In compliance with the resolution of the Senate of the 12th instant, a statement of the amount of free matter passing through the mails during the period of six months ending June 30, 1870.

JANUARY 13, 1871.-Referred to the Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads and ordered to be printed.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., January 12, 1871.

SIR: In compliance with the resolution of the Senate passed this day, I have the honor to submit herewith a report prepared by my direction, showing, from official returns and estimates, the amount of free matter transmitted through the mails during the period of six months ended June 30, 1870.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNO. A. J. CRESWELL,

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report relating to free matter transmitted through the mails for the period of six montas, commencing January 1 and ending June 30, 1870.

On the 17th of December, 1869, the following circular to postmasters was issued by your direction:

To Postmasters :

[Circular.]

FREE MAIL MATTER.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE THIRD ASSISTANT P. M. GENERAL,
Washington, D. C., December 17, 1863.

The Postmaster General has this day made the following order: "Ordered: That each postmaster in the United States be instructed to take an accurate monthly account of all franked or free matter deposited at their respective offices for mailing, for the period of six months, commencing January 1 and ending June 30, 1870; and to make special reports thereof to the Third Assistant Postmaster General at the close of each month, embracing the following particulars, viz:

"1. The number of franked or free letters, and the amount of postage that would be chargeable thereon at the established rate of postage.

"2. The weight of franked or free matter OTHER THAN LETTERS, and the amount of postage that would be chargeable thereon at the current rates of postage." Postmasters will carefully conform to the foregoing instructions, USING THE INCLOSED FORM, which must be promptly forwarded to this office at the close of each month.

Should this circular fail to be received at any post office in time to commence taking an account of free matter on the first of January, 1870, let the return for that month include such portion of the month as may remain when the circular is received. By order of the Postmaster General:

W. H. H. TERRELL, Third Assistant Postmaster General.

A supply of blanks of the following form was also sent to each post

master:

Free mail matter.

[NOTE.-The blanks on both sides of this sheet must be filled by postmasters, and it must be forwarded promptly at the close of each month to the Third Assistant Postmaster General.]

Monthly return of franked and free mail matter (letters, documents, etc.) sent from this office for the month of 1870:

SEALED LETTERS SENT.

Bearing frauk of persons entitled to send letters free.

Adressed to persons entitled to receive letters free (as members of Con. gress, Government Departments, &c., &c.)..

Total.

PUBLIC DOCUMENTS, SEEDS, ETC., ETC., SENT.

Bearing frank of persons authorized to use the franking privilege
Addressed to persons entitled to receive mail free..

Total...

I certify that the foregoing is a correct statement.

(Sign here).

Postmaster.

Suitable records were provided in which all the post offices were entered in alphabetical order, with appropriate headings for the compilation of the returns, and about the middle of October last the work of entering them was commenced. Eight temporary clerks were employed, the regular clerical force of the Department being insufficient to do this extra work.

Their labors have this day been completed with the following result: The total number of post offices from which reports were due, was 28,492; number from which full or partial reports were received, 8,583; number wholly failing to report, 19,909. In a number of cases the returns received did not cover the whole period of six months; in such cases the returns made were accepted as a basis upon which the whole period was estimated by average.

The returns of the 8,583 reporting offices show that within the six months there were transmitted 5,140,796 franked letters, the postage upon which at the established rate amounted to $655,548 55, and 2,047,971

pounds and 10 ounces of other franked matter, such as printed documents, seeds, &c., upon which the postage at the established rates amounted to $260,847 84, making altogether for the 8,583 reporting offices for six months for the postage on free matter the sum of $916,396 39. This leaves, to be estimated, the free matter transmitted from 19,909 non-reporting post offices. To make the estimate in the fairest way possible, I have deducted from the foregoing returns the amounts reported from fourteen of the largest and most important offices of the country, to wit: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, Washington, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Pittsburg, Indianapolis, Detroit, Louisville, New Orleans, and San Francisco. In this way an average is calculated for the 19,909 non-reporting offices, giving for each 289 letters, postage $13 94, and 30 pounds 8 ounces printed and other free matter, postage $3 89; total postage for each office $17 83. I can devise no more liberal plan than this for the utilization of the returns received whereby they may be applied to all the post offices of the country; and yet in my own mind I am satisfied had complete and accurate returns been received from all the offices, the amount of postage would have been at least 25 per cent. greater.

From the above returns and estimates the following grand result is shown: Total number of franked letters for six months 10,894,497, postage $933,070; printed matter, &c., 2,655,196 pounds, postage $338,593 85. Total postage for six months $1,271,663 86; total for one year $2,543,327 72.

For convenience of reference the foregoing facts are tabulated, as follows:

In compliance with the resolution of the Senate of the 16th of December, 1870, information in relation to outrages committed by disloyal persons in North Carolina and other Southern States.

JANUARY 13, 1871.—Ordered to lie on the table and be printed.

To the Senate of the United States:

In reply to the resolution of the Senate of the 16th of December, 1870, requesting to be furnished with information relative to the organization of disloyal persons in North Carolina having in view resistance of the United States laws, denial of protection, and the enjoyment of the rights and liberties secured under the United States, &c., I transmit herewith abstracts of reports and other papers on file in the War Department relative to outrages in North Carolina; and also, for the information of the Senate, those relative to outrages in the other Southern States. The original reports and papers are too voluminous to be copied in season to be used by the present Congress, but are easily accessible for reference, and copies of such papers can be furnished as the Senate may deem necessary.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, January 13, 1871.

U. S. GRANT.

TESTIMONY AS TO OUTRAGES COMMITTED IN SOUTHERN STATES, WITH BRIEF ABSTRACTS AND DOCUMENTS.

[NOTE.-Upon examination of the records of the headquarters Armies United States General Grant's) it appears that many papers in regard to outrages, murders, &c., committed in Southern States, were referred to the commanding generals of the several military districts and departments where the occurrence took place, and that others were submitted to the Secretary of War, from time to time, and not returned; but the principal matter relative to these outrages is contained in the accompanying documents. The reports of Generals Halleck, Terry and Reynolds for 1870 are not included, all the annual reports of division and department commanders for that year having been handed to the Secretary of War early in December, 1870.]

ABSTRACTS.

January 2, 1867, General E. O. C. Ord, commanding Department of the Arkansas, and assistant commissioner Freedmen's Bureau for that State and Indian Territory, forwards memorandum of reports from dif