Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1848-04-28
POSTAGE MONOPOLY

When half the world are ENJOYING free nos
tage and the other half talking about it, we
little thought there was in Congress or out of
1t any mortal man so stupid or tyrannica as
to propose forthylng and enlarging the Post
Office monopoly of which we are getting So
weary. But we were mistaken. Some body
whether it be that obtuse Austrian, Cave
Metternlch Johnson, we know not, has intro
duced into the House of Representative bill
which proposes TO extend the Post Office
monopoly TO the whole ocean, under the most
trShttul penalties. According to this legis-
latiVe wisdom the rates OF foreign postage are
to be about duadruple ; all ship masters are
TO be Obliged 10 carry the United States
foreign mails without compensation, and they
and other persons presuming to carry letters
or any other mailable matter, outside of the
mails, are to be fined $1,000 for each letter,
newspaper or printed sheets so carried
That our readers may not think US Joking We
quote the language Of the bill in one Gifts sec
tionS:
Sec, II. That any persons or person who
shall transport or be engaged in the transpor-
tation directly or indirectly, or who shall aid
or assist in the transportation of letters or
other mailable matters from foreign countries
to persons resident in toe United States or 10
persons residing out of the United States or
IN the importation of such maable matters
through the United States or without the
nF, h., -
and obtained, shall upon conviction thereof,
forfeit and pay to the United States one hun
dred dollar for each letter, newspaper ar 9th
er printed sheets, so carried or attempted 10
be carried, and it shall be lawful for the agents
of the Post Office Department or other otF
GERS of the United States government, upon
reasonable cause shown, to arrest such per
sons, and seize his or their boxes. bags or
trunks supposed to contain such mailablc
matter, and cause the same to be opened and
examined before any officer Of the United
States, and if found to contain such mailable
matter transported in violation of the laws Of
the United States, shall be held to bale in the
sum OF $4,000 to appearto answer said charge
before the next United States Court. to be
held 10 the State, or district of said State,
and upon conviction thereof shall be fined as
aforesaid, one hundred dollars for each letter,
newspaper, or printed sheet so transported
as aforesaid, and shall be held in the custody,
of the Marshal until the fine and costs ar.
paid, or until otherwise discharged by due
course of law
There, readers, what do you think of that,
Does mt that speak Of the enlightened states
man of the middle OF the nineteenth century,
Low cur opinion Of Congress is, we have
no idea 1t has fools enough TO pass such stuff
stuff which the people would trample IN
der their feet with sovereign contempt-and
we think there are some who would even see
and acknowledge its contrariety to that clause
10 the constitution which declares The right
of the people to be secure in their persons,
houses, PAPERS, against unreasonable search
IS and Seizures For more unreasonable
search than one for letters which a man might
be carrying abroad or bringing home to oblige
his friends, could not well be conceived Th.
most arbitrary autocrn, would hardly vsntur.