The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-12-21
POSTMASTER'S GENERALS RE-
PORT.

The following statistics are from the Report
of the Postmaster General:
Revenue received during the
wear, S3,s45,s93
Expenditures during the year, 3,979,570
Excess of receipts this year o.
yer last, Tor IS $4,000 per
cent?
Deficiencies of the year, 1867
Letter postage received during
the year, S,254,5
Number ofletters passing thro'
the Mail, 52.I73,4sO
Free lettets annually, 100000
Newspapers 100000
Pamphlets 100000
Dead Letters, " 1,000,S00
Post Routes, " 1883
Annual transportation, miles 3S,0S7 SOS
Receipt by mail for two years S7,36O,0O0
Of the amount due in this time, the delin-
queneies are only S2l ,94S, and the delinquents
i54 postmastcrs Of an aggregate number of fif-
teen thousand one hundred and forty-six.
The postnlasters changed during the year num-
Der $3.50.
Mr. johnson states that the reduction in the
rates of postage has produced so great an in
crease of business, that the revenues will soon
equal those received under the former rates;
and oblivious entirely ofhis fierce opposition in
the reduced principle, he says
1t is gratifying to find, that within so short a
period after the great reduction Of the rates of
postage, the revenues of the department have
increased much beyond the expectations Of the
friends of the cheap postage system, while the
expenditures for the same time have diminish
ed more than half million ofdollars annually;
and that the department is in condition to
sustain itself without the aid of the treasury.
The Postmaster among other alterations in
the regulations of postage, recommends the
following, which shows that he regards posta-
ges tax upon intelligence as well as bust
ness
The postage on newspapers is unequal and
unjust to the publishers themselves. The same
postage is charged on each, without regard to
weight. Many of the larger class of papers
weigh over two and half ounces each, and
pay but one cent and half for any distance O.
yer one hundred miles; and if charged as let
ter postage, would pay under 800 miles, Is
cents and over, 80 cents. Other papers weigh
as low as half an ounce-only one fifth of that
weight, and pay the same rates. Some of the
larger sized periodicals weigh over II ounces,
and pay IA cents over 100 miles, and if char
ged with letter postage, would pay under three
hundred miles, $3.50, and over, $3.50. This
inequality Of tax on the different publications
should be regulated in some way; and no rea-
son is perceived why the postage should not be
regulated by weight as on letters. The weight
and bulk of the mails, which add so greatly to
the cost of transportations, and impede the
progress Of the mail, are attributable to the
mass OF printed matter daily forwarded from
principle cities in the Union to every part of
the country. Justice requires that the ex-
pense of their transportation should be paid by
the hostages charged on them; and it IS belle
we'd that the present rates would meet that OBJ
ject, if the hostages could be eguaized, and in
all cases collected.
The payment Of postage, or double postage,
on all letters passing through the mails for de-
livery within the United States, and prepay
ment on letters destined for foreign countries
not having postal arrangements with the Uni
ted States, and on all printed matter.
The abolition or modification of the franking
privilege, so as to cover only official CORES
pondence, for which payment is made 10 the
department, by the 18th section of the act of
1S47.
~ Our old friend MEHRrL,ELp. of lie
Windsor j. urnal is married.