New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-12-11
Mail and Postage Reform.

An important public document ought, first OF all
things, to be honest but that is the very quality
which the official bulletins Of the decaying dynasty
are sure to lack. Some are able sdrol. and piau
sible others stupidity malignant and awkwardy
laundering; but in one aspect they are all alike
Thus Mr.. Cave Johnson who does not really need
70 conceal nor equivocate, commences with pa
rade of the savings he has effected in the Mail
Contracts which expired and were ed this
year, amounting (he says TO 70 per cent He
does not intimate that there has been any mate
rial change in the terms or conditions OF service
vet no man knows better than he for be was IN
Congress, and opposed the reform with all his
might that when the contracts which expired this
year were made, the contractors were restricted
as to the mode OF conveyance, being generally re-
quired 10 transport the Mails over their respective
routes in four horse post coaches beside which
| they were required to take the msilbags, SC. OF
their predecessors at valuation. BY the Postage
Reform bill of isi5 which Mr.. Cave Johnson tried
hard TO defeat. an this was done away the CON
tractors were expressly relieved from any stipuls
ton as 70 the mode Of conveyance and enabled 70
convey the mail by boy and pony over hundred.
OF thousands OF miles which they had formerly
been compelled by law 10 traverse with -four
horse post coaches, merely to goriiy some ambi-
tious NJ. c. who knew how much his constituent.
would magnify him for impeling such splendid
turn outs through their dense forests and over
their wretched corduroys The difference in the
relative cost Of the two modes OF conveyance il
often fully half and Yet Mr.. johnson never once
aliudes 10 the real cause OF his Wanted reductions
The Department. appears to be, on the whole
doing very well, snd the actual working Of the
Cheap Postage act hss already proved the
groun dessness OF Mr.. Johnsons and others sp
prehensions at the time of It's passage They
were then entirely sanguiue that it was an act &c
cast the burden Of supporting the Post Once ou
the Federal Treasury aud 50 increase the Tssii
but they now find that the new OF low rates yield
Yer, nearly much revenue ss the old or high
ones and they very naturally begin 10 suspect that
the experiment may safely be carried farther -
The p. NJ. General s now resdy to sweep swsy
the odious and unjust Frsnkins Privilege and
charge al letters except those conveys by Ocean
Steamers but FIVE cents each THIS Is RICH, 50 la
as 1t goes, but We think II should 40 farther. Five
cents in advance for each letter conveyed from
New.York to Brcokyn, WILLIAMSBURG, Jersey
City or Newark is entirely too high il IS rate
which destroys revenue one which any private
postal establishment would instantly discard as sui
cidal We feel confdeat that. II New-Yogk let
tiers were regularly and promptly delivered by
penny-post IN all the precincts above nsmed-de
hvered, say hour times per dsy-st the rate OF two
or AZ most but three cents each there would be one
hundred sent where one now IS, aud the income b
greatly increased. We, for instance. often wish
TO send note to Brooklyn or Newark. snd are com
peeled u send special messenger 81 cost Of sev
ersl Poss&ses because posted letter would not pro
baby reach It's destination TIL some tine the mex
day. The Department and We both suffer There
ought % be 20 private expresses carrying letters
and 10 private penny posts bat there always vii
be - Ions the General Post Oace fails fully tc
comprehend AID discharge is duues
We approve altogether the plan Of rsqairine
postsge ia advance YET We doubt the policy q
refusing to convey letters which have not been
prepaid But there ought 10 be marked dis
criminaiiou IA the chArge-perhaps Of one-hAlt
A uniform rate Of Letter Postage has many re-
conmendstioas yet 50 vast is the extent Of cuI
country, and 50 great the expense OF MSil Trsns-
por,sticn, that we do not consider two or three