New-York daily tribune., 1843-11-23
post ONCE Oppression.

Post UGnce oFpIessioH.
AZ Postmaster General Wicklife appears III
lotto; 70 Postmaster Graham, backed by an opin-
ion from the Attorney General, justliylng 'he
course Of the first-named in regard to the convey
ancc of newspapers, &c. otherwise than oy -naN'
We give place to these documents at some lhco''-
venience, and ask our readers to consioel 'i'ein
When thew have done this, we think they Will
agree with us that the Postmaster Oeneral mas
made out very lean case. To make defence
at all, he has been obliged to shape the charge TO
sun him. He says he has only enforced certain
provisions of existing laws, and the Attorney Gen
eral backs him, reciting said provisions OF laws.
But the point is, to what cases were these laws
intended to apply All laws of restriction merely
have some natural limit. The street from our
office to the Jersey City Ferry is piece Of Post
Road; but may not the carrier of The Tribune
serve his subscribers thereon without fear OF Nlr.
Wicklitfe's pains and penalties If he may
why NAV not our carriers in Brooklyn, Newark
and Paterson serve their subscribers likewise :
If passing PostOffice incurs the penalty, then
nearly all our carriers in the City offend every
every day We insist that the Post Once mo-
nopoly of the right to carry mallable matter IS,
| from the nature of the case, to be construed
strictly, and not to be extended farther than I'M
minent necessity shall dictate
Now our complaint against MI Wlchilile -
that he has given this monopoly more rlgio'
exclusive and oppressive practical effect than was
ever giyen to it before-that he has SO enforced
it as to diminish ipts without increasing
his o,on. His bringing within the purvlew OF his
monopoly the case of every boy who buys few
papers daily in New-York to sell again in some
neighboring villlge, is without precedent MIR.
Kendall did once undertake to stop the carnage
| of newspapers otherwise than by Mail, but backed
out Of it speedily.
We are aware that it is none OF Messrs Wick
life and Nelson's business that we deny the Con-
stituonal right of Congress to punish US ior send
ing our paper to Newark by our own carrler-or
rather our Newsnan there for getting his paper
in the only way he seasonably can, and SO sud
plyng his subscribers. When the Constitution
gave Congress power To establish Post Offices
and Post Roads, it did not therein give power to
fine Newark newsman for carrying his own
papers 1t would be just as reasonable to con-
tend that, in giving Congress power to build
Navy it deprived the People of the right to build
or sail any vessels whatever.
But, Mr.. WickGffe! we wish you to under
stand distinctly that we complain OF you that
your whole official influence has been exerted TO
make our Post Office system not less but more
yexatious and burdensome than it otherwise would
have been. A strong effort was made last winter
to reduce the Rates Of Postage, and bill for that
| purpose passed the House; the lifting of your
finger would have passed it, but YOU chose to put
your shoulder against it. Instead of favorng it,
you devised and pressed upon Congress most
unwise and oppressive bill, aggravating enormous
ly the evils Of the present monopoly. These, and
others like them are the acts for which arraign
you at the bar of Public Opinion; such are the
steps which we ask you to retrace. Come for
ward now in favor Of abolishing the Franling
Privilege and reducing by taoo-thirds on Letters
and one-half on all printed matter the present
Rates of Postage, and you will not need to bully
and punish the People into patronizing your con-
trivancc, because their interest will lead them to
do it. Postmaster General do you hear Plead
to the indictment, then, and not trump one up
YOURSELF to which you can say Not Guilty,
| -mN--