The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-04
this Department 30 take measures to secure such
- ...o,oarpanf, Ia recommended 81

this Department 10 take measures to secure such
an arrangement, is recommended i
The mail service IN California and Oregon,
and especially in the former, is still in an unset
tied state and but partially reported, so that no
satisfactory statement in regard to it can be sub
mitted Sufficient time to communicate with the
agent last appointed, to take charge Of the Cali
fornia service has not yet elaspei since his APP
pointment; but his report upon the present con-
dtion of the service in that State may be expec-
ted at an early day. In addition to the difficulties
incident to the new and very peculiar state Of
affairs in that distant region, there many that
result from the want of proper experience and
skill on the part of those to whom the manage
ment of postal affairs in that section Of the
country has necessarily been contided. The APP
pointment of Deputy Postmaster General and
an Auditor to reside in California, proposed
by bill reported at the last session, might aid
| in removing some of the difficulties, but would
give an organization which would sever that ser
vice from the service in other parts of the Union,
and is liable to many objections 1t is, therefore,
respectfully suggested that Improvement, sys-,
TEN, economy, and efficiency would be sooner
introduced, if Congress should authorize the
Postmaster General TO send temporarily to the
Pacific coast an officer of the greatest knowledge
and experience in mail arrangements and in the
principles and rules Of the Department, govern
inc the making of contracts, for the purpose OF
being there associated with the local agent in
organizing the service at the outset and placing
it on q proper basis for the future charge ana
management of such agent. If the local agent
is to be continued in charge OF the service, his
salary should be increased to an amount better
corresponding with the high prices prevailing in
California.
In view OF the time required to communicate
with Oregon and our newly acquired territories,
the following modification OF the post once laws
il urgently recommended
|. That the contract and fiscal year for the
Post Office Department, in respect TO the service
in California, Oregon, New Mexico, and Utah,
be changed, and that it commence and end three
months earlier than for the rest of the Union, so
that the returns accounts, and all other state
ments for the last quarter OF the fiscal year IN
that portion of the Union, can be made to the
General Post Office in Washington, in time,
after being duly audited, to be embraced in the
annual reports submitted at the opening OF Con-
gress.
.. That authority be given to the special agent
D in that country, to open, at San Francisco, the
e dead letters returned from the offices IN Gall
e fornia and Oregon, and there dispose of them, rs
t is now done at the General Post Office, under
= such regulations and restrictions as the Post
: master General may prescribe. For this pur-
pose a clerk, or clerks, with suitable salaries,
= should be allowed to the special agent
A considerable reduction of letter postage,
: and the adoption of a uniform inland rate is
desired by large portion of the people Of the
United States Interesting and able reports,
recommending different degrees of reduction
were made, but not acted upon, ut the last SEES
} sion of Congress. The subject will doubtless
again engage the attention Of Congress at its
IL nd of dos ira
} that our rates of postage may be reduced to the
lowest point that is practicable without calling
for a contribution from the Treasury, beyond
what should be paid for the transmission and
delivery of the official and public correspondence,
recommend that the inland letter postage be
reduced to three cents, the single letter, when
repaid, and be fixed at the uniform rate Of five
cents when not pre- paid and also, that the Post.
master General be required to reduce this pre-
paid rate to two cents the single letter. when
ever it shall be ascertained that the revenue of
the Department. after the reductions now re-
commended, shall have exceeded its expendi-
lures by more than five per cent. for two conse-
cutive fiscal years. | also recommend that the
postage to California and Oregon be greatly re-
duced, and that the postage charged on other
} sea.poing letters be made more simple and uni
form. With the numerous rates now charged
some with, and some without the addition of
the inland rates-confuscn and mistakes, are
frequent and unavoidable. | therefore recon-
mend that twenty cents the single letter, be
charged on all correspondence to and from the
Pacific coast, South America, the Eastern Con-
tinent and its islands, and points beyond either
and ten cents the single letter on all other sea-
going letters, withou. the superaddition Of inland
postage, in any case, excepting however, all
cases where such sea hostages have been or
shall be adjusted at different rates, by postal
} treaty already concluded, or hereafter to be
= made and power should be given to the Post
D master General, by and with the advice and
: consent of the President Of the United States,
to reduce or enlarge the rates, with the view
] of making better postal arrangements with other
governments, or counteracting any adverse mea-
? surcs affecting our postal intercourse with other
, countries.
also recommend that the provision which
imposes an additional half cent postage upon
newspapers, sent more than one hundred miles
and out of the State where they are mailed be
repealed so as to leave the uniform inland post
age on newspapers, seCt to subscribers from the
office of publication, at one cent each.
The postage upon pamphlets, periodicals. and
other printed matter, Except newspapers,) may
be sitnplified and somewhat reduced, with adj
vantage to the Department. Two cents for the
pamphlet or periodical of the weight of two
Ounces or less, and one cent for every additional
| ounce or fraction of an ounce, is recommended
as the inland rate upon all pamphlets, periodl-
calls, and other printed matter; instead of the
present rate of two and half cents for the first
ounce,) and one cent for every additional ounce,
or fraction of an ounce. For the sea-going
charge on such matter, and on newspapers.
twice the inland rate to and from the points to
which it is proposed that the letter postage shall
lie ten cents, and four times the inland rate |
where the letter rate is twenty cents, is deemed
just and proper rate. This would in some
cases, increase the postage on printed matter
sent to the Pacific coast, and by our other sea
lines, where the postage is not already fixed by
postal arrangement; but the postage to Califor
nia rs above proposed, would hardly equal the
price now charged by private expresses for the
conveyance of the same weight in packages Of
less than one hundred pounds, to San Francisco.
1t will be perceived that the reduction pro-
posed in the postage upon printed matter is not
| TIl-- f. H.. ,at,4 AfI