The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-09

IfcpSiS y UP mllilOn OF lelieT
year, and large portion Of them double letters
And this extensive correspondence is entirely car
) red on by the British mail line, except the letter,
conveyed IN private ships, and is subject TO British
lava and regulations. II becomes necessary to ool
lttle more into the actual state of this intercourse
and see how fari is subject to any reciprocity in III,
laws and regulations Of this country and those Of
! Great Britain, from which country most Of oul
letters, even from the other powers of Europe, are
despatched to the United States What are our
laws TO regulate it, or derive any postage from il
We have no laws on the subject, except the act OF
asst session for establishing mails with foreign coun
tries; and II that 10 not executed, the subject il
wholly abandoned TO rival nation, who is deriving
a considerable revenue from this international cor
lrespondence, besides making il subservient 10 the
advancement Of her commercial interests. We
have no laws regulating the conveyance Of let
ters from the United States to foreign countries,
Tor from such countries 10 the United States
and no authority for charging any postage either on
letters going TO foreign countries, coming from
them into the United States. We have abandoned
the whole subject to foreign rival power, and all
the advantages attending IL. Our citizens sub
jected 10 heavy postage on all letters going from
the United States TO Great Britain, or TO any coun-
try in Europe, which pass through that country, as
most of them do. The British laws take cogni-
zance Of the entire correspondence, and subject all
letters TO postage whether transmitted from Great
Britain to the United States, or from the United
British mail TO or from the United States, pay one
shilling sterling postage-about twenty-five cents;
and all letters not conveyed in their mail pay eight
pence, about sixteen cents, ON being received into
a British post Office, or on being sent from TO
the United States. The British government, there
fore, 10 exacting high rate Of postage on the
tire correspondence between the two countries, and
We are exactng nothing. Not letter can he sent
by citizen OF the United States to Great Britain
or one received from there, without his paying
postage OF sixteen cents TO the British government
But British subjects send and receive, letters TO
the United States without paying any postage,
except what is exacted by their government. Is
there any reciprocity, any equality in this' This
subject has been too long neglected. and requires egis
ation part We should bring all letters that go
from the Uned States to foreign countries, and all
coming from such countries into the United States,
under the regulation Of our laws, and subject them
to reasonable postage. The attention Of the Com
mlttee on the Post Office and Post Roads having
been directed to this subject they have reported
bill to regulate and subject TO postage all foreign
correspondence. They have provided certain rate
Of postage generally on letters sent, received from
abroad, and provided that when letters brought
into the United States in the vessels Of any for
eign country, the postage shall be the same
as is required by the laws Of such foreign coun-
try on letters conveyed into the same by YES
sells belonging to the United States. This would
establish equality and place the citizens of the Uni
an equal footing.
This law is demanded whether these mail lines
are established or not. But these are strong con-
sderations in favor Of establishing these mail lines
IL we to have but one, agree with the from
Massachusetts,, Mr.. DAVIS, that the line to Bremen
is the most important. That will give great facility
and advantage to our citizens having correspon-
dence abroad, and particularly to the countries on
the continent. The objections which have been
urged against this line, as compared with that to
Liverpool apply to the freights, and not to the
mail received But the government has no interest
IN the freights. In regard to the mail service il has
the advantage, as it will convey letters to and from
the continent, while possessing perhaps equal adj
vantages in transmitting letters TO and from Great
Britain, by touching at Cowes And the convey
ance of letters to and from the continental
countries will be direct expeditions, and
great saving in the postage. The lowest rate Of
postage Of single letter received from the continent
through England, is about forty-three cents
whereas, by our mail, it would be but twenty-five
cents. A single newspaper from the continent re-
ceved through England, is charged with postage
Of more than sixty cents. The convenience and
saving to our citizens in their correspondence with
the continental countries will be very great, and will
doubt greatly contribute to increase that cores
pondence which is now very considerable. This
correspondence is not only commercial, but miscsl
aneous and social, arising from the extensive en-
igration from the states of Germany and other
conries to the United Staes and this emigration is
undergoing rapid increase. Is nothing due to this
portion of our population in securing to them a
more convenient and cheap communication with
their friends in the countries they have left to be-
citizens Of the United States Letters from the
countries, coming through England, are
subjected to high postage there's those from France,
the most favored, pay FIVE pence on coming into the
country, and eight pence on leaving it for the United
States. r~.
But, Mr.. President, the commercial nd vantages
IL. L..
important in every respect, the British line now
is the channel of shipping to the United States, a
considerable share of the light and valuable goods
which imported from England. 1t ia fast |
changing the course of trade, and freights are ta
king that direction. This is throwing the import |
trade into the hands of rival nation; and hence it
is that every year the proportion of our iHporta-
tons in foreign vessels is increasing. This direct
mail line to Bremen will have favorable influence |
on the trade between the United States and Germa-
ny, as our staples exported to Bremen are admitted
from thence into the other states of Germany, into
Prussia, Hanover, and other countries, with little
no charges, and the transportation facilitated by nu
merous railroads. And the duties at Bremen have
been reduced very low on tobacco, rice, and all our
staples, that trade there has nearly doubled
within the last two years. n.'
Great interest is taken in the establishment of
this line, not only in Bremen but in Prussia--the
former having sent out special agent-one of their
promote it; and the minister of the lat
ter manfests the deepest interest in its success
And after what has been done-after a contract has
been made, and the highest expectations raised
shall we disappoint themi Shall check the rap
idly growing trade between the United States and
those countries which afford the best markets we
have for our tobacco and some other staplesi Al
ready the tobacco exported to Bremen exceeds that
exported to England. The facility and encourage
,nent which would be afforded to emigration was
consideration not to be overlooked He would no.
ice one other consideration; il was Of some impor-
lance to establish direct communication between
the United States and the continent of Europe. At
present, all communications, all intelligence from
his country reaches the continent through England,
md has British faint odor given to it, The
people on the continent know nothing about this
country, except what passes through English chan
nels; and, rival nation, jealous Of growing
and greatness, there exists natural dis.
position to pervert or misrepresent everything con-
,erning our institutions and the character of our
people and the rising prosperity Of this country.
Il was hardly necessary to call the attention of
he Senate to the importance Of establishing these
he defiance of the