The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-12-26

ioi edCi sihSic icttci iOi MY HlllcS
and under; that ten cents pay for
each letter for any distance be-
tween fifty and three hundred miles,
until Both of June, lS48, and after
that time that the the ten cents pay
for any distance over fifty miles ;
and that fifteen cents be paid on
each single letter, for any distance
over three hundred miles, until the
30th of June, lS4S, when it shall
cease. The aid OF fifteen cents is
added to compensate the depart
ment for the high prices paid upon
the contracts under the old law,
which do not expire till that time.
| recommend, also a restoration of
the former postage upon all printed
matter passing through the mails
with the right reserved topublishers
to take them out of the mails over
post roads. | also recommend a
Limitation of the number of papers
that editors or publishers may inter-
change free through the mails.
There are now understood to be
between seventeen and eighteen
hundred printing establishments in
the United States, from which news
papers issue. From this fact alone,
it will be readily seen what abuses
might be practised upon the depart
ment.
tits believed by the undersigned,
if it shall be the pleasure of congress
to adopt these suggestions, that the
cheap postage system may be main
tanned, and it is hoped, without any
aid from the treasury after the pre-
sent year. 1t will be seen, however,
that any diminution of the expendi-
lures, or increase of the revenues,
in the mode suggested, is and must
be conjectural, and, if adopted by
congress, would require contingent
appropriations, only to be used
where deficiency in the revenues
to meet the expenditures shall rem
der it necessary,
The 9th section of the new law
directs that class of public officers
formerly entitled to the franking
privilege to keep accounts of all
postage charsable to, or payable by,
them, upon letters, &c, received
through The mails, touching the bu-
sincss of their Offices, and directs
their payment out of the contingent
fund of the departments and bu-
reaus, or out of the treasury; but
no provision is made for the pay
ment of the postage on o6fciai COM
naunicGtiOns sent from the depart
ments to officers, or others, at dis
lance from the seat Of government.
This has produced occasional diff
cultics between the deputy postmas-
tiers, who claim the postage upon
the delivery of the communications.
and the officers to whom they are
directed. 1t is understood, howe
yer, that the heads of departments
have directed accounts to be kept
of all such communications, and will
direct their payment, with other
hostages of the departments. 1t
also directs the deputy postmasters
TO keep accounts of such lettars, and
to be allowed a credit for them,
when the account is verified, upon
cath, and the latter transmitted as a
voucher. Several cases have oc-
Cured in which the Notification, on
cath, costs the postmaster more than
the credit to which he is entitled,
and the retention ofthe letter by him
is often rendered necessary from its
contents. As the whole of the mo-
ney arising from the keeping these
accounts comes from the treasury, it
is suggested, as worthy of conside-
ration, whether they might not be
dispensed with altogether, and the
postage paid by an appropriation
from the treasury, so soon as Con-
grcss shall be enabled, from the &C.
counts now kept, to ascertain with
reasonable certainty the amount
which should be paid for that object,
and to permit all official communica-
tons to and from the departments
and bureaus to be received and
sent free, or marked as free.
1t is Indispensable that all commit
nicatiOns addressed to that class of
officers who formerly had the privi-
lege of franking should be received
free of postage. The privilege
might, with great propriety, be re-
srticted to official communications
from them; or congress should pro-
vide for their payment. This should
include deputy postmosters especial
ly, as very large number of them
regarded the privilege as part of
their compensation for the duties
performed by them, and there is be-
lieved to have been as little abuse
of the privilege by them as any 9TH
err class of officers to which it was
extended.