The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1848-01-08

lets and Magazines at 100000. The dead let
tiers passing through the Offices and returned to
the Department, as nearly as can be ascertain
ed, number annually about 100000.
The revenue Of the Department for the year
ending the Both Of June last amounted to 3d.
945,89S,3l; exceeding the preceding year by
the sum Of $458,693, 96-being an increase Of
the last over the preceding year Of 1915 per
cent, and falling short of the annual average
revenues Of the nine years preceding the LIST
July, 1916, by the sum Of S4l8,73l "a.
The expenditures for the year ending the
Both Of June, l847, amounted to $3,979,570,63
making only $33,677,32 more than the re-
venues. !
The Postmaster General states that private
expresses still continue to interfere with the
revenues Of the Department, and there is no
power now to arrest them. He recommends
that newspapers should pay postage in proper
ton TO their weight, and advises the abolition
or modification OF the lranking privilege SO
that 1t shall cover oHly Official correspondence.
These recommendations were pressed on the
consideration Of Congress last year, but were
not acted on. s tA r#tt#f
On the subjeoto Of cheap postage, he says:
The favorable operation Of the act of 1916
upon the finances Of the Department leads to
the conclusion, that, by the adoption of such
notifications as have been suggested BY thi;
Department for the improvement Of its reven'
ues and the suppression of abuses practiseC
under it, the present low rates Of postage viii
not only produce revenue enough to meet Thu
expenditures, but leave a considerable surplus
annually, to be applied to the extension Of thu
mail service te the new and rapidly increasing
: sections of our country, or would justify a still
! further reduction Of the rates Of postage. II
the opinion Of the undersigned, with sue
notifications of the act Of 1916 as have bee
: suggested, a uniform less rate might in a teV
years be made to cover the expenses OF tn
3 Department; but, by it's adoption, the Depart
ment would be compelled to rely upon tn
treasury for some years! AT this time, dnrln
the existence Of a foreign war, imposing cue
heavy burdens upon the treasury, il might nc
be wise or prudent TO increase them, or to d
anything which would tend to impair the put
lie credit; and, on this account alone, recon
mendation for snch a reduction is not made.
Postage is a tax not only on the business
the country, bur upon the intelligence, know
edge, and the exercise Of the friendly and 81
gial feeling; and, in the opinion Of the unde
signed, should be reduced to the lowest poi
which would enable the Department to sustaj
itself. That principle has been uniformly &C
ed on in the United States as the true stant
ard for the regulation Of postage; and III
cheaper it can be made, consistently with tn;
rule, the better.
= As our country expands, and its circle
business and correspondence enlarges, as civ
: ~lization progresses, it becomes more importal
TO maintain between the different sections
our country a speedy, safe, and cheap int
course. BY SO doing, energy is infused in
the trade Of the country; the business Of Il
people enlarged and made more active, and 3
i'd irresistible impulse given to industry Of eveI
le kind; by it wealth is created and difused
numberlsss ways throughout the communit
Mt aud the most noble and generous feelings
our nature, between distant friends, are che
4 ished and preserved, and the Union itself mo
W closely bound together. .#
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