The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-04-18

agreed that the rate Of postage as demanded, is 10
violation Of the law and in this opinion public sem
tment concurs." Il is this last statement in your
communication which has induced me again to exa-
mine this subject.
The 18th section Of the act Of 1925 prescribes the
rate of postage letters. Among other provisions,
it declares that every letter, consisting OF single
sheet of paper Conveyed" "oyer 400 miles" shall be
charged with IS cents postage. This provision OF
the act must mean that conveyance which is usual,
necessary, and proper that route between the two
points whchis most certain, direct, and speedy
The postmaster would not be permitted, in order
to increase the postage to send the tiers in mail
circuous and requiring more time, neither should ne
required 10 send the letter the most usual GER
TAIN and time the shortest route and charge the
of postage applicable to shorter route as to dis
lance, but longer to time. In other words, II the
business community the route greater IN distance
and shorter in time they must expect to pay thePost
age according to the distance.
The 46ih article of the regulations, is as follows;
"When letters may be sent by several routes from
your office to another, you will late the postage on
them according the distance on the shortest OF the
routes If they are conveyed that route, or if the
mail goes most frequently upon it, But If the mail
is carried more frequently certainly and exped.iousy
upon longer route, and The letters are sent on such
route you will be governed by the distance thereon
II is believed by this regulation, the distinguished
gentleman, Judge MtLean, who drafted it and whose
practice under il up to 1929 is now adopted by the
Department, fully met the requirements Of the law
This rule adopted to regulate the discretion OF
deputy postmasters where two poet roads are estab-
lshed between the same points, the one greater in
distance than the other yet the mail passed over both
daily or tri-weeky in the same time II requires him
in the imposition OF postage in such cases to be gov
erned by the direct 1t could not be under
stood TO mean and was not construed by Judge
M Lean that if the mail passed daily in SO hours be-
tween Lockport and New York, by way of Albany,
and three times per week between the same places
over shorter route Established not the route to
connect Lockport with New York, but to connect
them with other unimportant intermediate points,
that the postage should DO rated this short route
and the letters sent upon the longer one in point Of
distance but the shortest one in point Of time.
By the shortest route from Lockport TO
New York by Geneva, Bath, Owego &c, il
is 349 miles. Upon this route the mails be-
tween the two places are never sent, because
cessary to make the trip is ia hours The route by
Albany is 453 miles, daily mail, and the trip is
performed in SO hours little more than half the
time. If there was daily mail between the two
places upon the Owego route and the trip performed
in the time, then it conceded the Postmaster
could not by sending the letters by the Albany route,
increase the postage. What would the commercial
cities Of New York and Lockport say of the Postmas-
tiers at these two points were they to send the mail
between the two places along this shorter route three
times per week at the rate Of ia hours the trip in
stead of the daily mail by Albany requiring only SO
hours the trip Would they be satisfied when told
that this the shorter the direct route That the
postage on this route only 49, cents and the mail
sent this route to the difference between
1872 and 25 cents Would they not complain Of the
hardness Of the mail Would they not require that
the Postmasters send their mail upon that route which
would give them daily communication, and in SO
hours of time If then this route be used and kept
up in part for their accommodation great expense
do require of the citizens of the two cities too much
when require them to pay the postage fixed by law
| upon this route which their letters sent.
| | send, herewith, diagram of the two routes and
statement of the time required to transmit the mail
upon each, which hope you will be good enough to
submit and explain to the gentlemen who hink them
selves aggrieved.
| You say sir, in your communication that the rule
is not made uniform If there is any departure from
it upon any route it is unknown to the Department.
fancy it will be found the citizens Of Batavia pay
the same rate of postage that is paid by the citizens
of Lockport, though they live 80 miles nearer New
York. 1t may be, as you seem to suppose, that the
rate of letter postage too great and should be
duced then Ipray you memorabilia Congress TO reduce
it but, while the present law stands, do not condemn,
with severity the acts of those whose duty it
is to execute the acts Of Congress they are, not
they are desired to be. / have thus my dear sir,
given you the views which present themselves to my
mind conclusive of this question, and hope that
whatever may be the opinion entertained of their cor
rectness by yourself and by the citizens of Lockpor
in whose behalf you have inerposed that you will do
me the justice to believe that have no motive to in
fict upon you, upon them, injustice.
Very respectfully,
4 Vn,, cbaJ