The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1851-11-20
An Interesting Document.

A recent number Of the New York herald
sc,siusd letter from Barnsbas Bates, Esq,
n, untiripg advocate of postal reform, upon the
iltj.et Of the present enormous postage laws
IPou transient newspapers. The letter 10 not
uy important as to its immediate subject, but
,,n,sins matter Of curious interest, that gill
amply repay AZ attentive perusaL After few
verbs in reference to the wide spread complaints
s.inst the present rates Oh newspapers, and
specially on transient newspapers sent through
ne mail, he goes on 10 say
ssom the information received from several
hSnbs-s Of Congress, II 10 certain that, at
Arly period Of the Is1t session, measures will
tatsn to remedy the evils of the present law,
aad hat rate, simple, uniform and cheap, will
y adopted ltis the intention Of the Hon. Mr.
sHnn, Senator from California, to ofFer a rcso-
ason on the first day Of the session, iBstructins
Es Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads
ssePOrt bill reducing the rates of postage on
hs'Papers. The people Of Californis feel the
'PPresslTe effects Of the present law in I, pecu-
Lar manner, and indeed, all the distant States,
'S4sl ought to be favored if possible, complain
the iutolersbie burden Of the present law
'ss'ae this the rstes are so complicated that
is' ohe Postmaster in ten can easily tell what
Fiage should be charged on transient news
ssPsFs Instead Of one uniform rate the present
80 imposes at least seysnty-two (72) rates on
HS'papers, according to weight, size and dis
knee
Vrder tie former law, a transient newspaper,
aHy size, would be sent to any part Of the
Nafed Ststes, except California, for two cents
toy the present law the Journal Of Commerce
"IouFier and Enquirer will be charged fifteen
"a"' prepaid, and if not prepaid, thirty cents,
has always been the policy Of our govern
t'aI 10 make the postage on newspapers al
"sAH as possible, and in this respect they set ar
"AnP!e TO the world for fifty years But We
ave fetrogaded, and Great Britain is far in adj
''-ee OF US in respect to cheap postage on let
sasnd newspapers. An intelligent friend in
'.Sland writes thus:
'Ie London Times, huge sheet, weighing
'''y three ounces, or as much as six letters of
. ''us'e legal rate, afterSA has circulated
~''ugn several circles of readers in the me-
.'p0a' from o'clock till 5, may be posted to
=. person residing in Manchester, or some
go provincial town. After having perused
~ p.'DSps loaned it to his neighbors until the
T.s evening, he posts it TO friend at
IS VINO hnds it upon his table at breakfast.
may De pOsted and reposted for the space
So, aays' During that period it may be
,,,;S 81 from London to Aberdeen, and back
stopping over night to be read in half a
r... etmeoiate towns one hundred miles
,i,s; 40 De sent abroad, it must be posted
g. A eight days of its issue from the press.
n e'ehh day, it comes back to London,
S.v ss dispatched to Nova Scotia or
a.. .I.4''Hd-without the additional charge Of
rIo o"@ Nor is this all; at the end of 8, 600
,s,,ao -'ies' she delivers it without additional
Gono. Tue eolonist to whom it is directed,
B,.. no may live 500 miles from the coast.
S,n.a s 'Aen twenty-six different services per-
Il rON Uhat colossal sheet for one penny. -
Houd asked, again and again, why
than No.. 'ne citizens of this Republic have as
S.s.n. age as the subjects of Queen Victoria
si.bin e.. are now circulated free of postage
ydpt,a miles from the place where they arc
b,.-Nhy b,.~ not 500 or 5000? Surely on,
sos-t aent can afford to circulate information
ks.i, P'oP!' upon as cheap term. as Grea