fiscal year from November 1, 1864, to June 30, 1873, on money-order account. $101,712.46 of the amount indicated in the statement as defalcations is the balance due from P. H. Jones, late postmaster at New York, N. Y. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. J. A. J. CRESWELL, Postmaster-General. J. J. MARTIN, Auditor. Number of or- Statement exhibiting the number and amount of money-orders issued, amount of orders paid, amount of fees received on orders issued, amount of expenses, amount of commissions and clerk-hire, amount of lost remittances, amount of net revenue, amount of defalcations, and amount of bad debts during each fiscal year, from November 1, 1864, to June 30, 1873, on money-order account. 30, 1865 Fiscal year 1866.. Fiscal year 1867. 74,277 243,709 474, 496 Fiscal year 1868. $31,937 Fiscal year 1869. Fiscal year 1870. 1,264, 143 3,977, 259 28 9, 229, 327 72 16, 197, 858 47 24, 848, 058 93 34, 054, 184 71 Fiscal year 1872. Fiscal year 1873.. 48, 042, 405 88 $1,360, 122 52 $1,291, 972 22 * Including $101,712.46 balance due from P. H. Jones, late postmaster at New York, N. Y., and $17,108.37 balance due from C. W. Lowell, late postmaster, New Orleans, La. NOTE.-Suits are now pending for the recovery of the amount of the defalcations. Conceding the entire amount of defalcations uncollectible, the per cent. of loss is .0099, or less than one-tenth of one per cent. The amount due from Jones, late postmaster at New York, will, undoubtedly, be collected, and the loss will then be less than one-twentieth of one per cent. Amount of bad debts. Remarks. $7,047.97 deficit. Estimate of amount of appropriation required to prepay postage at present rates for the Post-Office Department during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1874. POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, In view of the recent laws of Congress, abolishing the franking privilege from and after July 1, 1873, it is decided that such articles, in the nature of supplies, as are essential for the proper working of this Department and its officers, may be transported without payment of postage. The following articles are designated as supplies, and postmasters, railway postal clerks, route-agents, and other officers of the postal service will permit packages thereof, when indorsed in accordance with the instructions herein contained, to pass through their respective offices and over their routes, viz: Blanks, sent from the Department to its officers. Rating and postmarking stamps, do. Books of regulations, Post-office Directories, Mail-bags, locks, and keys, do. do. do. Mail-bags and locks sent from regular depositories to postmasters and others. Packages of postal stamps, stamped envelopes, newspaper-wrappers, postal cards, official envelopes, registered-package envelopes and seals, sent from Department to postmasters. Dead letters sent from post-offices to the Department. Damaged postage-stamps and stamped envelopes from postmasters to the Department for redemption. Used or spoiled registered-package-envelopes returned to the Department. Packages of the above-named articles must bear, in addition to the address, the official certificate of the officer by whom sent, thus: POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, OFFICE SUPPLIES. By order of the POSTMASTER-GENERAL. A B- (Or other officer, as the case may be.) On all matter not designated as supplies, postage must be paid at the regular rates by the official stamps, with which every office will be sup plied. OFFICIAL MAIL MATTER SENT FROM ALL OTHER EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS OF THE GOVERNMENT. To afford the several Executive Departments of the Government every facility consistent with the law abolishing the franking privilege, packages of blanks, charts, or other printed matter, (except books,) emanating from said Departments, will be allowed to pass through the mails at a prepaid postage (by postage-stamps) of one cent for each two Ounces or fraction thereof, being the minimum rate for such matter; double these rates must be charged for books, viz, two cents for each two ounces or fraction thereof. For the better protection of such matter, the packages can be sealed as heretofore, provided the contents are properly certified by an officer designated for such purpose by the head of the department or bureau to which he is attached. The following form of certificate (with proper variations of heading for the several departments) has been suggested: UNITED STATES TREASURY BLANKS. I certify that this package contains no written matter. By order of the SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: J. Chief Clerk. Postmasters and others receiving a copy of this will carefully observe the foregoing instructions. JNO. A. J. CRESWELL, In compliance with a Senate resolution of March 11, 1873, information in relation to the space allotted to each steerage-immigrant on board ship. JANUARY 23, 1874.-Referred to the Committee on Printing. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., January 21, 1874. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the following resolution of the Senate, dated March 11, 1873: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby directed to inform the Senate, at its next session, how many superficial feet of clear space are allotted to each steerage immigrant on board ship, according to the official reports of the collectors of customs; also to cause the atmosphere of some of the steerage-compartments to be chemically analyzed by a competent expert, with a view of ascertaining its healthfulness; and also to have an examination made of the general treatment of immigrants on board ship; and to suggest such alterations in existing laws as may be necessary to secure effectual protection to steerage-immigrants. Under the resolution I employed several persons to investigate and report in such a manner as to enable me to properly respond to the inquiries of the Senate. Their reports are transmitted herewith, as containing the information requested touching the amount of space allowed immigrants, the condition of the atmosphere in the compartments, and the general treatment of immigrants. To the portion of the resolution requiring me to suggest such alterations in existing laws as may be necessary to secure effectual protection to steerage-immigrants, I reply, that the act of March 3, 1855, (Stat. at Large, vol. 1, p. 15,) now in force, should be either amended to a very considerable extent, or be repealed altogether, and replaced by one more in accordance with the requirements of the subject to which it relates. Its wording is such that it does not govern the carriage of passengers in steam-vessels, further than to require that a certain space shall be allowed on the deck on which they are berthed, and it does not determine the space to be allowed on sailing-vessels bringing immigrants to this country. If made applicable to both steam and sailing vessels of all nationalities, bringing immigrants to the United States, it would still be defective in failing to make adequate provision for the protection of immigrants. I therefore recommend additional legislation relative to the following subjects, in regard to which, it appears to me, that sufficient information is given in the reports, and in the draughts of bills appended there |