The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-12-15
Cheap Postase--neetipg st the Mershants'
Exchaplc.

held ct the Merchants Bxehangs, Wa street. for the
reduction of the present rates Of postage to uniform
rate oftwo cents for letters prepaid and cent for
newspaper The meeting not very largely attend
ed, owing to want Of publication in the newspapers,
and to the fact that soma OF the journals led the public
astrsy by announcing the meeting for 10 o'clock
On the motion Of Mr.. 6ILAs Woop, Mr. james De
Psyster Ogden appointed President Of the meeting
The Vice Preside nts Stewart Brown, James p.
Murray, Elias Hicks, Caleb Barstow, Thomas Moses
TAI lor Alfred Pel Secretaries Hiram Wslbridge,
Wright Hawks, Henry q. Atherton. ---
The then read the cali Of the meeting, and
SAID the meeting was SO small it had been suggested
that il might be we'll to adjourn after organising in
order to give time for greater publicity II any gen.
tlensn 10 iisposed to propose motion OF
the question can be taken upon 1t. After pause,
tion ofthe President proposed that the meeting do
proceed to business.
He aid ths great subject for which this assembly
convened together came home 10 the business, and
poscm sno POCKETS Of every man, woman ana enne
female In fact ell interested In the question Of
cheap postage several years ego, when the present
chairman presided at cheap postage meeting, in this
hall, there much opposition to contsna WITH and
many expressed her for the result of the
meDt while some raid it VAS Quixotc, and others that
IL twas opposition got up against the Post Office
Department The newspapers in the interest Of
the government all rnerred, and the officials of
the Post ONCE from the very highest down to
the boy that swept out the Office, arrayed
IN h1atity sgsinst the pToposea reform Ine friends
of letters and in fact there very general opposi
tion. If time permitted he would give the whole his
tory OF the postage movement from the time that this
Exchange was burned and the Post Office removed
to the Park The Inconvenience Of that arrangement
branch down town The Post 0fhce authorities on
desces d.d to listen to the petition the condition
and two cents for every letter received while sum OF
81 charged for boxes This the state Of things
and he (Mr Bates went to Washington to endeavor to
get this tax removed snothur concession was asked,
which was also refused, and the members of Congress
for New York begged IL In vain This the
steamers mails to be opened at the lower branch Post
Office By the exertons of Colonel Graham, however,
these evils were partially removed-a fine building
obtained for the Post Office and the two
cent tax Was removed but the 81 for boxes stlll
continued. Why should 1t be continued when in
Boston the charge only So He supposed 1t
because New York was richer, more enterpri-
reason for a tax which produced more than double
the rent of the whole building lie advertsd to
those cultes to stimulate them to future exer-
ton, by point to success in the past The state
OF the Post Office prior to the reduction in 1875,
Was one one OF bankruptcy The letters were reduced
from twenty nine to twenty millions account
of the high portage and the number carried by
preis 1t remained stationary at that hq tor
raj years The revenue was reduced 5000 0cO Ia three
years. Cong rers had to make appro priation to
meet the deficiency and the favorite doctrine Of
political omsIs, hat the Post Office should main.
tain it.elf realized The reduction Of postage
achieved In 1916 and, in four years the revenue
reducing the rates more than fifty per cent, and
second, changing from pieces TO weight This latter
was the most i'm portsDt, because n person
send cry um Der Of pieces not weighing half
a single letter and letters which would then cost
seventy fve cents can be sent for Eve cents and
letters that formerly cost dollar be sent for ten
cents As expected the fret two years there was
ling on In the revenue but not great to
qure the whole Of the appropriation OF s76oOoo In
third year the revenue exceeded the expenditure
In the fourth year IL exceeded 1t by St9l00O, aud in
this me NTH year there surplus OF is2 oso ana
mept have increased more tnan halt million Ia the
last year In the next they will probably increase
mil rnh hew tnrr fhA
it will be very long time before get down the
venue. 1t may be sshed then what are We to do 1
say ought to urge the Postmaster to adopt the
two cent proposed rate because the Senate and the
House and the most distinguished statesmen have
Ca,s on the subject another from the late General
Tay or and third from Mr.. Buchanan who says he 10
Pr.:Sspt hm.si t. esh ~ saw him r.. ds1s
ago, when he told me that required the present
surplus revenue to meet any deficiency arising from
the proposed reduction Of postage. the money could
not be better employed than In difusing knowledge.
tChers) That sentiment was worthy Of the President,
who thus explodes that old, obsolete idea that the
Poet Office should support itself Why should 1t sup
port .s sPS mS ss tht. shs spa other
proposed by the bill before Cen two for
nj. a.s sas cen. mt on
great Is that Of and approved Of By the chair
Of nv m,mbsrs of the Houss ~ Rsnrs.sno
has been tried in Great Britain and has succeeded 1t
not 90 high as to prevent people nom writing
increase Of letters will be at least 100 per cent do
not 90 so far as Great Britain whore the increase Of
give us 40 millions of letters and . revenue Of
S2soo ooo In the second further increase Of forty
two millions, 81 millions in all bringing revenue
Of Sa64o 600; In the third year, an increase Of
fortytwo millions more Of letters, msking In al,
"a i m ndS Of letter.. and yielding r.y.nu. Of
hand will be nearly sufcisnt-s2ooeoo win be saved
in dead letters and the revenue from ship letters win
increase 20 that at the end Of three years there viii
be little or no deficiency What has been the result
In Great Britain In 10 years the letters have in:
revenue and txps mes stood thus In 1sl9:--
Revenue Of the Brsh Poet once in ls4s. .slo71se7s
Expenditure OF Management. .......... 70l6,25o
The $50 millions OF letters have been written BY 80
and Ss v. NO. %T. letters S u pro
portion to our numbers ~ the Inhabitants OF Great
Britain with them 40 per cent. Of the population
ehsri,h- at the same time love Of home. Scattered
TO the Pacific, they viii write frequently to their
friends the postage is only reduced otwo cents.
country, Who would write their kindred and isnds
Thus the increase would be far greater than In Great
putes that the owes the Post once Dspart
ment Inc millions Of dollars for services
Till, according to the President, could not be better
Who would think. then, that With these advantages
this meeting should be so email 1t arises In part,
10 nobedys bussess But this IL cause to which
every man ought to lend helping hand and every
man can DO % without sacrifice Look TO the inte-
reefs Of Jour children In the achievement Of the ines
Unable bsnent for which teek. III had oppor-
tunty OF describing the moral results Of tree postage,
ceuid chow that they would be eorous-they would
bring men at distance. together unite heart to
heart The noble General Rusk has truly said. that
this measure viii bind the country firmly toge
ther than any laws that ever we're passed can be
paced Letters from parents TO youth In colleges
like 20 many guardian angels, vooing them 10 virtue
and preserving them from vice Thee communications
make them feel that there Is hon. and with that
thought sntwnsi the dearest associations might
dwell N time permitted upon the moral benehcent,
ana literary results but have already trespsssed too
long upon your time. You In favsr Of uniform
rate Of two cent? and do not vish that the revs
nue. sfould be collected by stanpsl The Post once
would thus save an immense cum OF which they are
cheated. And you know that when you put a stamp
upon aetter the local cannot cheat you By
taking your money not fankipg your letter