Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-12-28

|
The means o; the department Cor The present year
are estimated al -S4,3l3,l 1857
Expenditures, estimated Tor the same
time, 1899 2C6
Leaving surplus Of S2i3 aJI
| |, is gratifying 10 find, that within So shoIt
| period after The great reduction OF The rates OF
postage, The revenues Of The department have in
creased much beyont The expectations Of he
! friends OF the cheap postage system; while he ex.
| perdllures for The same time have tiu.inished
more than hall million of dollars annually; ard
that the department is in condition 10 sustain ii
| self without fur her aid from the Treasury.
The results have been produced, mainly, By
tao important provisions adopted 10 The ac' OF
! l545:
FuA.-The reduction in The rates Of postage
| has produced so great an increase IN The business
| ., the offices, that the revenues will soon equal
| those received under The former high rates.
Sec0,td.-The direction TO the Postmaster Gen
| eral 10 contract With the lowest bidtef, without
| the allowance " any Advantage To the lorEir'
contractor, as had been The case before It's pass
age, had the effect OF en.argins The field VI COM
petition AMI reducing the price al transportation,
except on IA roads and IN steamboats, 10 the low
| cs, amount for which the service can be perform
| ed; and will reduce he whole cost Of lransp0ria
Iion wheu he other sceiion is lei TO csnifact an
! der H. BAT iilie less Than million Of dollars per
| AMMAN from he 'Ormer prices.
| Ii is net doubled mat these resuis would have
| hcen Sill more favorable il the notifications OF
The act oi lS45, heretofore suggested by his depart
meni, had been adopted.
FuA-Prvate expresses sill continue 10 De
run between the principal cities, and seriously 81.
iecI the revenues u The depariGeni, lfom Inc
want OF adequate poWe's FOR Inei; Suppression.
.SecOnd The privilege Of sending sealed ct
e.s liz relation 10 Cargo" fee over maiIuu'ss,
is the source Of iEnums!ab.e frauds ufoI is re-
venues.
1Aud-If the single letter were made The
quarter or third of an ounce, instead OF halt, Tex
| cept when written on a single sheet OF paper)
and pre- paid, or double posrace required when
moi prepaid The revenues OF the department. would
| have been greatly improved.
f6mp-The postage on newspapers is une-
! qnal and unjust 10 the publishers themselves
| The same postage is charged On each, ~ilE0ui
| regard 10 weight. Many OF The larger class o.
papers weigh over TWO and a halt ounces each,
and pay but one cen! aud half lol any distance
over 100 miles; and il charged as letter postage,
| would pay. under iUU miles, ID Gems, aIid over.
| 80 cents. Other papers weigh as low as hall an
ounce-only one.f:th of tina! weight, and pay the
same rates. Some OF the larger lie periodicals
weigh over l2i ounces, and pay 4l cents over
| 100 miles; AMI il charged with Ieter postage,
would pay, under 800 miles, 81 So, and over,
| - 80. This inequality OF tax on The different
| publications should be regulated in some way;
ani no reason is perceived why the postage should
not be regulated by weight, as on letters. The
weight and bulk OF The mails which add So great
| ly 10 the cost OF transportation, and impede the
progress OF the mail are attributable 10 the mass
O. printed matter daily forwarded from The prin-
cipal cities in the Union 10 every par OF the
country. Justice requires that tie expenses OF
their transportation Shouts, be paid b. the pcsla
&c: charged on them; and is believed iha, the
present rates woC!i NEE ;hat otJeCl, i! he posta
seS could be oqualiZcd, aud in al collected
FtM.-Tbc payment .; Postage, OF double
postage, on all letters passing Though The mails
Tor delivery within the United States, and pre-
paymen, on letters destined Tor foreign countries
not having postal arrangements with The Unied
States, and on all printed mater.
St2lA The abolition or modification oil The
Thanking privilege, SO as 10 cover only official
correspondence, for which paymen, is made 10
the department, by the l2.h section OF the act Of
1S47.
These suggestions for Inc modification OF the
act OF 1915 have been presented in Iormer reports
Of this department, and The reasons therefor CIV
en- more at large. TO them may now add, that
since The introduction OF postage stamps, as Ill.
rected by The llih section OF the ac OF The 81 Of
March, 2Sl1, the Prepayment Of letters would be
less clt As an Inconvenience 10 the people than
| formerly
The favorable operation Of The act OF lei5 uron
The finances 81 The department, LEAFS 10 the con
ion that by the adoption OF such modiiica.
lions as have been suggested by this department
for The improvement OF its :evenaes and Inc sup.
preston Of abuses practised under it, the present
low rates OF postage will not only ?roiuce 'e"e
rue enough 10 NEE! the expenditures, bat leave
considerable surplus annually 10 be apr!i to
the extension of he mai. service TO Inc new ard
"a pidy increasing sections OF our country or
| would justly still further reduction OF The rates
| Of 20 tase. In the opinion Of The undersigned,
with such notifications OF the act oil lS35 as have
| been suggested, IGilUrm less rate nigh; IN
| few years be made 10 cnver me expenses OF TIE
! department; bnl, BIZ is adoption, he department
would be compelled 10 rely np3n The treasury Tor
some years AT this time, Gr!ing the existence
OF foreign war, imposing such hta'y burdens
| upon the treasury, il might not be wise or rtn
| dent 10 increase them, or 10 do anything which
would tend TO impair he public credit; and Oh
! this accoun; alone, recommendation ior such
| reduction is not made.
Postage is lax mol only on The business of,he
| country, but upon The intelligence, knowledge.
and the exercise OF the friendly and social tel
| ines; and, in Inc opinion OF the undersigned.
should be reduced to the lowest point which
would enable the department TO sustain ITSELF
That principle has been uniformly acted On 10
the IT, States as the true standard for the rrgnia-
lion OF postage; and the cheaper it can be made,
consistently with thai RUE The 6eier.
As our country expands, and lis circle OF In.
siness and correspondence eniarges, As civ'I'Zi-
ton progresses, il becomes more important 10
nainla ain between The different sections Of our
country speedy, sale, and cheap intercourse -
| By so DOING, energy is Infused into The trade OF
the country the business OF the people enlarged
and made more active, and an Irresistible i'm
! pulse given 10 Industry ui every kind; by il,
veal h is crea;et and diffnsed 10 nuu6etlsss ways
throughout the community, and The mos! noble
and generous feelings Of our nature between dis
liant friends are cherished and preserved, and the
Union itself more co.ely bound together.
Alter presenting the CONDITION OF The finances,
though, it would not be unacceptable 10 submit
statements of the operations OF those Branches Of
the department having control otlhem as well as
t5ei, organization and requested the Third Assist
an, Postmaster General, John Marion, Esq, and
The \ ,diior Tor the Department, p. G.. Washing
ton ESQ 10 report to me The detailed operations
of their Offices Tor the last two years-Ihe later
being charged BY provision OF law, with The ad-
iuslmeDt Of the accounts, As well as with The COL
lection OF debts; and the former, by regulation,
with keeping summary cash accounts IN advance
of the official settlements, so as 10 be prepared for
the timely issue Of drafts and warrants in pay
inert o. the balances certified by The Auditor 10 be
due from the department. These reports, maIke'!
E and F, e1hlbi, The duties assigned TO each, The
great amount OF labor performed BY them, and tn
zeal, punc;uality and fidelity, with which their
duties are discharged as well as those oil other o.:
fcers connected with The collection and dsburse.
menl OF the revenues |; is viii pleasure state
thai, OF he 1916 posimasIcis in the United