Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-12-29

disposed, either partially temporarily, 10 lnto" the
Department for ia support On the National treasury
ANY sudden and ma,eria! reduction of lis revenue
therefore, would render u necessary To make colles
bonding curiaI,nent Of the mai! service, winch all
must see would be attended with the most serious IN
convenience TO the whole community. Ana as thc
present revenue with the reasonable increase th' may
be anticipated barely sufficient to support the re
partnent with the existing service and such necessary
improvements and xlensrons as will BE- required, 1t Is
evident that there can be reduction oil lis a19rc-
gate revenues.
Tie question: therefore, of the reduction Of us re-
venues IS excluded from consideration and the only
mater for inquiry IS whether the same amount oil
revenue can b. collected with the proposed "r any
other reduced Of hostages There may pe cases
in every branch of indirect taxation, IN winch me re
duc,nn of the tax will increase the amount oi revenue
But this result only be realized, when the duiv -
so eyorbantv high either occasion gross evasons
of the law or check the business on which the tax
fills And although the reduction OF the rate Oh
postage would increase correspondence, there rs IN my
Judgment, reason to believe that the aaoitoh VI
revenue from that source would equal the loss from
the reduction of the rates. The experieh. no" nun
ing in England appears to afford little support TO
contrary opinion: for, if unofficial information can De
relied upon the revenue there has fallen oil more IMAM
30 per cent. or about $4,000 pounds sterling, on
revenue of less than 2.0nu,nUu
Shall we then be forced TO the conclusion that Inc
present high rates OF letter postage are 10 NC PeI
ncntlv maintained
This would seem to be the case, unless there be
change in the SYSTEM BY which the expense OF lhe
transportation may be reduced, the correspondence III
creased, aud the postage on newspapers ana Pl'h''u
matter he eoualizcd and raised All these objects arc
practicable and their united influence would probably
admit Of greater reduction in thA rates oil et,sf
postage than is proposed in the resolution OF lhe
House of Representatives
Such reform in the system, in my judgment, IS de-
,,lt n YharH nn m
sderaons of private justice. The institutions OF ths
country based The principles Of justice and equal
rights and any legislation, aud more espcc,aIiy any
system of TAXATION which is manifest violation OF
those principles, can only be sustained by me iorDeaf
Of public opinion, in subrciln5 to that test ny
which all public measures must stand or TALL
:, ol'sht examination If onr tariff OF postage, IN
comparison with the expense of the mail establishment,
IS sufficient TO show lis manifest injustice
The quarterly returns oi Postmasers furnish no
data for determining the relative proportions Of the
different kinds If matter conveyed III The mail Dn-
rlnr one week in the month Of june l-3- account
vas taken Of the number and weight Of the letters,
and the weight of the newspapers and other printed
matter received tn he conveyed the mail, nj the OIL
fees in New York, Philadcphia Baltimore, Washing
ion City. and Richmond The tabular statement con
tanning these facts IS herewith submitted. There were
some OMISSIONS ana. doubt some inaccn!acns N the
process, but he results sufficiently correct iof Inc
present purpose.
The Whole weight was 55,2l pounds Of which
a ass pounds consisted Of newspapers; c-31 81 pc
rlodlcals and pamphlets; more than hSe-e,Thths oi
which beng public documents or other Tree packets,
deposited IN the Office Washington city and the let
tiers, both taxable and free, amounted TO only .'22
pounds being something less than four per cent. The
proportion Of printed mailer received AT these rices,
and especially during The session Of Congress, may
have bean something greater than that OF the whole
mails III Tie United States.
II viii not be far from the truth, TO estimate the
t.d IN
the whole mails, whilst II pass but about twelve per
cent OF the whole gross revenue and but about eight
per cen: of the nett revenue the commissions on The
postage from newspapers and pamphlets beng more
than on that from letters.
In The transportation constituting the principal ex-
ituc Of the establishment, there are three man
elements cf price
l. Tie hulk and weight of the mail.
. Tie expedition wi,h which is conveyed
3. Tie mode Of conveyance when not controlled BY
the bulk aud weight Of the mall but IN reference 10 &C
commoiaing the public travel.
As tie expense Of expedition depends manly on the
weight Of the NAL. these two elements OF P7Ice are
esscninlly, resolved into one 50 that the expense 9"
TRANSFORMATION depends the bulk and weight OF the
mail and The mode ii conveyance, where II has refer
ence IL the public travel and is Of higher and more
e expensive grade than the mail service would require.
TIL. services Of Pos;iaasters depend on the amount
of mil matter: the number Of packets which are re.
cevet distributed, Delivered al their respective Of
fees But the letters being made up INTO mails, require
some mere labor than the newspaper anu other pack
ages iot sent IN thai form.
Fran this ANALYSIS, apparent that nearly the
Who'll, expenditure Of the mail establishment IS thrown
upon II pays the whole expense Of the
free natter III. greater portion Of that ri newspapers,
periodicals and pamphlets, and ihr entire additional cx-
pense incurred i"r accommodating the public travel
WiIn all these burdens not property belonging 70 ",
thrown upon rondrnce the h=i rate OF postage
on letters cannot b. Surprising nor can II be reduced,
md cp up the present extent 81 The maii service,
With ie improvements and additions which will be re-
anrcd wiiloE; portion Of those burdens are re-
movcdby change ~ tue system
Nothing can be- more apparent than the palpable in
iusliceof present system Of postage tariff
The objections against high protective tariff on IN.
portatnns apply with sill more force 10 our tariff OF
postag.s both in respect 10 principle and the degree OF
iniustia In the former, the whole community are
indirectly taxed TO the benefit OF particular class and
the whole interests Of the country are bnrdened to re-
lieve particular interest," but the tax being INDIRECT
those "a whom it falls NAV, the way, derive an
advantage from IT, This, at least contend
cd bv + Advocates. The postage tariff IS direct tax
on one man for the benefit Of anohera direct burden
on one class for the relief of another class
VIVA principle Of justice or public policy can sus-
IA IN ltw which n correspondent III New inrR,
who has occasion 10 send letter by mail 10 New Or
leans tyo hundred and fifty per cent. more than the
service Is worth, costs, to enable subscriber III
Nev Yrk to a ne y spaper in New Orleans TO have II
TO him ny mail, lightweight per cent: less
Than tn actual cost Of the service; And what adds to
this Injustice the fact that the mail establishment Is
a Government monopoly, which, b. prohibiting private
posts cnpels the correspondent to send his by the
public conveyance
ON system If postage tariff WIS derived from Eng
land, Were postage was tax for revenue analogous
10 the sunp tlx a. ke that II WAS tax on business
Here il is not tax; but II the nature Of freight, or
charge r The service performed. The injustice, there
fore smuc greater where The postage is levied, not
for reyenuc, for dcirayg the expense OF the mail
service.
The l,w rates OF postage on newspapers and other
printed matter originated in considerations Of public
policy md were designed 10 promote the general DIS
seminal on Of intelligence among the people But the
reasons or the policy, if admitted ever 10 have been
lust have i'll great MEASURE ceased to exist. When
The mail establishment first organized printing was
confined to the large cities and there were few other
clannesfor convey irg newspapers but The mails Now
there arc printing establishments in almost every village;
and railroads. steamboats, and other lines OF connunica-
ion afford cheap and convenient channels for convey
nr papers and others publications the greater poT-
ton Of which distributed among the people without
,,xr, II