r ending June 30, 1850, was 6518. Of
that number 2600 were appointed to fill vacancies occasioned by
resignations; 233 to fill vacancies occasioned by the decease of the
previous incumbents; 562 on a change of the sites of the offices for
which they were appointed; 1444 on the removal of their predecessors,
and 1979 were appointed on the establishment of new offices. The whole
number of post offices in the United States at the end of that year was
18,417. There were 1679 post offices established, and 309 discontinued
during the year.

The gross revenue of the Department for the year was as follows:

From letter postage, including foreign postage,
and stamps sold $4,575,663 86
From newspapers and pamphlets 919,485 94
From fines 38 00
From miscellaneous items 3,048 66
From receipts on acc't of dead letters 1,748 40
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$5,499,984 86
Appropriation for franked matter 200,000 00
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Total $5,699,984 86

From this sum should be deducted the
amount received during the year for
British postages, which are payable to
that Government, under the postal convention
of December, 1848 147,013 38
--------------
Leaving for the gross revenue of the year $5,552,971 48
Total expenditures 5,212,953 43
--------------
Excess of receipts $340,018 05

The expenditures of the current year are estimated at $6,019,809, the
increase consisting in the additional service provided for, and in the
increased rates sometimes paid on the new contracts. No reliable
estimate of receipts from postage for the year can be made. The increase
for the year ending June 30, 1847, was 11.27 per cent.; that for the
year ending June 30, 1848, only 7.43 per cent.; and that for the year
ending June 30, 1849, 14.20 per cent.; being an average, for the three
years, of 10.96 per cent.; and the increase for the year ending June 30,
1850, excluding the