The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-12-09

The October returns showed that fourth and
less than tnr Of me letter postage derived from
Inc ten cent rate This taken me bass OF eaieua-
ton, would make II jo3 J letters paying that rate H.
therefore, that rate should De dropped al the close Of the
present year there would De loss OF S7i5,IsT 10 De
supplied iron some other durag me aeXt year
II can SCARCELY De Doubled that With the surplus ex
pected al the close OF the present year, OF gas 5c,
the S2l0pSO Tor the poszes Of the government Tor lie
next year, TIE increase OF correspondence iron the
fucuon IN The fac OF postage and the ABOLITION Of the
ranking privilege as wei the saving on deaf letters,
II prepayment should be required, and the two cents
Ihar paid f.r advertising and for The delivery
OF tree letters, wsuld enable the department &c Is
expenditures from is the 30th OF June.
1850 II after that time the business OF the Offices shall
continue To increase Il has done since the act al
ls45-whch probable from the rapid OF the
population and business OF the countrythe department
would not be embarrassed Tor the want OF means 10 meet
any probable Increase IN The service
One other consequence expected by the fHents OF the
act OF ls45, and which rellel on certain
OF improving the revenue, has not been realized Il
confidently believed that by such reduction IN the rates
OF postage, the 5usiness Of the expresses would De made
unprOhsl5le and De abandoned This has not been the
The business il is believed, between the principal
ctes continued with much activity, and the revenue
seriously impaired by IL In recent NUM- Der OF the
Pathfinder, published Boston, the OF 13j cles
and villages giyen which regularly supplied bg
express with packages from thar city AMI most OF
them doubtless conveying letters regularly our OF the
mails The penalfles aov imposed 5y law sufficient
for their suppression If proper neaas were placed the
hands OF the department Tor their detectOn but IS
believed hat OF postage which would cover the
expenses OF the system coad DC adopted sufficiently low
10 induce them 10 abandon IL
Ia settling the OF postage, Is not anlmportant
nave them correspond with the current and legal
of the United States The fewer the rates. the
the postnasters in performing their duties In
their Offices and less liable TO en- m Keeping their ae-
counts and settling them with the department
Simplicity IN the rates well as "a the mode OF keep
ing their accounts, will promote cheapness a. well
regularity the transportation AMI delivery of The mails
For the purpose OF xatonr the matter conveyed the
mails should De classified as follows:
FIRST Letter postage should embrace al written com
munrauons nader seal not and each scaled packet os
package This class u composed Of private confidential
communications, often containing articles Of value, par
taking Of individual than pubc interest, requiring
more care their preservation, labor stamping
ting ana envelopmg. than pEiRtei matter ami
always forwarded under lock and key AMI should here
fore be charged al higher rate uniform rate OF lye
for each half ounce traction unier, amt another
rate for each additional hall ounce fraction under,
would De A. low ia the opinion OF the Undersigned
they coall be made consistently with the principles
above stated.
Second Newspapers. This class has always been
teamed OF 80 mum Importance 10 the public the best
means Of dSsemlnan. intelligence generally among the
people thai the lowest rate has always been applied, Tor
the purpose OF encouraging their CIRCULATION Heretofore
the charge has been made upon each paper without
gard 10 weight, which unjust to the publishers A. wen
a. Ae public; and there no satisfactory reason Why
hey should be charged by weight rel as letters
other sealed packages Ihls would lels 10 dlscon-
nuance Of the pricce OF deDosns ne xsyapers the
mails before they dry, which renders them more la
Die INJURY, ant their weight greatly increased from
OK lie paper UNIFORM OF ple cent
upon each ounce or traction ualer Il would be more
Just AMI probably yield as much reVeaae as the present
rates
Tttrd All Other printe, matter OF whatever nature or
klni should be rated with double newspaper postage
Letters containing ARTICLES OF value, upon the apptIci
ton OF the writer, should be registered, aAd receipt
taken for the delivery and triple letter postage charged
The principles suggested for regulating se laani post
ages apply with equal force to the foreign except that
the IS much more expensive, and would require
an increased rate Uniformity IN the rate not less
portant in the than m the other
The number AMI different amount OF rates now charged
By Law are very nconvenieni to the public well the
officers in the discharge OF their duties
- ceats are nov charged 10 or from California and
Oregon;
80 cents to from Panama;
y to Europe;
20 cents TO Ch4rres;
III cents 10 Havana
cents when delivered AZ the ports Of landing;
cents IN addition 10 The regular postage when taken
in the mails
cent 70 the postmaster when sent out Of the couatry
1t is believed that uniform OF IS might
be atvanareous'y aopei tor the foreign postage and
made applicable 10 territories the Pacific, and
duce more revenue thaa the charges now naie The
nercLl interests OF the country the social AMI friend
y intercourse eyistng AMI daily increasing, between
the citizens OF the ated States aud the people OF other
countries would be greatly pro noted by the adoption of
that rate less than Is at present charged
This would probably soon be aiopte By other countries
having steamers engaged IN similar service Newspapers
and other printed mater sent from OF received into the
Unted States might be raal with double the inland post
age on snItar millaOle matter
In aituon, the Post 0-c Department, under the irec-
ton OF the President should have power lower
these rates OF postage whenever becomes necessary
ac,ount OF the competition from other countries AMI TO
impose restrictions upon the vessels OF any nraign nation
equal 10 those imposed upon vessels OF the United States
by such nation. When such powers gwen to the
post Offices other such restrictions NAV be
imposed when Congress not 10 session, nav deprive
the vessels OF the United States OF participation IN
carrying letters. This was done BY orier from the
Lords OF the Treasury Great Britain the 9th of June
1877, preceding the ARRIVAL of the Washington n South
anFOn, aat which had the effect deprive that vessel OF
any reasonable share OF The business between this country
more than year, against all circumstances, before
law could be passed 10 meet the emergency
II the proposed reductions TO be ld, and The depart
ment egIIred to sust1n itself! Indispensable that the
ranking privilege should be abolished tits now greater
and more extensively used than at any former pTiol and
as the privilege IS enlarged the abuses under
The immense OF free throus h the mail.
necessarily requires higher aai expensive grade
N service to enable the transport II Is
not unusual for coach be lie handed on routes
Yielding comparatively nothing for the transportation of
public documents and other free matter Over one route
double daily line OF Our-horse post coaches has become
Some estimate may be fOrmetof the adj
duona expense OF transportation, from the fact reported
IRON the city post office, that in days from the
5n until the nth day OF August last inclusive. $50 bags
OF free matter, weighing $3.50 lbs averaging daily five
thousand and seventyelght pounds passed through his
Office Upon inquiry, il appears that between the At day
OF December and the is day OF October last there were
sent from the two houses of Congress- through the mails
about five lions of copies Of speeches and other nltter
weighing under two ounces ami ABOUT hundred and
seventy seven Thousand public documents, besides the
letters written By the members OF the House OF Repre-
seniauyes. ana there remained 70 be FORWARDED more
than one-hlif Of the public documents ordered 10 be