The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-02-21


STATISTICS OF the English and American post ,onees,
they will md this fact that The EXPENSE oil trahs'
pollslion IL Great Britain, compared win me whole
expenses receipts o the department s as great as the
expense OF transportation IN The uied States IN the
saton-at least within ten per cent 90 Una! the
idea that three cents - az cheap LOT us as cents Is o
j. Nj CHASE IT the senator will allow me. will give
ihs facts Of the case
Mr. CHASE The cost OF British transportation
American transportation lie S2lS ,993, than
per over the cost OF American transportation. That
MIR HALE. Well, was speaking OF il relatively
The examination had made led 10 rather different
result speaking OF it relatively when compared with the
whole receipts and The whole expenses | now simply
rise to throw that fact out TO the Senate, because 1t
seems 10 have been overlooked; and gentlemen have
supposed that because the mail IN Great Britain has to
be transported but few hundred miles, while here 1t is
Carried as many thousands, The expense must be cor.
Icspondngly less in the than IN the other But
II Is no such thing The expense wiihn ifachoh is as
large in England is here II the statement OF The
senator from Ohio MIR CHAsE rs correct The expense IS
more there for short distance Than II Is mere al over
the country. With this fact, think the senator from
New Jersey is entirely mistaken IN ms estimate mat
three cents is cheap here as Two cents IN Great
Britain.
Mr. SEWARD | Inadvertently omitted TO notice "a
remark CT the from New JERSEY made yesterday
He said that must make a distinction between the
correspondence prepaid and that not paid that we must
have the credit system, because there is class OF letters
which entitled TO that privilege Now, am unable
to understand the force OF that objection Every man
who puts letter in the post Office writes II because he
wants 10 write, because he has something to write about
He writes either upon his business, or upon the bust
ness OF somebody else. If he writes upon his own bust
ness he ought To pay the postage and he does not de-
sire 10 serve his neghbor or friend so much as to incur
the expense OF two cents he does not want to write to
him very much, and will not do and probably will
be as well that he does not write
But am told that there would be this inconvenience
that the person would send his letter upon his own bust
ness, and call for reply from his correspondent NOW,
the post ohce stamps, when brought mo general USE
as they in England would do away with all OF this IN
convenience; for the person who writes 'he ieer mas
nothing do but to send two stampsone upon the out
SIDE and inside OF the letters and when the answer
is returned the stamp which he sent inside can come back
on the outside of it, am satisfied that we will come to
this system later; and whenever il shall come
to pass, will have been found that this is the best sys
tenn. a., ,
remark that this late the session will hazard the
passage of this bill by adopting this amendment Ger
iany not We shall hazard the bill il we conhne our
selves the bill from the House OF Representatives, be-
il has already appeaedtha that is unsatisfactory
to the Senate We shall hazard the measure, ALSO If we
adhere to the bill OF the Senate because the House OF
Representatives have sent us widely different The
probability is therefore, the argument be entitled to any
consideration, that system different from either would
be more likely engage the favor of both houses than
either of the systems before If the is not
isfaclory, can inform the Senate, with the most perfect
frankness that rather than have no stem OF lower post
age am prepared to go Tor either system believe that
the general disposition OF the friends OF the in
this house and in the Other part of the legislature
Mr. HAMLIN AS this is very important question:
! would like to have the yeas and nays upon IT,
They were ordered according y.
Mr. RUsK The House passed bill providing uni
an estimate that the difference between three.c cent
rate OF the bill passed by the House and the two rates OF
three and hive cents as proposed by the amendment that
have offered would be upwards of 800 900 thought
yesterday that | would vote for the amendment,
before the Senate but, upon reflection, ii would be
the destruction of the bill 1t would be reduction
will make the difference | have alluded TO above
81 900 600 The result of that vii be that will throw
the Post Office Department upon the treasury and thai,
will endanger the whole scheme. We shall not only
have that difficulty by this amendment but also another
one-tha OF Immediately decreasing The payment OF let.
ters because, at present. the country is not supplied
with the necessary stamps In my amendment |
propose that the Postmaster General shall supply the
post office with stamps, and thus induce the people TO
get into the habit of preparing and il will be very
hereafter require them prepay, they
got in the habit OF having the in their power AT
owing to a want OF change and a want OF stamps So
that. under these circumstances will have boz these
difficulties to meet if we adopt the two. cent prepayment.
reported bill, and to show that not inconsistent
with myself-l reported bill in support of the wo-cen
postage upon letters, and that bill will support now
But put of It's operation for some time, until the Post
Office Department should supply the country with the
necessary means OF carrying II out And II did another
thing repealed the frank ing privilege so as TO enable
the department to carry on It's operations and furnish the
Mr. BALDWIN wish simply 10 state that am in
favor of the two-cen postage, and believe II will be
ultimately sufficient enable the department, TO pay for
ITSELF far al all events it ought to be sustained by
the correspondence OF the country. But am unwilling
10 hazard The bill which has been passed by the House
Representatives by adopting this amendment and shall
therefore vote against it.
Mr.. EWING | am fearful that cannot safely re-
duce the postage 10 two cents at this time think. how
ever, that will be able TO do il soon-perhaps mex,
year-perhops little later Still, would much prefer
adopting the uniform rate proposed by the HouSe OF three
cents With that think we might sustain ourselves
and If adopt that uniform rate, and resort to the
proposed here for supplying facilities for prepay
ing letters simple amensmenl at the next session or at
future session of Congress could easily reduce the
postage two cents, if il be found practicable do
But this is experiment. and think had better try
il nj three cents, which will probably be safe. II we
bring II so low down at once is now proposed II may
be failure, and probably prevent for considerable time
the realization OF the wishes OF the post Office and the
people to have a final reduction low possible.
- Mr., DAVIS, of Mississippi fee, very fearful that
the effect OF this reduction OF the postage would be to de-
stroy great deal OF the advantage be derived from that
department | am opposed TO ii for another Ii is
the only part OF system OF taxation which is direct,
and therefore the only part which think is exactly Just
am IN favor OF direct taxation. think II conduces TO
economy and that is even-handed Justice 10 require
every one 10 pay IN proportion to the benefits that he
ceves. All other taxation, except far as ii approx
mates 10 this principle, wrong Our present system is
10 support Post Office Department by the revenue
which we derive from it. That revenue is derived by
changing postage upon those who receive through
the mall either written or printed. think, therefore,
that it is exactly Just This modification is. am sure to
bring charge upon the treasury; and when becomes
10, that economy which has heretofore marked will
be lost That interest which the people have for prese
wing an economical action will have passed away and
the whole system will have become not only burden,