New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-12-06
Stand by Cheap Postage!

Mr. Cave Johnson's Post Office Report, az ana
lyzed by our Washington correspondent in yes'e'-
days paper takes rather stronger ground against
the Postage Reform than we had anticipated. His
recommendations embrace return 20 the sld vicious
and unequal system Of charging on each piece OF
paper in letter or package full letter postage
exacsing all Postage in advance, and putting up 'he
Rates Of Postage 20 10 cents for distances over 81
miles and Is cents for those over 300 miles. The
old unequal, uncertain rates of Postage on Period
Gals and Pamphlets he would also have restored
rates under which Wing Almanac, not heavier
than Courier & Enquirer which passes for cent
or al mos: per copy used to be charged from ~
TO 40 cents according TO the caprice or the politics
of the Postmaster. No, Mr.. johnson! these ad.
vanccs backward will not answer, and you cannot
induce Congress 10 order them. They would make
Postage in effect thrice as burthensome now and
this only to meet deficiency of income amounting
to little ever One Million per annum. If it be set
tied that this deficiency is to be made up by an in
crease of income, this is the way to raise it
/. Abolish the Franking Privilege of Members
of Congress, which now compels the Public or the
Treasury 10 pay some Hundreds Of Thousands per
wear for the conveyance of documents and letters
10 men who pay nothing. The Postmaster who de-
vcrs them is authorized TO take for delivering
them las free letiers than their Mailing Transports
ton and Delivery ough! to cost
q Charge higher for letters conveyed long
astances-say Is for letters transported over
1000 and 20 cents on those conveyed over 1000
miles respectively.
g. Make the standard weight OF single letter
ouar,er instead of half an ounce if must but let
each heavier letter be charged much and no more
per quarter ounce, according to its weight. And if
we must tbough we hate it,
T. Let the present rates stand for Prepaid Letters,
and charge two cents per Single letter more on eve
ry letter not paid in advance defray the expense
Of keeping accounts, advertising AID the frequent
loss of postage letters conveyed and advertised
but never called for.
The alterations here suggested could not fai to
add One Million per annum TO the annual receipts OF
the Department without depriving the People Of
the blessing of Cheap Postage.
We believe q reduction of the Postage on letters
carried less than so or 100 miles TO three cents per
quarter of an ounce would ultimately increase the
Revenue. Correct returns will show that the num-
Der of letters conveyed short distances have been
immensely increased by the reduction of Postage.
Some of Mr.. Johnson's logic puzzles A
merchant it seems sent package through the Post
Office which contained 100 pieces of paper, bu, it
weighed only one pound, and could be legally
bat 81 50 Postage, whereby Mr. Johnson thinks
himself cheated. We, on the other hand think the
merchant was shaved, if any thing. He paid 81 60
for the conveyance Of a single package, requiring
bu, one postmark and entry, perhaps 500 miles,
while any express common carrier on the route
would gladly have carried it for so cents The De- .
pariment would have carried sixteen letters of tae
same aggregate weight requiring sixteen separate
entries, credits and postmarks for the same money
and never grumblcd Oh but, says Cave, l could |
have got $40 for this package on the old plan of
charging full postage for each piece Of paper
No, sir. you would not The writer would have |
been very clear OF paonizing your concern at that
e1orbitant rate. BE would haze sent his package
by somebody else for so colts or nothing and you
would have stood pep.,less. You ought TO be
,pankful for sccn fat Jobs and not grumbe at them
As to restricting Newspaper Exchanges we can
stand that though will bear hard on some OF the
Country journals by forcing the City papers to cur
tail their Exchange lists. But we never grumbe at
INV reduction of the Free List Give us iop Post
age and we will never clamor for no Postage
BY the way we hear OF a gross abuse winch
VIC are told has recently been practced al consid'
erable Post flee in this State, which may be mi
t.ted. 40 we will call attention to it, The circum'
stances are these.
Soon after the new Postage Law went into effect
MIR. johnson unfortunately became alarmed by the
numerous and touching examples OF resignation
evinced by Posnasters. and issued Circular de-
erecting a contingent increase of compensation TO
Postmasters at the less important Offices. This was
all wrong if Five Thousand had seen fit 10 resign,
their places might have been speedily filled by good
men or better women, who would have gladly I'M
dsrtakea and faithfully discharged the duties for the
legal Compensatory But in al least case we
are informed that the Postmaster has misunderstood
this Circular to direct that each Postmaster shall
haze as much aggregate compensation as he had
last gear under high Postage; so he has taken the
buuend off OF the aggregate receipts OF his othce'
aud returned the residue the nett proceeds of his
Office! Mr.. johnson will You have those accounts
thoroughly scrutinized7
"a The Christian Freeman lBirney at Hart
ford, Conn. asserts that the Address of the Wing
Nominating Committee Of this City prior to the late
Election was promptly roted dozen and rejected
by an immense assembage OF the Wings of New
York. on the ground that it would offend the South
ern Wings" We find this copied into the Herki-
mer Freeman.
We dislike to be unchartablc but we cannot
help thinking that the Editors OF the papers named
know better than this The Address was not re-
jocted, nor was the AntiTexas clause of it. but the
latter was fairly put, voted on and decided TO be
adopted by the Chairman of the meeting, We be-
heve toll ye,eishths af the voices were given in its
favnr. All efforts to upset the Chairmans decision
$500 "~.uailing. and the voa .,ansia To this iay-
Sc the Birneyites' evidence OF 1.-The hypocrisy Of
the Wings protessed opposition to Texas, and total
dcshsuson of all party principle" comes out rather
miSus,