Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1848-12-16

UI TH tRANKIN0 fkVILEpoE'-Ane
Postmaster General recommends the total
abolition Of the Franking privilege. This
is one Of the most abused privileges of the
government, and has always operated
against the reform in the reduction of post
age. There are tons of documents, useful
only for waste paper, sent through the
mails, simply because they 60 free. With
postage reduced to the lowest rates, the
Franking privilege, can and ought to be
dispensed with. It now is, and always has
been, used mostly as an engine for election
eering purposes, u will be seen BY the fol-
lowing extract from the Postmaster Cener-
ais Report E frEH.1 ITTF|
"If the proposed reductions are tobe made,
and the Department required to sustain it.
self, it is indispensable that the franking pri.
vilege should be abolished. It is now greater
and more exclusively used than at any for
mer period and as the privilege is enlarged,
the abuses under it increase The immense
mass of free matter sent through the mails
necessarily requires higher and more ex-
pensive grade of service, to enable the con-
tractors TO transport il. 1t is not unusual for
coach service 10 be demanded on routes yield
ing comparatively nothing for the transpor-
tation of public documents and other free
matter. Over one route, double line, of
four-horse post coaches, has become indis-
pensable Some estimates may be formed of
the additional expense of transportation, from
the fact reported from the city post office,
that in seven days, from the 9Th until the
18th of August last, inclusive, 45o bags Of
free matter, weighing IS, $50 pounds, averag-
ing daily 5,o7s pounds, passed through his
office.
Upon inquiry, it appears that, between the
ist of Dec. and the lst of Oct. last, there was
sent from the two houses of Congress, through
the mails, abont FIVE millions Of copies Of
speeches and other matter, weighing under
two ounces, and about one hundred and sew
enty-seven thousand public documents, be-
sides the letters written by the members of
the House of Representatives; and there re-
manned to be forwarded more than one half
Of the public documents ordered TO be printed
at the last session. Such mass of matter
thrown upon the mails, must necessarily add
TO the cost of transportation, retard the pro-
gress Of the mails, and produce great pro-
portion of the failures that are made on the
unimproved routes in the newer sections OF
the country. But this is not all {: the Depart
ment is compelled to pay the postmasters,
whose compensation does not exceed So 900
per annum, two cents for the delivery of each
free letter or document. A large proportion
of the documents and papers thus sent free,
are, it is believed; seldom read, and if read,
but of little public interest, and worse than
useless; inasmuch as the exercise of the
privilege to the extent now practised, tends
to prevent, if it does not materially interfere
with, the circulation of the village newspa-
pers in their respective localities. This sub.
ject has been so forcibly presented 10 the
House in the report of the Committee of Post.
Offices and Post Roads, at the last session,
and several other reports previous to that
time, that it is not deemed necessary TO en-
large upon it at this time.
Whether the suggestions for the modifica-
tions Of the act Of ls45 be adopted or not,
all matter sent in the mails should be pre-
paid. This might indemnify the Department
for the great loss sustained for the transmits
sion of letters not taken from the Offices
Near two millions of dead letters are annu.
ally returned to the Department, upon which
it not only loses the postage, but pays two
cents each for advertising and this is in ad.
dition to the expense incurred in opening and
returning those of value to the writers, and
destroying those of no value. Newspapers
periodicals, pamphlets, and essays Of various
kinds, probably not less in number than the
dead letters, are sent to the Offices and never
called for, or if called for, refused, and re.
main as dead matter in them. From care
full examination, it has been ascertained that
$4,000 annually are received and remain as
dead matter in the Office at New York at
Boston and Baltimore about 10000 annually,
and at Philadelphia about 10000"
The NORTHERN LIGHTS shone with great
brilliancy, and most beautiful effect on Mon.
day morning last, from about o'clock until
day light.-Sunbury american of Dec. Q.
Somebody must have been furnishing our
friend of the american with the information,
as no one suspects him of having been an
eye witness to the affair at that time of day."
-Danuille Democrat.
" We see how it is. Friend Cook is
an aspiring and an ambitious man, and
therefore don't like to see his neighbors get
ting up before him. There is a luxury,
friend Cook, in rising with the dawn, grea-
ter than the downy pillow. Try it. Did
ynu ever behold that xonderfll r,honorna