POSTAL STATISTICS.

I. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL, U. S., 1861. II. THE FRENCH MAILS. III. BRITISH MAILS TO INDIA AND CHINA. IV. THE AUSTRALIAN MAILS. V. BRITISH SUBSIDIES. VL THE CUNARD STEAMERS. VII. DEAD LETTERS. VIII. POSTAGE TO ITALY. IX. THE BRITISH ADMIRALTY.

REVENUE OF UNITED STATES POST-OFFICES.

THE Postmaster-General reports the number of post-offices at the close of the fiscal year, including all in the revolted States, at 28,620. The total revenue of the department for the year was $9,049,296, being $168,771 less than in 1860. The expenditures for the year amounted to $13,606,759, being less than in 1860 by $1,268,014. As the unproductive States in our postal system are almost exclusively those that have attempted the suicidal rebellion and thus lost their mail service, it will be of interest to see, another year, the very large reduction that must occur in the postal expenditures, the service having been discontinued on the 30th of May last, one month before the close of the fiscal year.

COST OF THE MAIL SERVICE.

The total cost of the mail service in the rebellious States, during the fiscal year, was $3,699,150, and the gross revenue $1,241,220, showing the enormous deficit of no less than $2,457,930. And the postal expenses of these States is on the increase to a far greater extent than the postal revenue. In 1856, five years ago, the postal expenses of the States now in revolt amounted to $2,951,970, being $747,580 less than in 1861, while the revenue in 1856 was $1,086,478, or only $154,742 behind the year 1861. During the year 1856, the Northern or free States, including California, and all the new territories over which the service was extended at a vast expense-Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, New-Mexico, Utah, Oregon and Washington-the postal expenses were $5,186,658, while the revenue was $4,987,588, being behind the expenses only $199,000, a rather strong contrast to the deficiency in the Southern States, in the same year, without a single new territory, of $2,190,000.

The State of New-York furnishes every year twenty per cent. of the postal income of the nation, while the State's postal expenses are less than twelve per cent. of the whole. Forty per cent. of the correspondence and income is furnished by Massachusetts, New-York and Pennsylvania, and more than one-half by the New-England States, New-York, Pennsylvania and New-Jersey. Every single comparison and contrast that can be made points in the same direction. Taking the figures of 1856, and reckoning a just proportion of the money due the Post-Office Department for carrying the "free" matter, the actual cost of transporting and circulating the correspondence in the States above mentioned was exactly one cent and eight mills for each half ounce letter.

The postal expenses in Arkansas the same year amounted to 18 cents

3 mills a letter; in Florida, 11 cents 5 mills; in Texas, 8 cents; in Mississippi, 7 cents 3 mills; in Alabama, 6 cents 5 mills; and the State of South Carolina comes next in the scale, with 6 cents 4 mills as the expense of each letter. In Massachusetts the legitimate and exact cost was 1 cent 5 mills; and in the State of New-York, 1 cent 6 mills. The lowest in the scale was Rhode Island, being 1 cent 4 mills, while Pennsylvania letters cost 1 cent 9 mills each, and those in Connecticut, 2 cents each. Reckoned in the same way and on the same scale-an exact computation from official figures-the cost of all the letters in the northern and central regions of the country, including Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri and California, was exactly 2 cents 4 mills a letter, and in the States on the Gulf of Mexico, all reckoned together, 6 cents 7 mills a letter. These facts show us how the money paid in postage here at the North and East goes to support a postal establishment at the South and far West, while the cost should come out of the Treasury direct.

BRITISH AND AMERICAN POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS.

The contrast between the British and American postal reports is peculiarly striking in some particulars. The British people send by mail in a year 564,000,000 letters, or a million and a half daily; being three times as many as with us. The total income of the British Post-Office was over $16,000,000, and the clear profits over $7,000,000. In the United Kingdom are 11,441 post-offices and 2,473 road letter-pillars. Will our Postmaster-General bear in mind, before he allows any more of our detestable lamp-post boxes to be put up, that an English letter-pillar can be reached and a letter deposited in it by a child five years old? The mails were carried daily by railway 30,000 miles; by coach, cart and omnibus, 32,000 miles; by boat, 2,800 miles, and by men on foot, 70,000 miles. There were sent by mail 71,000,000 newspapers and 11,700 book packets. The postal revenue increased over $400,000 above the income of the year before. All the dead letters were returned to the writers without any expense or tax whatever, the number amounting to nearly two millions. Almost seventy million dollars was remitted in complete safety in post-office money orders.

THE FRENCH MAILS.

Imperial decrees grant the privilege of conveying mails to the Compagnie Generale Maritime by the steamers it is about to establish between France, the United States and the West Indies; also, to the company of the Services Maritimes des Messageries Imperiales on its lines from Suez to China, Reunion, the French possessions in the East Indies, and the Dutch and Spanish colonies. The latter company has obtained from the Viceroy of Egypt a concession of land at Suez for constructing docks.

BRITISH MAILS TO SINGAPORE, PENANG, CHINA, ETC.

In consequence of the urgent applications made to the British government for the restoration of the second monthly mail service between Eng

land and China, which was discontinued last month, it has been determined to re-establish this service. The Post-Office Department have issued the following notice:

"Mails for Penang, Singapore and China will be made up in London on the morning of the 20th inst. for despatch via Southampton, and on the evening of the 26th inst. for despatch via Marseilles, and thenceforward the mails will be despatched twice a month as formerly, viz.: On the mornings of the 4th and 20th via Southampton; on the evenings of the 10th and 26th via Marseilles.

"As the revenue derived from the correspondence conveyed by the line of packets between Point de Galle and Shanghai is insufficient to cover the cost of this double service, the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury have, by warrant, directed that the postage upon such correspondence shall be increased. All letters, therefore, for Penang, Singapore, Hong Kong and other parts of China, Japan, Java, the Philippine Islands, Labuan, Borneo, Siam, Sumatra and the Moluccas will in future be chargeable with the following rates of postage, viz.:

"Via Southampton-For a letter not exceeding oz., 1s.; above oz. and not exceeding 1 oz., 2s.; above 1 oz. and not exceeding 2 oz., 4s.; above 2 oz. and not exceeding 3 oz., 6s.

oz.,

"Via Marseilles-For a letter not exceeding oz., 1s. 3d.; above 4 oz. and not exceeding oz., 1s. 6d. ; above oz. and not exceeding 28. 9d.; above oz. and not exceeding 1 oz., 3s.

"The postage chargeable upon letters for Penang, Singapore, Hong Kong and all other parts of China, Japan, Java, the Philippine Islands, Labuan, Borneo, Siam, Sumatra and the Moluccas, posted in the United States for transmission, via the United Kingdom, will hereafter be fortyfive cents the single rate of half an ounce or under, prepayment required; and that this increased rate of postage must be levied and collected in this country upon all such letters, whether directed for transmission from England, via Southampton or via Marseilles.

"Postmasters will please note this change upon the tables of postages to foreign countries, and collect postage accordingly."

THE AUSTRALIAN MAIL SERVICE.

A contract has been made and signed between the British government and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, for the renewal of the Australian mail service, by the conveyance of the mails between Point de Galle (Ceylon) and Australia. The subsidy is £134,672 per annum, to be paid quarterly on the 1st January, April, July and October, with a guarantee from the company of £25,000 for the performance of the same.

ONE RESULT OF BRITISH SUBSIDIES.

It has been part of the persistent policy of the British government to establish lines of steamers with every new market, and grant such facilities of trade as to secure a constant increase in the manufactures, and thus increase her export trade.

It is by this system that she secures her extensive trade with the South

American coast, all of which belongs to the United States by right of proximity and every commercial argument. No less than twelve English steamers are supported on the western coast of South America, encouraging the English, and shutting out American enterprise. This has been accomplished with the meager subsidy of less than $300,000 per annum; but without it no such enterprises would have been attempted.

This general subject is one of importance to the manufacturing and mercantile interests of this country. Within a few years our successive Congresses have almost abolished subsidies to American postal steamers, &c.; and, on the other hand, Great Britain has increased hers, especially in relation to the American lines.

THE CUNARD ATLANTIC STEAMERS.

Pending an inquiry in the British parliament in relation to the foreign mail contracts, one of the members made the following remarkable state

ment:

The CUNARD Company has been in existence since 1840, and not only during the first two years, but from first to last, there had been no breach of contract. They had incurred no penalties, and had never asked any indulgence from the government. They had carried the mails with undeviating regularity during the twenty-one years those contracts had

been in force.

STRAY MONEY LETTERS.

Statement of dead letters containing money received at the Dead Letter Office, Washington, during the past year.

Qr. ending 31st March, 1860, 2,403 letters, containing $13,120 87

30th June, 1860, 2,860

Total for the year 1860, 9,790 letters, containing $ 52,154 86 Average amount of money to each letter,. . . . . . $5.323 More than nine-tenths of the above letters and money have been sent out and delivered to the writers thereof. Those letters containing money, the owners of which cannot be found, are filed, to await the application of the owners. If not called for before June next, the bank notes contained in the letters will be sold for specie, and the specie deposited in the United States Treasury. But the letter and a draft for the amount contained in it, (less the discount,) may be obtained on proper application at any time thereafter.

Persons making application for missing valuable letters, supposed to have been sent to the dead letter office, should address "Third Assistant P. M. General, Dead Letter Office," and state correctly the address of the letter inquired for, the name of the writer thereof, a description of its contents or enclosure, the date when it was originally mailed, the amount of postage, and whether paid or unpaid; if registered, the registry number, and if the letter is supposed to have been returned to the dead letter office, the date when it was so returned should be stated. Dead letters, not containing enclosures of value, are destroyed as soon as opened.

DEAD LETTERS.

The following order has been issued from the Post-Office Department: POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT, Nov. 26, 1861.

In view of the increased number of letters held for postage and returned to the dead-letter office, it is ordered that the order of this department, dated 8th October, 1860, be rescinded, and the prior practice be restored. Postmasters will, therefore, notify the person addressed that such letter is held for postage, and that upon his writing therefor, prepaying the postage on his letter and enclosing a stamp to be placed on the letter held for postage, the same will be forwarded to his address. By order of the Postmaster-General.

JOHN A. KASSON, First Asst. P. M. G.

POSTAGE TO ITALY BY THE FRENCH MAIL.

We are requested to state that, on and after the first of January, 1862, the postage chargeable upon letters between the United States and Italy, (the Austrian Provinces and Pontifical States excepted,) forwarded via France, in the French mail, will be reduced from twenty-seven to twentyone cents, the single rate of one-fourth ounce or under, prepayment optional. The single rate by the French mail, upon letters for the Venetian and Papal States, will remain unchanged at twenty-seven cents the quarter ounce, and fifty-four cents the half-ounce letter, pre-payment optional. Postmasters will note these changes upon their foreign tables, and levy postage accordingly, on and after January 1, 1862.-Washington Republican.

BUSINESS OF THE BRITISH ADMIRALTY.

In 1792 the number of letters despatched from the Admiralty was 8,251; in 1835 it had increased to 31,086; and in 1860 to 68,622; and that although in this last year a large number of unimportant routine letters were no longer registered, and a considerable number of documents which used to be retained at Whitehall are now, when acted upon, sent to Somerset House. The pages of entry, 4,402 in 1791, and 10,132 in 1835, were 30,669 in 1860. There was more to write about; the artificers in the dock-yards increased from 7,884 in 1835, to 18,574 in 1860, and the ships in commission from 167 to 363. But the Admiralty correspondence is swelled by an interference in details that might have been expected to be left to the admirals or commanders-in-chief at the ports. Rear-Admiral G. ELLIOT told the Commons' Committee on the Board of Admiralty that he had seen piles of letters upon most trivial matters; lately, for instance, a long correspondence which a lieutenant had had with the Admiralty about a table-cloth, and he believed there were several copies of the letters made. The lieutenant, it seems, was tired first; he could not get his pay, and therefore made his tablecloth a flag of truce, and came to terms of peace.