The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-02-07
NEW YORK CORRESPONDENCE


that able and indie fatgable officer has attempted TO
carry into effect the laws of Congress- ana pun ."
end 10 the abuse that is practised on the "o'o'"'
ment and particularly on the Department o'''
which the Hun. Mr. Wickliie pre0des, by 'hose
newspaper publishers who send their papers aoroaa
outside of the mail aud thus escape the TAX oil post
age.
This abuse was not carried on TO any consideraoio
extent till the establishment OF the penny press
among US Anterior 10 that time, all Of the newSpa
per publishers forwarded The bulk OF Their edi'io"s
by the mall and the tax imposed was mol eo"sue'eu
hard hip II is true that he country papers were
in the habit Of sending their sway papers py 'he
stage but the practice was conhned 10 those SEC
tons of the Union where Post Offices were not es-
tablished, and the subscribers 10 newspapers were
subjected to very great dey and the inconvenience oil
long travel if their papers were forwarded BY mail 10
distant Post Offices.
Wien the penny press commenced operations and
furnished sheets Of news at the "ae OF the single cent
they found il difficult to obtain distant circulation
il their papers subjected TO a postage equva-
lent, and more than equivalent to the amount Of sub
script on. The tax OF one cent and one cent and a
half postage, was deemed enormous by those who
toulu newspaper ioi p'S panty P'''S ~ ""~
cent and to obviate all difficulty with subscribers,
the publishers Of the penny press established agencies
at remote places, who supp led by having large
editions sent them by steamboats, and railroad cars
independently Of the mail. Thus was syrtem OF
smuggling established at the expense of the Govern
ment, and although the evil was well known to exist,
it was winkrd because former Postmasters had not
the rmness to execute the laws; and because large
portion Of the reading community were inclined to
favor the iniraction of the laws OF the land.
Although the publishers of the penny press do moi
directly put tho amount Of postage saved in their
own pockets, they are benefited by it, ard are,
beyond all doubt, very much interested in its con-
tinuance. And how' Why, they obtain crcua-
ton for their papers, which otherwise could not be
obtained, and the Government is obliged to pay for
il out Of the National Treasury. The in the
coun ~ who would not take penny paper if it were
taxed like the other class Of papers, cent one
cent and half postage readily becomes subscriber
when he is told that he shall have il delivered at his
door, free Of all taxation
The evil is a very great one, and is the more OBJ
jectionable, inasmuch as 1t operates as a monopoly
| as shall proceed TO show in very few moments.
The proprietor of the New York " Sun'-and the
very worthy and entcrprisng publisher of that inter
esting journal, hope, will not suppose that mean
to be inyidous when single out his sheet for The
purpose of exampe-sends daily to the East, includ
ing the principal towns and cities of Connecticut,
Rhode Island and Massachusetts, say nothing about
the large cities and towns of the West and South up
wards Of ten thousand copies. he laws OF the land
require that these ten thousand sheets should pay ~
teen do lars posioge. Not cent of that postage is
paid. Confnng the daily circulation Of the " SUM-
to thousand copies daily of the city, and it is
said to be twenty thousand, the Government,
in the of the year. actually pays tribute to that
paper by releasing it from postage tic round sum Of
roUR THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND EIGHTY DOLLARS
The New York Journal Of Commerce, IT is stated,
has country circulation Of three thousand copies
daily. Ii is forwarded by mail from necessity and
every subscriber willingly pays the rates of postage
demanded, and the proprietors of the paper care but
little about the matter, though there is why
the Journal of Commerce should be taxed and the
Sun 90 free But the evil does affect them very ma
erally, and am very much surprised that they do
not complain of it, for this paper circulated free
of postage, it would speedily be doubled. The same
remarks will apply to the New York Courier aud
Enquirer, the Commercial Advertiser, New York
Express, American, and Standard on each OF which
papers there is imposed annual tax of four dollars
and sTiy-eigh cents. Is this rigLt Is il right that
every press in the Union should be taxed at ex-
orbitant rate, with the exception of the penny press
Is there any rhyme or reason in assuming that The
penny press should be relieved Of all burden simply
because it is "penny press ~
No complaint is made about postage" or about
carry ing newspapers outside of the mail, by any
other than Il penny press and it is gravely asked
what claim they have o exclusive privileges
IL it be wrong to tax newspapers with postage, let
the present Post Office laws be repealed but, as long
as they exist it hoped that the Postmaster General
will enforce them, and let all be taxed alike.
II is estimated the basis Of information furnish
ed by the propr'eors of the penny press of this city,
tina, there are sent from New York, daily, $4,000
penny shetts, all Of which sent outside the
mail, and for the transportation of which, not sim
gle cent Of postage is paid.
The amount required Of these papers by law, in the
way Of postage, Is three huadrrd AID treip dollars the
day, or SNaTr-SiNE THOUSAND EIGHT nuSDEp AND
FIFTY DOLLARS YrAR-the whole Of which i'm.
is lost 10 the Government, IL the Pos,mas-
ter General refuse to enforce the law And, as the
law is not enforced because II is at tefsnce by
parties interested the revenues Of the Post Office De-
partmcnt arc annually defrauded In that exact
amount. Il this right Should IL be submit ted to-
The loss Of revenue that sccrues in New York, by
reason of transporting the penny press outside Of the
mall is repeated in the cities Of Boston, Philadelphia
b ltmore, and New Or cans, il the statements Of
the publishers Of the small papers" in those places
can be con6ded in.
have personal feelings or interest in this mat
ter IL had my own way, Notwithstanding ] could
not, for the soul Of me- discover any justice in the