The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-11-04
OFFICIAL.
To the Hon. MIR. WIcKLIrFE,
p. NJ General ofMe L. s. A.

p. NJ General ofthe Z. s. A.
The attention of the General Post Office of
Belgium has been called to the irregularities that
have prevailed in the delay of the correspon-
dence between the United States and Belgium,
since the first voyages of the Belgian steamer,
the British Queen.
These irregularities having taken place appa-
renty in consequence of the absence OF an ar
rangement between the two Post Offices, the
Belgian Office thinks it would be advantageous
to each to regulate, in regular manner, the
transmission Of correspondence between the
two countries.
In order to produce such result, the under
signed has been sent on special mission to
the honorable Postmaster General, Mr.. Wick
life.
The Belgian Office is DESTROYS that all the cor
respondence from the United States, which
shall be intended to be forwarded by the Belgi-
an steamer, should be addressed by the New
York Postmaster directly TO the Postmaster at
Antwerp, and be forwarded with the official
dispatches.
To this effect the correspondence should be
wrapped in a bundle or package, so firm as TO
insure its safety. Each despatch should be &C
companied by piece Of paper, stating the num-
Der Of letters, their destination, &c. The bu-
reau Of destination, after duly verified, would
forward them TO their direction, by the first OPP
portunity.
The operation ofihs system would insure to
The offices all tho conditions of nd
regularity so desirable in a service of this i'm
portance.
In transmitting this proposition to the Hon
orable Mr.. Wickliffe, the undersigned believes
it his duty to call his attention to the difficulties
the inhabitants of the two countries experience
when they are under the necessity of forward
ing their correspondence by an English
steamer.
For every person in America or Belgium, de-
slrous OF using such means Of communication,
is obliged to direct his letters to an English
agent, COMMISSIONER who is charged with
the duty of forwarding them. 1t is easy to per-
ceive how slow and expensive this method is,
aud that no one, unless in cases of absolute ne
cessity, would avail himself of it.
The undersigned thinks the plan he submits
would be Of signal service to the inhabitants Of
both countries, as well in augmenting the re-
ceipts of the two post offices, as in removing
obstacles, and providing for tn citizens the ia
cility of direct correspondence.
Many means of obtaining this result present
themselves. The English post Office might be
charged with the transportation of closed des-
patches which contained the correspondence of
the United States with Belgium, and vice YER
sa, and at price mutually agreed upon. In
case England should refuse to transmit closed
dispatches, it might consent TO the transporta-
ton Of letters entrusted to its agents, on the
payment of a stipulated price
This system would necessarily raise the ques-
ton Of accountability but in case the Ameri-
can post Office should be DESTROYS 10 save itself
from such embarrassment, the Belgian Office
would assume the whole trouble, requiring only
proper veriication at Washington.
Finally, as the compliment Of an arrangement,
useful TO the two countries and advantageous tc
the fiscal interests of both the Post Offices, the
ranking OF letters marked official (facullaife)
could be easily arranged. The facility and ac-
commodaton thus offered being taken into con-
sideraton, it will be acknowledged, that the
adoption of the measure would give rise to a
much more extensive correspondence, and as a
necessary consequence, increase the receipts of
the two Offices
II is not only the correspondence between the
TWO countries that would thus multiply, but also
the correspondence of the United States with
tne German States, with Holland, Switzerland,
denmark, Sweden, Norway, Russia, the Han
seafic Cities, &c, with which countries the