The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-05-25
Cheap Postage-Public Meeting.


A meeting was held at 5 O'Clock, ON Monday after
noon in tho American Institute at the Park the OBJ.
jcct Of which to form association whose infu-
and energies should be devoted to the reduction
Of the present rate Of postage letters and news
papers. Gen. Wetmore occupied the chair.
- BRADsHAw. Esq, was presented as q deputation
from the association in Boston, and addressed meet
ing at considerable length, and in argume NATIVE
which would accrue to the country In a moral and So
cia well pecuniary point of view from reason
able reduction Of the high rate Of postage
all communications transmitted through the post Of
fee. He said it the object of the association to
which he belonged, to reduce the Of postage as
to enable the poorest individual correspond freely
with his friends II was his opinion in common with
the other members Of the association that cents
postage each letter would form fair ami reasona-
BILE rate. That would not exclude the poor, and IL
would rather increase the post office revenue than
otherwise This they all knew from experience 1t was
fully illustrated in the of Great Britain And al
happe he'd that when postage high any coun
try, the people sent their letters and communications
privately much possible. In England. ITSELF this
system practced to great extent while the rate
Of postage, &C., high; aud with all her power she
could not prevent it. In this country it of
the same. Every person who gets any opportunity at
all 10 sure to send his letters in private manner
while, If the postage were reduced to what he men,
toned, every communication, no matter what the
nature of It, to be sent through he post ONCE
The good which the lowering of the postage did in
England, is 40 immense and 30 conspcuousiy evident
that the civilized world Ia aware Of it, 1t made the
people become smart and Intelligent 1t caused thou
sands to learn to write in order that they could avail
themselves Of the facilities afforded to correspond with
their distant friends. But this not all The an
nual number of letters increased very considerably
as in short time to better than had
been realized under the old system. And had the
meeting any doubt but 1t would prove great bless
dome to He wes psrsuaS S xoa naa
therefore hoped that effort would be left untried
see it accomplished.
LEWIS TAPrES, Esq, then moved the following roso-
Resolved That il expedisnt to request meeting Of the Cham
ton 00H'''' '' VIC a"''0" u'y INTO 'nef e0hsder"
He (Mr Tappen would premise by expressing his OPT
Mon that association should be immediately formed
in New York for the purpose of cooperating with the
association in Boston. The question was Of immense
Importance: it was which affected the interests of
every class of society During these five years past
himself had been deeply impressed with its Imperial ce
because he the effects which it producing in
England Why, since the lowering of the postage in
that country, the children in the habit of writing
even from their schools t, their parents, and the
parents to the children, upon the most tring matters
Upon the other hand, he aware that there were
thousands In this country prevented from writing to
their friends by of the high rate of postage
There were hundreds of poor emgrants who had to
leave their letters In the post Office without being
leased owing to the cause. Now he himself paid
from $3.50 to $500 ayear for his letters He was in tho
habit Of writing great many, and sending them
through the post but he woald write three times
many if the postage were as low as two cents for
each letter He would receive them in the same
proportion for the reason. They were all
deeply indebted to Rowland Hill, who was
hoped to live to see two things accomplished in
this Countrywide doing away of all old coins, and
i impossible
anything could be OF greater Importance than to do
away with the Thanking system. The Queen of England
when sending letter through the post has to put a
stamp upon 1t like any other person. There is
blcman. matter how high in rank or Office exempt
from the charge After further remarks he con-
cluded by again proposing the resolution, which was
seconded by MIR. Winsow, and agreed to animousy.
BAnSABAs BATES next addressed the meeting He
would not detan the meeting for any length At least
he did not intend it, but 1t might happen with him as
with the preachers, who when they say they have only
one wordto say, may continue to speak for hours Az
for the benefits arising from cheap postage they had
already been fully pointed out, and explained TO them
lie was sure there not Of his hearers who was
not aware Of those benefits The great objection Offer
ed in this country against the cheap postage system
as II IL In Englandis that this country is too extern
sve to render Impossible that letters
could be transmitted amongst its people at so trAng
an expense as they In the comparatively
small island Of Great Britain. But this Is quite
a mistake-quite fallacy They might think IL
very strange that letters could be brought from Boston
The modes Of conveyance have to go whether or not;
that they could bring 5000 quite easily as thew
could bring 1000 The only difference would be- in
this point of view that the post masters would hnve
little trouble in marking the letters AS for cost
there none so that the distance does not Mt ali
render II necessary TO charge higher postage He
would be for insisting on three thngsnrst that the
postage should be lowered second, that all letters
should be prepaid and thirdly that tho Thanking
system should be altogether abolished He would con.
cludc by moving the resolution he held In his hand
Resoived-That II exncdicht that larger meeting
ycncd ut The Exchange other central place for the fur
hcrance q the objects Of the proposed association.
john X. ST, JOHN did not Mt all intend to oppose
what was the object of the meeting On the contrary
he was altogether in favor Of cheap postage but he
wished to be Informed whether they had contemplated
OF ,nc postage on newspapers rs well
letters lie had been for several years ncctcd with
the press himself In of the Western States and he
Knew the views Of the country editors upon the subject
Mr. BaApsHAw.-They had determined on seeking
reduction on newspapers also but thought II were adj