Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1845-02-27

W. NESIDtNI E-AHduSlVu, IA
know the members OF the Senate are,
! by the discussion of the numberess
propositions to amend the bill before Us
which have been presented, must
nevertheless, beg their attention for a
few moments to the one l have Of.
icred | do this from belief that in the
fate of this proposition il involved the
success OF all plans of reducing postages
to rate satisfactory to the people, with
out throwing this department of the pub
lie service upon the general Treasury
/ for permanent support.
Il All agree that the income Of the Post
Office Department is at present made
quate, and is annually diminishing
something must therefore be done, or its
efficiency will be gone.
Il In order to sustain 1t, we must change
the present rates of postage, or make
immediate aud annual appropriations
from the Treasury. A conviction Of this
fact, induced your committee to present
the bill before US. That bill proposes
TO reduce the rates Of letter postage to
five cents for distances under one hun
dred miles, and to ten cents for greater
distances. The amendment now pend
iug, proposes "A uniform rate for all dis.
tances five cents.
II One question presented is, whether
ornot The reduction to ten cents for dis
tances over one hundred miles, will re-
move one of the difficulties in our way,
which is the interference of private mails
or expres esses ia the business Of letter-car.
frying, and the consequent reduction o
our receipts.
Il The chairman of the committee has
| in very able aud repeated arguments
endeavored TO prove that this rate of ter
hcents would insure sufficient revenue, il
inlerference by private carriers can be
prey vented and also TO convince us that the
Ipenal enactments contained in the bill
will accomplish this last object. In this
am constrained to disagree with him.
! have no faith in the sentiment that
/ you can prevent the people Of this coun-
try from employing such OF their own
citizens as will do their work the cheap
est, by system Of prosecutions such as
this bill conemplates and | should
have no favor for it, if | thought it would
produce that result.
4 believe The right, and the only prac-
ticable way to command business suffi-
cient to support the Post Office Depart
ment, is to do it better and cheaper than
individuals can. This the Government
can afford to do, and is in my Judgment
bound to do. The power to establish a
mail was conferred on the Govern
ment in this expectation, and for this
purpose. 1t was not given TO enable
the Government to make exorbtant
charges for the service, much less to
enable it to enforce compliance with
them if made. | think the existing
charges for leiter-carrying are of this
character; and | am not disposed to de-
nounce all who afford, or who employ,
other means Of communication than the
United States mail believe that the
rate in the bill before US, OF ten cents, IS
TOO high, and therefore will fail to ac-
/ complish the object desired and intend
ed. This will be apparent to the Senate
4 from n single and simple Illustration. IL
requires as much as, or more, TO be paid
for the carriage Of a letter from Albany
to New York, than the ordinary
\ freight Of barrel Of flour by the same
channel Of communication. The DIS
parity in the service Is SO obvious, that
you cannOt prevent or control the opn-
ion that such a charge ls unreasonable
I and IT you pass the bill with thus
high rate, the people will continue to
demonstrate and petition for reduction.
II further reduction is refused, they will
in greater Numbers than at present, leave
youl mail and seek other modes Of con-
veyance. They may regret this. bu
I;key will submit "a "ihe necessity that
impels them to the separation" M
B man can expect any thing else who
Knows the history, or eau appreciate the
character OF this people.
!. The Pos, Office Department is a
present without adequate means, he.
cause 1t has not the public opinion IA IL
), favor. This will continue as long as The
cause of it IL allowed to remain anC
after the passage of this bull, as we'll "a
! now, unless our postage - us low n
that OF individual carriers Our obJec
. should be to regain the good opinion aud
, business OF the public To DO this, W,
must meet their wishes 50 often expires
, sed in petitions and resolutions i'on
State legislatures. Does any one doub
d. that, with the reduction to five cPnt'
proposed in the amendment, the UGte'
b States mail will have the lctlcr-carry IN
= ol the country 1t isa lu,le less that
is charged by competitors ; and there
5 are other advantages that would give 'h,
I regular mail the preference at the rate
n charged by others.
! The Senator from Penns, lvanla sai'
Y yesterday that no was ~ favor ot Low
$ postage, but was for a prudent course
' and was opposed TO greater reduction
i than TO ten ceIts at one step. u appear
Y to me that this is case where boil
Y step is tho only one which can be sue