Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-12-21


silver and part alloy, which shall be lawful tender
for all debts due to the Government of the United States
to individuals, persons and corporations.
See Ind Be farther enacted II shall be the duty Of the
Postmaster General provide and furnish all deputy
masters and other persons applying and paying therefor
suitable stamps Of the denomination If three cents facilitate
the prepayment OF the hostages provided Tor in this And
any person who shall desire purchase the POST
master General any deputy postmaster any time,
amount Of stamps the value of fifty dollars upwards,
sneh stamps shall be furnished discount Of per
sPon their value All deputy postmasters who shall
ceIve at time stamps to the a0ant OF nifty dollars,
shah be allowed deduction Of per cent upon the par
value.
Sec s. ind Re further enacted That there is hereby APP
propraed Of money In the Treasury otherwise
appropriated the OF million FIVE hundred thousand
dolaro supply any deficiency that may arise in the Post
Office Department. tE
thereof after the enacng clause and inserting the following
Sec l. Thatetters carried in the mail Of the United States
shall be charged with postage, as follow:
Upon each letter not weighing one-ha ounce three
and Tor each additional half ounce or fraction OF halt
Sec. g And 10 tiTf1r enacssd There shall be charged
Of xh s
unconnected with any manuscript written natter and
which it may be lawful to transmit through the mall if
greater weight than two ounces and for each add
donal fraction of ounce, Bound book.
weighing thirty shall be deemed maabie
matter under the provisions Of this section ouded That
newspapers delivered in the State where printed shall be
chargeab'e with only one-half the foregoing rates
Sec s. and6e staer enacted That the drectors Of the
part. silver and part alloy which shall be lawful ten
States individuals PERSONS and corporations ag
Secons and are the those sections in the ORR
Sec &. And De IL further enacted, There shall be
charged all letters transported in the mails from any Of
be nnsd States upon the Pae or from any Of tie port.
the United States upon the Pacific TO any Of the Atlantic
ports in the United States four times the usual rates. and
books. Or other printed matter herein provided os three
times the usual rates. e3eet4I.5 ~
Mr.. P. then proceeded to address the Comnrsee. He
maintained that the Post Office Department not esab
shed Of for the support Of any other
branch Of the Government and that when met s
penses it accomplished all the objects for which was in
tended in furnishing all necessary mail facilities 10 every por-
ton Of the United States He thought that Congress should
eensder this question in financial point Of Wow. and under
this of the subject he alluded to the operation of the
of the American Congress Of lS45; and the reduction
made in Great Britain in 1889, dwelling at length on the
benefits conferred the people Of both countries BY the re-
ductions thus made He stated the increase Of de-
rived by Great Britain from the law reducing the price OF
postage in that country and expressed the opinion that the
United States would derive greater benefit by reduce
ing letter postage 10 three cents When the maximum
rate in the United States twenty-five cents the revenue
did not increase in proportion to the increase of the popua
on and he believed that if the old had been continued
with the additional cost for transportation, the revenue would
have fallen short Of the necessities of the Department but
under the reduction Of ls45 had advanced in
1919 and 1885, and above the expenditures Of the De-
partment, almost half million of dollars which showed
concusively that further reduction might be made without
derment to the Department The rapid settlement Of the
country the facilities for transportation and the intelligence
of our people gave abundant evidence that with such
ducion Of postage should still have sufficient to
defay the expenses Of the Department He in favor Of
uniform rate of postage, and opposed to any distinction Ia
the of distance The cost of ansporta
ton small, and the principal expense in mailing,
opening, and delivering the letters He further proceeded to
explain the amendment he had offered, and hoped would
receive the sanction of the committee.
Mr.. CARTER said that be was sorry to be compelled to
the conclusion that the reduction contemplated by
his colleague (Mr PorrER, who had spent much time in
the preparation Of his bill, and to whom the country
much indebted for his researches and labor this subject
would involve the Pos. Office Department in bankruptcy
His colleague considered that this Department ought to be
selfsupporing department On this point his colleague and
himself agreed be thought that those who benefit
ed by this Department ought to contribute to its support,
and that for the support of those benefited should
be levied upon the other citizens Of the republic who
much benefited He Of opinion that the Eastern
and Atlantic cities would be benefited by reduction
Of postage than the interior He denied that the Post Office
Department. under the present rates Of postage
tanned ITSELF and thought that upon due examination would
be found that that Department Indebted TO the general
treasury which now paid for carrying the mails to Caifor
mia and Oregon. sas
The bill under consideration contemplated the bankruptcy
of the Post Office Department, for it provided one million
six hundred thousand dollars out of the Treasury to sustain
for the first year after this cheap postage system should be
adopted This result contemplated by the message Of
the President and also by the report of the Postmaster Ge
neral who said that the adoption Of this reduction would
bring that Department into temporary bankruptcy, and that
would be necessary to secure it against such condition by
drawing resources from the general treasury was true
that the Postmaster General in hispobemac report said that
in few years-perhaps fve more less-,he Department,
under this reduction, would ITSELF and be able, after
that period of time to restore its Were they going
follow the recommendation Of the Postmaster General who
nine days old in bis Office, looking fifty years into
the future! The public debt yet to be paid. Were
they going reduce bankruptcy the only branch of Gov
eminent that Appropriated to sesupportng character
upon the speculative opinion Of the Postmaster General
that perhaps in future its revenue might be restored
II amusing spectacle Of economy that the Admin
raton exhibiting to the people, One branch Of the
hypohecaing the credit Of the Government because the
ceips the customs will fall short Of the public demand by
five millions Of dollars whilst another head Of Department
recommends doing away with the only sesus,anng depart
ment of the Government The President advising strict
economy and stating the necessity Of rounding the public
debit and another head Of the Government recommend
ing the squanderng Of the Of the only Department
that susains ITSELF The BILL he conended, would benefit
only the Atlantic border and the Northeast and especially
the city Of New York. the city Of Boston, and the city Of
Philadelphia, which the principal book making maya
making, and selling places, and from
whence Illuminated all the political corruption Of this
ton He in favor Of reduction Of postage just far
that reduction would sustain the Department The bill
proposed 60 from extreme to the Others he would make
il gradual
Mr. ASHMUN said that he did not rise to make any gen.
era remarks upon the subject connected with this BILL He
wished offer an amendment the bill of the Committee
the Post Oce and Post Roads, which proposed reduction
three cents. He desired to submit proposition which