New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-12-30

ton Of his letters, with Post Office charges fairly
assessed, would not be fifty cents a day. had
supposed that all tGres ought 10 be equal. But
the enterprisng broker who sends so many letters,
NAV not be, and probably is not, worth thou
sand dollars, and barely makes living; while
his retired neighbor, who Goes not write letter
day. is worth million. | viii not speak OF the
Injustice of compelling the aggregate community,
living on the sea- board or large thoroughares,
to support the expense OF mail transportation for
the aggregate community residing IN the more
newly settled and ,hlnly peopcd parts OF the coun-
try. II is tax which falls most unequa!Iy upon
distinct masses, and still more unequaI!y upon a
small number Of individuals who belong wholly
to one of those masses a few, without any re-
card TO their wealth, in our large cities, are made
to pav thousands oftmes more than their weather.
neighbors, and ten thousands OF times more than
those equally wealthy, who reside IN the distant
interior.
This. sir, is not right, and it cannot last. 1t
is an evil which admits of a remedy, and which
riH be remeded The public have long instinct
lively seen the injustice of such state OF things,
and the law not providing any, have themselves
begun to apply remedy. They do not, and
never will, sub it to so unjust and unequal q
tax. They send their letters by ether modes of
conveyance, and they ,rill so send them. DEFY
the power of the law to prevent them. Ii Gov
eminent miN impose so unequal a tax, where will
they find Jurors to enforce their penalties =? Jur
ors under their oaths, do not feel bound to regard
a law, which is clearly arbitrary, tyrannlca, and
against the first principles oijustlce 1t was this
honest independence of jurors which broke up our
inspection and butcher monopoies, and other like
contrivances party, armed as they were with the
terrors of the law and its penalties.
But, sir, the law can and ought to provide
remedy and make the Post Office Department,
what it should be, an instrument of Justice, as
we'll as of public benefcence. Instead of an
arbitrary rate OF postage without reference to the
cost Of transportation, Congress can easily regu-
late the matter, so that the rate shall vary with
and bear some proportion to the expense. What
difficulty is there, in fixing the rate for given
distance between post Offices situated upon and
united by steamboat or railroad routes, at one half
the rate imposed where they are not so situated and
| united or the rate might be half postage where
three iourths the distance is upon railroad and
steamboat routes, and full postage where 1t is not
The General Post Office is mnutely informed by
its contracts for carrying the mall as to every
foot of mail transportation over the whole Union,
whether it is by coach, railroad, or steamboat; and
clerk IN the office could easily prepare scale,
for the use of all deputy post masters, showing
the rate of postage between all the different otfi
ces in the country; and when once prepared, the
alterations it would require, to adapt to change
Of circumstances would be slight and unfrequent
ARATUS.