Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1845-02-20
For the Herald Of tho Times.
Effects Of Cheap Postage.

single letters, be confirmed in the House as
it has lately passed the U. s. Senate and be.
come a law, it will in oil probability prove ol
inca lculable advantage TO the people Of this
country.
Owing to the great improvement in the
facilities ofcarriage, the expenses for travel
ing and Of transportation Of goods, is reduced
in many sections of the country to tihe oI
their former cost, whilst the transmission o
thought conveyed in written language is still
taxed, at the same cxtravagant rates as former
ly. So great is the disproporion that the mer,
chant sometimes pays less for the freight OF
transportation Of apacknge Of goods weigh.
ing some hundIed pounds, than he does for the
invoice accompanying il of less than an
ounce in weight, and both received by the
came conveyance,,he one being done through
a private, the other public agency.
The present rates Of postage is also the
means Of retaining in circulation the misera-
BILE worn out fractional currency. for which
we are indebted to u foreign coinage, and
which, in tnost cases, can alone be used
without loss to one or the other party in
payment of postages, a currency which il
thereby forced into the retail commerce OF
the country,S on which loss Of four per cen,
is suffered by every child who receives
change for fourpence-half. penny, given in
payment for an apple or stick Of candy.
Perhaps there is no other country on earth
where system Of cheap and uniform pos.
tage would exert so beneficial an influence
as in the United States. England has al
ready tried the experiment., by adopting a
rate less by more than ono halt OF the one
proposed by the Senate, and after some years
trial, finds its operations highly beneficial to
the great interests Of that county,
The population of England are mostly
fixed, and but a small proportion of the
wander from the villages or shircs Of their
to correspond with their friends. Her gov
ernmcnt is an Oligarchy, the permanency of
which is thought by many to depend rather
upon the ignorance than the knowledge of
the people, and needs not that they should
freely communicate with the different Sec
tlons of The Empire.
But with US the very existence Of our in
cti aopacallu thneo n Tho Eal. ..I
compact, depend upon free and eniighlen.
ed communication Of the people upon whose
shoulders they rest.
We are empba.ically a nation Of emi.
grants. The population of our Western
Stotes have mostly sprung from the Northern
and Atlantic States. The rates of postage
have hitherto been SO extravagant, as in
a great measure to debar communication by
letter between the emigtant q, the West
and the friends he has left at the East The
young married couple who have been reared
in some rocky dell Of New England leave il
with heavy hearts to seek new home on
the pralries Of Illinois or Iowa. AS they
progress on their journey, the incidents Of
their childhood, with oil their gentle and
subduing Influences, rise on their memories
associated with scenes and friends, which
they may never more behold, and their only
C consolation is that they will frequently hear
from them by letter, the thought of which
cheers them on their lonely way. But when
arrived at their new home in the west, they
find their little means soon exhausted in pro-
Vding the absolute necessaries Of life, and
scarcely has the first wished. for letters ar
rived from their friends, when they find j,
lflicult TO procure tho 25 cents required 10
be paid before it is taken from the office, and
perhaps small hog must be sold to raise
he required sum.
Such cases may appear trifng to some
~, to my view their interruption is of great.
'r importance to the public good, than would
'e that of the business correspondence ofII
he country. Business men would soon de.
Use means to conduct their correspondence
Independently OF The aid of Government,
nd its cost would become charge on the
ounlry whose business they are the agents
% transacling, and be repaid them in the in
rcnsed charge for making the exchanges of
s merchandise and products. Blu, no, so
nth the poor emigranl excepting an oc-
asional opportunity, they have no means
communication but through the Post Of
ce, unable to pay the expense they gradual.
become reconciled TO their lot, aud years
'ss away without hearing from their "Fa-
er land" from which they finally become
'mpletely expatriated in feeling, aud take
1t little or no interest in it's welfare. /,
Bot let the postage be fixed at FIVE cents i
r any distance, and we shall soon see the
alls loaded with letters to and from the
ttlers of the West and their friends in the
nst instead nf double solcd boots franked
me by members Of Congress to be mendcd;
eful md endeering associations will be
p' alive The children of the New Eng. I,
nd mother now rearing her offspring on the q
nks Of the Wabash or the shores Of MIcbi. {,
i ii