The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-12-08

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voked 10 carry letter for 25 cents daily betw.ea
Philadelphia and St Louis, or frou Chicago 10 81.
ssnnah, on from st. Augustine, Florida, TO BurliDg
IL the great thoroughfsres between commerce.
cities are left 10 the operations Of private most,
the extreme points, whose connections ia busine.,
and commerce tend TO swell the postage collected
at the cities, must suffer, the reach them
by the mails be furnished out of the general Tres
sury.
Ii is not wholly true that the larger cities f,rn
the entire surplus which is elsewhere expeDdeJ
Though the returns show large amount of post.
collected at these points much OF that amount is pa
by the extremes In commercial connection VIM
them.
Connected with this subject, in some degree s,to
business Of Transporting newspapers by contractor.
out OF the mall over mail routes, IN violation Of av
When appealed to by Postmasers and contractors ~
instruct them IN their duty upon this subject | "a
dressed to the contractors circular letter in wbjcb
gave them my opinion Of what the law Of Congre,
was upon this subject copy Of that letter a 40.
companies this report.
The correctness Of the opinions contained in H..
letter has been questioned. was conscientious IN
the views expressed believed them to be correct
and felt il public duty TO publish them when caeJ
for by those 10 whom the duty of Transporting The
mail was confided. Though | am not Distinguish
by the pride OF opinion in official and legal matter
| am grathed TO find the views have taken of tLs
acts Of Congress fully sustained by the Official opnjo9
Of the Attorney General, 10 whom the subject b,
been referred by the President copy of that on,
mon is also annexed (5)
There is at the present moment considerable ag,,
ton IN the public mind on the subject of the reduc
ton OF postage, and to be expected by some
that the Postmaster General should recommend ne
reduction OF The rates OF postage. MY opinions uDop
this subject were given to Congress, in answer 10
resolution at the last session. These opinions were
necessarily hypothetical, and accompanied by dl.
Infl raj N hat
In the rates Of postage should be deemed advisable
by Congress, it should be preceded BY provision Il,
relieve the Department from certain heavy annpaI
responsibilities, and accompanied by proper regua.
ton and restriction oil The iranking privilege With.
out such relief and modification OF the existing lau
it was my opinion then, and i, is my opinion sim
that IL any considerable reduction in the rates Of
portage made, the mail service would not Weld
sufhciency Of revenue to meet its own expenditures
upon the then and present existing scale Of opera
tons
Ii is contended by many whose opinions are emil,
tied to respectful consideration that reduction Of
postage TO uniform and low rate would be followed
by an increase of its revenue equal to the annual
wants OF the service, on IFS present basis, eXendi
from time to time the demands of the public shall
require.
concur in the correctness and Justice of the posi-
ton that the Post Office Department should not be
regarded as a source Of revenue 10 the Government
that lis receipts were greater than its expenditure
the rates Of postage should be reduced and the annu
al surplus, il any should not be carried into the Tea
sury.
1t seems to have been principle at the foundation
OF the mail system Of the United States that the De
partmcnt should sustain itself by its own income OF
the soundness Of this principle am fully persuaded
and should regard its abandonment as impotc at
any time, particularly at the present moment when
the national income is unequal to the ordinary de-
mands upon il.
If this principle should be abandoned, and the Pos.
Ohice Department made TO lean upon the Treasury
for support, should fear that that constant vigilance
so necessary to IFS useful administration would be
abandoned by those charged with its affairs, and
degree oil wasteful expenditure and extravaganza
sue, wholly inconsistent with Republican inslltu
tions.
Any reduction OF the present rates Of postage by
which the Department is left 10 the possession of an
income 10 meet its own expenditures, | shall be
pleased to see made
The example OF England, in the reduction of post.
age TO one penny, is relied upon as sufficient to iu,l
~ The United States, in at making similar re-
duction IN the rates of postage.
Without obtruding any opinion of INV own uron
tins subject have thought would best subserye the
public interest by submitting the facts which belong
10 the question Of reduction of postage in England
ard the results of that reduction SO far as they ha,
been developed, and the facts which II is believe
bear upon the question in this country.
IL should be remembered that at the time of the
reduction OF postage in England, and at the present
period, The Post Office Department was regarded a.
u was IN Tact, source Of revenue 10 the Crown It's
whole expense of management was paid out Of the
public Treasury, and its whole receipts were paid m
the same Treasury.
In The United Kingdom the annual transportation
oil The mail Is about 10000, 900 OF niles In the Uu
Ted States II amounts 10 IS 252, sos miles.
In 1885, when the subject OF reduction Of post..e
was under consideration in Parliament the whole an.
nuai Expense OF management Of the Department Va,
81, 353, l34.
Inc whole amount Of cost OF mana gene at (expen-
dliures) OF the mail service of the United States o
The year lSl3, was S4,374,7l3 rs.
The gross income Of The British Post Office wa.
sila2l ,901. Tie gross revenue Of the United STATE,
ost Ottce may be stated at 81, 2g5 ,925 a.
The British Post Office Welded a mel revenue 10
,ne crown beyond its expenses Of 81, 965,64s The
United States Post Office receipts are about eoua to
It's expenditures.
The cost OF mail conveyance in Great Britain and
ireland much less than an tins country The ave.
rage cost Tor all grades except the railway and pack
CT service (whch am unable to ascertan) is scarce.
~ hse cents a mile. The coach conveyance Of the
mail Just i've cents per mile. In the United Stale
The average cost exclusive Of railroad and steamboat
transportation, IS nearly seven and half cents pcr
miie Tor mail conveyance in coaches the cost /.
three and four-hbs OF per ioile greater in Tie
United States than in Great Britain
The rates Of postage in Eogland which produced
ths enormous revenue were follows:
Rates Of general inland postage on single Letters on
any distance not
Exceeding 8 miles 81 equal to ,,e,.