List of deposites in the Office of Discount and Deposite from May 7, 1818.

$10,153 00

In reply to the letter you honored me with, in relation to the General Post Office accounts, I beg leave to state that they are rendered to the Treasury to the close of the year 1815, and are now under examination by the accounting officers. In the course of a few days we shall have prepared for the accounts of receipts and expenditures, now printing for the year 1817, an exhibition of the Post Office accounts for the year 1810, similar to the statement D, for 1809, rendered in the printed public accounts for 1816. Also a statement, in an abstract form, of the Post Office accounts, as settled by the Fifth Auditor of the Treasury, for the years 1811 and 1815, inclusively, and which are under the usual form of examination in the office of the First Comptroller of the Treasury. I beg leave to refer to the enclosed annual statement of moneys paid into the Treasury.

I have the honor to be, sir, with great respect, your obedient servant,

Hon. T. H. HUBBARD.

JOSEPH NOURSE, Register.

Statement exhibiting the revenue which accrued from postage on letters, newspapers, &c. during the year 1810.

Abstract of payments made into the Treasury, by the Postmaster General, from 1809 to 1818, inclusive.

From a comparison of the payments made into the Treasury by the Postmaster General, as above stated, with the statement thereof rendered to the committee from the General Post Office, there is a variation, which the following will explain:

In the years 1814 and 1815 both statements agree, but in 1816 and 1817 a variation appears of $110 69, thus:

The difference of $110 69, although paid into the Treasury by the General Post Office, had not been covered by warrant, so as to come on the Treasury books.

Warrants drawn by the Secretary of the Treasury on the Postmaster General.

SIR:

Treasury Department, RegisteR'S OFFICE, February 9, 1819.

I have now the honor to transmit you the statements referred to in my letter of the 3d instant, remarking that the accounts rendered by the General Post Office have been settled, in the office of the Fifth Auditor, to the 31st December, 1814. Those for the year 1815 are now in a course of settlement in that office.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,
JOSEPH NOURSE, Register.

Hon. T. H. HUBBARD, House of Representatives.

Statement exhibiting the revenue which accrued from postage on letters, newspapers, &c. during the years 1811, 1812, 1813, and 1814.

NOTE. The above exhibits the receipts and expenditures of the General Post Office, for the years above mentioned, as settled quarterly in this office, up to the 1st January, 1815; the accounts for which year are now in hand, and are all that have been rendered to the Treasury Department from the General Post Office.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, FIFTH AUDITOR'S OFFICE, February 5, 1819.

TO JOSEPH NOURSE, Esq., Register of the Treasury.

Stated by

DAVID EASTON.

16th CONGRESS.]

No. 40.

[1st SESSION

SIR:

86

ACCOUNTS OF THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.

COMMUNICATED TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, FEBRUARY 12, 1820.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, February 11, 1820.

In obedience to a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 28th ultimo, directing the Secretary of the Treasury to inform this House when the accounts of the Post Office Department were last audited, and the amount of the balance, if any, then due; also a statement of the quarterly amount of receipts and expenditures of that Department, from the first appointment of the present Postmaster General to the last day of December, 1819, inclusive," I have the honor to submit the enclosed report and statements from the office of the Fifth Auditor of the Treasury.

It appears from the documents which have been furnished by that officer, that, when the present Postmaster General came into office, during the first quarter of 1814, there was due a balance of $313,086 88, which, on the 31st day of December, 1816, the latest period to which the accounts have been audited, was increased to $470,875 64, of which sum $50,760 25 was in the possession of that Department. It also appears that, on the 31st March, 1818, from the accounts which have been rendered, but not audited, there was due by that Department the sum of $539,844 72, of which there was $46,337 89 in cash.

The receipts and expenditures of the Department, subsequent to that period, cannot be ascertained at the Treasury, as the accounts have not been rendered for settlement. I have the honor to be your most obedient servant,

The Hon. the SPEAKER of the House of Representatives.

WILLIAM H. CRAWFORD.

SIR: TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Fifth Auditor's Office, February 9, 1820. In answer to the inquiries contained in your note of the 31st of January last, transmitting a resolution of the House of Representatives of the United States, of the 28th of that month, relative to the accounts of the Post Office Department, I have the honor to state that, when the present Postmaster General came into office, the accounts of the General Post Office had been rendered to the Treasury for settlement to the 31st of March, 1808; that they had been audited, when the Fifth Auditor was charged by law with their settlement, to the 30th September, 1810; that they had been rendered at that period to the 31st of March, 1812; that they were last rendered to the 31st of March, 1818, on or about the 20th of December last; that they have been audited to the 31st of December, 1816, and that all those of the year 1817 are in a course of examination, and will, in a short time, be audited; that the balance due by the Postmaster General on the 31st of December, 1816, the period at which the accounts were last audited, was $470,875 64, stated to consist of

Cash on hand,

Debts due by Deputy Postmasters and others,

$50,760 25

420,115 39

$470,875 64

Of the cash above stated to be in hand, there was paid in the succeeding quarter the sum of $19,999 50, for which the Postmaster General will receive a credit when the accounts for that quarter shall be audited.

For the receipts and expenditures of the Post Office Department, I respectfully refer to the enclosed abstract, (A) exhibiting them (as well as other particulars which were thought to be acceptable) quarter-yearly, from the commencement of the year 1814, when the present Postmaster General appears to have entered upon his official duties, to the 31st of December, 1816; and to another abstract, (B) also enclosed, for a view of them, as derived from accounts between the date last mentioned and the 31st of March, 1818, which have been received, but not audited.

It is proper to observe, that the balance stated to be due at the commencement of the year 1814, of $313,086 88, was transferred to his debit from that of G. Granger, his predecessor, and is merged in the balances stated to be subsequently due.

As the law has confided to the Postmaster General the collection, by suit or otherwise, of all debts due to the General Post Office, he has never transmitted, with his accounts to the Treasury, a statement showing by whom the aggregate sum, stated to be due from Deputy Postmasters and others, from quarter to quarter, is due and payable. That information can be obtained only from the General Post Office.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant,

S. PLEASONTON, Fifth Auditor of the Treasury.

Hon. SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.