The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-01-13
Reper, OF ,he A...-,an, IA n. 6.e,rr.,

MAJOR Hobble, OF the PoSE0fhce Depart
men;, has recently made Il I&port on In,
post-ofiee systems Of Europe4nd the Uni
ted States. The Major wassent to Europ,
last year by the Govenmsnt 10 examin,
into the systems in use there. The oh
lect oil his mission was to ascertain whether
any Improvements from abroad could b.
safely introduced into the operations Of the
Department in this country inhis report
he takes the ground that he Department
should not be supported b. system o.
taxation levied on writers tH letters exclu
sively, and that they shoud not be made 70
pay the expense OF Transporting official
correspondence, public dpcuments, and
newspapers, and Of msintainins unprofIa.
bic mail routes. This has heretofore been
the policy insisted 90 by those who assumed
that the Post-oflice Department should sup
port itself, and shodld, under no eircum-
Stances, be permitted 70 bscoibe burden
on the Treasury. By sdh<;ss q this ally
position. the people, and Particularly wri.
tiers OF letters, have had to pay large sums
of money in the shape of hostages in order
that the Department might carry all the
correspondence Of the other Departments
and all the public documents, &c, without
charge. The lallacy Of the position is
beginning to be generally realised, and we
hope it will soon be universally abandoned.
The expense Of the Postoffice Department
for transporting official correspondence,
public documents, and sustaining unprofta-
BILE mail routes is estimated at one million
Of dollars. IL the Government Were 10
pay this sum instead of saddling the Post
office Department with it, MAJOR Hobbie
thinks the postage on letters might be re.
duced TO a uniform rate OF three cents, and
the proceeds would then be sufficient to
meet the expenditures of the Department.
Under such an arrangement, he thinks the
revenue of the Department would be about
as follows
From letters, S2,65O, 900
From newspapers, 750, 900
From Government, 1000 900
Total, AGO, COG
Which is equal to the estimated annual
At two cents, he Is confident
that the revenue would fall quite below the
expenditure, even with the aid Of 81 ,OOO,-
600 from the Government
But the experience Of our country is in
favor Of cheap hostages as far as they have
been tried, and that Of England is also de-
cidedly 80. Were the rate reduced to two
cents on each letter, no one doubts that the
number Of letters sent through the mails
would Immediately be very largely in.
creased The large and intelligent meeting
in New York recently assumed tina. two
cents is the proper rate, and insists on its
adoption.
Major Hobbie is in favor OF uniform
rate Of one cent for newspapers not weigh
ing more than two ounces, and Of three
cents for periodicals. not weighing over three
ounces provided uniform three cent post
age is introduced for letters.
On the subject Of the ranking privilege,
he remarks that it is abolished in Great Bri-
tain; but members Of Parliament are en-
titled TO receive, free Of charge, petitions
addressed to either House, provided they
are sent without covers, or in covers open
at the sides, and do not exceed the weight
OF thirty-two ounces. Addresses TO the
Queen likewise go free of postage. In
France, the ranking privilege is extended
by order of the minister of finance to Ger
tain public officers for their Official cores
pondence only, In the German States the
King and royal family, and Postmaster
General, enjoy the Thanking privilege; Gov
eminent officers possess il for their official
correspondence; and the Postmaster Gene
raj is authorised to extend il 10 societies for
the promotion of science and arts and be-
nevolent objects; but their correspondence
must pass unsealed.
The report concludes with an historical
account of the origin Of the post-office in
stitution, in this and in foreign countries,
and is very happy in proving that our Gov
ernmentwas the first to admit, uncondition,
ally, the principle that this institution is
created for the accommodation of the citi.
zens and not the Government.
1t appears, in conclusoa, that the mails
are much less used in this country than il
England or France, though our postoflict
provisions are greater. This is sscribed Il
the higher rates of our postage, and the de
fective machinery of our system.
Lou. Journal.
The secre, OF Warm Feet. 9.