The New York herald., 1851-08-18
N + WS BY THE MAILS.
Our Washington Correspondence.
WASHINGTON. Auous, TX ,Ss,

WASHINGTON, August Is, 1851
The Postal arrangements Of the Unitsi Stq,ss-JS.
Postmaster Generals Reply TO Mr.. Joseph Shill,nr-
toms Complaint, &c.
The Pos. Office clerks and officers have nice timo.
of it here in examining the thousand complaints and
arguments which presented to the department,
by those whose business has been deranged by tho
new postal law. Everybody allows that moro,
disgraceful law never ade the basis of postal
regulations in the United States The Postmaster
General, too, makes the s.rctest construction Of
the letter of the law in all cases. as you will per-
ceve by examining the subject of Mr.. Joseph Shil-
lington's complaint. Mr.. Shlington is publisher
in this city, and an agent of newspapers and perodi
Gals printed in various parts of the United States
and virtually published in Washington.
On the 18th Of July last, he addressed long le.-
ter TO the Postmaster General, the object of which
was TO show how he was likely to suffer from tho
second section OF the act. which runs as annexed
Aha the postage on all printed matter, other than
newtpapers ana periodicals published intervals not
exceeding three months and the oi 81 OF pb
hcation to actual and toa d subscribers to be PREPAID
=, lhe instructions Of the Postmaster General on.
this section of the law
EOn every transient newspaper unsealed circusr h,,
bill, engraving, pamphlet, periodical magazine booh
and other description OF printed matter the aboye
rates must In all cases be prepaid according 70 the
weight. '
Mr.. Shllin yton quoted these extracts, and ex-
plained that he an agent of many regular neys
papers and perio dicals-that he had many regular
subscrlbers-and complained that the Washington
post once would only permit newspapers and tho
like to be transmitted to these regular subscribers,
except as transient matter" The INTERPRETATION,
Of the law was shown to be very severe and iniu-
rious to the business of the complainant, who pre-
sented many strong arguments against SO harsh a.
construction OF the act of Congress He showed that
his " bona tde subscribers" were not respected az
such and exhibited TO the department the folly Of
interpreting the word "uansient" for "bo,la fie
subscribers" He pertinenty asked how a maga-
zine sent regularly for one year to subscriber
could be deemed transient in the same way as when
applied to single number sent occasionally to
some person. On this point, he argued also that a
regular subscriber was fixed fact in publishing.
such as the law contemplated in the as entitled
to a privilege.
From this STEP he proceeded to show in what tho
expression Office of publication" consists. The
common sense meaning is obvious. The ofice
of publication may be one and individual or many.
1t may be in every city. This Mr. Shillington
argued, and showed that some newspapers have ao-
tual offices ofpublica'on in many cities, and that
the place where the paper is printed is Of no kind
OF consequence. The sole question ought to be-
Where is the paper mailed from efice of publca-
ton! take the conclusion of Mr.. Shillingtons
letter, in which he sums up the whole argument.
That the clear and obvious intention OF the law was
to allow these publications to be sent TO regular actual
and bona de SUBJ cribers without requiring the prepay
ment Of the postage
That the clause requiring the prepayment Of postage
clearly and manifestly intended and does only a2-
ply to transient matter mailed by persons who pur-
chase and all at intervals occasionally NUMBER
copy paper or magazine and send It to one who ia
not an actual or bona fide subscriber.
That having regular list Of actual and bona idc
Subscribers to whom regularly upon the date OF their
transient" matter, and not therefore, required to
prepay the postage such matter thus sent to actual
That the words sent from the Office Of publica.ien'
do not exclude me from mailing This matter to regular
and bono d subscribers because these Jrds in
tended only to conane the matter allowed to be seat
without prepayment Of postage to actual and boss 1s
That allowing that these words require the mat
ter allowed to be mailed to actual and bona ias sub
scrbers without prepayment of postage to be sent from
the Office Of publication Office is clearly in the spirit
intention and design Of the law Office Of pubicatiop
and that whore matter is sent from my oicean agency
Of the publsher-to a:tual and bona de subscribers It
Is sent from an tffce of publication.
That the proprietor Of the magazine, nc, being re-
sponsibe for the contents Of his publication thus sent
by me, his agent am his agent entitled to mail mis-
publication from his agency, to actual and hola
scrbtrs without the prepayment oi postage My OH
or store being his agency, II Office of publication
That L. being in the estimation and judgment Of the
law, responsible a publisher for anything Hbellola
contained In the magazine, 40 sent by me TO eetusb
snd tora f9e subscribers to be regarded rs q pub
iona subscribers is to be received as from an ost.e
fPubeaon," and the postage thereon is not required
And respectfully ask that H. in Jour judgment, matter
sat by me to actual and bona f2e Subscribers Is not
within the description required prepaid you will
give the instructions ncces AIRY to that effect to ths
Postmaster in Washington city
To this, the Postmaster General, through his
assistant, MIR. Fitz Henry Warren, thus re phed:-
Posr Osrer DrrAArsESr. }
ArroiNlNEST offfcE, July u, ls5l- \
sm,-The Postmaster General has received your cou-
muni, alton Of the l1th instant aking whs:her
papers and periodicals BE- from any other than
the Office ef publication without pre- payment 90 -
age, and sbat constitutes the ofiee Of puoles en- 10 IL.
meaning Of the law
far wit he
can be but Office g publication fr on, ranss within
the ncsnirg ara fnton; provisions of the late act
and that such Office Is the Office whore sush paper i
printed aud putlshsd yey respectfully your obed.nt
servant, fIrL HENRY WkRUIy
second Assistant Poet Master General
9osrrn snnLNoroS, Esq, Washington city, D, q
Now, what can be thought Of suc, a d,eis;o, 80,
tIlsi was tbore ever more harsh intcrpreta.;on
Of "iaia Jaw OF the land Certainly, We haya
iahen uIoL lroEX.
wAuNSr1S. Aug II, ISL
Tic Sumno SiogHa.ioa-- G9rcra -ea, -dtssnsscs-
Sicj~ fhiss oMi tte Nor 0,lcans Dtaa--s.s 81
tte UHioH BGiding-A6abs Of Caba- Case u
DR.. GWdiap, &c.
doub. very much whether tha. venerable per-
sonage, well known as "the oldes. ibhabiant. r.
me mbors time when there vas a greater sta .as-
tion of news Of any kind than Washington an boast
OF this month, the month wherein '.hay fcversy
prevail The President, Secretary Of State, Ses.c-
tary OF the Interior, Secretary Of War; an At.crn
General, all are gone, and eonsc luenty the aafota
mates who remain arc compelled to do double DAY.
thus, We End the Secretary ofthc Navy also a.,ng
as head Of the War and laterior Departments, ana