The Ripley advertiser., 1845-03-01
THE POSTAGE BILL.


THE POSTAGE BILL.
"a, ,or the reduction Of the tariff on Ma'
n.,,er passed the Senate. on the 9Th u''' oy
.,.,,,, of twenty six. This bill effects "uc"
Greater reduction in the rates now '"p''e
-. - have been expected, or indeed 70 oe oe
.;,ea, Letter. and packages weighing ~ :.
more than half an ounce are chargeao'e WV"
~, sve cents postage. no variation f'r distance
!. !, more or less. being made. Under 'he fa
;s,iup law, the rates on single letters range .
..a;,.,o a;.,ance, from six aad quarter 70
Z twenty Eve ceu,s-aud for DOUBLE "eo'e >"
,s,,a,s double, treble &cpostage By''e p''
y,;oos Of this bill, the frankipg privilege q foe
Masters. now exercised almost ~''nou' '''
,,.;n,. ;s,aken away, and in its place. 'nry -
a. be allowed. credit for the postage on ~
-. ,.ce;ved bv them relative 70 fhe'r o'l's'''
m. ranking privilege Of Members O co'e'ee"
... ,.,,re,ed 10 letters written BY them
I, selves. - -, n The
,,,... !. matter of mucl, doubt; but we 'nc''".
: think !, will be either entirely oee''eo'
nuch modified. Under it, operation 'oe 's'
p.r,men. would become. for years = neasy
charge mon the Treasury. So sudden 'eVu
s;on from the present high rates 20 % ="
1iSnds7d coMd ErnnvO prodoce . very erest
deficiency in the receipts Of the General ros'
Office. which would have 70 be supplied from the
Treasury department. II is but one OF the ma.
Nv expedien.s resorted to by the pro'ec'ionlss
10 excuse the present enereas Tariff, or to
create necessity for even more oppressive
one. We are At loss TO conceive how SO
many good anti-pr elective Democrats were
lured to its support. That the present rates
arc exorbitant and oppressive is on all hands ad-
mittsd; 6ut this bill, instead Of atforiiug relief
oaly shifts The burden from those who, if any
should support i, to the shoulders Of others VIII
receive comparatively little benefit from III
establishment. Tie commercial classes. VIII
derive by far the largest portion Of the advani'
eas afforded By mail facilities, are exonerate
rom their support; which is charged upon II
agricultsral and producing community who co
tribute BY far the largest portion ofthe reveu'
4xac,ed ~ The tarif on imports.
The Tariff; the public lands, and the Post !
fce department, are the three great sourc
whence tho revenues Of the Government, .
derived, ,--ifindeed, the latter witch rarely me,
ils expenses can bs properly called a source
revenue. The higher the duties imposed up
impofts. the greater 10 the pro,ectIon. as il
causi. aifsrded 70 the fabrics Of the moncpolizi
snannfacturers u the North, and the more ,
their profits eahaaced. Now, . eerlain amou
ofrevenue, sufficient for the government, war
it's necessary to raise; and by cutting off
supplies furnished by the other sources, an a,
mentatIon Of the Tariff duties 10 rendered u
yoidable, which, as we have eaid is what
Northern manufacturers desire, and labor
necessarily.
So, the greater the deficit Of the Poet on
department. the hesvier the draft on the Ia
and the public lands 10 supply il; and ~ the |
teris from its nature incapable Of being rend
ed much more productive, the burden fslls
most entirely On the former Hence The nee
sify i made imperative for an increase Of
dusie. on imports.
This il the motive which eneendered the /
which ha. just passed The Senate. but which
hnpe will meet its "qnietus' in the House
Representatives. The stra'agem which ch
acser'zss y is no new one, but has before b,
Exercised BY the willy monopolis,s Of ,he ms
'scso''nz States nIsai il was attempted