Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-02-22

letters higher rate Of postage. Now three can't. .r.-
PAID as rate OF postage in this country when you re-
collect the distances over which the correspondence IN
Great Britain passes compared with the greater dssnes -
this country, less than penny here That system 4
fined TO England, Scotland. Ireland and WaIes think r
has no reference take for granted to the colonial posses
you adopt therefore, the English rule and test this hill
BY their Standard you will find that three cents less rate
Of postage than that in force in Great Britain The
house bill proposes uniform rate Of postage OF three cents
while In Great Britain before sad on unpaid letters the
standard Is still higher This accounts, therefore, in some
measure for the view which has been taken by the depart
ent here OF the propey Of raising the amount to be paid
view of the case .a
Although would be wiling as a matter of experiment
y voe Tor the bill Of the House, the amendment Of the
senator from New York strikes me anomalous in all its
aspects his amendment reduce the rate of postage h
two cents uniformly and in the event Of the money not hs
ne ,eer Is not to be carried. That understand to be
m alenumen. strikes me there reasons which would
themselves to the mind of every why should
not Do adopted Our business men in onr c;,ies
may soon adapt themselves to any le or snv tandard
may choose to lay down, but will be yery long time be
masses VINO are scattered from extent of this
M . anoner can adapt themselves it, Besides
noe positive Pfopnety in permitting an individual TO
mail letter on the business of another man. giving the
'or whose penen. right TO pay. write TO friend on
my business That friend under the operation Of this amend
men cannot answer my letter unless he forsoo,h The
postage No letter to be carried according to the
ment Of the Senator from New York unless be who ;i !,
shall prepay the postage seems to me there are ohv;
onecnons 70 the adoption of that amendment II is perfect
evident from our past experience in this country that all
the business community will adapt themselves 10 snv
rule we think proper to lay down. IT, therefore, we adopt
uniform system OF three for prepaid letters and vo
cents for unpaid letters men will soon conform
% Iney will very soon the stamps referred by the
Senator from Massachusetts We have seen this in the re-
cent change which have made How MANY letters do u
now receive that DO not in envelope And vet five
years ago such thing envelope considered rather
iuxury-something Of an arstocracy. When conespon-
dence paid by the piece that the case but since we
changed the SYSTEM and is paid for by the
weight the whole business part Of the community conform to
it. and now there is hardly letter that we receive that does
not come IN two pieces Of the letter and the other
envelope And if adopt the system Of permitting let
es to be paddy postage stamps business will very soon
conform to it.
There proprety, therefore, it seems to me- in making
some distinction between cash payment credit payment
system conforming to business operations all the
world de who pays cash in advance gets the article little
cheaper than he who gets it credit. submit therefore
while would be perfectly willing to take the bill of the
House, and while have objection to the amendment of
the Senator from Texas that in the Of the money not
being prepaid there should be little addition to the rates
OF postage and two cents great addition Weare max
ing great stride in the matter We are reducing the rates
postage oneha Instead the present rates Of ten cents
and five cents propose reduce them to Eve cents and
three cents FOR single step il is great one, and we
ought 70 look into this matter not hastily, but carefully
The bill passed by the House will unquestonaby reduce
the revenue Of the department very rgey but still we may
adopt it and conform ourselves to the general views and
wishes OF the people at arge for upon single subject
which has been the consideration of Congress for
the last few has there been such general of
public sentiment in reference to tie propey Of adopting it.
upon this subject of cheap POSTAGE for it. therefore,
with all my heart but it to that the amendment
offered by the Senator from New York proposes make too
great a reduction.
The further consideration Of the bill was then postponed
and the Senate adjourned