Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1850-05-01

Legislature the importance Of Ibis question,
in every phase in which It can be presented,
upon the welfare and convenience, Of the
people and more especially as one ofttiose
bonds which are calculated TO preserve and
bind still closer the union Of these States.
The experience Of Older nations, since the
introduction Oft system of cheap postage,
has clearly evinced its beneficial effects up
on The great mass of the people, inducing a
more extended correspondence between dis
1ant parts of the same territory, and thus
encouraging those social as we'll as business
relations which are calculated TO increase
The happiness and prosperity Of the human
family; and il has at the same time shown
that this great good can be accomplished by
the National Government, not only without
requiring aid from the public exehequer, but,
in fact, is the means, or can be made such,
Of lessening the burdens of The people for
ahe maintenance Of other necessary objects.
TO our country, its importance cannot be
over es,imated--noi only in the increase Of
business and social relations, but by being
the means of strengthening those ties which
bind our vast territory with the chords of
affection, and multiplying those interests
which shall forever be the strongest buwark
of our mighty, our glorious republic. II
these objects alone were attainable, by en-
tire freedom from the tax on postage, who
would not be willing that the measure
should be carried out, even were it neces-
sary, as in such case it would be, that the
expenditures requisite for the whole machi
merry Of the post office department were
IL n iron oGt
sion-what patriot would, for one moment.
permit the consideration of any sum, which
should be required for the purpose, to over
balance the still weigh,er benefits which
would accrue from these additional liga
menls for The preservation of our lederalive
system?
Blu, we need no. go 10 the experience Of
other nations 10 prove the utility, the expe-
diency, the praclicabilily; aye. proftableness
Of the system which is urged upon the adop
ton of Congress. Our own official docu
ments will prove conclusively, in money
point Of view, (whicb7 however, we deem
the least important feature IN The considera-
ton of the suhjecl) that the interests of the
Government, if those interests can be con-
sidered in any degree separate from those
of the people represented, cali loudly for
the further reduction in the rates of postage.
From the data thus furnished we find that,
during the las, year Of the old system, when
the rates of postage charged were 6, 10 to
IS cents on single piece Of paper, and in
the same ratio for each enclosure, the num-
Der of letters which passed through the pos,
amounted to 24,267, $50. and the revenue to
$4.374, 7l3-not sufficient 10 support the
Department; and appropriations, to make
good the deficiency, were required to be
made by Congressman those opposed to
the proposed reduction, among them the
Heads Of the Department, urged this as an
argument against it, declaring it preposter-
ous that such an effort should be made I'M
der such circumstances. Yet the friends Of
the measure were perseverlng, and not 10 be
diverted from their purpose by The enemies
thereof, backed as they were by those high
in official siation-snd effected their object
in part; and in 1915 the reduction from the
rates already specified to those now existing,
went into operation. Now letter weigh
ing not more than half an ounce is carried
any distance under 800 miles for cents,
and any distance over.3OO miles for 10 cents,
weight alone, and not the number Of peices
of paper, being the criterion by which the
charge is to be regula,ed-and what has
been the result?
The number Of letters increased from
"a IA millions, the amount prior to the
passage of the present law, until the last year,
it reached the enormous amount of Sirty-taco
millions and the revenue of the depart
meni, ins,ead Of being succored by the gen.
eral treasury Of the nation, is now not only
able ia pay adj its own expenses, bat last
year had actually left an unexpended bal
ance Of aearly 100000 the entire amount
of receipts having been within fraction of
fve ;Uions Of dollars, sum greater by
about $4,000, than was ever before re-
ceived in one year since the formation Of
the Department.
In Great Britain the system Of cheap post
age has been in operation for ten years
end what has been The result? We find
that sImce the present rates were adopted,
the increase has been almost Incredible
the first year, the increase was from rs mil
lions to 1863 millions of letters land in
nine years they had increased 356 per cent.
above the number Under the old high rates
and corresponding increase in This coun-
try would give us the first year over 1913
millions of letters, and in less than five years,
200 millions, which would yield, at 2 cents,
the rate which the friends of the postal re-
form propose for the consideration Of Con-
gress, 100000 revenue. And who can
suppose, that The enterprise and elasticity
Of our country men, would not even outslrip
in such a race, the more settled habits Of
our contemporaries across the water.
But as the editors Of the periodical press.