New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-12-11
VOL. EEE. no. 2gO.

laws, it was his opinion then and it is his opinion
still, that if any considerable reduction In the
rates Of postage were made, the mail service
would not yield sufficiency of revenue to meet
its own expenditures upon the then, and present
existing scale Of operations
He thinks that the principle that the Depart
ment should maintain itself by its own income
lies al the foundation Of our mail system, and i
/, should be abandoned, and the Department BIZ
made to lean on the Treasury, that the vigilance
of those who managed it would be lessened and
wastclul expenditure and extravaganza ensuc
wholly inconsistent with our Republican institu
tons"
Without giving his own opinion on the subject
he gives the following statement of the operation
Of the system in England AT the time of the
reduction of postage in England, and now, the
Post Office Department was regarded as a source
Of revenue to the crown. The expense of man.
aging it was paid out of the Treasury, and its re-
ccipts paid into the same Treasury
&c In the United Kingdom the annual trans
portation Of mails is about 20,000,000 miles. In
the United States 35,252, sos miles,
In 1885, when the subject of reduction OF post
age was under consideration IN Parliament, the
whole annual expense Of management OF the DC
partment was S3,353,434.
The whole amount of cost Of management
(expenditures) of the mail service of the United
States for the year 1913 was S4,374,7l3 Is.
The gross income of the British Post Office
was Sll, 42l, 907. The gross revenue of the
United States Post Office may be stated at
s4 ,295,925 43.
The British Post.O Office yielded a net revenue
to the Crown beyond its expenses of sS7,965, 64S.
The United States Post Office receipts arc about
equal to its expenditures.
The cost of mail conveyance in Great Britain
and Ireland is much less than here, being Except
railways and packet scryice) scarcely five cents
a mile, while in the United States it is nearly
seven and half cents mile.
The rates of postage in England producing
this large revenue were: on single letters
on any distance not exceeding eight miles, four
cents; ditto fifteen miles, eight cents; twenty
miles, 10 cents 80 miles, IL cents 50 miles
Ii cents; 80 miles, If cents; 100 miles, IL, and
SO on till on 500 miles it was % cents. Two
cents were added for each additional lOO mules,
or part of 100 miles, over 500 miles
There existed also what were called the Lon
don local posts The charge upon single. letters
for a distance or circle of three miles from the
London office was I'd, equal to 4 cents beyond
that and within - miles Sd, equal TO cents.
Penny posts were established for }he accomno-
dation of any town. at the discretion Of The Post
r-,--r,se-- :.c<-e-rr.l,
Letters from soldiers and sailers, if prepaid,
might be sent tc any place IN the Kingdom for
one penny.
Newspapers, if stamped, were sent through the
mail free of postage. The stamp duty IN each
newspaper was Id, equal to 2 cents, and this duty
was retained in the act Of 836 in lieu of postage
on newspapers. The amount derived from this
duty OIL newspapers circulated through the mails,
was estimated to be 1889 ,907 annually Nothing
is allowed TO be written on the paper, not even
the name of the person sending the paper, with
out subiecting it to triple postage
The ranking privilege OF members OF Parlla-
ment was limited to an ounce, and not more than
10 to be sent and Is to be received each day.
Official franks unrestricted.
Besides the postage to be derived from inland
letters, postage, varying according to clrcum-
stances and in some degree depending upon the
country from and to which sent, was imposed on
foreign letters, the average rate OF which was 455
cents on each letter.
Deputy Postmasters are paid generally by a
fixed salary from the public Treasury.
Such, substantially, the system of the
British Post Office and its sources OF revenue III
1888.
In the United States, the Post Office Depart
ment, unlike that of England, is made to depend
upon its own revenue to delray its expenditures
1t does not contribute TO the general treasury.
To continue the present amount OF mail ser
vice, which cannot without injustice to The pub
lic) be reduced i'll any considerable degree, Will
require annually about the sum of 81, 100000.
The annual income cannot exceed that
amount, for years to come, under tho present
system.
1t is stated that The reform in the British sys
tenn was urged on the ground that it would IN
crease the revenue by increasing the number OF
letters tivcfold. Under this reform the present
rates of postage in England are as follows.
Letter, not exceeding half Id equal to cents
:: go o. $
So in proportion, up to IL ounces, berond which
no.lettcr will be received, except Parliamentary
documents.
The postage is TO be prepaid, or the letter will
be rated at double postage.
Prepayment of postage rs to be made by money
or by the use Of stamps.
Single stamps are obtained at the cost of Is.
lid. per dozen-doublc stamps at IS. I'd. per doz.
All foreign letters are rated varlously, accord
;nu TO the countries from which sent.
Foreign and colonial letters rated at various
,r;ces. from to Sc cents the single letter.
Newspapers printed in England and stamped,
arc sent free of postage. Foreign newspapers pay
postage. ,.,.;oa
Of the Parliamentary ranking privilege.
Tnon 5th December, 1889, the old high rates
Of POSTAGE were discontinued, and uniform rate
....l That rate ceased on the 10Th