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

sal edition vsSts
You allowed 10 include greater weight than one.
fourth Tor The purpose OF making up the weight by
ncuding IN the same envelope letters from the same
or different persons 10 the different rec
epiens Then, again, OF SIX hundred letters transported
through the mail only forty eight were written ON all Of
The pages ot the sheets OF paper used two hundred
and ninety nine upon whole Sheets with only
page written upon and rarely The second hundred
and 6y-eight letters covered only half sheet and
forty eight were written only three sides while forty
seven shon printed circulars Thus il is that
the Post Office Department carrying, sealing wax,
envelopes and blank sheets of paper weight OF much
larger bulk than the whole correspondence OF the country
would be under the system that | have proposed BY
amendment shall elrench that expense.
Then, look the reduction that will be made IN tho
penses OF ing the Post Office Department Suppose
that letters placed in the post office TO be trans
mted The first duty OF the postmaster to stamp upon
five cents, and upon the other that OF tenand where
great many letters received in day, OF course this
abor great and expensive Then. when that mark has
been placed upon the letters there ID s another mark
10 be impressed and that to state whether ths letter Is
prepaid not WAsn tina, is done. the letter 10 ready
Tor transmission ihea commences system OF sc-
couns-ior each letter mus be registered and the post
aye upon each letter u TO be scorded and then there 10
rnoass T " .ssiAs NJ. Sssa 3 s0s%S. S
five cents from the len cents. When all this has been
entered in the poslmasefs books then he is to make
an account 10 80 with the letters describing them all
and many blIes have 10 be sent there letters
directed the destination, and these billets
complicated in all their details These letters are des
patched, not TO their place OF destination but 70 the dis
tributing office, and when they arrive there the envel
opes be removed and the bes 10 be renewed and
the letters again sent 10 the place OF destination Then,
when they arrive at their destination every billet is to
be registered and the contents recorded and transcript
OF them 10 be sent from the receiving, and from the
distributing and finally from the delivering post office to
the general department at Washington And then this
and complicated system OF entries Is to be carried
out IN books, the number OF which no man can tell by
clerks whose name Is legion. .
Now, by the amendment which PROPOSE we shall re-
duce all expense and render the process simple That
say, when letters received, whether BY tue way.
sidsor the post otce there shall be one simple stamp
upon il of paid !; may be that word, but II may
be something which shall be authorized and sanctioned
by the General Post Office Whatever the stamp or the
letter may be- il will convey all the information that Is
necessary for the post Office by which is to be deliv
ered Then the postmaster, making up his account OF
letters, will have nothing 10 do but to add up the number
such stamps that impressed upon etters 20 thatt
reduced to the simple process OF arlthmetcal computa
ton by addition.
nave one word say upon the subject Of cheap
postage and that shall lind ourselves obliged to
reduce the postage again, adopt system which -
now submitted to by the committee The people,
believe entitled to cheap postage and they will have
it, because 1t is their ght and Will turn Out ultimately
that cheap postage will be the profitable to the gov
ernment Every that If, instead OF making
The rates OF postage they now stand at hye and ten
cents postage IN the last reform we mad he prop
osition which proposed by either OF these commit
tees the Post Office Department would have been richef,
and the country would have been satisfied, and there
would nave been no necessity now
proposed by the bill before AS to the argument that
may reduce too low, have nothing further 70 say
in addition what have said except that every srgu-
ment that has been proposed against reducing the
postage to two cents was proposed against reducing the
postage TO ten cents and five CENTS and has Been over
ruled by experience.
There is another matter to be considered The gov
eminent Of the United States inrusted with the car
rage OF letters &c, Tor the purpose OF accommodating
the community. Now. throughout nine;ten.h: Of the
United States, letters would be carried by individuals
cheaper than the rates that we now propose, II we
should leave the business to private enterprise TO private
capital think is the duty OF the government to maiD
tain this system OF posts consttutonay enlOned upon It,
that the government should not
higher rate than the service could be performed
by Individuals There is another view OF this matter 70
which will advert and that is that the post ofhce Is
daily being brought into competition with another public
carrier which carries these burdens of correspondence
with thousand times greater despatch and rapdity
than the post Office even with the aids OF steamboats,
and railroads-,hat is the electric telegraph. II 10 al
ready becoming profitable system OF commercial cores
and the time is not far distant when the telegraph will
encroach upon the nails if we retain the postage at
higher than that by which the difference IN time
will be compen saed by reduction OF me cost II u
because have looked at this subject in various lights
that have to the conclusion that two cents uniform
throughout the country would be most satisfactory the
country and permanent and more useful 10 all the
departments Therefore II is that have submitted TINS
moiion the same time saying that, II gentlemen mink
have brought 1t down TO too low rae, Wouid re
willing 10 raise it TO and half cents prepaid and to
provide coin OF that value, which would be fractional
of ibe federal currency and which would enable to
supply The want of the community in that respect and to
make our postage correspond to the federal currency nat
we have now IN use
Mr.. DAYTON | desire simply to correct a misappre-
henson OF the senator from New York. to the language
used by me Yesterday did not say that the amend
ment o the senator from New York would reduce the
postage in this country to the amount as was pad
In Great Britain said that the bill from the House, as
was gave TO postage IN this country as cheap as
the hostage in Great Britain that the postage IN Great
Britain being two cents, and the bill coming from the
House recurring three cents the difference between the
two rates was no, than was commensurate; and,
indeed il was not commensurate 10 the dinerence 0e
tween the distances the two countries over which tho
oorrespondence was to be carried The amendment OF the
senator from New York, in point Of fact, reduced the
postage here far below the postage which Is adopted IN
Great Britain. .
But that is not think the radical objection to his
amendment am willing to go for his doctrine OF cheap
POSTAGE but the radical objection s, that II will permit no
letter to be carried al all unless the man who ma's
paws the postage. Now, think that every man should
have the option, when he writing upon the business OF
another TO throw the burden Of the postage upon the
person to whom the business belongs II you compel IN
dviduals 10 pay postage about matters WIN wn0a
have no connection, the inevitable consequence -, that
you very much diminish the amount of the correspond
ence OF the country. That consequences will be inev-
table
There is another objection in connexlon with this
which ia somewhat practical in its character am really
anxiou. that bill OF this kind should pass, giving to the
country this cheap postage which it demands Now.
and the Judgment OF all who hear me, when we see the
efforts through which this bill passed the House OF Repre-
sentstves, to say make important amendments oil
this kind, il il is probable that any organization
which this system proposes in the bill 60 back to the
House and be passed at this session Is il not better az