The report of the Postmaster-General exhibits the continual growth and the high state of efficiency of the postal service.  The operations of no Department of the Government, perhaps, represent with greater exactness the increase in the population and the business of the country.  In 1860 the postal receipts were $8,518,067.40; in 1880 the receipts were $33,315,479.34.  All the inhabitants of the country are directly and personally interested in having proper mail facilities, and naturally watch the Post-Office very closely.  This careful oversight on the part of the people has proved a constant stimulus to improvement.  During the past year there was an increase of 2,134 post-offices, and the mail routes were extended 27,177 miles, making an additional annual transportation of 10,804,191 miles.  The revenues of the postal service for the ensuing year are estimated at $38,845,174.10, and the expenditures at $42,475,932, leaving a deficiency to be appropriated out of the Treasury of $3,630,757.90.

The Universal Postal Union has received the accession of almost all the countries and colonies of the world maintaining organized postal services, and it is confidently expected that all the other countries and colonies now outside the union will soon unite therewith, thus realizing the grand idea and aim of the founders of the union of forming, for purposes of international mail communication, a single postal territory, embracing the world, with complete uniformity of postal charges and conditions of international exchange for all descriptions of correspondence.  To enable the United States to do its full share of this great work, additional legislation is asked by the Postmaster-General, to whose recommendations especial attention is called.

The suggestion of the Postmaster-General that it would be wise to encourage, by appropriate legislation, the establishment of American lines of steamers by our own citizens to carry the mails between our own ports and those of Mexico, Central America, South America, and of transpacific countries is commended to the serious consideration of Congress.

The attention of Congress is also invited to the suggestions of the Postmaster-General in regard to postal savings.

The necessity for additional provision to aid in the transaction of the business of the Federal courts becomes each year more apparent.  The dockets of the Supreme Court and of the circuit courts in the greater number of the circuits are encumbered with the constant accession of cases.  In the former court, and in many instances in the circuit courts, years intervene before it is practicable to bring cases to hearing.