The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-09-26
THE NATIONAL ERA WASHINGTON D. C.. SEPTEMBER g. 1850


sands of our citizens, who never before left home
to trave2 II is the cheopneSS Of fare on our rail-
roads, steamboats,, and canals. Why is there pub
lished in the United States more newspapers
periodicals, and pamphlets than in all the world
beside2 IL is their cheapness. Every person
must be aware that it is principle in trade and
commerce, that whenever article Of utility or
elegance is reduced in price, il increases the de-
mand for 1t; and this increase Of demand aug
ments the profits
This is further illustrated in the case of canals,
railroads, and ferries Mr. Flagg former Comp
troller of the State of New York, has stated that
the reduction Of tolls the canals of that State
was uniformly followed by an increase OF the rev.
enue. And Mr.. Stevens, owner Of the Hoboken
ferry, in New York, who was authorized by law
to charge twelve and half cents each passenger,
reduced the fare to six cents and realized great
er profit than when he charged twelve and half
cents, He has recently reduced the price to tour
cents, and will no doubt, find his ferry more pro-
duotive than under either of the former rates.
Take another case in point one that is under
our daily observation We allude TO the Union
Line of omnibuses, running from the Capitol TO
Georgetown The proprietors, we learn, estab-
iished this line only one year ago, with but nine
coaches, leaving the Capitol once in every eight
minutes. They reduced the fare to six cents,
that being only one half the amount charged by
the old line They have now seventeen coaches,
leaving once in every six minutes with an increase
OF business 30 great, that the company have re-
solved to ircroase the number to twenty-five, 80
as 70 leave once in every four minutes.
| The petitions referred to your Committee not
only ask for uniform rate of tho cents, but that
the postage should be paid in advance or prepaid
they do not ask for two rates, nor that, if the
postage is not prepaid, the innocent receiver
OF the letter shall be mulcted in penalty of FIVE
cents in consequence of the neglect or imperti-
nence of the sender They have asked that in
all cases the postage on letters should be prepaid
Nor is there anything strange or difficult in
adopting this measure Under the present law
no circular or transient newspaper can be sent
through the post office without being paid in adj
rance. Why should not the postage on letters.
when reduced to this low rate, be required to be
| pe-pad, as well as circulars and newspapers?
There are various advantages resulting from
pre- payment, which will suggest themselves to
| those who reflect on the subject
1t will prove saving on dead letters to the
Department of at least 100000 per annum it
will be saving Of time and labor TO the Post
Office, especially if stamps are universally used,
as they will be, if prepayment is required it
will be guaranty, both to the public and to
the Department, that the postage is paid, for
the ssle 81 s,>-=2syssySNla be the siz. Mnd
surest mode of collecting the Post Office revc-
nue., as well as great convenience to those
who do business at the Post Office The loss of
time In paying for letters received or depos-
tied, in our large towns, is severe tax upon
men Of business whereas, prepayment by stamps
would entirely obviste this inconvenience Ev-
cry postmaster should be required to have on
hand stamps for the use of the public.
An objection to this low rate of postage has
been made, because, in many sections of our
country, copper coin is not in use and there
fore there would be an inconvenience in pay
ing the postage. To obviate this difficulty, it
has been proposed to have small silver coin
made for the purpose. A three cent coin has
been proposed, provided the postage is reduced to
that rate. There are, however objections to
the use of three cent coin which will be readily
perceived on slight examination.
three cent coin is not the aliquot part of
any of our present coins. and-a-quarter
and twelve-and-a-half cent coins are Of foreign
denomination, and are being fast banished
from use, as not possessing the intrinsic value
for which they are passed. There is no Amer
lean coin in use for which a three cent coin
can be changed, without the use of cents, so
that to adopt this denomination there will still
be a necessity for copper coin. You cannot
change dime, or half a dollar, or dollar,
with three cent coins; to give the full change,
cents must De uSeu. But 10 u TWO cent coin there
are few Of these objections
A two cent coin can be alleged sufficiently
to make it nearly the size of five cent piece and
if it were found necessary, hole could be perfo-
rated in the centre, which would distinguish it
from our present coin OF five cents
Most Of the petitions presented to Congress,
this session, have asked only for the reduction of
inland postage, and therefore the undersigned
have confined their remarks to this point as being
due to the prayer of the petitioners. But here
they would take occasion to state that, in their
opinion, radical reduction should be made in
OCEAN POSTAGE A strong movement is now
being made in Great Britain in favor of Oceaa
Penny Postage; and it is not improbable that at
some future period this desirable object will be
accomplished The present tax on ship letters
is enormous, and beyond all reason. But while it
remains source of revenue to Great Britain,
she will be 10th to reduce and until the people
demand the reduction, as they did on inland let
tiers, it will no doubt be continued As the Uni
ted States have postal treaty with that country,
any movement to reduce atlantic Postage must be
simultaneous. 1t is, however a subject to which
the attention of the Post Office Department
should be directed, as the millions of poor emf
grants to this country feel ocean postage to be n
heavy tax upon their industry and social rela-
TONS
According to the best information, the British
steamers since the postal treaty went into opera
ton, April 9th, 1919, to June Both, 1850 have
made | II trips, which have averaged S66O7 81,
making the aggregate amount of S773, 1857 A
very small portion of this enormous sum has ac-
crued to the United States, as our Post Office
received but five cents out of every twenty -four
cents. But as an offset to this our Post Office
has collected for Great Britain all the postage
paid in the United States, amounting TO some
three or four hundred thousand dollars, on which
our postmasters have received a commission Of
from seven to forty per cent; 80 that the United
States Post Office has gained, ultimately, but a
very small portion Of this large amount
The undersigned desire to call the attention of
Congress to this important fact in order to show
that this tax ship letters is grievance to the
People which should be removed, and that there
is no proportion between the freight on letters
and the services performed.
The undersigned have had under consideration
the present heavy rates of postage on letters to
California, Oregon, &c. and they cannot but think
that they should be Immediately reduced, and that
our fellow citizens there, as well as in every part
of our Republic, should be placed upon an equal
footing in respect to postal privileges. Every
one knows that the pioneers and emigrants to
new and distant regions are subjected to priva-
tions and hardships, which call forth our sympa-
thy and admiration. They forsake the enjoy
ments of home, and a thousand endearments, in
order to better their condition. and when re-
moved far from those whom they love- the only
privilege they can enjoy is to hold communion
by epstolary correspondence. To them the Post
Office is Of unspeakable value, not only as the
means of keeping alive thSssccial affections, but
of communicating political and commercial in
formation.
A paternsl Government viii devise means by
which those who are isolated from their friends
and connections, and removed at n vast distance
from the seat Of legislation, may be protected in
their civil rights and immunities Why, then,
should not some and, indeed, great sacrifices be
made, if necessary, to difTuse intelligence among
them, through the medium Of the mails Their
ptarprisa priyatinns and ;pdomitahie couraoe