New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-01-26
MI. poetage Reform.


70 which we have always belonged, to live IN
peace with it. We are willing it should gorl'y
itselfa as the most efficient, consistent and devoted
Wing paper, or Clay paper, the world ever saw.
Wbv. then. can it not allow Us, in our own hum
HE sphere to pursue our own course and do what
little good is in our power? Certainly, the specta-
Gle of habitual sparring between two Wing jour
nails is not profitable or edfying to their friends
Tie Courier of Wednesday, after copying our
proposition of fixed and uniform rate of Postage
BIZ peight on all Printed Matter conveyed lnthe
Mails proceeds to comment on it as follows:
"Here is direct proposition to reduce the present
hostage on the Tribune and oil other papers when
sent distance less hanfy miles TO one quarter OF
the present rates; and when sent greater distance
:, 10 very uodestiu asked to have it carried at oH2-
fovrL the price at which ii is proposed topert he
Courier and other large papers TO pass through ue
nails.
aTbe disiuterestedness of this proposition; its
manifest patriotism the honest desire which 1t
eyinces TO benefit the Post Office Department by
noble sacrifice of everybodys interest but their own,
il so manifest that we will not say another word on
the subject
"But let us examine the other branch of this re-
commentator. call printed matter, not ISSUED peri
odicay and stately, IL cents per pound Tor less
,hon 400 miles, and "a cents for over o0O miles. =
This includes of course, all books and this would
compel the Post Office Department to carry very
large sized octave of467 pages from this city 10
New Orleans for the sum OF twenty-five Gents =
And this too under the plea OF eXpedltng tle inaiis
and increasing the revenues Of the Department
Sreater absurdty never was attempted to be Palmed
nnon the public and exhibits in bold relief the m
consistency of those who have been most prominent
in demanding Post Office reform. Why, the HAIR
PERs. WINCHESTER the publisher OF the New w orld'
and 1he publishers generally in this city, including
the regular publishers and those who belong to the
"Cheap Literature party, would on an average;
send out of this city by the mats, three Thousand
pounds of printed matter per day, ana inc wheels Oh
The Post Office Department would be cloSSed up SO
thoroughly, that letters would be Inoh,i te"c1lhs
nlaces in the interior which now within ten days
nf the city, In short, the Post Office would become
n grea, Transportation office for the trash known rs
Cheap Literature" Instead of answering the pur-
pose for which it was nstituted-the interchange OF
correspondence on social and business matters.
1t will be seen that our proposition is that the
Post Office shall carry hundred pounds of Irfb-
mes or other moderate sized journals at the same
or;ce which i. charges for a hundred pounds of
The yasn,ysoti.s, THE Courier's proposition is
that it shall chaage = 7orrc fcr carrying one
hundred pounds of our paper as four hundred
is modest disnterestcd or patriotic we will
not say but the public cannot fail to see which is
just.
The ,oeight of package is what causes it to
delay, embarrass or impede the Mails, and not the
number of pieces Of which it is composed. If
the Courier sends 100 copies daily to Newt Orleans
and we four hundred weighing the same as the
Courers one hundred Though there is no such
difference in the size or weight of the two papers,
we can imagine no reason why our package
should be charged four times as much as tue
Courers. Reader, can you?
And now single word as to our disnterested-
ness. We send by Mail ten times as many copies
of our Weekly, which is aboue the average size
of newspapers, as of our Daily, which is below.
Need we add word
Well then, as 10 the other branch of this re-
commendation.' We have proposed that Printed
Matter not periodical shall be conveyed IN the
Mails at q charge Of fifty per cent. advance on
the charge for periodicals. We make the dis
tinction only on the ground that it will be mere
difficult for the Department to carry ten thousand
pounds which may be all thrown upon 1t at once
than the same weight which comes along stated
" five hundred pounds at a time. AT the rate
we suggest, the Post Office would receive over
$500 for carrying ton of non-perlodical matter
any distance over 500 miles, and we have not
doubt that, considering the great and constantly
increasing facilities afforded by Steamboats, and
Railroads, it would make handsome profit on
the transportation of this very matter, regarded
by itself. We are sure that private company,
managing the Post Office, would gladly under
take to convey all Printed Matter not periodical
for $3.50 per ton under 500 miles and $500 per
ton for greater distances. Then why cannot the
Government
And now closing word as to modesty.' Our
amiable contemporary is perfectly willing his own
paper should be carried any distance at the rate
(when wet] OF some 500 per ton, but he thinks
it atrocious that the trash known as Cheap
Literature ," should be carried at FIVE times that
Price! We are afraid the public does not value
the results of his lucubrations so much above
those of Miss SEDowIcx, DANA, HAWTHORN,
WILLIS, sc. as he does. However, that is u
matter of taste, which we must leave to the
Judgment of Others.
The Courier cites US as representing the
newspapers OF England as conveyed absolutely
free of postage, and triumphantly asserts that
they pay stamp duty. Certainly they do; bat
that does not go into the Post Office Treasury
We cited the fact only to show that Penny
Postage on Letters more than sustained the Pest
Office, carrying Newspapers without charge
That is all.