The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1851-11-20
An Interesting Document.

A recent number of the New York Herald
lc,.iusd letter from Barnabas Bates, Esq,
~ untiripg advocate Of postal reform, upon the
iatj.ct Of the present enormous postage laws
IP0E transient newspapers The letter 10 not
ny important TO its imm sdiate subject, but
,'uisins matter Of curious interest, that ~ill
amply repay AZ attentive perusal After few
verbs in reference to the wide spread complaints
Against the present rates Oh newspapers, and
specially on transient newspapers sent through
ne mail, he goes on to say
!sOm the information received from several
.Eiy period Of the IsIt session, measures will
taken to remedy the evils of the present law,
Aaa That rate, simple, uniform and cheap, will
sidopted. ltis thu intention Of the Hon. Mr.
swim, Senator from California, TO offer a rcso-
-son On the first day Of the session. instructins
t' Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads,
sreP0rt bill reducing the rates of postage on
hSipapers. The people Of California feel the
oppressive effects Of the present law in q pecu-
Lar manner, and indeed, ell the distant States,
'a4SA ought to be favored if possible, complain
The !utolerab.e burden Of the present law
'1e'de this, the rstea are so complicated that
iH enc Postmaster in ten can easily tell what
F''age should be charged Oh transient news
f'PeFs' Instead Of one uniform rate the present
~ imposes at least sey.nty-two az rates on
newspapers, according to weight, size aud dis
G1cs.
Ie1eT tie former law, a transient newspaper.
1Hy size, would be sent to any part of the
''''ed States, except California, for two cents
'"oy the present law the Journal of Commerce
"''urer and Enquirer will be charged fifteen
"a'' prepaid, and if not prepaid, thirty cents
"hss always been the policy of our govern
''aI 70 make the postage on newspapers az
"ias' possible, and in this respect they set an
"Anp!e to the world for fifty years But We
ave setrogaded, and Great Britain is far in adj
'-'e Of US IN respect to cheap postage on let
sud newspapers. An intelligent friend in
'asand writes thus:
'-e London Times, huge sheet, weighing
'''y three ounces, or as much as six letters of
nse legal rate, aftersix has circulated
~'0ugh several circles Of reahers in the me-
,'p0N'' from o'clock till 5, NAV be posted to
:" person residing in Manchester, or some
provincial town. After having perused
~ P.'NSps loaned it TO his neighbors until the
evening" he posts it TO n friend at
Is VINO hnds it upon his table at breakfast.
Dc poEted and reposted for the space
,, aAyS During that period it may be
,,.:- from London to Aberdeen, and back
e. stopping over night to be read in half a
,,,,. efmediate towns one hundred miles
NTH, 0s sent abroad, il must be posted
&, eu' oays of its issue from the press.
n 'enth day, it comes back to London,
S.rg es dispatched to Nova Scotia or
,...I. 'nd-without the additional charge OF
rIO oo1 Nor is this all at the end of 8, 900
thar. ~'les' she delivers it without additional
aoro. the eolOnist to whom it is directed.
H.,s - may live 500 miles from the coast.
arusd men tWentysix different services per-
II rO" mat colossal sheet for one penny. -
hoDla Ueen asked, again and again, WHY
.s,,n S' the citizens of this Republic have as
S,,.,s' o'''se as the subjects of Queen Victoria
within 81, are now circulated free of postage
ySn,.a MY miles from the place where they arc
n,,-,, my not 500 or 5000? Surely ou,
oong I'M - can afford to circulate information
kx;, people upon as cheap terms q. Grea