New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-05-14

1ross<dnss In Congress Anprdias Proclamation La
tsr from Mexico Why at war Spirit Of the An
nivsssahes-Foreign Evangelical Society-Scw York Sun
aay school Unioh-New-York State Colonization Society
s.Americsn Trect Soccty-vlgiisnce Committee BaHf
Nots Table Sales Of Stocks; Marine News.
Cheap Postage In Dan ger!
Hon. @. w. HOPKINS Of Va. whom we know 81
an original and inve,erate opponent Of the CHEAP
Postage Reform, las Is The Postmaster General, who
prompts this movement) has re ported 10 the House
q bill to increase tie present Rates of Postage so1a'
Etty per cent? BY this bill any letter weighing
ever quarter of an ounce is 10 be rated double IN
lsss com posed OF single piece of paper; and each
ouarer instead of each hnlfan ounce is 10 pay one
Postage. Here is an increase, to begin with, Of
nearly hundred per cent. in Letter Postage Then
Letters conveyed over GOO miles are 10 be charged
u instead of 10 cents until 1e4s, and afterward al
The option of The Postmaster General. Newspapers
cent over 100 miles are 10 be charged TWO cents
each. The actual average increase Of the Rates
OF Postage by this bill fail short Of fifty per
cent.
Let us consider facts and reason from them: The
Government proposes TO Yaise the Postage on News
papers above what Ii has ever been since the War
With Great Britain. When the Mails were entire.
II carried in wagons land The charge for carry
ing Daily newspaper from this city to Albany was
% u per annum. Now a barrel Of -four is trans.
ported from Albany hi,ber for 10 10 cents and all
transportation is immensely facilitated and cheaper
cd; yet the Government seeks to raise the price OF
carrying newspaper, with all these facilities, to
90 Is per annum. This is most exorbitent The
Post Office can well afford to transmit Newspapers
IN the average at least as cheaply as we can print
them. Yet while the reader Of u Daily or Weekly
paper now gets at least four times us much matter
a. he could get in 1915 for the same money, .he
Government proposes 10 double the cost of delivery
This will not answer.
As TO Letters, we have already expressed will.
lingness to submit to the rating Of Postage the
basis Of counting each quarter ounce letter, and
would increased rate for letters carried
over 1000 miles But TO render this eDdurable
there should be reduction OF Postage on abort dis
faness-ike this;
For each ounce carried under 100 miles..3 cents.
-. :. over do: and under 500. I'D -
Z" f" 500 1,0tU..1O
Over J 0fo miles and under 2,JOo...... :"
Ovdr2Op0 miles .....,.............-......S0 "
This ia the very highest that we could justify as
actually needed 10 make the General Post Office
Is cents while one sent $500 miles s 10 pay but The
same, is hardly right And, at all events. we pro.
tea, against any increase of Postage whatever until
the Postmaster General shall have revoked his most
pnwise, unrigh,eous pundering order, whereby
hundreds Of thousands arc given to Postmasters as
extra compensation la utter defiance of the Constitu
ton and Laws. The compensation Of Pos,mas-
ters in all cases 10 precisely stipulated by law. In
defiance of law the Postmaster General has directed
thst Pos,masters shall be paid, not the proportion Of
receipts 10 prescribed by law, but amount equal
to their receipts under the old High Postage!-
This atrocious act of notification has in many in,
os,her several offices, leaving nothing to pay for
Mall Transportation. Of course, there is deficit in
The Revenue Of the Department, and could not fail
70 be- And for this the People are called on TO pay
exorbitant Rates Of Postage. Will they not ,e
nonstrate 10 Congress'
In excuse of this lawess, high,handed abstrac
ton Of the Pos, Office Revenues, /, 10 urged tina
many Postmasters woaid hare resigned had they
bcen allowed only much the Law gives them
We decidedly doubt this but what if they had re
Ggned3 Was Mr. Johnson sure that no suitable
persons could be found to fill their places? We Dc
not believe there nre one hundred offices in the
Union which could not be adequately filed at the
rates of compensation prescribed by law. If there
be any village where no one will otRcia,e as Pos,
master at the established rates. let Ii SO without
HUE while; the Inconvenience cannot be great
Bot on fair trial there would hardly be found such
. village The naked truth is thar the Post Office
cannot be made Party Hospital, in which those
who have suffered wounds and losses in the service
ef Loco-Eocoism may res, and recruit themselves
Il the Law is obeyed. The legal compensation viii
barely pay for the service required, and will atforc
no surplus for the needs of the Party. Hence th,
anwarrantable misuse OF the Post Office Revepu,
in paying extra compensation. Hence The call 70
an enormous Increase of the Rates of Postage Il
cover moderate and steadily diminishing eefct--
Will not the People consideri