The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-23 00:00:00

is impossible for any people to stand unmoved the '
buffets of such a war, and that the United States
have been so little moved is the most marvellous
circumstance attending the c3nflict. A million
and a half of men cannot be maintained for years,
in idleness without suffering to the nation which
strives to maintain such a force. But it was nog
in idleness these men were kept, for they were en-
gaged in using the national resources to destroy the
national property. In Europe it was so confidently
predicted that there would be the greatest smash
the world had ever seen in America on the conclu-
sion of the war that men find it difficult to believe,
that it is not impending or has not taken place.
There certainly has been a panic, but it
had its centre in London, and its cause in
such a display of English dishonesty as the
world had nowhere else seen. After the close
of the War up to June 1, 1867, 19 months, dating
from the time when the Debt first became fairly
settled, the surplus received in the Treasury over
the expenditure amounted to $230,000,000. For the
list year the reduction has been but $6,000,000, and
the Nation-believes that this is partly due to a con-
tinued decrease in the national wealth. Nor is thi,
all : it is confidently asserted that payments on ac-
count of bounty have been purposely retarded to
make the exhibit of the finances as favourable as
possible; and as the War Department requisi-
tions have been kept back for the same rea-
son, instead of a decrease, the Nation-al Debt
ought in reality to show an increase of consider-
able magnitude. We think, notwithstanding the
diminution of cows, that the explanation is easy.
Corruption in the collection of the revenue has
increased to an alarming degree, and Congress
has supplemented bad laws based on erroneous prin.
ciples by doing all in its power to enforce them in
the most vicious way possible. It does not follow
that a diminution in cattle, although it may be a
bad sign, is conclusive of a nation's decline in
wealth, nor is the increase in flocks and herds a
sure sign of wealth's increase. In Australia sheep
may become a drug and be boiled down for tal-
low ; and any possible multiplication of cattle on
the Pampas may cause no sensible addition to the
wealth of the inhabitants. The decline on which the
Nation lays such stress signifies that the supply is not
up to the demand, but this can quickly be corrected
by the passage of the Reciprocity Bill, introduced
by Senator Ramsey of Minnesota; and by a judicious
expenditure in rearing herds on the grass lands of
Texas. If breadstuffs, animals (dead and alive),
fish, poultry, eggs, &c , be admitted from the do-
'• minion duty free, a large source of supply would be
at once opened from a country comparatively little
affected by the war. Another and a main cause
for the decrease in the revenue, and the severity
with which the taxes are felt, lies in the bad har-
vests which immediately followed on the conclusion
of the war. This helped the suspension of the in-
flation to cause the stagnation in business which has
prevailed for upwards of a year. Where all are mer
of business, when trade languishes to the extent lately
witnessed throughout the world, the depression is
most generally felt in the United States, and for the
same reason the country most quickly revives under
returning prosperity. We believe the Nation's
article to be a great but well-intended exaggeration.
In England it is accepted literally ; and those al-
ways ready to cry aloud, and point to the collapse
of the Republic, eagerly seize on it, and circulate
it as unquestionable fact. But although we think
it probable that the United States was so heavy a
material loser by the late war, tbatthere is an actual
decline in wealth if the position just preceding and
and that just following it be compared, we imagine
that the nation is rapidly recovering, and, will if
the civil service be reformed, make greater strides
during the next few years than has yet been achieved
in the history even of that marvellous country.—
Angle-American Times.

INCREASED POSTAL AND TELEGRAPHIC
COMMLNICATION WITH 7HE UNI7ED
S 7 A7ES.

Mr. Tro?lope and Mr. Randall have agreed to
differ regaiding postal affairs between England
and America, as may be seen from the correspond-
ence between them submitted to Congress. Mr
Trollope desires the transport of mails to be ex-
clusively given to the Cunard and Inman lines,
the service to be tri-weekly only, and the sub-
sidies for the carriage increased. If a joint con-
tract be impracticable, each Government to make
separate but virtually identical contracts with the
lines named. At present the carriers receive 39
cents an ounce for the conveyance of letters ; 24
cents from England and 15 only from the United
States. Supposing the latter gave the larger sum, the
carriers would get 48 cents, which would secure a
better service than 39. The British postal authorities
are opposed to more than a tri-weekly service, con-
sidering that the fastest vessels will be selected,
leaving the slower to sail on the alternate days,
and giving mails to them would but delay the
deliveries and render it irregular. Mr. R andall
cheerfully assents to the tri-weekly service, but de-
clines to limit the number, being glad if a daily mail
could be secured, and he is prepared to contract at
once for an additional weelily Service. Discussing the
question of subsidy, he thus writes :—" I have to
rem ark that this difference in the cost of sea service
employed by the two officers resulted from the dif-
ferent mode of inviting tenders adopted on each
side, the British office agreeing in advance to allow
the full amount of sea postage as compensation for
the service, while this department invited competition,
not only in respect to speed and other requisites, but
also in regard to the rate of compensation to
be paid. It is reasonable to suppose that if
the invitation for tenders issued by the British
Post-office had not fixed the rate of compensation
to be paid, that equally favourable tenders for
sea transportation would have been made to that
office ; arid it is not doubted that under the opera-
tion of free competition each side, the cost of the
Transatlantic service by first-class steamers of ap-
proved speed can be lessened from year to year, en-
abling the respective Governments to further re-
duce the rate of international letter postage in the
interest of the people of both countries, an object,
the accomplishment of which is earnestly desired by
this department, for in the same proportion as the
last of the sea transportations is reduced, it will be
practicable to reduce postage rates without loss to
the postal revenues of either country. No good
reason is shown to this department why the At-
lantic service cannot be just as speedily performed
as at present, if open to free competition, at a
charge of two cents per single letter ratio (which
would be a sufficiently remunerative charge for the
service the steamers are required to reader) ; and
would justify the establishment of au international
charge for letters of six cents (3d.) per single
rate, of which two cents would be the sea postage
and two cents the inland charge in each country.
In our recent interview I informed you of the de-
sire of this department to provide for a gradual re-
duction of the rate of international letter postage in
the proposed new convention, and to express the
hope that the British Post-office will agree to re-
duce the letter-rate of postage to ten cents on and
after the Ist of January, 1869, with a provision for
further reductions proportioried—ro the reductions
that shall be effected from year to year in the cost
of ocean transportation." Mr. Randall further con-
siders that the existing convention gives to each
office the exclusive control of its own arrangements
for dispatching mails, which is advisable in view of
the rapid increase of steam communication between
the countries creating competition, which leads to
a quick and cheap service—a principle recog-
nizA in all the late postal conventions between
the United States and foreign Governments.
" To return to the old system of special contracts
or subsidies . . . with particular lines of
steamers to the exclusion of other lines equally
efficient would be a retrograde movement, unpro-
ductive of any beneficial result either to the m ail
service or to the people of the two countries." He
gives extracts from a letter of Mr. F. Hill, of date
June 22, 1866, addressed to the Right Hon. E.
Hammond, to sustain an assertion that at the time
of the negociation of the present Convention the
British and American Post-offices were in harmony
with regard to the principle above set forth. He
s tates his reasons for declining the propositions of
the British Post-office, and suggests the following