Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-12-31
Cheap Ocean Postage

In view Of such facts as the following in the
communication from Mr. Bates to the New York
| Evening Post, who will not Join in the cry for
cheap ocean postage ?" Why shall our social
affections and neghborly sympathes be taxed so
enormously when cotton, and pork are transported
SO cheaply :? Are the pork and cotton so vastly
superior in'their contribution to human happiness,
that they should thus be favored So spectators
may think. Not 50 the fathers and mothers, the
brothers and sisters, and the friends and neigh
bors of either Continent. They will surely say,
" Take away this restriction upon our Joys and
affections. Bv an easier and lreer Intercourse,
add another strand to the bond of human broth
erhood which now unites the Old and New
World" We wish Mr.. Bates success in his
noble enterprise:
" The present rates are enormously high and
burthensome, not only to the poor emgrants who
hive made our country their home, but to m2r
chants and men Of busin ,ss. For example, a
letter to Great Britain charged 81 cents, under
half an ounce tor fraction over half an ounce
it is charged doubl3-4S cents and if perchanCe
it should be 4 pennyWei1ht over an ounce, it is
! charged qaadruple pOStaTe--96 cents BY what
authority treble letter. or an ounce and half,
is charged quadrupe postage, have yet to learn,
IN ess it Is to follow the example of the British
! post office.
." Let US particularly examine the extent of
this enormous tax upon the business interests and
social affections OF the people. The steamer
Canada carried out on one trip to Liverpool, thr-
ty-two thousand letters, besides newspapers
| We will suppose that these were all single let
! tars. weighing half an ounce each. their weight
would be one thousand pounds, and the postage
seven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars.
The Canada charges one hundred and TWEEN
: Il E,rt first ole anIS "
dollars for second cabin. The postage on these
letters is equal TO the passage money Of sixty
four cabin or one hundred and nine second cabin
passengers These must be provlaed with good
! erihs, bed, and 'dIing well fed and waited on,
/ while tSe bags of letters can be slowed away III
! any dark hole of the ship, and without any fur
! Their are until the arrival of the steamer in Liy-
erpoo
! The fret lit charged on good, is thirty ser,n
! and a LaJ d1LllrS per ton hence the postage
! levied on one ha'f Ton of letters is equal to the
! freight Of kco hundred and fre tons of dry goods
carried in the same steamer. There is also this
! difference: The owner or conoignee has guar
AMY fort cir safe delivery to Order the SEN
der OF a letter has no such security. II he should
enclose in a letter a hundred or a thousand pound
bank note, and pay the postage, he has no safe
guaranty for It's safe delivery in Great Britain
and if ii should b, lost neither the owners The
| steamer nor the post office are accountable. Bat
it i, not so with goods or freight; it they should
be lost or damaged, the owners are compelled to
max good the loss or damage.
" To expose the euorinIty of this tax let US
take another example. The freight of -four to
Liverpool is now reported at Is. 81. to ,. sterI-
ing. Let US suppose it at the highest rates say
two shllings or fifty cents birrcl. The post
age on thrty-two thousand or half ton of letters
/ would pay the freight of fifteen thousand three
hundred and sixty barrels OF tloar."