New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-07-20

the tap Of the drum. But while they are waiting
and starving party hack and personal crony fthe
Secretary of War gets commission to raise regl-
ment who to have immediate service, upon
peculiar conditions and every thing their own way.
Can this be fair Ought not the first regiment re
ported ready for service TO have bad the protier OF
this service if, they would complywith its conditions;
and in case Of their refusal the next aud the next
1t surely seems TO Ii il false and insulting
10 assume tina, this regimen, will be composed OF
better materials than the others II Secretaries can
discriminate among State Militia in this way in order
10 make ther fayortes Colonels and their sons Pay
masters, we may well let the War Department
govern the States al once.
Rntes of PostnRe-Change Proposed.
Mr.. THoMassoE of Ky has reported to the House
bill altering most unwisely and mischievously the
Rates of Postage, which we trust will never pass
even out Of Committee Of the w hole We say this
with regret both because we esteem Mr.. T. and be-
cause our own pecunary interests would obviously
be promoted by the passage OF bis bill. II reduces
the Postage on Newspapers TO One Cent each for
any distance which would reduce the charge on
our Daily sent over 100 miles and out OF the State
! from s465 10 s3l2 per annum, aud that Of our
Weekly and Tri- Weekly in proportion, and could
hardly fail to extend largely circulation. We
certainly should be glad of ;his. But cannot,
even with such induccment consent to The ac
companying provisions, which abolish the charges
By we,ght for Magazines, Pamphlets, DC. and es,ab
lish one cent per sheet instead. A sheet is a mos!
uncertain quantity especially in folded and stitched
pamphlets and the effect of this provision would
be to cause the printing of all Magazines on mann
moth sheets and 30 TO reduce the Postage enormously
aud unjuslly. Those which adhered ordinary
paper, for want of mammoth power presses would
be unfairly and oppressively charged for good
reason whatever.
But far more pernicous are the proposed provis
ions respecting Letter Postage viz
"For letter manuscript packet Of sheet part
Of sheet. weighing quarter Of less, five
cents;
"For eac, additional sheet part OF sheet, quarter
of an or less fraction, additional five cents.
Here is the old iniquity revived, in all its naked
absurdity. One man puts a letter into the Post
Office and is charged five centa another puts one
in of less weight and 10 be carried not tenth The
distance and is charged ten twenty or even twenty
five cents, according not 10 the service to be per-
formed but TO the number OF pieces his letter is
supposed 10 contain. A laborer q Canal sends
ten dollars his wife in the nearest City, and is
charged four hostages because the remittance is in
three bills his merchant neighbor sends draft of
like weight for $4,000, or any other sum, and is
charged bat one postage. This injustice stimulates
10 two distinct vces-it impels the Postmasters or
Clerks to pry into letters, at first to see how they
should be charged; but very soon their curiosity
becomes naamed by casual revelations and they
acquire the hab, of peeping to see what they can
see.' If detected the answer is ready was ex
aiming the letter TO see what postage it ought 10
pay. The other vice is that of concealment and
dishonest evasion on the part Of the photographers
Feeling that the charge is wrong, the man who
sends bank notes or other papers of inconsderable
bulk or weight in letter is tempted to conceal, SO
far possible. the fact. or least the number Of
pieces enclosed. There ia knavery enough of spon-
taneous growth, 80 that the Government IL without
excuse in going wantony into the manufacture Of
more.
Sec. of this bill attempts to enact sheer non
sense. The postage on Magazines, &c. has previ-
ously been fixed al one cent per sheet. This Sec
ton declares that Newspaper shall be one sheet
OF printed matter of not over 1900 square inches.
and that" all other publications shall be taken be
a pamphlet, magazine or periodical. and rated with
postage as such so that 1900 square inches is the
limit OF a newspaper and a sheet of 1000 square
inches would be punished for its grossness by being
rated as Magazine or Pamphlet, but would pay
JUS, the one cent postage the same the smallest
Newspaper Not an undesirable penalty, in our
apprehension.
Then follow some changes in the mode OF COM
pensating Postmas,ers which we do not understand
we'll enough to crilicsei and al last We have slap
dash renewal of the Franking Privilege without
n. e
the tchoie United States Armyt What can this
mean Is the world really on the re,rosrade ? We
though, it had been settled that the policy of taxing
one man double treble for q service in order 10
accommodate another for nothing is wrong and TO
be abandoned. Yet mere we have il back upon Us
more extensively than ever. This surely won't do
and must not be done.
Mr. Robsr, Dale Owen, we believe, is the author
Of this Army suggestion, and bright thought we
don't begin TO consider il. The Officers are fully
compensated now, and can very well afford TO pay
their own postage; the Soldiers are but half paid.
bat this stone is no, the bread they ough, &c have
Congress is exhaus,iug lis ingenuity In trying 10
make windy thanks, brass medals, or tie Frsnking
Privilege TO men not half OF whom will write,
answer instead OF the increased pay which they ho-
nesy earn. Let the nation be just. and the Soldiers
will excuse It's pompous generosity.
We appreheni Mr.. Thomasson has been quite
too good ua;ured in ssreeing repoy, this bill with
out due consideration He is mol the head Of the
4 COMMITTEES We should prefer that those who are
appointed and paid TO do the Executives bidding
take the responsibility
MAlSE-JANss w. Bradbury the caucus nom
inee, has been elected U s Senator in place OF Hon
Geo. Evans. for six years from the 4sh OF March
next. bu, no, without difficulty. The vote stood
Sesa,s. House
let bel. 81 90. Sd do.
B-sdbury...aS Nv Brsibury....ss %
Evans w.. G. Evsna Eas9.-..5s So -
Severance III Eessenden Asol 5 s.