“In the examination of domestic dead-letters, for disposition, 1,736,867 were found to be either not susceptible of being returned, or of no importance, circulars, etc., and were destroyed after an effort to return them—making about 51 per cent. destroyed. The remainder were classified and returned to the owners as far as practicable. The whole number sent from the office was 2,258,199, of which about 84 per cent. were delivered to owners, and 16 per cent. were returned to the Department; 18,340 letters, containing $95,169.52, in sums of $1 and upward, of which 16,061 letters, containing $86,638.66, were delivered to owners, and 2,124, containing $7,862.36, were filed or held for disposition; 14,082 contained $3,436.68, in sums of less than $1, of which 12,513, containing $3,120.70, were delivered to owners; 17,750 contained drafts, deeds, and other papers of value, representing the value of $3,609,271.80—of these 16,809 were restored to the owners, and 821 were returned and filed; 13,964 contained books, jewellery, and other articles of property, of the estimated value of $8,500—of these 11,489 were forwarded for delivery and 9,911 were delivered to their owners; 125,221 contained photographs, postage-stamps, and articles of small value, of which 114,666 were delivered to owners; 2,068,842 without inclosures. Thus of the ordinary dead-letters forwarded from this office, about 84 per cent. were delivered, and of the valuable dead-letters (classed as money and minor) about 89 per cent. were delivered. The decrease of money-letters received (about 3,000) is probably owing to the growing use of money-orders for the transmission of small sums.” In August, 1864, Hon. Montgomery Blair appointed Dr. C. F. Macdonald, now the Superintendent of the Money-Order Department, and J. M. McGrew, now Chief Clerk of the Sixth Auditor’s office, commissioners to visit Quebec and examine the workings of the Money-Order System which has been in operation in Great Britain and Canada for several years. The system, as used by the British Government, was modified and simplified by the commissioners, and on the 8th of November, 1864, the Money-Order System of the United States was inaugurated, with 138 offices authorized to issue and pay.