“If the government had been placed upon the footing of citizens, and had paid during Mr. Barry’s administration one-third even of what these would have paid for the same services, would the department have been in debt? Strike an account with the executive government only, even for the last year, and we find that the balance due to the department, including the losses by abuses, would more than pay its whole debts. To those, then, who charge that the department is ‘insolvent,’ we say that its unrequited labors have justly earned for it a revenue more than sufficient to meet all the demands against it.” In connection with this subject,—and it is one that, when fully exposed, will astonish the country,—we annex the following from the “American Merchant,” New York, for July, 1859. “There is not the slightest doubt that very extensive frauds may be successfully carried on in the department; but we incline to the opinion, however, that the most aggravated ‘frauds’ perpetrated on the department, and which are the more hard to be borne that there is no remedy for them under the existing law, are those which grow out of the franking privilege. It would astonish the world, could the figures be correctly ascertained, to see to what extent this evil is carried. From a statement made by the postmaster of Washington City to the Post-Office Committee of the House of Representatives, in January, 1854, we gather the following items of ‘franked’ matter sent during _one month_ from Washington alone:— Pounds weight. Postage. Letters from members of Congress 3,446 $4,664 Documents ” ” 693,508 110,961 Letters from Departments 7,065 6,782 Newspapers (numbering 1,110,020) 111,002 11,100 ——————— ———————— Total for one month 815,021 $133,507 For twelve months 9,780,242 1,602,087 Postage for one year, if not prepaid 3,158,390 “Let it be remembered that this amount of $2,500,000, which is a fair average for one year, is actually _taken out_ of the revenues of the department in one city. Is it strange that our postal system should be non-supporting?