Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1851-07-31
WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY go, 1851.
Chean Postage again.

The Madison Banner is struggling hard to convince
the people that both Mr.. Dunham and w. ]. Brown
voted against the postage reform bill. They both voted
against the bill passed the House, and both for the
Senate bill, which is now the law of the land. By the
House bill, against which Mr. Dunham voted, one mil
lion FIVE hundred thousand dollars was annually to be
taken from the treasury 10 support the Post Office De-
partment By this means the whole people were taxed
one million and half to sustain department of the
Government that in opinion should sustain itself by
its revenues. IS there any justice in taxing an
honest farmer or hard working mechanic who receives
five letters year, Just much, by annual tax
the merchant or banker who may in the time re-
ceive five thousand! The Department must be sus-
tanned To do that tax should be imposed the mat
ter passing through the mails and then those who enjoy
the benefits would pay for the support of the establish
ment The House bill threw the burden, the amount
Of one million five hundred thousand dollars the Ma
toual Treasury. Editors OF newspapers, and among
the rest who receive thousands Of letters yearly
terested in the lowest possible postage If the burden
of the Department could he thrown directly the Ma
tional Treasury would be greatly benefited and so
would our contemporary OF the Madison Banner. But as
a representative of the people, we discarded private in
terest, and gave such vote as in estimation was
conducive to their interest. Mr.. Dunham a lawyer,
with large correspondence and when he voted against
the House BILL he voted directly against his private
interest.
But both Mr.. Durham and Mr.. Brown voted for the
present law which makes all the reduction recommend
ed by the President the Postmaster General That
the Postmaster General was violently opposed the
bill which passed the House, and repeatedly declared
that it would break up and destroy the Department
notorious fact. Mr. 8right, who member of the
Post Office Committee in the Senate, and with whom
General had frequent consultations will
sustain our declaration. But the Banner says, of
course, the friends of low postage voted against the
Senate's amendment" Now I" of course" " Mr.. Jones
knows nothing about it, he would not make the asser
tion Every friend of cheap postage voted to concur
Mr.. Morse, of louisiana who an enemy of any re-
ducon tried TO defeat Ii by adjournment, but there
were not twenty members that sustained him. The
friends OF the uniform three cents in large
majority in the House, and Of course if they had vo
ted against amendment would have been defeated
But the journal shows that it concurred in without
division But in relation statement, that the
Postmaster General in favor Of the present law
fixing the three prepaid and five cents un
paid, on letters, &c, the Banner says
sThe Sentnels attempt to creep out OF the respon-
sibty of having voted against the original bill by the
allegation that the Postmaster General opposed to
it, is barefaced humbug, and every intelligent man
will .: shake his head at t. Even Cyrus l.. Dunham
has brass enough to resort to that desperate
cuse."
Now il seems to that it requires good deal OF
ubrass 70. the editor Of the Banner make such an
assertion as the above OF course he did not make
IL without some authority, and should like to know
where he finds it. The President in his annual mes
sage, says: "I am happy TO find that The fiscal eOnd
lion of the Department is such to justify the Postmas
Ter GenraI in recommending the reduction Of inland
postage to three cents the single letter. chen prepaid
Hnd fve cents rhen not prs-pcid." The Postmaster
General in his last annual report, says Irecommend
that the inland letter postage be reduced to three cents
the single letter ichen prepaid and fired at the uniform
rate of fire cents lchen not prepaid" Our article is al
ready longer than intended. When Mr.. Jones sub
ms his evidence shall have something further TO
say The whole subject is familiar to us.