Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-12-28
no of the other ships of this line, now in course

the depanmen; concerning the man selV'.e :"
| olhcr countries. with which Ibis line was 10 oe
connected, should be obtained INA tha' u sNuu.u
be ascerlained whether specli arrangements
with hose countries would become heIes''
and if so. 10 have them made without delay
Enr lhis ourpose. sen, out as the special asen'
ri The department. the First Assistant POSTMASTER
! General S. z. Hobbie, Esq, who went IN !he
Washington. and remained in Europe during
the interval between her Two voyages.
On his arrival at Southampton on The ION OF
lime MIR Hobbip met hostile movement oil Inc
| Enolish government against the line OF Amer,
can mail steamers, in pos:-oInce oFder issueo
the 9Th of June, by direction OF Inc L9lus VI 'nS
Treasury. This order subjected all lellers anu
NEWSPAPERS conveyed by the Washington 10 Eng,
land TO The same charge of postage as II they had
heen convened in The British steamers, al their
own expense.
The mails made up in this country for France,
and left al Southampton 10 be forwarded 10 tlaVre
were subjected 10 the same charged and all were
required 10 be sent 10 the London post once. IL
being his duty 10 proceed directly to Germany,
| Mr.. Hohbie made full communication 10 our
| minister al London, and placed the mailer unuer
his immediate charge. Shortly afterwards he re-
haired from Bremen 10 London, and united with
MIR. Bancroft in efforts TO effect withdrawal OF
The order of The 9Th of June, and The adoption ol
a reciprocal postal arrangement between Inc TWO
counties. The British government peTslsIlng Id
their order, he returned 10 the continent and re-
sumed the prosecution of his mail arrangements
there
In The meantime, notice having been gwen 10
this department OF The course acop'ed oy me brl-
fish most office the undersigned Immediately gave
| notice 10 the Postmaster General o! u. BRIAN lot
the abrosaiion OF all agree mens existing between
| The Two offices, which, al the expiration OF three
| nonths, annued the agreement entered into IN
| 1914. for the transmission OF the British closed
mails through the Uniled States 10 Canada; as
well as The arrangements heretofore made for the
collection and payment OF The poslases oil the
United States in Canada. This was followed by
| an offer of term: for postal arrangement between
Great Britain and the United States, informally
submitted 10 our Minister by The chancellor OF the
EYchequer.
Mr.. Hobbie having again joined Mr.. Bancroft.
in London, the application Tor RECESSION OF the
order OF The of June, during the tendency Of
! The negotiations, was resumed, but without sue
cess. On The ODD OF Oc:ober a solemn protest,
in behalf OF The United States, was made by the
American minister in London, addressed 10 Wis
count Palmerston, against The unjust and illiberal
ACT OF The British government; copy OF which
accompanies this report marked d. The terms
for postal arrangement, submitted by the Chan
celor, were deemed Objectionable, and a counter.
|
Interviews and discussions followed; at length
the British Postmaster General resaed The terms
of his proposition, with some notifications, but
still retaining some OF the most Objectionable fea-
lures.
la France, Major Hobbie found willing dis.
position expressed 10 adjust arrangements with
the United Sales for optional paymenIo postage
and for The establishment ofraes uniform between
the two countries, but that they could mol be eff.
fecled at The present time. The order OF The Bri-
fish government imposes double postage on our
mails to France: which have 10 be landed al
Cowes, OF Southampton, as well as upon those to
England; and, willis! that order is in operation, il
is impossible 10 place them On reciprocal foot.
ing with those conveyed direct 10 Havre BY the
French steamers. This exhibits, in sill strong
er light, the injustice Of The British regulation
The 9Th OF June last. There are no regulation.
Of The French post.oflice subjecing the mail:
from The Uni.ed States 10 any special burdens o.
delays. 49,
HIS mission 10 Germany was successful. hi
met, at Bremen and Franktorl.onlhe- Maine, re
representatives. OF several OF The post establish
ments and, through The agency OF the post Office
at Bremen, correspondent with olhers-ah o
which resulted in certain regulations which h
has brought with him, and submitted for my ap
pfoyal. These, together with his investigation:
into the operations OF The post office system:
abroad, with the view OF asceralning what i'm
proyemenis may be introduced into our own, will
constitute hereafter the subject OF special report
The obnoxious order OF the British pos-ofice
of the 9th OF June last, discriminating agains
the American steamers, is not The only advan
lage which the British government has over that
OF the United States, as the laws Of the Two coun
Tries now stand. Ii is understood that, by The
laws Of Great Britain, letters sent from the Uni
ted States, in transient vessels, 10 Great Britain
have postage of eight pence, or about sixteen
cents TO pay Tor deiTery-termed the ship post
age; whilst letters sent from England 10 the Uni
led States are charged only six cents when deli
vered al the office in which they are deposited, and
but two cents when forwarded in The United
States mails 10 addition 10 the regular postage
ofthe United States.
Letters mailed in the United States for France
) and sent through England, are charged, in add.
ton to The sea postage, ten-pence equal To twenty
cents, for transportation from southampton ,o
Havre; whilst upon letters from Great Britain 10
Canada, passing from Boston 10 81. Johns, a
much greater distance, The United States only
charge five cents-one quarter OF the amount
= charged on American letters passing through
England. In Eng land The inland postage is much
lower than in The United States, whilst the ship
and transit postage on foreign letters is much
greater The sea postage between the Two coun.
, tries is about The same (A cenls)-a rate, in the
opinion OF The undersigned, much too high for the
interest and convenience OF both countries.
In England, il is understood that the foreign
hostages are by law under the control OF the Lords
, Of The Treasury, and may be changed as circum.
stances render necessary. A similar power should
authority in the United States, so as 10 secure, il
practicable, fair and just mail arrangements be-
tween this and foreign countries.
In the opinion of The undersigned, the sea post
age should be reduced, and the ship postage Gas
il is called in both counlries) be made the same.
Letters delivered in the Offices OF either should be
treated in all respects and transported in their
mails, upon the same terms that they are taken
for their own citizens or subjects. Some such
arrangement would be mutually beneficial to
both, and should be insisted upon by The United
lalion giving authority 10 regulate the foreign
hostages by agreement between them.
Whilst cannot doubt that further time and
consideration will bring about an amicable ad.
iustment OF Ibis unnecessary interference in The
intercourse between the two countries il be-
comes my duty 10 report these facts TO you and
urge that the early attention OF Congress be in
vied TO this subject Whilst this stale Of things
continues, the British government, by their order
Of June lasl, appropriaes The American steam
ship Washington TO their own use, so far as
postage lS-io be derived from u, as iully as II II
were her own established and maintained al her
own expense, and this, Tor the avowed purpose OF
protecting The British mail steamers agains,
those OF The United States.
This interruption in the intercourse between
the countries has led TO the establishment Of an
express line in Montreal for the avowed purpose
of transmitting letters 10 the British steamers
through the U. States out OF the mails. Proper
instructions haze been given for the arrest and
prosecution of all persons connected with or using
this line in every State through which i, passes
The penalties imposed BY the act Of the third
March, lS45, have been before stated TO be Insult.
icient for the suppression Of private expresses,
and it becomes more important TO increase them
against haclass which may engage in The trans
mission of letters from foreign countries through
the United States. as well as TO impose other and
more severe penalties upon vessels bringing let.