The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-02-03

ton that ssngis letters, by bis bill mean the same
thing single letters under The present system, but
this is far otherwise. Letters are now rated ss ain
gle, When they consist OF only one piece Of paper
when they consist Of more, they rated ss double
triple Re, as the case may be, without regard 10
weight until they reach an ounce, aud then they are
charged according To weight. BY the bill every let
ter n0t sreesdng ha ia weghi is TO be m
cd single letter, no matter Of how many pieces
composed. have before a sheet OF thin FRI nch
letter paper oi the usual uato post size least six Of
which VIII not weigh more than ! an ounce. l. Il
not clearly that this quality Of paper will gene
rally be used by letter writers for the express purpose
OF eyad,ng the payment of Hostage Those who
have occasion To write i've six letters 10 the same
place, al The same time, will enclose five of them h
one, 10 one OF his correspondents TO be delivered b,
that correspondent 10 the others in this way the
number Of letters paying postage will, in all proba-
bilty, be diminished, instead Of being increased and
the revenue seriously affected than il could b.,
without this clause. For exampe--t is proposed 10
charge six letters sent from New York TO Boston
postage OF 90 cents but il these six letters be en-
closed IN one, the whole postage TO be collected will
be but ten cents being average Of one cent and e
thirds letter. This inevitable conse sequence pfc.
sumo, has not been foreseen by Senator Merriek
have seen many complains Ia the spapeTs
and have heard tho complaints reitei ated on b,
floor OF Congress, OF The enormous dispropolton If
the cos, OF conveying letters and merchandise An
honorable member from New York is repoil.d TO have
said That '',he cost Of conveying barrel OF flour from
Buffalo 10 Albany was cents less than /.
charged for the conveyance OF single letter the same
distance. This may be- and yet The cost OF co ,ve,
ing the letter may be proper and reasonable Reduc.
the postage Of letters to the lowest possible rate and the
disparity will still be very great and the same I'D cap
tanduDi argument may be used with The same force
10 produce perfect equality, the Government mus
undertake To Transport lpo hundred pounds Of letters
for seventeen cents, and agree TO take the same hns
and the same mode o transportation Until This can
be required, all such arguments perfe tly Idle and
inconsequeni. But this lends me To exam ne the ne
cessary and unavoidable expense of conveying tie
mails. AT no period, and in country has il ever
been expected that the public mails could be carried
at chespy as merchandise and much the less 20 since
the establishment # railroads and steamboats, Reru-
larry security certainty and CELEBRITY, to the Creates
possible peiiec'on are great qualities Of the Post
Ofhce system, and the ,becis of its establishment
For these people are generally willing TO pay-wih.
out them The mails would be comparatively valueess
10 accomplish them, most exI ensve, extensive and
somewhat cumbr, us machine y, and numerous agents
are requisite. The expei Sc of this machinery, and
The c. IN ensation Of these agents. must be paid and
revenue TO II eel Il must be rahed in mode TIE
question IL, Shall be raised by tax upon those no
derive direct advantages from the syst, m or shall il
be Pad oct OF tie general Treasury, and thus compel
those VINO never write letter TO share the expense
win those who use II every day of their lives Rea-
son and common justice ray, let every man paw
In proportion To the Use he makes OF the establish.
ment But, 10 return TO the matter Of expense. Ii il
a Tact that since the establishment of Iarnads and
the n reduction OF steamboais the C. 81 of transport
| ing the mails has been greatly iDcreased-oD some
| roads enormously increased viii cite a single case
WIN which am amllIar BY the last separate con.
tract made by the Department before the opening OF
the abroad, Tor carrying the mail from Washington
to Baltimore, IN four hose post coaches The sum OF
S2,SOO per annum paid. Tie Baltimore and
ONO Railroad Company receives for the service
Si2, 900 per annum. Upon examination il will 10
iound lhai TINS rs far specimen of the increased cost
on every railroad in the Union How is this impurr
hon To be curdl Neither by the power of the p,si.
master General nor OF Congiess. Were the Posi-
master Generalto withdraw the mails nom the rail-
ROADS, and rndthen, as formerly in coaches or wag
ons the whole country would join in ouiciy against
bun for not using the quickest and sa tesi m de of
transportation The country would never tolerate tie
cheap policy OF pe'efrng read which requires sir
hour Tor Transmission, while mother was open 10
them which wood accomplish The same service in f,co
u - ile 10 ihi., hen, OF the cheapness ofcRrryiBg
barrel Of flour, and the desrnes OF carving e Ter
The difference Consists in The quality OF the article
The Baltimore AID Ohio Railroad will convey ton
OF merchandise from Washington 10 Ba,. re hr
81 s4-which, lor every day in the year, wouc
amount TO S61i G0-whfe they exact from he De.
partment hf carrying the mails which do ed
an averaged ton day, the enormous sum OF Sl2.
600 per annum. Now as II requires eertn barrels of
Hour to make ton, II appear, that 1OlJ bduels OF
fl vi costs SOL 60, while the same weight of letters
and newspa crs costs nearly eighteen times az much
Much stress has been laid uIon tie fact that pri-
vac companies can and DO carry l,iiers from one
large town 10 another, that is from Boston 10 NV
York, from New York 10 Philadelphia Sc FRA
Cos, not exceeding one third that charged by he psf
Chice But are the circumstances II these innate
companies considered In cmfarispn with tho.e Of DE-
Department Douhll,ss the United States could
we're the spbere VI operation limited to the gr--t
'horouehlare- through the populous and comn, cial
parts CT The country and were they dealt With by rail-
ROAD and steamboat companies upon the same terms
are individuals aud tas oh and
more. But IL - lar otherwise | is tho care as wei
as The duty oftbe Post Office Department to tr.vide
proper mail iasics TOT every section of he county
vie her thiniy settled or dcnsely peoped The in-
tant sediments ON the A kansas he Ulper Miss u.
H. AMI OF er Ircmotc, tcciiofs Of The Union, dcmard
and are az well entitled TO the ben,f Of the estab.
] shuent as are the crowded cdcs OF he Norihern
States AMI those thin s,tcm MIS- contribute then
fuii Propof,ion towards the cos OF Transporting tic
mails The Department, too, mus, provide for toe
unlimited transmission of open and re iodicals
which CAUSES an immense Increase Of the cost Of aus
porting the mails willis, they do no, Augment the re-
venue 10 one ihielb perhaps of that cosi The du.y
which deyJlves upon the Postmss CT General ofavalnr
himself of the most expeditions modes of convey.
sncc, subjects the Department to the mercy # rail.
/ road COMPANIES, while an individual may travel back
AID forth, every day ia the year with his uunh
packed with letters, subject To expense but the p,y
neht IL his personal fare and With 10 person TO qus.
lion him as 10 he eonten OF his trunk. Bot pinn'.
log alhatIs AIS, rted Of the hbii 81 the eastern c
to cary on th,if couesp nd nee with each oth,r a
rate vastly lower than is charged Ivy the Pot Off.c
laws, What elect would follow general license H.
take me ma between those ces into private hards
And this effect presume, has not be, fully consd
cred 10y the refnne's.' II all u nail eommu T.
e,ions should be given up to private enterprise llt
whole revenue derived lrum those sources must u.
couIe, enure 10 The bens6 of TIL who perform the
worn. The large amount ~ postage now lice cd
IN New York, bosion, Philadelphia Baltimore. and
other Commercial CITIES, nut be lost 10 The Dfrr-
nont' Only 'ueh portions Of the country Is r..
quire vast labor and Xpensc and directly yield bot
snail portion OF the revenue would be en TO The csrc
and management OF lie national authorities. Da,s
mn liz, IL. IL