The Express.
London, England, 1852-10-29 00:00:00

COLONIAL AND FOREIGN POSTAGE.

We have been favoured, says the Athenreum, with
some interesting communications relative to the bearing of i
the postage question en the acquisition and exchange of
old, 'twee, and valuable books, and on the book trade in
general.
l'enny postage, poet office orders, and the reductions
which have been made in the postal charges on pamphlets
and on other printed matter have been of immense benefit
to the book trade: and, in some cases, have enabled new
undertakings to be successfully carried out which could not
base been established before the facilities to which we have
alluded were in existence. We are told that tree bookseller,
haring a large bosiness in philological, hiaturieal, antique.
rian, artistic, and other valuable and learned works, and
who has wisely availed himself of all the assistance which
the Poet-Ace now affords, hat, within five years, printed
more than fifty catalogues of old books on sale— ging
generally about 2,000 copies of each, or 100,000 in the
whole. Nearly all these catalogues have been sent out
by poet:—from which a sum not far short of 5001. has
accrued to the revenue of the Post-office. The rerjority
of these catalogues were circulated within the United
Kingdom ; but • portion of them were sent to the United
States of America, sad a few to France. It is the business
of this gentleman to collect ouch works as are in demand by
the learned world ; and it is obvious that the circulation of
catalogues conteining the titles and prices ~f such books--
collected, as they must necessarily be, with much care and
discretion—iv highly advantageous to the professors of uni-
versities and co:lrgee, to the managers of public libraries,
to statesmen, clergymen—in short, to men of literary pur-
suits and attainnsense generally, more ceps eially to those
whn live out of the dineof the busy world, and pursue •
genet, intellectual career for the benefit of the public or
for their own improvement. To such men the penny
postage has bees an inestimable Noun. We ore told that
these trade catalogues often barely remunerate the book-
seller for the cost of printing and postage ; and that were
it not for the sale of books to those countries to which such
lists may be sent for a trifling charge, there would be a
Imo on the transaction, and consequently the pranks of
printing such catalogues would be abandoned. Ity this re-
sult the literary world would lose one of its most useful and
attractive vet indicate.
When we look at the subject of pamphlet postage with
regard to our own colonies, we find one of those vexatious
anomalies which me et us at every turn in oar present postal
elements. A Borden bookseller may send a pamphlet
weighing less than two ounces to the University of Cam.
bridee in the United States of America for one peony ; hut
if he wishes to send it to one of the learned doctors 10 our
own University of Cambridge he must pay sixpence for it if
he sends it as a pamphlet. lie may send it, however, to a
letter for fourpence. A pamphlet weighing less thou half
an ounce would go, as a letter in a closed envelope, for a
penny ; but if left open at the ends and paid for as a
" pamphlet," the postage, as before stated, would be six-
pence. Again—as wo have said, a pamphlet under two
ounces weight may be sent to the United States fur a
penny ; but if a bookseller wishes to extend his trade with
our own possessions abroad—if he posts his zatalogue to
Canada, to the Cape, or even t., Malta—the Name yet-office
which takes it to New York or New Orleans for a penny
will demand sixpence for carrying it to either of the other
places named. Should he wish to send it to Bombay,
Madras, or Calcutta he must pay " letter postage,"
which, by way of Southampton, would be four shillings
under two ounces ; while the very samo packet will
drop a similar pamphlet at Ceylon for sixpence. Singa-
pore is in the same predicament as Bombay. The
Peninsular and Oriental" Company's mail steamer will
carry a bulky packet of pamphlets to Singapore for five
'billies' ; but a single one, weighing less than two ounces,
carried by the some steamer, would be charged four shil-
lings postage. If, as in the case of Ceylon already cited.
the single packet were to be curried a thousand miles or so
further, namely, to Hong Kong, it will coot only sixpence.
For these latter eccentricities we are indebted to mime mys-
terious arrangements and principles emanating from the
Society of Merchant Princes whose throne is in Leadenball-
street.

It will surprise no one that, with such a tariff as the above
in operation, • bookseller should say, " At this rate I can-
not send out catalogues on speculation ; the postage would
ruin me." The same writer adds:—" At the Cape, India,
ac. I have customers; but not being able to scud my
catalogues at a low rate, I gradually lase them."
The serious impediments which these contradictory and
expensive regulations must place in the way of trade and of
literature, science, art, and education may be easily con-
ceived, but cannot be fully stated within any moderate
limits:—and surely it is the !silky of government to place
its colonial subjects an as good • footing as is possible in
such matters. The monotony so much complained of in
colonial life might be thus materially relieved, and the
ideas of the colonists thereby raised and expanded :—while
the feeling that they are far worse elf than foreign nations
with respect to their mother country in such matter", can-
not certainly assist in impressing their minds with the im-
mense benefits of their connexion with the land of their
fathers.

The extension of the trade in books between this and fo-
reign eonntries,—even those which, like the United States,
rejoice in a low pamphlet postage,—i•exceedingly restricted
by the cost of letters pining between those countries. At the
present time nearly all the orders received from abroad
come through the hands of agents; but, if the
postage were reduced to a penny or twopence, such orders
would be sent direct to the bookseller here. The effect on
the trade would be as striking and important as that of the
removal of tortuous windings and obstructions from the
banks and bed of a river. As in the preceding case, these
remarks apply with tenfold force to our colonies.
The whole question of postage between this country end
its numerous dependencies is in our own hands. No other
nation can have a voice in the matter ; and there are no
difficulties in the way of an immediate and complete re-
form, that an by any peculiarity of vision or by any mode
of argument whatever, be exaggerated into impediments.
The International Postage Association continues to pro-
ceed with vigour in its work—and the general response
exhibits the public estimate of its importance. We have
just received a printed paper containing the names of about
sixty gentlemen in: all parts of the three kingdoms, who
have been elected honorary corresponding members of the
amooiation,--and who will no doubt be very effective in
making known the objects of the essociation throughout the
country. The majority of these gentlemen acted as secre-
taries to the local committets for ion.
We have been informed that measures are taking to esta-
blish simile, easeciatkens in all the great sea ports, and in
many magmbeturing disticts. The council of
the amen is is anoustunication with the chambers of

commerce and other commensal essonatsoas which exist
throughout the kingdom; and it is probable that the meet-
ing of delegates which is to take place in London about the
middle of next month, on the very important subject of the
' reform of our commercial law, will be taken advantage
of by the Postage Association for a conference on the latter
say=time since, es our readers already know, the asso-
Nils addressed a letter to the ambusadors and other re•
prommtatine of foreign countries, and from nearly all of
them @amen have now been received expressive of the
deepest interest in the movement. A large number of
foie known for their intelligence in such matters,
have been invited to become the agents of the association
in the various places wherein they reside ; and their notices
of acceptance of the appointment begin to be received. M.
Legentil, the President of the Chamber of Commerce in
Paris, than writes :—" I have communicated to the Chamber
of Coarsens the letter which you were good enough to
write to me. I em enabled to inform you that it takes the
most lively interest in the noon' of your enterprise, and I
am assured of its assistance whe it may be called
upon. M. Horace Say, son of our celebrated economist, I'.
B. Say, himself the author of several works on political
economy, and secretary of our Chamber of Commerce, has
expressed a desire to benzin a member of your honourable
association. In making this announcement I believe I
enter into the views of your society, and I do not think that
it could make a better acquisition."

SWINDLING BY • SHIP'S CAPTAIN.—The police
-• staturdey the captain of an English
merchant abip, the Shakespeare, .....er toe hallowing cir-
cumstances: In Much but the Shakespeare left the port of
Canton, having on board en American. This American
was very badly off, and had no goods; but he and the cap-
tain coseected a schema for committing a fraud on a grind
scale. On arriving at the Cape of Good Hope, the captain
presented the American to • commercial firm with whom
he was acquainted, and represented to them that he had on
beard his ship about 6,0001. worth of goods, which he was
conveying to England. He also produced vouchers, which
seemed to confirm the statemeat. The firm, to oblige the
American, who was in want of money, agreed to purchase
about one-third of the cargo, and paid at once 9001.
on account, giving a draft on their agent I. London for
the remainder. The American then insured the rest
of the cargo for about 6,0001. Shortly after this the
Shakspeare set sail ; but the American remained at the
Cape, on the pretest of haring to conclude some business.
On arriving at Bt. Helena the captain said he would give
up the command of the vessel to his mate, as the health of
his wife, who was with him, rendered it necessary that she
should proceed to England by steamer, being unable to
bear the fatigue of the voyage in the Shakespeare. But he
had previously come to an understanding with the mate
that on leaving the port of St. Helena ho should sink or set
fire to the ship, in order to destroy all proofs of the fraud
which had been committed, and oleo to cheat the insurance
company. A liberal recompense was promised to the mate
for his complicity. The mate promised to fulfil his share of
the contract, and sailed from St. Helena. A few days
after the East India steamer touched at the island, and
the captain and his wife went on board. There they
met the American, as had previously been arranged.
As soon as the steamer arrived in London the Ame-
rican and the Captain went to the agent of the merchants
of the Cape, and received from him 1,5351., the balance
due on the cargo. They then waited for news of the loss
of the Shakespeare, in order to apply to the insurance office
for the amount of the insurance. A short timo back, to
their profound astonishment, they learned that the Shalu-
are had entered the mouth of .the Thames; the mate,
being an Mama man, as it turned out, having brought her
' safe home, instead of making any attempt to destroy her.
The two men thereupon deemed it prudent to fly. The
American embarked en board a vessel which was about to
proceed to the East Indies, whilst the Captain and his wife
came to Paris, and took up their residence in the Champs
Elyseee. The agent of the St. Helena merchants, having
learned the fraud that had been committed, and having as-
eertained that the captain bad come to Paris, immediately
came over here, and obtained, by the interference of the
English embassy, the assistance of the police. In a very
short time the residence of the captain was discovered, and
he was enured.