New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-07-19
The New Postage Law.

The New Postage Inv.
1t is certain that the new Postage Law Is
blemished with serious faults, but we are
too thankful for the good it has to join in Its
unmitigated condemnation. The cheap and
uniform letter postage, which 1t establishes
at least for all distances under three thou
sand miles, is too great blessing to he
overshadowed by the minor defects which
the next Congress can hardly fail TO remedy.
The chief of these defects is the high
rate of postage fixed on transient newspa-
pers. Perhaps, indeed, the rates on all
newspapers are unnecessarily high, but the
charge of two cents in advance on transient
ones is beyond dispute, exorbltant. 1t is a
tax which, without reason, tends to prevent
the sending of such through the mall
There is no good ground why single jour
nal sent by private person to friend,
should be subjected to higher lmpost than
one sent by publisher to a subscriber
All that can be required is that the postage
should be paid in advance, so that the post
will not lose by carrying it, but the rate OF
payment should be the lowest possible.
We have received printed petition to
be presented to Congress, asking for rate
of one cent on all letters for any distance,
by sea or land, and that newspapers and pc
riodicals may be conveyed gratis We
have no doubt that in time letters will be
carried as cheap as that, but we can hardly
expect it till the experiment of the present
rate shall have proved successful. But as
to the gratultous transportation OF newspa-
pers and periodicals, we see no conclusive
reason for asking it, while the injurious eff
feet it would have on the country journals
is a strong reason against Its adoption, II
not against its Justice They have too
strong an interest in Congress to allow such
law to pass Besides, they form very
useful part of the press of the Republic, and
the proposed law would be their ruin. As
it is, they suffer from the competition OF the
great city papers, and are able to meet it
only by new industry and talent. We should
be sorry to have them subjected to pro-
vision against which industry and talent
would be unable to hold their own, much
less to Improve the country press along
with the growth of the country itself.
\ good deal of fault has been found with
the Postmaster-Gen eral for his construction
of the law as to transient papers. In that
category he includes all papers which are
not taken for three months, and taxes them
accordingly We do not see how the law
can be explained otherwise. 1t provides
that papers sent to regular subscribers shall
be charged so much per quarter, not so
much per week, or per single number The
shortest time it recognizes as constituting
regular subscription is three months, while
for transient papers it establishes different
rate. The inference seems plain that an
der the law all which are not taken and
paid for by the quarter are transient, and
must be so charged. The fault is in the law,
and not in the ostmaster-General, whose
desire undoubtedly is to cOnstrue all its pro-
visions with the utmost iberality possible.
Indeed, We may well be thankful that at
last we have a gentleman in that Office who
favors the cheap system, and understands
that it can produce a revenue as well as
benefit the people. The defect in the law
we must see to, and have it mended next
Winter, but let us in the meanwhile do just
ice to the enlightened and business-like
head of the National Post Office.