The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-09-24


nextnews.
The Postal Arrangements between the United
States md Great Britrin-Beciprocity In oil
rhings.
Great efforts have been made by the gov
ernmenIs OF these two countries, from time tn
time, to bring about more liberal systems for the
r gulaton of their commercial intercourse than
have heretofore existed, aad consid erable pro.
gr-ss his been made in reducing the restrict tons
in the tariffs of duties levied upon the manufac-
turrs and products of one adnAtted into the
ports of the other. Different motives have actu.
at-d the two governments in their eaorts to ar
rive at these results, although the aim has been
the same We have progressed more rapidly in
the reduction of our tariff than Great Brit in
has; and the average duty upon our importations
from that country, ranges many per cent below
theirs. In arriving at this result, We have had
an eye solely to revenue, and the economy of
our government has enabled US to bring the
average down to a very low point.
The government of England still continues many
injurious restrictions upon our commerce, aud
notwithstanding the liberality exhibited in rela-
ton TO some articles, there is very little prospect
Of any more favorable arrangement being made
in relation to others. A greater variety Of
sources ofincome are requiredby the government
of Great Britain, in consequence of the immense
machinery at work, and expenditures annually
made for its support, than we require, and we
cannot, therefore, expect so uany concessions, as
awe been made on our part In consequence of
this vast difference in the financial position OF
the two governments, there is a corresponding
difference in their ability to reduce their sources
of revenue. We give the English government
credit for every successful effort it makes to
bring abuot free trade, and to remove restric-
tons from commercial intercourse with other
nations, but it frequently exhibits mean, con-
temptible spirit in relation to other matters in
which other countries have an interest, that is
sufficient to offset all its liberality relative to
measures affecting commercial affairs. The
most recent exhibition of this kind is in relation
TO LIS foreign postal arrangements.
It we'll known in this country, that upon the
arrival Of the American mail steamship Washing.
p ton at SOUTHAMPTON, in the month of June last,
with a mail for Great Britain on board, the
Postmaster General of England levied postage
on each letter, of not only the internal rate from
the port to its place of destination, but an addi-
tional charge equal to that made upon letters
transported in their own mail steamers; or in
other words, twenty -four cents were charged up
on every letter received by the Washington, be-
sides the internal postage, which, with the charge
oftwenty-four cents made by our government, in
addition to our internal postage, doubled the
postage on letters by the Washington, compared
with that charged by the English mail steamers.
Now, it is equally well known that the object in
enforcing such an outrageous, mean, contempt
bic measure as that, was nothing else than to de-
IS IL
and compel our government to abandon it's con-
tract. and leave the monopoly in the hands of the
government of England The British ministry
know very well that in building lines of mail
steamers, we are increasing our steam navy;
for every steamship built for our foreign mail
service, must be war steamer TO be appro-
priated to the use OF the government in the
event Of war In breaking down our TO-
reign mail service, they check very materially
the increase in this arm of our naval marine, and
this is very important matter, so far as England
j concerned. She looks with a jaundiced and
Jealous eye upon all our movements, and the in
crease of our naval or commercial marine, is
gall and NORWOOD TO her. She sees the rapid
progress we are making in all the elements Of
power and greatness, with many mlsgivings !;
and there is deep and bitter hatred towards u.s.
which will frequently break forth and show it.
self, in spite of all the efforts to smother it, and
every opportunity is made available TO place OBJ
stacles in our way, and prevent the full and rapid
development of our institutions. This is partl.
cularly demonstrated in the course pursued by
the British government in relation to our mail
steamships
As soon as their policy relative to this matter
became known, the Post Office agent of our go
vernment, and the American Minister in Lon
don, made such representations to the British
government, as required an immediate investiga-
ton. Of the complaints. The reply to this remon-
STRANGE was impudent and insulting in the high
est degree, and the result has been that commu-
nicatinos upon the subject have probably ceased,
and the most unfortunate state of things will, we
fear, grow out Of the affair This is game that
Two can play at, and if the Postmaster General
OF England, who, it is said, acts independent of
the government in this matter, but who, we be-
heve, acts in accordance with the views of the
ministry, thinks that we will tamey submit to
his decision, conveyed in such an insulting
shape, he and those he represents will soon find
themselves grossly mistaken. We have one end
of the rope in our hands, and a turn will be
given to il that will bring something up all
Standing
The very measures the British government
have taken to control this affair, will deprive
them of il much quicker than they imagine. We
have made two foreign mail contracts, and as we
seldom undertake any thing of this kind bu
what we ultimately succeed in, all the opposi.