, adopted the 23d January last, directing the Postmaster General to inform the Senate "whether the amount of revenue of the Post Office Department, from postages, fines, and miscellaneous receipts, which accrued between the 4th March, 1841, and the 30th June, 1844, (exclusive of the sum of $497,657, or any part thereof, appropriated by an act entitled 'An act to make appropriations for the Post Office Department,' approved September 9, 1841,) has been sufficient to defray the current expenses of the department during that period; and if not, what the amount of the deficiency, and whether it exceeds or falls short of the sum still uncollected, and supposed to be collectable, of the revenue of the department which has accrued during said period, and the amount of such excess or deficiency."

As, by regulation, the Post Office quarters expire on the 31st March, the 30th June, the 30th September, and the 31st December, in each year, the returns of the postmasters are made, and the accounts of the Auditor are kept, in accordance with those quarterly periods; and therefore it is impracticable, without immense labor, to state the revenue and expenditures. of the department, except from the commencement of a regular quarter. For this reason, the exhibit below commences on the 1st April instead of the 4th March, 1841, as required by the resolution.

Comparative exhibit of the revenue and expenditures of the Post Office Department, from April 1, 1841, to June 30, 1844, excluding the appropriation of $497,657, made September 9, 1841.

REVENUE.

Gross revenue, from all sources, for the quarter ending
June 30, 1841

Gross revenue, from all sources, for the year ending June 30, 1842

$1,104,604 25

4,546,849 65

Gross revenue, from all sources, for the year ending June

Gross revenue, from all sources, for the year ending June 30, 1844

4,296,225 43

4,237,285 83

Total of revenue

14,184,965 16

EXPENDITURES.

Expenditures for the quarter ending June 30, 1841
Expenditures for the year ending June 30, 1842
Expenditures for the year ending June 30, 1843 -
Expenditures for the yean ending June 30, 1844 .

Total of expenditures

Total of revenue

Excess of expenditures

$1,035,782 13

4,494,713 42

4,374,753 71

4,296,512 70

14,201,761 96

14,184,965 16

16,796 80

This excess of expenditure is more than counterbalanced by sums remaining to be collected of the postages which accrued between the 30th June, 1841, and the 30th June, 1844.

I refer to the table A, from the Auditor, as the evidence upon which the foregoing statements are founded.

By the statement contained in paper D, it will be seen that there was, prior to the 30th June, 1841, uncollected, but in process of collection, by the Auditor, by suit or otherwise, the sum of $638,572 47 of revenue which had accrued prior to that time. Of revenue which had accrued between the 30th June, 1841, and the 30th June, 1842, there was 899,563 46 in the same condition. Between 'the 30th June, 1842, and June, 1843, there was in a similar condition the sum of $66,044 67 of revenue which had accrued from postage in that year. Between the 30th June, 1843, and the 31st December, 1843, there was in like condition of collection, for postage accruing between those periods, the sum of $26,383 56. Between the 30th June, 1841, and the 30th June, 1844, there was collected, of the above. sums, and applied in the payment of the current expenses of the department, the sum of 8345,966 09. What proportion of this aggregate sum was collected for and on account of the revenues accruing after the 30th June, 1841, I have not time to designate in a condensed form, but refer to the report of the Auditor to me, of the 22d day of February, 1845, made under au order given by me some months ago, which will present a full and minute account of the outstanding revenue, and the condition of each suit, and amount collected, and of whoın collected ; including, also, an ac

count of the amount and condition of property owned by the Government, having been purchased by the department, or set off in satisfaction of debts due the department.

There may be some demands against the department which have accrued since the 30th June, 1841, which have not been presented for payment; yet I am warranted in the expression of the opinion, that the sums which remain to be collected, and which are deemed good, of the revenue which had accrued between that day and the 30th June, 1844, will equal, if they do not exceed, the $16,796 80, the apparent excess of expenditure over the revenue for the same period, and any unclaimed balance due for the service in those years.

I have the honor to be, respectfully, yours, &c.

C. A. WICKLIFFE, Postmaster General. Hon. W. P. MANGUM, President of the Senate.

AUDITOR'S OFFICE, P. O. DEpartment,

February 22, 1845.

SIR: In obedience to your order accompanying the resolution of the Senate of the 23d January last, I have the honor to submit a statement, from the books of this office, of the revenue of the Post Office Department, from postages, fines, and miscellaneous receipts, which accrued between the 1st day of April, 1841, and the 30th day of June, 1844, exclusive of the sum of $497,657, or any part thereof, appropriated by the act of the 9th September, 1841, and of the expenditures of the department for the same period, the said statement being marked A.

1

I also submit statements of the debts due to the Post Office Department by late postmasters, late contractors, and other persons, prepared in pursuance of your instructions of the 24th September last, which statements may be severally described as follows:

1. A statement in detail, and divided by States and Territories, of the debts not in suit, which remained due and uncollected on the 30th June, 1841; the debts of the same kind which accrued, in addition, in the years ending the 30th June, 1842, and the 30th June, 1843, and the half year ending the 31st December, 1843; the collections made from and out of all the said debts, in the three years ending, respectively, the 30th June, 1842, the 30th June, 1843, and the 30th June, 1844; brief notices of the measures taken to collect; the debts remaining which are considered good, and those which are considered doubtful or bad; together with a recapitulation of the general amounts in said statements, marked B.

2. A like statement of the debts in suit, containing a more detailed account of the proceedings thereon, so far as information has been received, including the parties against whom judgments have been had; the executions issued; the property which has been purchased under execution, and the mortgages and other collateral securities taken; together with a similar recapitulation, marked C.

3. A general recapitulation of the two foregoing statements, presenting the amounts of the several headings of both, in the aggregate, marked D. I am, respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,

MW. ST. CLAIR CLARKE, Auditor.

Hon. C. A. WICKLIFFE, Postmaster General.

A.

Statement of the revenue of the Post Office Department, from postages, fines, and miscellaneous receipts, exclusive of the sum of $497,657, or any part thereof, appropriated by the act of the 9th September, 1841, and of the expenditures of the same for the period from the 1st April, 1841, to the 30th June, 1844.