The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-12-04


Is to be transmitted over 5000 miles from The
boundary line at the point of crossing, when the
single rate OF postage ID fifteen cents payable IN
either country, Acopyof this agreement Is hereto
annexed.
An agreement Of similar character has been
made with the Post Office Department OF New
Brunswick, embracing in It's proyisions Cape Bre-
| ton, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.
Looking TO the eventual establishment of mail
line between California and China, via the Sand
witch Islands, tn postmaster OF San Francisco was,
some months since, instructed TO make up and
forward, by every convenient opportunity, all let.
tiers for those distant countries where the inland
/ postage to the San Francisco office was prepaid.
1 Under a provision in the second section OF the
postage act OF last session. order was made, by
the advice and consent of the President, and went
into effect the first Of July last, establishng two
cents as the rate to be charged on each newspaper
! (not passing through Great Brittany mailed in the
\ United States for or received from any foreign
country, other than the British North American
/ provinces, and the west coast of South America,
| where different rates found applicable
and different arrangements were made. rate Of
two cents for United States postage on newspapers
/ transmitted between the United States and Great
Britain, had been already fixed by the existing
postal treaty with that country. This order was
/ considered advisable, not only in view of the de-
| sired postal arrangements with France, Prussia
! aud Belgium bat also OF having, as far as practi-
cable, simple aad uniform rates OF newspaper post
age between the United States and the States Of
| " estern Europe.
! The postal convention with Prussia, which has
for many months been ready for signature, as soon
as reduced rate of transit postage should be con-
scented TO by the British government, is stll
signed, in consequence Of the failure Of negota-
tons with Great Britain for the adoption OF satis
factory rates of transit postage on letters passing
| through that Kingdom 10 countries beyond For
the same reason the negotiations with France for
similar postal arrangement have not been pressed
60 final conclusion, and 4 pending proposal for a
postal convention with Belgium, in connection with
proposition for the establishment Of line OF mail
steamers to Antwerp has been postponed fos future
| consideration.
| The renewed determination of Great Britain to
| insist upon transt rate on letters passing through
| England, which is deemed excessive, Is a subject
of regret. By the postal treaty OF lS45 this Gov
ernment made the most liberal concessions. The
terms of the treaty were highly favorable TO Great
| Britain, but am constrained TO say that, in my
judgment, the liberal spirit then manifested by the
United States has not been reciprocated. The treaty
provided that the British Government might send
letters in closed mails through the United States,
| (mostly by the way of New York or Boston } TO
their North American provinces, at twelve and a
half cents the ounce, which deemed equivalent
to only one half the rate then paid by citi-
zens on letters conveyed the same distance.
| This provision was conceded, although the tran
sit rates on lettcrs passing through England on
their way from or TO this country were left (ten
porarily, al was then supposedly to be determined
by the British post office except that they not
to exceed the rates which that office then char ged
should thereafter charge, upon letters from Bri-
tish colonies or possessions, or foreign countries
though il was known that the rates usually charged
(being different in respect to letters addressed to
different countries) averaged about thirty cents the
ounce.
1t then expected that this arran cement in re-
| spec TO the transit rates of the two countries would
be speedily superseded by more in accordance
with the views of mutual benefit and accommoda
ton entertained by this Government; and to that
end the following provision was inserted in the 18th
article of the treaty:
''But the two contracting parties agree to invite
| France TO enter into communication with them
without loss of time in order TO effect such arrange
ments for the conveyance of letters and newspa-
pers and closed mails through the Territories OF
the United States, OF the United Kingdom, and Of
| France, respectively as may be most conducive &c
the interests of the three countries"
/ Negotiations between the three countries on this
subject were protraoted by the refusal of Great
Britain to assent to an arrangement deemed fair
andreasonable until France has length consented
to separate Arrangement with Great Britain, re
ducing the transit rate on letters passing through
that country from and to France from thirty &c
twenty four cents the ounce
The same rate was insisted upon the basis o.
an arrangement with this country, but was deemed
excessive and has not been assented to.
Our convention with Great Britain can be annul-
led by either OF the two Governments after one
years. notice 10 the other; and if satisfactory
sit rates be not soon agreed TO, this Government
should seriously consider whether the notice provd
ed for in the treaty shall not be given.
Ii is well known that vessels from foreign ports
continually hiring into this country large mumberi
of letters which not delivered into the pos
offices of the ports of arrival, as required by law
In steamers running on the routes ON New Yorl
and New Orleans to San Francisco, including ever
the mail steamers under contract with the United
States, large numbers of letters are continually
sent by express companies and the authority
vested in this Department and it's officers is INSULT
cicnt to prevent it. The evil is one Of such mag
nitude. and bsars SO heavily upon the revenues o.
the Department, that il is earnestly recommended
that the laws applicable to the subject be care
fully revised. IL is suggested that it be mad,
highly penal for express companies, their agents
or other persons, TO carry letters on these
routes outside of the mails, and that il b,
made the especial duty of all officers of the
customs, and all special agents of the Post OGic,
Department., to examine on board vessels, ON theil
arrival, all packages which they shall have gooc
reason to believe contain letters, and TO seize tht
same, under such restrictions and with such di-
reotons for their subsequent disposal as may bt
deemed expsdient. The master or other officer il
charge of such vessel. should also be required tc
make affidavit before such vessel shall be per.
mitted to break bulk or make entry in any port o
the United States, that he has, to the beat of his
knowledge and belief, delivered caused be de-
vered, to the post office at nearest to such port
all bags, packages, or parcels containing letter:
that were ON board such ship at the time of its ar
rival except such letters exempted by law
In view of the present low rates of postage, The
great expense OF maintaining these lines of stea
ers, the comparatively small amount Of postage
which will hereafter accrue from them, and tLS
case with which the present laws evaded
mcnded.
The security ofour mails requires that further
provision should be made TO punish rs felons al
persons who shall steal obtain by false prctencos
or knowingly and unlawfully make, forge, OF
counterfeit any key suited to any lock which has
been or shall be adopted by the Post Office Depart
ment, for use, and which shall then be in use, on
any of the mails of the United States; who shall
have in their possession any such mail key with
the intent unlawfully improperly 10 use, sell
otherwise dispose OF the same; who, being en-
ploycd in the manufacture of locks or keys for the
use of the Department, whether as contractors OF
otherwise, shall deliver any finished or unfinished
mail key mail lock, the interior part thereof
to any person not duly authorized under the hauc
of the Postmaster General and the seal of the De
partment to receive The same, unless such person
be engaged in the manufacture thereof in the man.
ner authorized by the contract Tor such manulac
ture.
Most assurcdly these locks and keys should be
protected by provisions as stringent and highly
penal as treasury notes or any other public seCu
rity. The stealing of mail locks ohould be punish
ed as felony, for reasons that will readily occur
Great numbers of canvas mail bags sent out from
/ lia cit md he cfIir