The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-11-20
From the New York Herald.
Reduction of Newspaper Postage

Reduction of Newspaper Postage.
! To the editor of the Herald, the com
plant is universal that the recent act of
Congress, imposing new rates OF postage on
newspapers is burdersome and complica-
ted and that The construction of the law by
the Post Office Department makes il pecu-
Iiar,y obnoxious. The newspaper press
/ feels the burden in a peculiar manner: as
the present rates, especially OH transient pa
pers amount to prohibition.
From the information received from sew
eral members of Congress, | am certain that
at an early period Of the next session,
measures will ba taken to remedy the evils
Of The present law, and that a rate, a sim
pie, uniform, aud cheap, will be adopted.
1t is the intention of the Hon. Mr.. Gwinn,
Senator from California, to offer resolu-
tion on the first ,lay OF the session, instruct
ing the Committee on Post Offices aud Post
Roads, to report till reducing the rates Of
postage on newspapers. The people of
California feel the oppressive effects of the
present law i'm a peculiar manner; and, in
deed, all the distant States, which ought to
be favored if possible, complain of the i'll
toerahle burden of the present law. Be-
sides this, the rates are so complicated, that
not one postmaster in ten can easily Iell
what postage should he charged on trans
ient newspapers. Instead of one uniform
rate, the present law imposes at least seven
ty-two (79) rates on newspapers, according
to weight, size and distance.
| Under the former law, n transient news.
paper, of any size, would he sent to any
part of the United States, (except Ca!ifor-
MAJ for two cents; but, by the present law, !,
the Journal of Commerce or Courier and
Enquirer will he charged fifteen cents, pre-
paid, aud if not pre- paid, thirty cents!
it has always been the policy of our gov
ernment to make the postage on newspa-
pers as light MS possible, aud in this respect
we set an example to the world for fifty
years. But we have retrograded, and Great
Britain is now far in advance of US in res
pect 10 cheap postage on letters and news
papers. An Intelligent friend in England,
writes thus: "The London Times, huge
sheet, weighing nearly three ounces, or as
much as six letters of the single legal rate,
after it has circulated through several cir
cles of readers in the metropolis, from nine
O'Clock till five, may he posted to some per
son residing in Manchester, or some other
provincial town. After having perused and
perhaps loaned il to his aeigbbnrs, until the
CNShuS, nc poStS u to lIicIu III
Leeds, who finds it on his table next morn
ing, at breakfast. Thus it may be posted
and re-posted for the space of eight days.
During this period it may be conveyed from
London to Aberdeen, and back again, stop
ping over night to be read in half dozen
intermediate towns, 100 miles apart. To
be sent abroad, it must be posted within
eight days of its Issue from the press. So
on the eighth, il may come back TO London
in season to be despatched to Nova Scotia
or New Zealand. During its circuit rounl
the kingdom, the government has perform
Ell twepty-four distinct services upon If. i
has been received and posted eight differ
ent times; it has been transported Over
! eight different spaces, in eight consecutive
: days, and it has been distributed eight time.
to individuals in different parts of the coun
itry. And all this for one penny All this
nay, more! England now takes that copy o
: the Times and conveys il TO Nova Scotia O
New Zealend, without the additional charg.
; Of farthing. Nor is this all, at the en-,
s of 5000 or 10000 miles, she delivers j
without additional charge TO the colonsi t,
, whom it is directed, though he may liv,
: 500 miles from the coast. Here then mr.,
! twenty-six different services performed up
, on that colossal sheet, for one penny"
would ask ngan and again, why shoul'
not the citizens of this republic have n
cheap postage as the subjects of Queer
i Victoria? Newspapers are now circulated
free Of postage within circle of fifty mile
E from the place where they are printed, VIII
not 500, or 5O0O Surely our government
1 can afford 10 circulate information amon
r the people upon as cheap terms as Grea
Britain.
II is my determination, if sustained by m
; friends, to devote myself to this cause, nm
. til we have as cheap postage as any othe
people, and our post Offices the best man
. aged in the world.
9 BARNABAS BAIES.