New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-10-30
What have the Friends of Cheap Postage
Accomplished.

This inouiry will be made by all those who have
contributed to promote this benevolent object ana
il is proper that fall and explicit answer sho0iu
be given.
To answer it satisfactorily and to make a DIS
tinct impression on the public OF the advantages
rosnItnr from their labors, the past and the pres
ept position of the Post Office Department should
he contrasted and the present ana iormer rates VI
hostage duly considered
p' Pri0r 70 1e45, every one knows that the
nf nostaee were +. 10, ~ 49,. and - cents
nm single letter. and for every piece OF paper in-
closed. however light OF small, an additiona! rae
was charged; and for three enclosures lnaarNpie
Tostore must be paid. This mode oil charging
Iroetage was a source of much trouble to the Post
| 6fice in properly rating the letters aud cause
of much ANNOYANCE to the people whose letters
were not untrequently overcharged'
Notwithstanding these high rates OF postage
tine expenditures of the Post Office Department.
from 1870 to 1913 inclusive, exceeded the receipts
h a56a 600 the letters had fallen off from about
twepty.nine millions to twenty-tour millions ana
tbe most roads had been reduced 23s4O miles
| While the business and the population OF the
country were increasing every year the revenue
of the department and the number OF letters
were constantly diminishing. An Appropriation
from the Treasury was mace 70 Mp . Wv. b oss
Office from bankruptcy. 1t is true that the Post
master General Wckliffe instituted suits against
numerous individuals, for carrying letters bat IN
almost every instance the Courts decided against
him The Post Office was unpopular; the people
would not pay these high rates, and pubic OPINION
sustained those who would carry letters cheaper
than the Government ga,
Department in le49, with what 1t was IN I6io,
under the old rates of postage. According TO the
very able report OF the Hon. Charles Durkee, one
of the House Committee on fost OiHces ana ost
! beer
u 763 miles, and the annual transportation OF the
mails 9O2 500 miles since the reduction OF post
age in l345. The number of new post Offices es-
tablished up to July, 1880, was 1923 The reve-
nue. Of the wear GAG increased to greater amount
bv SAG 600 than had ever been collected IN any
one veor since the Post Office Department was
established. and after paying ali its expenses
there remained Surplus of S69l, ESQ 81, tor that
<-ear and on the lst of July, 1s50, there would
be s859. 900 81 to the credit Of the Department
Not only have the mail facilities and revenue oeen
increased to this extent but the number OF letters
have been augmented from tWehIH-!ou! hnltAtous
to serenity millions per dnnum Ihis IS a orlel
view of the present position OF the Post Once De
nartnent. and contrasts favorRbly with It's condi-
ton prior to the reduction OF postage
To have accomplished as much as this IS no
small achievement and must be highly gratifying
10 the friends of cheap postage, especially Wnen
it is remembered that the whole force and patron
age of the Post Office Department throughout the
country. with few honorable exceptions, were
alrayed against them
IF the reduction of postage has been so adyan-
tageous to the Post Office, it has been much more
so TO the people The revenue has been increased
and vet the people have been relieved from bur
densorne tax The reduction Of the old rates to
FIVE and ten cents was most sanitary reform
But the adoption of ,ceight instead OF pieces, IN
rating letters, was OF much greater Importance
both to the Post Office and the community; to
II
the latter vast reduction III their postage bills
For example under the former system, letter
containing three enclosures, however llght or
small sent from New ork to Boston, Baltimore
or w ashngton and vice versa was then charged
seventy-tive cents, whereas the same can now be
sent for five cents If sent over 400 miles, the
same letter would be charged one dollar, but 1t
will now be carried for ten cents
These are some Of the advantages resulting
from the exertions of the friends OF cheap post
age. and without which they would not have been
obtained.
But there arc others of minor Importance,
which ought not however, to be overlooked IN
taking this survey of their labors Among these
lst The Limitation of the Thanking privilege Formerly
a The departments in Washington used to lrank ne e
and documents TO extent; no" they IRE limited 10
official business and for THIS certain amount Is pd 10 INC
Post Office Department. ,.-,.,..--..
ID PostIRasiers restricted from Thanking letters cx
cep official business, and where the income o me Once
does not amount to $500 per annum TINS ievehs h4lhs
Office for then own benefit aud deiraldpg Tie Department
of the pesage.
from three 10 cent ind half Is owing to The eN-
erons of the friends of cheap postage Ills was grevous
an The delivery letters by the letter carriers for
cent instead Of two may be attributed 10 the friends oil pos
tai reform who laboring for tie delivery OF letters to
md from the PostOice free Of any additional expense
In of the cities the order of me PosmaserG General
to charge but cent, has been strictly complied with but
in NcwYork and Philadelphia, the carriers sui receive
cents each letter and in the latter city the carriers
IN ieliV 81
paid two cents There are responsible men, both IN New
York and no are ready 10 Go anc on to dc
bring them the PostOce for the mails from any part OF
Gauge ibis subject to be inquired into and if he does
consent to establish free deirer which is much better
that this order is executed in all our large towns and
cities
Some pretend that these reforms would have
been effected without any eXertlon on the part OF
the people, but in this respect they are much mis-
taken. There was here, well as in England q
determined hostility the part OF the officials IN
| the Post Office Department. against any change
in the rates of postage. Predictions OF ruin were
in the mouths of all connected with the Post OF
flee, from the Postmaster General, Wickllffe,
down to the porter who sweeps out the Office
! Every newspaper under the control OF the De-
partment opposed the reduction and pamphlets
! were issued in which the friends of the measure
were denounced as smuggers, and that it was
only desired by bankers, merchants, brokers and
| spectators!
Not single member of the Cabinet, if we ex-
cept Mr.. Webster, was in favor of Cheap Postage,
and even President Tyler himself considered the
scheme Utopian nevertheless, to his honor be it
mentioned whenWic klitte and Spencer combined
! to get one of it's advocates removed from an insg-
niicant office which he held, he would not consent
to his removal A majority of the Members of
Congress were either opposed or Indifferent to the
subject The Chairman of the House Committee,
Hopkins, opposed the measure with great violence,
! accordance
hicted upon those who sent as well as those who
carried letters out of the mails. The ignorance
and insolence of the Chairman were intolerable,
and he was finally rewarded for his labors with
Chargeship abroad by President Polk.