The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-12-05

Leaving q balance on the 30th Of June
1850, OF. ..'.......... .....'''' 'Si'oS'Tio Of
]! seems long to have been the received principle In
kept within the income furnished by postage and all
exersns ct the improvement and extension Of the SER
vice are to be limited TO- and r.. within such receipts
ment 10 believed to be, that the General Post Once,
being for the Of intelligence and advance
ment Of businsss Is not proper subject Of taxation
that burthen for public service should lean upon IT.
and that the rate Of postsge should only be such Is viii
Of the matter ON which the postage is laid. These
views are in way incompatible, and may both be
ton be- made to the department for the service L per
forms by those for whose benefit such service is re-
II must be quite obvious that there can 10 praet-
cable method Of ascertsning the expense OF mail SER
vice on each particular letter or paper as hactustes
with the cost In each different section Of the country
vice. VICE may be settled with good degree Of justice, il
when afcertained 1t Is to bear ta fa proportion and
| that only.
The classes Of service now required three:-ths
care transportation and delivery rst Of letters; So
cond, Of newspapers and pamphlets; third matter
ried without compensation u rs oy postage On tns
| the aepartme mt now sustained.
The whole number OF letters charged With postage
passing through the malls shs Pa's ON
! proved amounted TO sixty two millions.
On all these letters the postage collected was
762; on papers and pamphlets, $Sl9o16 1t is well
known that the postage on the newspapers and pamph
let's in proportion to their weight and numbers Is In
| .
they DO pay their proportion Of the Of the
service III therefore follows that the letter postage
only for Its cost but also for what the
per postage falls shsrt Of its proportion and also for all
the other operations and services Of the
uubiic Stheus nav from government This brings US
to inquire the extent Of this class Of service
rendered without pay from the employers
Firt, what Is the nature and amount OF this RANKED
The heads Of the different departments frank all the
mail matter sent from their respective departments
ard receive free all to them directed Under the act
1sl5 account was kept By the post office OF the city
Washington, of all such matter received by the de-
partmt the year ending June &c. Isie, bat
count Of the matter sent from them. The postage on
Is them at the on
matter sent would be fully equal 30 that tho same nss
Copgl In ls47 this mode Of payment was abolished
and only provision since for this service rendered
to the executive departments Is an appropriation
to be recollected that no amount OF appropriation
however large to pay for ranked matter viii ever, Il
ssuch postage actually pays the whole expense Of tn
department, whereby such appropriation rematns .
surplus withdrawn from the treasury.
But the principal part Of the franked matter TO
which psymen IL made to the Department consist
In the letter.: papers, and d9cumen ny irsnssa y IN
The amount Of this matter cannot be sscertsined will
entire sccurscy much is forwarded Of which no &C
count Is kept By report nom the clerks Office o
the House Of Representatives 1t appears that durni
the two sessions of the thirteth Congress ending II
March last, the extra number Of public documents fo
distribution $40 $780, and their weight was 4e 70:
lbs printed speeches, folded for members to flank
1852 500, which estimated at each, ALL
b3l lbs The half Of this shows the annual smsun
ef this matter from the House Of Representatives tn
two past years This does not include the writer
correspondence Of the MEMBER or the mail matter By
them received. No report direct from the Senate i
received; but by report from the post Office In TIL
city appears that during the year ending June Sotb
1s4p,
The number Of free written mall matter sent
Observation-Disclosures. 4sI 21(
|, Hecei'so ''''''''''''''. ..'.'''''' siSzs'
Making 1900. ..................1,3 o3 sos
Printed Senate speeches. ....... .3g7, $50
Do. do. documents. ....... ..l70Tl6
- sos 3lS
House documents. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 3,slS $50
/