The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-01-16
CHEAP POSTAGE.

apreals to tho business and the pockets Of
every man, woman and chiIdiia The coun-
tsy who 10 capable of writing. Mare than
twelve hundred petitions in favor Of cheap
postage were received by Congress during
the fire, two weeks Of tho present session,
and svory one Of them was Ia favor Of re-
duc,ion to two cents Oh prepaid letters any
distance. The subject morris, and We arc
pleased to say, is receiving attention 10 all
of,hc large cities f,he Uuion. The coun.
try towns have . voice, and those twelve
hundred petitions are the tones in which
they have given ]. ut,erance. That all
may better understaad the subjec, Of cheap
postage, We propose a brief article upon
the subject.
Prior 10 the reduction Of lS45 the Post
Office Department was in state VI bank
ruptcy. On account Of the exorbitant rates
ofpostage private expresses we're establish
ed in various portions Of the country, and
as consequence the number Of letters was
reduced from twenty to twenty -four
millions yearly. In three years the reve
nue. wns reduced 100000, and Congress
was forced to make an appropriation TO re-
lieyc The endorsements sustained BY the
Department. In lS45 the reduction was
achieved. Letters that formerly cost 25
cts. 10 DO despatched to any portion Of the
Union were now carried for 10 cts. Nor
was this the greatest reduction; tho postage
was regulated by weight instead Of ~ be-
fore BY the number Of pieces enclosed, con
sequently person could now send letter
for ten cents that then cost one dollar! The
FIRST two years after the reduction, as gen.
orally supposed, there was falling off o;
the revenue, SO that Congress was obliged
to make an appropriation Of S750.0O0 to
meet the deficiency. The third year the
revenue exceeded the expenditure; the
fourth year the excess Of revenue amount.
ed TO S69l 900; and this, the fifth year,
there is a surplus Of $l.l35.0t5, although
the expenses Of the Department, have been
increased the last year more than half .
million Of dollars.
This being the true condition Of the De-
pariment every man will al once say, let
there be a further reduction. We are all
united upon that question, but we differ as
TO the amount Of the reduction. We say
reduce the postage TO two cents. But,
says one, that will never do, the Depart
ment would not be able TO support itself at
that rate. Admit for moment il would
not, what then? Is il necessary that this
Department more than any other should
sustain itself? What claims for support
has The Judiciary upon the Government
more than the Post Office Department?
None whatever, md If Government sustain
any Department let il be that whose ten
dency is the enlargement and cultivation Of
the human mind. Bat suppose the propos-
cd reduction require an appropriation by
Congress OF one million dollars the first
year. Does not our Government already
owe the Department over that amount?
Yes, according TO the computation of Gen.
Rusk, the Government owes the Depart
ment more than nine millions Of dollars.
The great and leading minds OF The uaion,
are in favor Of two cent postage. Gen.
Taylor was, Gen. Cass, Mr.. Buchanan and
President Fillmore are all in favor Of uni
sersal prepayment Of two cents. The
Presiden, said recently in letter upon
the subject, that "if it required the present
surplus revenue to meet any deficiency ari
sing from the proposed reduction Of post
age, the money could no, be better employ
ed than in dglsing knowledge
Close calculations have been made by
political economists, some Of them based
upon the result in Great Britain, of the
amour, tina. would have to be appropriated
TO meet the deficiency in the revenue sri-
sing from the adoption Of the penny sys-
TEN, and all agree that the excess on hand
would meet every exigency.
In ten years under the penoy 81 stem in
Great Britain the number Of letters has ia
creased from IA to S56 millions, aud in
ls49 the revenue exceeded the expenses
S3,702, 429.
The proposed reduction appears start
ling to the casual observer, but compare
lively il is not so great as that OF lS45.
Half as much reduction as tina, now pro.
posed was then effected upon the single
sheet, but when il came to tho number OF
pieces the decrease was much greater