Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-02-19
From the Baltimore San.
PASSAGE OF THE POSTAGE RE-
FORM BILL.

PASSAGE OF THE POSTAGE RE
FORM BILL,
The Senate, on Saturday,, passed the
bill reducing The rates Of postage, and mod.
flying the frauking privilege. The bill
makes important changes in the present
post office system, and was passed by a
vote oil 50 to IL. The main feature of The
bill is The establishment Of uniform rale
of postage on single letters of five cents to
any part of the United States. Should
the low rate of postase--that is a uniform
charge OF five cents for a letters Of half AL
ounce. aod ten cents for an ounce weight,
and so on in the same ratio, 10 any part nt
the United States materially reduce the
revenues oflhat department, and throw il
upon the common treasury, there could be-
no hetrer time 10 make The experiment.
Drop letters. according TO the bill, that is
letters for delivery in the city where they
are deposited in the post office, are to br
charged two cents. lf letters are adver
tised they are to be charged with The costs
Of advertising two cents) in addition 10
the postage when delivered.
Newspapers, Of no greater size than
nineteen hundred square inches, (which
will cove! all the Baltimore city papers)
can be transmitted through The mail In
within thirty miles of where they are pub.
Iished, free Of postage; if sent over thirty
miles the same postage charged as a, pre-
sem.
Printed circular letters. unsealed, are
suhiec, 10 postage Of 'wo cents.
The lrankins privilege, as it now exists.
is totally repealed, and officers of Govern
ment are required to keep an account Of
the business letters which they rec"ive. the
postage on which is to he paid by The de.
parlment to which they are attached. The
assistant poslmasters general are allowed
to frank, but must endorse their letters or
packages official business" and if they
should nol be on official business they are
liable 10 a peually of three hundred dol
lars for each offence. Deputy postmas-
ters are to have all the postage they pay
OIL business letters refunded, and if their
commissions do not amount to twenty five
drllars per aunum, then the Postmaster
General is allowcGlo increase them.
Governors of States are allowed to trans
nit through mail. free Of postage, certain
books and documents; and members of
Congress, The Secretary Of State, and
Clerk of The House Of Representatives, can
frank all public printed documents, and
leaves the Irankiug privileges of the Sena-
tors and Representatives on all letters aud
packages mol exceeding two ounces in
weight, the same as il now is, and tiey are
also allowed 10 receive letters aud packa-
.gcs during the session as well as for thirty
days before and after the same. The
Postmaster is 100 keep all account of the
charge on all matter that goes through the
mail free, which is to be refunded from the
contingent fund, or from the Treasury.
Newspapers. pamphlets, books. and PC
riodcals, can he sent out of the mail, over
the mail routes, by publishers, agents, or
others, i,houl hindrance from the depart.
menI.
Private expresses, to perform regular
trips on mail routes, aud transport malta.
BILE matter, are expressly prohibited under
penalty of one hundred and fifty dollars
for each offence. Stage coaches, steam.
boats, railrpad cars, packet boats. &c.,
with their owners, managers, servants,
crews, &C., performing regular trips on
post routes. are prohibited from carrying
letters or other rnailable matter. excepting
newspapers, pamphlets, or magazines, un.
less they relate to The cargo or some part
of it. or to The articles conveyed in the
stage coach, car. or other vehicle. uuder
penalty of one hundred dollars for each
offeuce. 10 be paid by The owner, and fifty
dollars by the captain, driver, or other per-
sou in charge, not being an over in whole
or 10 part.
Seven hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars is appropriated from the Treasury to
be applied TO the Department, in case of
any deficiency in lis income caused by The
general reduction of postage made by this
act.
The remainder of the bill provides for
the carrying out of the provisions above
mentioned, and is not therefore of any i'm
portance 10 the general reader.