Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1841-11-06

ment would be at once relieved from the an-
contingencies which at various times
and under tho wisest administrations have
such tremendous tiictnation in its re-
am awarc that all proposals. to copy after
the monarcllical institutions Of the Old World,
must eacoater strong pref uaices in thus Land
Republics at al events, "e are not prone to
adopt a thing because it is mouarctljcal in its
origin. ict true principles are The same
every where, whether disepYezei by despots
or democrats and it has been found by na-
tons who have given this subject the most
complete trial, that weight is the only trlc
ard Of course the only just principle for the
administration Of the mail8. In Europe the
system is universal, and its happy results
ab,lnlant}y prove the wisdom Of lis pfo;ec-
tors. s.
/ come now to the consideration Of views
for which | antici pate, in the inception
o. the scheme proposed, but Il meagre POI
gSYtarlty. Coniiding in their %soundness,
however, | solicit for them a candid Xa-
minatlon.
| alln1e to the second proposition above:
-iHhaf publishers Of newspapers, pamph.
lets, and magaz1aessbc rsGaired to pay the
postage on oil and stngam' IF said ursicics
IN ~airaacc.
The era adest obstruction to Il regular
II ..J..J. - r 4tn tnttn, ,...1. -, ,,.+b
out doubt, the vast cargoes Of printed
sheets, in the form Of newspapers, pamph-
lets, magazines, ETC., transmitted BY the
same conveyance.
That the conveyance should be amply
ADEQUATE to the demand, / most warmly
contend bat that the post Office depart
ment sholid be nj the expense of trans
porting yearly from place 70 place, thon-
saads Of tons Of matter OF this nature, for
which it never receives one copper, is ma
n~ilestlv absurd. Yet that such is the fact,
you may learn by inquiry Of any lntelli-
gent postmaster. In almost every petty
Office throughout the states, articles Of this
kind accumulate so rapidly, that besides a
bountitu! slpp'yos waste-paper Tor himself
aud friends, the functioaary is provided
with q sufficient quantity Of conihastible
material TO kind'c the most splendid feaa
dr. j;oie Ia celebration ii all national OF
parry te'as.
THIS cannot take place but by neglect
Of duty sem where; the tai1t is partly
with him who mails The package, partly
with him to whom It is addressed and who
declines to take it olt, often with the fn1c-
tionary who breaks his faith with tie p1o-
lie by arresting it on its destined route, bat
mainly with the general government,
whose lax and inefficient laws not only
permit faults but breed crimes.
I maintain, sir, that publishers should be
required to pay in advance the transmits
sion Of their sheets by IL j, and that post
masters should be subjected to like liabi'i'
ties for the loss of a num,cr OF such sheet
as at present for the los Of a letter.
The existing system is p'trient with abu-
ses, view it as yor will. In the frs: pl4ce,
publishers OF newspapers t select this class
because it is the most numerous and pro-
minent), mail annually a vast number OF
sheets which yield the department not a
diane Of revenue. One reason OF Ibis is,
that the newspaper being forwarded to the
subscriber on credit, the latter manages tc
defer settling the postage thereon until the
year has expired, when, if the post@aaste,
urges lis bill Of fifty cents, he avoids calling
for his paper thereafter. The publisher is
ignorant Of this fact, the paper is regula: |y
forwarded, and regularly placed i'll the DO,
at the post office, uatil three months more
elapse, when the postmaster writes to tlt
printer,
"sir: Your paper directed to
at T., lies dead in this cfice."
Thus the department is defraudad ont o
fifteen months postage On a newspaper.
Again: the penaity & do not know
there is any at all, to which postmaster
are liable fer the loss Of a newspaper shee
once committed to their care, is so trivial
and so seldom urged, that whole package
of this matter are cast aside by them to b
: buried IN the dust and obscur!tv of tfael
Offices, or used as waste paper, wheneve
the e xigency may appear to sanction tn
step nor have We any evidence that tn
exigencv Of the case is duIy considered b
the functionary on all occasions. It
thus our files Of valuable periodicals ar
: often interrupted and ruined, because posi-
masters | intend 10 reflection on tia
e useful body Of public servants - tael
d purpose, of facilitating a snrcharged mai
0 in bad weather, is often I~audabie), feel a
5 liberty to reject certain matter, default {
room in, OF TO Tighten the mails, for the II
innate loss of which there is no decide
penalty.
. The abhse Of LIS assumed authority i
~ times of elections, when party feeling run
high, is but too well known. The Io
of any printedsheet, on which The postae
y shall have been paid in advance, shou
IS subject the postmaster to the same dana
ees as the loss of a letter.
" 1t woald, indeed, be severe, to lay ros
II masters under such liabilities, until tt
! custom of allowing printers to pour the
publications by the bushel into the ma
a. bags be somewhat modified. The on
"a lust and wholesome modification Of tn
custom, is to require OF publishers pa.
le ment in advance OF every sheet, unle
IN such as are now exempt by tine lawsof Il
if United States
Nor should distance, or the weight
the sheet, remain as now, subjects OF ind
= ference. The daily Ficayune, for instane
Is but half the size of the daily Bee y
: the postage on the latter is no more TIL
Oh on the former. 1t weighs twice as nue
il doubly yoluninous, occupies twice
ne space, and costs twice the force and
lie. course twice as much money to the Cover
OF mont 10 +rarsnar4 II froro mace ta utrra.