The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-02-05
From the Ulster Huguenot
NEW POSTAGE REGULATIONS.n

"NEW POSTAGE REGULATIONS"
Mr.. Merlick chairman of the Post Office Com
mtee IN the Senate, is celebrating bill on The sub
ject Of postage REFORM which he will be prepared to
submit In few days. An outIine of its main pro
vision Is gwen IN city 'urnal. II fixes The postage
on all letters under one humid ed miles at cents-on
all over that distance 10 cents Newspapers are to 90
free in the county where they published. Out of
the county, and under hundred mil, s. half cent
for greater dist Ance one cent. All pamphlets, and
rne ed mat er of every descrpt on, taxed two and
half cents the The Thanking privilege is to
be abolished among the members OF Congress and al
lowed only to the President and Heads of Depart
ments, Letters 10 members Of Congress are to 20
free, and reasonable number of free stamps TO
be allowed them. This bill, it strikes u.s. takes the
right ground, and will fully public xpecation.
Ii Congress pass the measure they will confer an i'm
por'an. benefit on the people, and one which would
not soon be forgotten"
So says the asue thinker of the Journal. Now,
ue believe that Congress could no, pass measure
that would prove greater INJURY TO the People, al.
though II might prove one which would not be soon
forgotten" The People have not called for such re-
duction the bill of Mr.. Merrick proposes No
body has done so bu, the selfish individuals who
uo the city presses, except HI re and there few sim.
pleons at the head of country journals The city
presses IN favor of almost total abolition of
newspaper as well letter postage, because II would
have aendency to circulate far and near their area
ty OvergrowD edl ions and the country simpletons,
such have advocated the reduction have not brains
enough TO that il would termina in the prostra-
ton OF their own publications. For what individual
In the large villages, where the country papers
sued would lake like the Journal nd Republican
Tor instance filled up as th,y are with stale extracts
from city papers, when they could obtain large print
Ike the Journal of Commerce, or the Express con-
tanning the latest news, for half cent postage on
each paper The idea of aholi hing, totally the
age on papers IN the county where they pubs he'd,
II visionary IN the extreme. A bill containing such
proposition may pass Congress but it would not remain
on The statute book beyond single year without
breaking down the Pos' Ofiice establishment For who
would take charge Of the small country post Offices
where there are few letters received and where much
OF The revenue is now derived from newspapers, with
out obtaining any postage at all papers printed in
the county; Let US look, for instance al the post
offices in Ulster. With the exception of Kingston,
(where no postage on the county papers is now re-
ceived,) and Saugerties aud Rondout, there would
not be Office which would paw even boy for at
tending IT. The Blue Book for lS4i shows that so
far the post offices OF Esopus New Paltz
Landing, Milton and Marlborough, where attendance
is constantly necessary, and where, at this Of
the year. the Postmasters aroused from their beds
twice every night 10 overhaul the mail the compen-
satou does not average more than sixty dollars
year II shows, that so far his concerns the post
offices OF Olive, Woodstock Shsndakeu and Pine
Hill, where the like attendance called for, aud
where the postmusters are compelled to get up three
nights week. the compens alton does not average
than twenty -one dol airs year. Nine-tenth Of
the Offices throughput the county do not yield more
than those named. Now take off the postage from
the newspapers printed in the county and what would
be left Would IT amount 10 anything like com-
pensation for the services rendered; Could any one
be found who would then be bothered with such
Offices;
Now we believe the People regard the Post Office
Department as useful and valuable establishment I;
will 10 mn far nd
just remuneration for the facilities which Il furnishes
II a newspaper Is worth anything intelligent
will refuse to pay cent postage for IT. He cannot
obtain il for less for il the hue and cry now raised
against The Department, by the mercenari,s at the
head Of some Of the newspapers prevails, it must
either go down, or the means Of IFS support must
come out Of the National Treasury lit goes down.
the country editors will then be compelled t. employ
post-riiers, who will arge every subscriber at least
as much as the pos, offices now do lf its means o
support should be drawn from q e Treasury or by
direct tax, then every man. whether he tkes paper
or not, will be compelled TO pay part Of Il
We have heretofore given Our views IN regard TO
reduction Of letter postage II is the gros,esl de-
cepion TO say, IN sparse and thnly inhabited
try like ours-with such an immense terrtory-that
the Post Office Department, which now lives from
hand TO mouth, can be sus aimed with less revenue
than it now receives Even in England with its vast
population, large cities and towns and small terrific
ry the revenue fell off 10 vast amount as soon as
reduction was made. But in England there was a
great reason why the reduction should be made le-
cause the revenue Of lis Post Office establishment
was much greater than its expenditure. There was
reason too, that It's newspaper postage should he abo
lished, because its government imposes a stamp dufy
Of one penny erng equal to two cents) on every
sheet OF paper upon which the news journals are
printed and from this source alone, raises a larg
revenue. The case is entirely different in the United
States.
II the sweeping reduction which Mr.. Ncrricls
bill proposes IN letter postage j. countenanced by
Congress, and # no appropriation should be made by
That body to meet the deficiency VIII oh, we think,
will accrue in the means Of the Department, a blow
will fall upon the poor mail carriers, (many Of whom
will 20 unpaid for years. which will not fail TO Gre
ale the greatest embarrassment There is no class Of
men who endure more fatigue and hardship, espccia-
ally at this inccment season, than they do and there
is class which is now poorly paid lf il is pos.
sibc for this branch Of the public service TO suffer
any dmnution at all IN its remuneration, how much
wiser would il be TO make the diminution by safe and
gradual degrees How much more prudent would
II be to commerce, by reducing the postage on dis
lance of 30 miles, TO instead Of conts--on a dis.
lance Of $50 miles 10 10 instead of II, ccnts-and
on distance Of 400 miles, to 20 instead of % c, nts?
How easy would il be then, # experience should
show that the service could be this reduction for
Congress, at its next session, TO so on and make a
still further reduction
But there is one part Of MIR. Merricks bill which
gives us much sstisfs ton and that is the clause
which abolisbos the irsnkng privilege Of Postmas.
tets and Others, who have heretofore sent thousands
and tens Of thousands Of letters daily free Of pos
tsge. And there is another pal which, considering
the clamor raised by certain editors against the
Department, which also consider Just, aud which
win be felt by those VIII have set this ball in mo.