The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-01-29
The Foreign Postal Arrangements.
rOsr Orricr DrpARrNrxr
iost OfflSE pffAhIMENi.
CoNTRacr OFFICE, Jan 10, lSlS.

40 ZION. LAVE JOHNSON, iO5tmaster tenardl
SIN On the lst of June last lefs the United States
In the steamship Washing ton, upon foreign agency,
by which charged in your Instructions or the 10th
OF May On arriving at Southampton, in England, on
the 10th of June, was shown an order OF the BRUSH
Post Office Department issued on the 9th OF that month
imposing the British packet postage OF one shilling
sterling Tor each letter OF half ounce and twopeucs
each newspaper brought in tie U S mails by the Wash
ogton This made chargesble as well upon those
destined for France those delivered to the United
Kingdom, and the postmaster in Southampton was re-
the Washington without being opened. The effect Of
this order to subject all the letters and newspapers
dional delay by being taken out Of the direct
to their places of destination
This proceeding wholly unexpected. 1t
known that letters sent by ship to England liable
to be charged with postage of 3d. the letters
brought the United States liable to be charged
elnquishsd in respect the British Canada mails
brought by the Cuuard steamers to Boston, and trans
abated to two cents where the letter was deliverable
elsewhere than n! the port of arrival The most friend
y dspo,ition growing out Of the British and Canada
expressed and an informal cerrespondenoe had been
carried through the British minister in respsct to
the facilities TO be given to our mails in England, to ad
just which you had decided to send out agent; and
that intention had been communicated by the British
minister to his government. These circumstances Gu
couraged the expectation that the Sd. ship charge
might be waved, and that no other postage would be
imposed the mails sent by the sshington than the
port inland rates. Instead of according mails
this Justly expected reciprocity of even being content
Win the ordinary rhp charge onsrons as that upon
by smother government special proceedings were taken
upon this occasion for the increasing the post
and the highest rate under their law WAS imposed
By order Of the Lords Of the Treasury The same or
required prepayment Of the full packet rates of
posageto the English post oRce all letters aud news
papers sent to the United States by the ship Washing
ton
the Washington to Bremen, addressed a full commu
nication this subject to his sxcslency George Ban
Secretary of state will show the proceedings taken by
him TO effect revision of the order of the 9th of June
They disclose the svowa that this postage was imposed
asa discriminating ons-to protect the Cunard steam
ship mail linethst s to induce the employment Of that
line for the transportation of letters in preference to
the American mail line, by enhancing the cost Of con-
veyence by the latter
had bean in Germany but ten days when received
request from Mr. Bancroft to repair London, writ
tsn in the expectation of offer of terms from the Bril-
fish government for postal arrangement according
cd. After dslay in London Of month, returned to
the continent Having drawn the business Of my mis-
in about s the @ ootobsr At this ms he
received the project for postal convention between the
two countries
counter proposition on our part was submitted by MIR
Bancroft At tho time the revision of the order
again formally applied for, and its Withdrawal insisted
upon at least pending the negotiations But 1t WAS
vsntion formal protest aganst the order Of the 9th
June was then addressed by cur minister to the secre
tary for Foreign Affairs
Interviews were appointed and held at the office Of
the Chancellor of the Exchequer and also with the Post
master General, the Marquis of Clanrcarde and dis
cussous had the points of difference between the
British and American propositions for postal arrange
msnts. These it would not be proper to set forth
in h, report the terms themselves SO long the
negotiation is pending. They made under an
avowa Of principles OF perfect recprocity and we felt
notifications of their terms excepting one looking
in respect to that for adjustment by compromise
But their final restatement the terms upon which
they would negotiate postal convention, made at the
urgent request OF our Minister for denittve answer
betors departure for the United States contains not
ouIO tboo OIL hut he
others likewise.
However anxious to take bsck to the United States
the adjustment of difficulty which had unexpectedly
arisen; however ambitious to accomplish within the
little time allotted abroad, arrangements with the
ties could not to obtain this qualification BY
any sacrifice whatever Of our just and equal claims
Office Of any advantage i. the agreement for the pur
of getting rid OF the greater to which
would have been to The extent Of tho advantage Yielded
submission to wrong alike FOX bidden by sense OF
right and of honor That order Is manifest act OF az
erosion o rightful measure Of our government AZ
such is to be resisted For 1t cannot be presumed that
this hostile demonstration is to drive our government
from it's policy Of encouraging the establishment OF Anne
rican steamers, and employing them as means Of
communication with other parts of the world And yet
It Is obvious that do under the effect Of the
British order of the 9th June at great pecuniary loss
Mats will not be cont by our IL they are to be
mail Katalistion is, therefore, unavoidable II we
levy the contribution on the British mails which
they exact from shall place the international
mail service Of the two countries equal footing,
and obtain out of the mail service Of the British steam
redress equal at least to the exacons forced from
our own.
The inequality under which mails placed by
the order Of 9th June manfestng its effects upon our
from this mail line In way that cannot be mis-
taken The postage mails sent to Great Britain, by
the second trip ofhe Washington were 10 per cent less
tnan the amount BY the frat trip and by the trd trip
the postage was Al per cent less.
Tho following legal provisions would place our inter-
national mails upon equal footing with those of Great
Britain =
/. TO impose an uniform rate of twenty-four cents
American postage oil single letters received at our
ports or sent from them by any packet boat, whether
belonging to, employed by, our government,
that Of any other country.
2 To authorize the Postmaster General to waive suoh
packet postage charge letters brought sent In the
packets of other that released the letters
brought by the packets Of tho United States 60
vernmsnt packet postage other
aud to levy such letters only the port inland
postage, as the might require
3 TO authorize the Postmaster General to reduce
such uniform rate Of twenty -four cents all letters
transmitted By American packets between our country
and those foreign countries whose main
tain packet lines with oure and establish like rate on
letters conveyed by those lines.
!. 70 authorize the Postmaster General to increase
sad packet rate, corresponding with increase in the
foreign packet rate thai may BIO ordered by other
government
10 enlarge the operations of the nth section OF the
act Of 1925 requiring letters to be delivered into the
post oce from each packet ship before making entry
es to embrace all letters brought, whether addressed
to persons in the United States and It's territories" oS
else where.
.. To prohibit the receiving board OF packet to
convey abroad any Letters sxsspt those coming through
the post oihce
Intimately connected with the adjustment Of the pack
which is the Of ioreign mails by
government vessethat is vessels belonging TO govern
msnt for that purpose employed by government
der contract to carry mSils is that
ton By priyate ships Ia England the packet rate Of
postage the in the United States one shiise
sterpg equal TO twentyfour oens Their ship rate is
Cd, equal 60 10 cents, whst ship rate Is but ak
cents, Inc packet rate Ia, however, higher In the
United States than in England, because here inland
postage to be added whilst in England the cents
pay the entire postage from the place mailing or to
The place of destination, matter how far inland that
may be- But our ship rate is proportionably low-and
besides impose that rate only letters received
propose that ia regard to ship we'll a. packet convey
auce, we establish uniform rate ono that will pay
postsge from the place whence mailed to the place
where delivered wherever situate in the United States
This mode Of assessing postage is much more just
tho public and much convenient to the Depart.
ment nrst opportunity presented for adopting