The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-01-31
BY THE SOUTHERN MAIL.
Washington.
Correspondence ofthe HERALD


WASHINGTON. Jan. %, 1874
Close of the 1driG Discussion in the Ssnate-Ob-
structioms to the Post Office Reform.
! learn from the highest Wing authority in the
Senate that the debate upon thu Tariff question
will be finally concluded this morning by Mr.. Nc
Duiiie by which mean to say, that the wings,
or the Tariff votes in the Senate, have resolved to
end the discussion upon this question, in its present
form, at all events after Mr.. McDuifie's speech
They have had enough of it, The presumption is,
that earthquakes are more likely TO unsettle mo-
nument than to fix it more firmly upon its base
and think shock from Mr.. Woodbury. ia espe-
cialy deprecated, il might open some cracks and
Joints which could not be shaken together again
by another friendly shock from Mr.. Evans.
From the same authority you may rest assured
that the wings of the Senate are determined to al
low no change to be made in the present tariff al
this session. This accords with what have al
ready assured you before.
The enemies of Post Office reform are industri-
ously circulating some scandalously enormous
state ents, for the purpose of killing Col. Mer-
ricks bill. One of them is, that this bill will SO
curtail the Post Office revenue as to compel the
Department to discontinue great number OF the
post offices and post routes existing in the interior
and more sparsely settled parts OF the country-to
the great inconvenience and deprivation of the in
habitants. This objection is intended 10 take ef-
feet upon the representatives from those sections
of the country.
In reply would say that instead of diminishing
the revenue the proposed reform, according to the
best calculations, will increase it. 1t will be in
creased from the large cities, which will employ
the mail, instead OF private hands, to carry their
letters for who would presume to trouble friend
to deliver his letter when the mail will do ii for
five or ten cents? And it will also be increased
from the country people, whose principal objection
to writing letters at all now, is the great expense
l33 and rs cents. The facilities and diminished
expense of country correspondence will undoubt-
edly increase the revenue from atquarter There
fore, there is no reason to apprehend discontinue
ance, but an increase Of existing mail routes and
post Offices
A leading principle of the Post Office Department
is that 1t shall pay its own expenses. Very we'll
then upon this very principle, why is the Post Of
flee Department required to pay very heavy item
of expenses--as have already shown in another
etter-to wit, all the postage bills of all the other
departments and branches of the government
You might with equal propriety. require the
Post Office Department TO establish and sup
port lines of steamers to carry government
dispatches as to require it to bear its own expense
of transmitting, free Of charge, all the present cor
respondence Ut the Government. Let the Depart
mens of War, OF the Navy, of State, &c: all pay
for their own postage-and when that is done, the
revenue of the Post Office will, with less difficulty,
pay It's expenses.
But national defence and protection, as well as
the convenience and necessities Of the Government,
require well regulated Post Office Department in
all its notifications Therefore, if it be necessa-
ry let the deficiency of its own revenue be cheer
| fully paid out OF the public revenue. S.B.