Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-02-15

those who ought not pay it, relieve those who ought
pay it,
The people in many parts Of the country taught
gard postage is mistakenly viewed such When
man pays twenty-five cents for postage, he pays
tax than when he pays wagner boatmen for transport
alton of goods. Postage is nothing than
ton for services rendered IL it he tax il be levied in
equitable than upon him who receives the add
vantage Of it Is right that the poor should be taxed
upon his salt and his iron pay my postage This bill throws
the burden upon the sparse population of the South relieve
the manufacturers Of the North Not satisfied with the bur
den which the South always bears in the shape Of protective
duties for the benefit of the people of the North, now
asked pay their postage Why do they not also ask to
pay the carriage Of their cotton goods Charleston and the
other markets Of the South
The operation Of this bill fail to have most corrupt
ing influence upon the Post Office Department. already most
important political engine and capable Of producing momen-
effects for good for ILL., Pass tins bill, and Will in
crease its influence and its power and In ten years II VIII con-
troll the Government and the Presidency.
No purer went into Office than former head o.
the Department who occupies seat the bench OF the
Supreme Court he Of the Post Office pure and UNI
suied but with reputation and character which SO endea
ed him to- and gave him influence with the army OF pos
office contractors and posnases that would have been dan
for amy possess who did not also his In
| file xble integrity h
corrupt man. occupying that position for ten years, would
become almost opoen and yet the Senate have enlarged
the power of the Postmaster General by the enactment OF the
present BILL which gives him the power of increasing the
mens of deputy postmasters The post office system con-
tanned most dangerous Of corruption the power OF doing
wrong should be diminished, not increased.
He opposed to the bill because laid the burden OF
postage unfairly and because tended increase the means OF
corruption and to destroy the already imperfect responsibility
Of the Department.
Mr.. SIMMONS said he would not enter into the general
argument used by the Senator from South Carolina because
in his opinion predicaed upon state Of things which
would not exist He denied however, that the BILL under
circumstances would take the burden Of postage from
those who benefited by it. and place it on those who
are This he illustrated in various ways. He had no
heard any satisfactory why the bill should not pass
Mr. ). his statistical of the English post office
and recapulated the statements he had before made to thu
Senate He had very little doubt of the of the expe
rmen and thatthe Office would in short time entirely sus
tain itself by the proposed rate Of postage.
Mr. McDUFFIE replied that if he could believe with tn,
Senator from Rhode Island that the Office would sustain set
under the arrangement he should be advocate
for that arrangement that honorable gentleman But hi
mghtbe said almost to know that it could not, and that
would be burden upon the Treasury Department. and lead
the consequences which he had predicted
appeared from the statements Of the Senator from Rhode
Island that the post Office in England had fallen Of
consequence of the reduced rate Of postage and would
the same here. England very differently circumstance
from this country there the density Of population and tn
universal and perpetual energy Of business and capital mad
the whole country Of active enterprise here,
of country parsey settled and post routes ha
to be sustained great expense without chance OF
nerang The circulation Of letters and Of post oc
intelligence in England, compared with that in this country
was like comparing the circulation of blood in the human fran
e at the equator with that at the pole
He Of opinion that If this bill be passed. the expense
the Department would be doubled in years. and half tn
4 expense thrown upon the Treasury.
Mr. MERkfGK said this bin not the bfi which be
been presented by the committee had been greatly mode
Of its important features but he believed the b
in its present shape although might not pay its expense
for the first year. perhaps for the second would In asho
time support itself And would do this by the only fair
Equitable which be devsed-that is by every
paying towards its support according to the advantage whc
he would derive from it. But he did imagine that
for the first year the deficiency would be equal to what tn
honorable Senator from South Carolina imagined He wa
OF opinion that although there might be deficiency for the frs
and second years, there would be in the third.
He had great confidence in the next Congress. The pre-
sent bill experiment; if it succeeded, great good
would have been accomplished if it failed, could be remeded
year, he had doubt it would be, if there
meeting the expenses of the Department The people would
they would acquesce the repeal of the proposed BILL and
return to the present SYSTEM any other better one which
could be resorted to-
The question then taken the pasage Of the BILL
resulted as follows:
fEAS-Messrs Allen, Ashley, Atchison, Atheton Bar
row. Bates Bayard, Benton, Bcrren Breese, Buchanan
Choate Critcndcn Dayton Dickinson, Dix Evans, Fairfield
Foster Francis Henderson, Huntington, Janagn, johnson
Merrek Miller Morehead Miles, Porter Rives Simmons
Sturgeon, Tappan, Upham Walker, White, Woodbridge
Woodbury-3S.
NAYS-Messrs. Bagby, Clayton, Coqutt, Hannegan Hay
wood, Huger Lewis, McDufie, Mangum, Phelps, Sempe
Sevier-12.
So the bill passed. and ordered be the Hous
| of Representatives for concurrence.
Il