New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-12-14
THE General Poe, once.

70
resons therefor. For example. we are quite win-
ing that the change he proposes Of allowing the
Single Letter to weigh but quarter OF ounce
instead Of halt shah take place, but not because
people are supposed 70 make ny several letters
Iato one package and pay postage Only On tHe
weight Of this package; for we think that perfect
ly right Here IL the Government crbidding and
r,nisbinv the transportation of letters otherwise
than through the Mails, wherein it proposes 70
transmit all that offer from New York TO New-Or
leans a. twenty cents per ounce Very good
customer hands in letter package weighing five
ounces and tenders dollar IN payment OF the post
age. Any private lettercarrier would thank HIM
for 50 good job but Ir. Cave Johnson takes the
package with surly discomfort, with suIky suspl-
cion. and begins guessing. and pryine, and peak
ing TO smell out the number OF pieces included in
the package-whether they may not be addressed
TO various persons beside the named IN the
outer superHcrptior-an whether he would not
haze received FAR more postage il each had been
sent separately All this strikes US as Shabby
un.businesslke If he don't want to carry the
package at his own price, let hrn Mt least allow
the customer TO find conveyance for himself snd
not stand gruubtng at bis bread ond butter
Then the ou,cry against Private Expresses APP
pears to Us most mistaken aud futile They send
news ahead of the Mail, it seeus. We'll then let
the Mail be expedited. They AIRY letters on Msil
Routes Thenlet the Mail underbid them, rs with
its immense facilities it can very well do The
plain truth is that The Government eveuyet charges
twice or thrice as much az it should for carrying
letter from New York to Philadelphia, New Ha
ven, Newark or Albany. in order that 1t may &C
comrnodate the scattered squatters Of Arkansas
and Te1n, at a tenth part OF the actual cost We
do rot complain OF this cheop Transportation TO the
far widerness-by no means; only object 10
seddpg the whole expense thereof on the bust
ness men OF the great cities, and then railing at
them because they are suspected ofsometimes 2ee
ting their letters carried cheaper than the Govern.
men, will dol
Just try this Government monopoly OF transmit
ing intelligence by parallel Thirty years
ugo Congress chartereda National Bank to facili.
tate and cheaper Exchanges, DC which did we
believe greatly TO the public advantage. But sup
pose that 3 ank had come before Congress in me-
mortal complaining that other Banks and individuals
were buying and selling Exchange cheaper than
1t saw fit to do md thereby deprvingi OF business
and profits whereupon it requested Congress 10
Exchange by any itself-shoud we not
have heard whisper or SO of outcry against so i'm.
pudent a demand Yet the Postmaster General
cooly assumes that his pocket is picked whenever
anybody else is allowed to carry letter and
wishes Congress to clothe him with pow to break
open the trunks and boxes of private citizens on
suspicion that they have letters in transit therein
He cannot be accommodated. The laws on this
point ere absurdly despotic now il the attempt to
strain them tighter, they Will snap, aud leave him
exposed TO the sad necessity Of CARRYING letters as
chesply and expeditiously as other people If he
wants to carry them at all
Nor can he ever stop Expresses running ahead
Of the Mail except by running the Mail even with
the Expresses. When important news reaches
end OF the country the Post Office should see
TO its prompt transmission to aud impartial pubIics
tion at every important point, that spectators
shall not take unfair advantage oft But the Gov
eminent cannot rightiully hold back other peoples
horscsi it can only whip up it's
We like the idca OF the Governments buylnc
owning and extending the Telegraph, provided ii
can BIO thoroughly guarded against partisan and
Official perverson. In the hands c such !unctiona
ries MS may have the control OF it, without stern
limitations and safeguards, It will prove treuaen
dous engine Of speculation, eectioneering and In.
voritism, Let this be looked to
AS to Newspapers ii is maniiestly right that
Postage should be levied ON them by weight and
not by pioce-as we urged when cheap Postage
WIS first agitated. We do not believe however.
that general increase Of Postage ON Newspapers
is necessary or would be approved by the People
The p, NJ. General is mistaken in his premises.
IL, al
cities when the policy of carrying them at low
rates was adopted They were as well dfused
proport:onslly the extent OF Mail conveyance as
now The Mails are established for the convey snce
Of Letters, &c but ;hc Government wisely and
benefcently offers to carry Printed Matter al the
additional cost for Mail service which such trans
portstion imposes on it, lit will now equalize its
charges hereon, not 10 exact three times as
much hundred pounds OF small as on the same
weight OF large newspapers, and then restore tine
natural liberty OF publishers TO transmit out of the
Mil such journals they do 40; choose TO send in
Il. II viii have placed i,s Newspaper business on
exactly the right footing
Payment IN advance for everything put III the
Mails, or IN default Of 1t heavier charge, is jus;
night; so Is a higher charge or tie casual Trans
Hisnon OF printed matter than on that which is
sent with stated regularity. Sut to maintain the
present ra'es for airaaoe postage and double them
On every thing ro' paid in advance charge higher
tor large newspapers yet sbsse nothins on small
ones beside raising the letter rates tror FIVE and
Sen cents per hef ounce the hike suns per quar-.
tey eunce-resly. the P, NJ General is having i, on
trias 100 thick, These charges combined woul6
yearly or quite double his Revenue, while hi. own
Eas h. 3aSc
which the alteration IN the terms o; Nail oonsrscts
and the increase OF letter writing rapidly over.
coming. Ii the area OF Freedom will stop ex.
tending itself and Congress will no, break the
back Of she Irnn Horse by tons OF ranked Speech.
cs and Documents, the Pos, O:hoe viii simply pay
lis own expenses before ls4s. Mr.. J. might have
shown. but did aot, rapid increase Of business
and receipts, on the last as compared with the