Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-02-22

H. that will very greatly reduce the amount Of The revenue
One thing which have had in view in preparing my amend
mept has keep the receipts OF the department neal
a possible 70 its expenditures feel sslissd from the sx-
animation have given the subject in connexion with the
Postmaster Genea-for deemed it proper consult with
him and also with postmasters of experenceha under The
provisions Of the substitute have offered the revenues Of he
department will meet the expenditures. will read the
Senate communication which received from the Posmas-
ter General on this subject: qsl al r
Posr OrYIcE DErARTMESr, JAsUARr 20, 1851.
SIR In accordance with your suggestion and OF my own
convictions of duty, have attenvey considered the
to reduce and modify the of in the United States
and 20 provide the coinage of three cent piece which
lately passed the House Of Representatives and now PROPOSE
as requested by you In interview of this morning. to state
INV views in regard Of the provisions of that ACT
Before doing So il proper state that Is not my purpose
to oppose the of this other act which may
the deliberate approval of the Senate House Of Representa-
iyes aud that in suggesting objections amendments do
80 with due respect for the House of Representatives and in
the belief that the members Of that House, the subject
again presented their consideration, will generally approve
my suggestions.
desire Also in Justice myself my views in
to the reduction Of the which will be caused by the
passage the bill in its present FORM beyond the reduction
which would result from the reduced rates Of postage
mended in the last annual report from this department II
should omit TO do this, the effects Of the reduction proposed
by the House bill might create impression that the opn
expressed in that report in reference to the effect OF the
reductions there recommended and deceptive
disrespec INTENDED 70 tnOse members
the House who advocated still further reduction. The head
of an Executive department which, since the organza-
ton of the Government has been conducted upon the p
cpe that it should sustain ITSELF ought not perhaps to urge
departure from that principle, while members Of Congress
NAV well consider whether the benefits accuiDg their
stuens and the country by reduction Of the
Of postage will not justify them in securing such benefits
large annual appropriation from the treasury.
The House having deliberately fixed the rate Of inland let
postage at three cents the single rate without regard to
70 In tn
the bill that the experienced financial officer OF this depart
men after most careful examination estimates increas-
ed reduction in the Of the department for the next
fiscal year of $500 and above the reduction which
would have been caused by reducing inland letter postage
five cents the single rate when unpaid and three cents
when prepaid. s.t3
The same officer estimates reduction in the revenue for
the next fiscal year. by the adoption Of uniform three cent
for California and Oregon, Of $780, 600 beyond the
ducton which would have been caused by the reduction Of
letter postage to and from Oregon and California to one half
the present rates.
While would recommend very arre reduction Of the
present letter postage and from California and Oregon,
feel my duty state that the great expense of
lines, and the extraordinary cost of transportation the
Ishmus and in California, not only justify but require in
creased rate of postage these long routes Unless this fea
ture Of the bill changed shall have rates Of postage
fiom New York and New Orleans Clba l23 cents to
Chagres 20 cents Panama 80 cents, and to California
and Oregon Notwithstanding the greatly increased dsance
only cents. r
Further authority should be given to the department to
make for the ranspoatiouo the mail to places
foreign countries by transient vesseB otherwise and
for that purpose to employ consus special agents
Great commercial advantages might reiu from arrange
ment for the transportation of the maii from Chagres and
Panama along the Atlantic and Pacific Of South Anne
RIGA, which might perhaps be accomplished by transient
sells otherwise at moderate COST though the agency of
our consuls.
The proprety Of fixing more uniform rates Of sea postage
referred to in the annual report from Ibis department and
to the suggestions there made you respectfully referred
The different rates established eKatiously
and compcatedsome with and without inland postage
added No of postage established to many points
which would be desirable to make arrangements send
mails while rates established points of less mpo
lance sometimes in the vicinity For instance, the
OF March Sd, ls45, establishes rate Of postage be-
any ports of the United States ard the ports of England
France any other foreign port net less than three thou
sand miles distant" but omtsto establish general rate to
foreign ports not three thousand miles distant from the United
States The same act establishes the Of postage
the ports of the United States and any of the West
India islands islands in the Gulf Mexico, but establishes
rates Of postage Mexican ports the main land adon
ing that Gulf
It is proper also TO remark that the first section as now
stands probably abolshes the ranking privilege Of all
bers of Congress- officers Of the Government and Others If
letters be charged with POSTAGE the privilege of
ranking letters must necessarily
The provision in regard to the compensation Of pHtmasers
should be amended The practical execution Of the provision
in its present form would be difficult if not impossible.
certainly not intended to give posmasers their u COM
missions, precisely though all the letters hereafter sent
through the mails charged with postage at the old rates.
for the increase the number of letters would soon be such
to increase to unreasonable amount the commissions
that would be allowed by such construction. 10 fix the
at the compensation of the last present year
would not accord with the construction of the act for
there natural increase in the number of letters oom ten
to fifteen per cent per year. Nor would be Just to fix their
compensation at the compensation at the Offices for the
present year. for the business at all the offices subject
fuctuation, and thousand offices will probably
be established during the present year. Nor does this prov
sion afford remedy for the whole difficulty There
Offices where the compensation salary Of the post
fixed by law and where the clerks have heretofore
been paid and generally not very literally paid ont Of the
surplus left of the commissions after paying the ether
penses and the postmasters salary. These offices are all
important to the service, and is indspensaby necessary
that due provision should be made for the Just compensation
of the clerks employed in them The better mode Of meeting
the whole difficulty would to be to authorize the Post
master General (pehaps for the fiscal year only
until Congress shall otherwise order to increase the commits
sions allowed TO posmasers to enable him to make
additional allowance for clerk hire under such limitations and
restrictions may be prescribed by Congress the Post
master General These commissions should then be sburs-
ed and accounted for under existing laws.
The rates Of postage printed matter and especially
bound books aeas for great distances fixed by the House
BILL too low for the interests Of the department There
to fear that the large increase of printed matter poduc
ed by this bill will overbuden mails and than quad
ripple the failures and Irregularities now so much complained
Of and which to great extent caused by the
weight Of the printed matter Gree and chargeable) now sent
by mail If there is increase great may perhaps be
anticipated the present horseback service on mail
will be required be raised two horse coach SERVICE
and horse four horse coach service thus requiring an
enormous increase of our expenditures