past year. It is gratifying to find that
within so short a period after the reduction in the rates of postage,
and notwithstanding the great increase of mail service, the revenue
received for the year will be sufficient to defray all the expenses, and
that no further aid will be required from the Treasury for that purpose.

The first of the American mail steamers authorized by the act of the 3d
of March, 1845, was completed and entered upon the service on the 1st of
June last, and is now on her third voyage to Bremen and other
intermediate ports. The other vessels authorized under the provisions of
that act are in course of construction, and will be put upon the line as
soon as completed. Contracts have also been made for the transportation
of the mail in a steamer from Charleston to Havana.

A reciprocal and satisfactory postal arrangement has been made by the
Postmaster-General with the authorities of Bremen, and no difficulty is
apprehended in making similar arrangements with all other powers with
which we may have communications by mail steamers, except with Great
Britain.

On the arrival of the first of the American steamers bound to Bremen at
Southampton, in the month of June last, the British post-office directed
the collection of discriminating postages on all letters and other
mailable matter which she took out to Great Britain or which went into
the British post-office on their way to France and other parts of
Europe. The effect of the order of the British post-office is to subject
all letters and other matter transported by American steamers to double
postage, one postage having been previously paid on them to the United
States, while letters transported in British steamers are subject to pay
but a single postage. This measure was adopted with the avowed object of
protecting the British line of mail steamers now running between Boston
and Liverpool, and if permitted to continue must speedily put an end to
the transportation of all letters and other matter by American steamers
and give to British steamers a monopoly of the business. A just and fair
reciprocity is all that we desire, and on this we must insist. By our
laws no such discrimination is made against British steamers bringing
letters into our ports, but all letters arriving in the United States
are subject to the same rate of postage, whether brought in British or
American vessels. I refer you to the report of the Postmaster-General
for a full sta