The Whig standard., 1843-11-28


sent TO the house Of refuge. -
POST OFFICE REFORM.
There was large and very enthusiastic meet
ing of our citizens, in favor of a cheap and uni
form system Of postage, held on Saturday at the
Merchants Exchange. At halfpast twelve, the
meeting was organized by the appointment Of
Curtis Bolton, Esq, as President; and Eli Hart,
Mark Spencer, Joseph Keichum, and w. w.
Todd, as Vice Presidents; and Prosper M. Wet
more and William B. Townsend as Secretaries.
Park Benjamin presented se:ies of resolutions,
which he said he had been requested to read,
and support by, some remarks. He continued
his remarks at considerable length, Introducing
some rather severe structures upon the course Of
the Postmaster General, for his method Of en-
forcing an unjust and unpopular law, putting the
most rigid construction, in all cases. that its read
ing could admit of The Postmaster General, he
said, avowed that it was his purpose to make
the Department not only pay its expenses, but
also become source Of revenue This, he con-:
tended, was never the intention of Government
when the Post Office Department was establish
| ed; but even were it 50, the object would never
be accomplished under the present system of
postages Every one who travelled frequently
from place. to place must have been annoyed BY
the requests made to him to convey packages Of
letters, not so large, indeed, as barrel of -FOUR
but almost as lnconvenient TO carry. This was
the effect Of high postage. Folks would put
themselves to almost any inconvenience rather
| than pay them. Under cheap SYSTEM all these
letters would go through the post office, and its
| revenue, as in England, undera similar reforna-
| ton, be increased. Mr. Benjamin read a peti-
| ton to Congress on the snbject-net, he said, in
the usual form of petitions for, said hes Congress
are our servants; we are their masters, and, we
command them to obey.
| Mr. Benjamin continued with some remarks
| in support of the petition, saying that reading
matter published in the form of a book contain
ing scientific and literary intelligence was taxed
| much higher than newspapers containing less
| important matter. Mr. Benjamin concluded with
some words Of appreciation Of the plan of the
prepayment of all letters and newspapers.
Phllo III. Mills then rose and seconded the reso-
lutons by brief and able speech, in which he
urged the merchants and citizens Of New York
| to demand of their Representatives in Congress
an immediate and total reform. The resolutions
were then unanimously adopted. The question
then being ON the adoption of the memorial, it
was again read by Mr.. Benjamin, when James
Lee rose and said be thought the language OF
the memorial might be offensive, and that it
was unnecessarily severe. He thought tt would
be a hardship to members Of Congress to abolish
the franking privilege. He wished the memori-
al referred to committee, with instruction TO-
carry out the objects Of the meeting. MIR. Cree
| ly spoke in favor of the abolition of the tranking
| privilege, for without that nothing could be cf-
feced. He thought that the country should pay
the postage of the members of Congress. He
was opposed to any reference to Il committee.
He wished the memorial now sent throughout
the country Edmond Charles said he had
| thought much Of this question: so much so that
his friends thought he was possessed of mono
mania on the subject. He was strongly in favor
of reduction of postage, but was opposed to
the abolition of the lranking privilege He
| thought it ought to be modified He wished
| reference to committee. Mr. Greely and Mr..
Benjamin both said there could be no reform
without total abolition of the franking privi-
| lege. Barnabas Bates was in favor Of the abo-
! lition of the frankng privilege In toto. ZAP
| plause.) An account should be opened with each
member Of Congress, and his postage be paid
out of the Treasury. The customhouse depart
ment had no franking privilege, and all its post
age was paid by the Government. This franking
| privilege was greatly abused by members of
| Congress, the heads of Departments, and the
postmasters themselves Its abolition would re-
lieve the members of Congress. One of them
told him that he had on his list three thousand
names of persons to whom he sent documents
&C., and that the mere writing of his franks
consumed three hours of time each day. Mr.
| Hall said he had known fifteen hundred pounds
carried at one time under the frankng privilege
! The motion to refer the memorial to commit-
tee was lost, when it was then adopted by an al
most unanimous vote and ordered to be publish
ed in the several papers of this city. On mo-
tion of Campbell P. White, committee of
tweny-one was appointed to present the memo
rial to Congress, when the meeting adjourned.
| The committee consists of the Precedent, Vice
President and Secretaries of the meeting, and in
addition the following gentlemen: James Brown,
John J. Boyd, G. P. White, VIM. c. Bryant,
James Auchincloss, John O, Sargent, M Fl.
Grinnell, Jonathan Goodhue, Park Benjamin, J..
De Peyster Ogded, Horace Greeley David Hale,
| Geo. Douglass, and Moses Taylor.-N. Y. San.