The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-05


revenues must be increased, to produce tho de-
sired amount Of money, by a revision and mociSca-
ton of the act Of the Sd March, TO which, in great
degree, the deficiency may be attributed.
The rating Of letters by weight, instead Of the sim
gle sheet as formerly. has led to practices little less
injurious 10 the revenues than the expresses which
were kept up prior TO the passage of the act just
ferred to. Applications were made TO the depart
ment, shortly after its passage, for permission 10
take letters out of the mail post routes the APP
plicants proposing to 60 to the post Office and pre-
pay the postage by weight. The consent of the de-
partment sought TO avoid The penalties for ta-
king letters out of the mails over post routes. These
were rejected The right was then
claimed Of envelopng letters addressed TO particular
individuals and directing them to their agents for
distribution, and paying the postage by the half
ounce, and probably receiving pay by the single let
ter. This practice is believed 10 prevail extensively
in some OF the Cities producing great profit TO those
engaged in it--probably more than the former ex-
press lines realized, as the department is now bur-
dened with the transportation, and those engaged in
il receive the profits Of the distribution. An incl
dent recently occurred which will forciby illustrate
the injurious effects of such practice upon the
enues OF the department. large bundle of letters
was enveloped and sealed, marked postage paid,
81 o." by some accident in the transportation.
the envelop was so much injured as to enable the
postmaster to that it contained 100 letters to DIFF
erent individuals, evidently designed for distrbu-
ton by the person TO whom directed, and should
have been charged ten dollars. The continuance of
this practice would, in short time, deprive the de-
partnient OF large proportion of its legitimate in
como. The department has no power 10 suppress
it, further than TO direct the hostages be properly
charged, whenever such practices detected. Thia
has also introduced species Of thin, Light paper,
by which 6ys or six letters may be placed UNDERGONE
cover and still be under the hafouncc. IT, in truth,
makes free the transmission of notes, bills Of ex
change acceptances, drafts, receipts and small par
GELS of money the letter alone paying the postage
L renders the postage tax more unequal upon the
different classes Of society than the former mode Of
rating by the single sheet These devices 20 evade
the law may be easily suppressed, rendered
much less injurious to the revenue, by establish
ing onequarter of instead Of the halfounce
or by directing the letters TO be rated, as formerly
by the single sheet--which is decidedly better for
the revenues Of the department, and more convent
ent in practice for the deputy postmas'ers.
The practice of sending packages Of letters through
the mails to agents, for distribution, has not entire
y superseded the transmission Of letters, post
roads, out of the mails, by the expresses. The
character Of this offence is such to render detec
ton very uncertain, full proof almost impossible
conviction rare The penalties are seldom recover
ed after conviction, and the department rarely Sc
cures enough TO meet the expenses of prosecution.
If the officers Of the department were authorized in
proper cases to have the persons engaged in these
violations of the law arrested their packages trunks
or boxes, seized and examined before proper ju-
dicial officer, and, when detected in violating the
law, retained for the examination Of the court and
jury, is believed TINT the practice could be at
suppressed. There seems no just reason why in
dividuals engaged in smuggling letters and robbing
the department of its legitimate revenues should not
be punished, in the same way and to the same ex-
tent as persons guilty Of smuggling goods; nor why
the same means Of detection should not be given the
Post Office Department which are now given to the
Treasury.
Weight and bulk of the mails add much TO the
cost Of transportation, which constitutes three
fourths of the whole expenditures Of the depart
ment; and If 1t is to be sustained on its own reve-
nues, it is but just and proper that all matter pass
ing through the mails should be compelled to pay
fair proportion of the incurred its transport
alton and delivery. discrimination has usually
been made in behalf Of newspapers and other print
ed matter, because they are supposed to advance
the policy of the government, hy contributing
to the general diffusion Of intelligence among the
people, upon which depend the maintenance and
perpetuation of our free institutions. There was
under the old law too great difference between the
tax upon letters and printed matter. The tax upon
pressive TO the citizens the tax upon the latter
not 80 high materially to interfere with their gen
eral circulation. There no regular returns made
to the department, of the weight Of the different
kinds of matter passing through the mails, upon
which an opinion might be formed ofthe actual cost
Of the different kinds, and The proportion which each
One Of my predecessors, in 1888, had an account
kept for one week, Of the weight Of the mails dis
,ngaishing between the weight ofetters and news
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and Rich
mond-from which it appeared that the whole
weight Of the mails was 55,24l pounds; Of which,
the newspapers weighed. ......... 44,865 pounds.
Lee psfi fsee and taxable
1t is confidently believed that the difference in
weight between the printed matter and written
passing through the mails is greater
since the passage Of the late law than before-ihat
of the whole weight Of the mails, and
greater inequality in bulk, is composed of printed
matter, paying about one-nibth of the expense.
This great inequality in the cost Of transportation
did not warrant the difference in hostages under the
former law, and was most unjust to the friendly
and business correspondence Of the country. The
reduction ofthe letter postage by the late law was
but an act of justice to that class of citizens who
had been so long and so oppressvey taxed for the
benefit Of others.
The same necessity did not exist for reduction
of the postage on printed matter. That had al
ways been low.-greaily below the actual expense
of its transportation, and yet not so high to in
terfere materially with the general policy of the
government
therefore recommend continuance of the rates
of postage on written communications, with these
that five cents pay for each single
letter for fifty miles and under; that ten cents pay
for each letter for any distance between fifty and
three hundred miles, until the 3Oth June, le3s and
after that time that the ten cents pay for any dis
lance fifty miles, and that fifteen cents be paid
on each single letter, for any distance over three
hundred miles, until the Both of June, lS4S, when it
shall cease. The rate of fifteen cents is added to
the department for the high prices paid
upon the contracts under the old law, which do not
expire until that time recommend, ALSO res.
toraton of the former postage upon all printed mat
ter passing through the mails--wth the right re-
served to publishers to take them out of the mails
over post roads. l also recommend limitation of
the number of papers that editors or publishers
may interchange free through the mails. There
are now understood to be between seventeen and
eighteen hundred printing establishments in the
United States, from which newspapers issue. From
this fact alone, it will be readily seen what abuses
might be practsed upon the department.
1t is believed by the Undersigned, iii shall be the
pleasure Of Congress to adopt these suggestions,
that the cheap postage system may be maintained,
and it is hoped, without any aid from the treasury
the rreaent uear IL will he seen hnweyer