locks and keys, and of doing all other things which may be necessary to secure a faithful and exact performance of all mail contracts.

All cases of mail depredations, violations of law by private expresses, or for forging or illegally using postage-stamps, are reported to this office.

All communications respecting lost money-letters, and also all relating to mail depredations, and other violations of law, or of counterfeiting or violating mail locks or keys, are sent to this office.

These are statute duties in addition to those ordinarily performed by chief clerks.

CHAPTER XLVII.

I. MAIL CONTRACTS.

NEARLY all the important roads, and navigable streams, and railroads have been declared "postroads," on which the Postmaster-General is required to cause the mails to be transported. Under this direction, each city, town, and village is supplied with the mail. These post-roads are divided into mail routes of various lengths, but so connected as to secure speedy and certain transmission.

Once in four years, descriptions of a portion of these routes are made out and published, and bids to transport the mail thereon, for four years, invited, to be carried either on horse-back, in covered stages, coaches, in steamboats, or on railroads, and as often as stated in the notice. When the bids are received, the service is awarded to the lowest bidder, who gives security for the faithful performance of his contract, which is signed by the contractor and Postmaster-General. In this way, about one fourth part of the routes are every year presented for bids. These contractors are mostly paid by drafts of the department on the postmasters on their routes.

Some portions of the country do not in postages pay the expenses of carrying the mail through them. The deficiencies are supplied from the larger offices, or directly from the treasury. Formerly our mail establishment was a self-sustaining one; but now, owing to the numerous, long, and unproductive routes in the West and South-west, and the expenses of our foreign mail steamer service, and the low rates of postage, as well as the increase of the mail matter carried free, it fails to meet its expenses by several millions of dollars annually. Whether wise or not, this change has been occasioned, not so much by the policy of the department, as by the imperative action of Congress, and the enlarged use of the franking privilege.

2. POST-OFFICE AGENTS.

The mail service is complicated with almost endless details. So great is the number of persons employed, that omissions and violations of duty can not fail to occur. In order to ferret out and correct these, trusted agents are appointed by the PostmasterGeneral, who go over and supervise the affairs of the department in specific sections of the country, and report to the proper officer in the department. These agents often manifest great talent and skill in detecting depredations upon the mail. They also investigate charges made against postmasters and mail-carriers, and look into difficulties concerning the mail routes and location of post-offices. These

agents are the eyes, if not the hands of the department, and render most valuable service.

3. MAIL-ROUTE AGENTS.

These are trusted persons appointed by the department to accompany the mails on the important railroad and steam routes, to secure and protect them, and to look after their proper delivery. Theirs is a place of trust and confidence, and upon their fidelity much depends. Usually boats and cars carrying the mail provide an apartment for the agent, which he occupies with the mail. In some he receives mail matter, and prepares it for delivery at the proper points on the route.

4. POSTAGE-STAMPS.

Formerly all letters had the amount of postage marked on them, and a bill was sent stating the rates and total amount sent to any one office. This involved keeping books of account, both at the sending and receiving offices. A small portion only of these postages were then prepaid. Now, no money is paid on letters. Those sending are required to buy and affix stamps upon their letters. This has done away with the old book-keeping. The government employs persons to prepare these stamps, which are sent to the postmasters, to be sold to those wishing to use them. This is a great improvement upon the old system, being more convenient for the parties.

and the department and its agents. It greatly simplifies the business of the mail establishment.

5. THE FRANKING PRIVILEGE.

This is a privilege conferred by law upon certain classes of persons, to write their name on letters and other mail matter, and have it carried at government expense through the mails. At first, this privilege was limited to a small number of officials. It now extends from the President, heads of departments and bureaus, to members of Congress, and the secretary of the Senate, and clerk of the House. A very large portion of all the mail matter transported consists of letters, documents, books, and other things which are franked. During a presidential campaign, many tons of electioneering printed matter are carried daily to all parts of the Union, under the frank of members of Congress. At the Capitol in Washington, there is a large force of men and boys, whose time is wholly occupied in folding, at government expense, printed matter, which is subsequently franked by members, or some one for them, and transported through the whole extent of the republic. The carrying this franked matter very largely increases the expense of conveying the mails, if it does not occasion more than one fourth of it. If the franking privilege had been confined to letters on official business, it would find a justification connected with public duty, to which it can not now sustain any claim. As it now