New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-12-25

The Postmaster General. who did al be ooold to |
raven, the adoption Of the Cheap Postage, y /
s,h;ch the People have been 80 greatly oeueh'eo'
sos;ns that bis gloomy predictions have been al
r,-te.S NOW ,ndeavors to atone FOR bis former er'
,.,hsr perhaps - draw vel over them
a.. ,...oro;,0 a reformsr himself-snd proposes 10
La. than six amendments 70 the Post Ohce laws
Rot the same narrow spirit hch formerly sctosteo
Ia, i; resisting reform he still exnbtsin proPosioe
:, Uoabe TO profit by experience. he sees not tnat
n good has been done By lowering the Po'tAse
,oi.ehiel will be done by fsi,ing IT. and he has yet
10 lesrn that nggard policy IL commonly as woe
Of economy as It "a Of hbershty
sut let Us look at these xix suggestions OF the
po,tms.ter General On the fret il may be re
marked that the best protection against the fvary
Of private expresses is 70 exceed them 10 'ae'y'
pupctuslity aud dispatch. Az the ConsttoiionhSs
conferred on the Government the mo opoly Of he
carriage fetters il is bot justice T. the pubic that
,bi, duty should be performed 10 the bes Praci'cs
BILE WAY n the Government does tbis, II 10 SUN
cieuty protected under the present laws and II II
doe, not than private competition, qualified a. IT'S
NAV. BY sessonsbly stimulating the relaxed ehorH
Of the Post Office, prove necessary safeguard to
the public
A, to the secoud: sppposng the alleged abuse
Of free letters III relation to oargoes 70 be grossly
exaggerated, and not capable OF correction by the
powers already possessed by the Post once "mu"
be an Insignificant evil at most
To the third, which proposes to reduce tho "sisn'
allowed to single letters and 70 require p'epay''''"
we have the strongest objections. Wnen the pre-
sept law which permits single letters toreecn ban
An ounce hss been found on trial TO bring N SUN
oient revenue, why run the risk Of reducing the 'e
CENTS for the proposed Insignificant reduction OF
weight It has always been the liberal policy OF
this Government. in It's Post Office movement 70
Law no greater tax on the People in this way than
was necessary to dersy its expenses Having ls'e'y
found that this end could be effected consisuy "tn
q gest reduction of the postage, It seems the h'sm
of folly TO make farther experiment which WINE
IL certainly lessons the accommodation OF the pvo
lie may also lessen The receipts.
The exaotion OF prepayment seems equally IN
wise. It's selfevdent that the fewer restrictions
there are on writing letters for the Post once tue
GREATER will be the number written and when they
are once transported to the place OF delivery the
hope of gratifying intelligence the sense OF duty.
pride and curiosity, all concur to prompt the pay
ment Of the postage, whereas the motives which
would induce prepayment ere both lever ana
weaker. In England, indeed, they have adopted
this course, but there the postage IS only penny
here where il is either five ten cents the case u
very different II this notable project were sdopt
cd. how many thousands Of letters would by its
operation roman onans~srsdi how many cor
respoudence now busy with the nothinss OF HE
would then languish, and how many would be
s,r.nrlsd in their BIRTH Mr.. Secretary Walker 10
his late Report lays great stress on the effects o
the Warehoasng system IN encouraging Imports
Bat II prepayment OF the duties has so much Va
fuence when he who pays them is sure OF having
them refunded to him by tue consumer, how much
more influence will il have when the tax falls
wholly aud finally on him who pays It Z It's true
there would then be dead le,ters-bat this saving
would bear no comparison with the loss. II may he
fairly presumed that by the proposed Oh snee 70
every postage saved from letters noY unproductve'
there would bo ten pososes lost from letters now
paid for.
The fourth recommends that the postage on
Newspapers should be regulated by weight The
effect OF this regulation would probably be not 60
much to add to the revenue as TO discourage the
circulation OF the larger papers. which may be
among those that least deserve diiius n. IL Is oil
little moment it respects receipts aud as varsnt
from settled custom as it woudb be 70 charge large
man more than a small one for a seat IN d carnage
or for making him a garment. Bot this IL not all
The additional postage would fall principally on a
class OF newspapers which are perhaps the most
useful and most deserving of favor and support Of
all our periodicals We mean those large weekly
sheets which issue frop, principal cities IN eoi-
tons Of twenty or thirty thousand, and Ind their
way to the remo,est parts Of the Union.
However. the principle Of the P NJ Generals re-
oommeuda,ionis sound one, and We should s'aiiy
see it adopted under proper regulations though 1t
will necessarily good deal OF trouble Ia the
application.
To the fffh suggestion, which recommends Con
geese 10 retaliste the restrictions OF the Bnush
Post OfEce, we have no objecroa. ltissqaare 10
the teeth Of the Free Trade doctrines OF The present
dynasty: but that is their business
As to the sixth, which proposes to abolish the
Frsnkng Privilege We would render a hesrty
Amen Let everything sent by Mail pay its share
srudge it.
1t thus appears that Of the several amendments
proposed BY the Postmaster General decided ms
josity appear either uuimporiant or Objectionable
q We were particularly struck with one feature o.
NJ. Johusons Report Nearly ousthird of the
document is given TO detail OF his squabbe with
sRairoad Company in Virgins about contract.
II is the srst time. II We mistake not, when a dis
pu,e of this character occupied prominent place
in the Postmaster Generals annual Report to Con
eress. We Know not whether 50 unusual course
was dic.sted by yindiesive feelings against the re-
frsclory Company. which refused 70 obey his man
dates, o. n ere desire to defend himself with the
public bat in either case his course Is und snined
According 10 his own account he has refused 20
give the Company the compensation be had been
giving for more than two ears. during which time
the business Of Transporting according u Us usual
rate of increase must have augmented more than
Is per cent TRe reason Tor his refusal on which be
laws such s,ress is that this compensation exceed.
cd what he was permitted TO give by the act OF
,eas Vet ne did give more after the passage nj