Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-07-24
REDUCTION OF POSTAGE.
WILLARD FILLMORE.
BY JOSIAH HoLBRooK.

"oENr-AN-oUNcE" system Of postage for all matter
at all distances would give great progress the DEMO
cRAcY OF SCIENCE" and immense the Go
vernment The Post Office the peoples department of
the Government; more directly, intimately and deeply
affecting the greatyvared interests Of every citizen than
all the other departments united coming home to the in
teectua social moral business and reciprocal relations
Of every man, woman, and child in the community
No other agency but the post office il in any
adequate to the diffusion among all classes in all places,
of the light of science and of the soul No service
pable of being rendered citizens by this agency is
SO high or SO pervadng this diffusion of light
1t is the only agency fitted for the work. and the highest
work within the power of the agency. There is dignity,
majesty, sublimity, glory in the thought of twenty
thousand repositories and agencies for receiving and dis
tributing, among twenty thirty millions Of citizens
members of the fraternity, light which Eliminates
the mind and lifts up the soul to the source from which
it emanated
system Of postage at once simple, LIBERAL and
ghtened, would be less effective and powerful in null
tpying and nvgoratng the wheels of business than in
the diffusion Of knowledge would set in motion thou
sands and millions Of wheels never contemplated or
dreamed Of, while would give greatyncreased energy
to the whole machinery Of business Transmitting sam
pies yvcds for determining business transaction aided
by the telegraph for executing it. would add to the
nomy, the dispatch, and the energy of business opera
tons to extent beyond the reach Of calculation. In
simplicity, uniformity certainty and safety carrying
agency for small packages equal the National Post Of
fee; afordng business facilities for which all would
cheerully and gladly pay at higher rates than to Ex
presses any other transporting agencies.
A cent ounce is sixteen dollars hundred pounds
$500 q ton At that rate-forming estimate on the
ground that the mails the six thousand routes
~o -ge one hundred pounds each passage, three
trI receipts to the Government would be
MOI =, &illons Of dollars year Looking at
the ian Post Office a business establishment
led upon the simple principles Of business for car
rying freight at cent ounce and what intelligent
business come to any other result in calcula
ton but vast resources?
BY railroad conveyance freight is carried from New
York to Cincinnati for dollar and one fifty CENTS ahun
dred pounds Under the proposed plan the Government
would receive sixteen dollars q hundred from New York
TO Brooklyn passage of fifteen minutes and from each
Of the twenty thousand post Offices to its nearest neigh
bor be it ten miles half mile
Not to speak Of the numberless springs of business
with vasyincreased power to ALL in moving commercial
operations it would add TO the interests Of agriculture
and the mechanic arts increased energies and greatly
multiplied facilities Roots, Seeds scions, plants,
pies Of wheat tobacco and other products and numerous
articles interesting farmers could be sent by process
simple direct and certain from any place to any place
in the Union.
Whether viewed in its mighty and pervading energies
for the promotion of knowledge social relations general,
kindly intercourse, patriotism commercial operations,
agricultural and manufacturing interests, Government
resources intelligent mind, under full careful, and
candid investigation OF the subject probably come to
but conclusion the general results of oEET-AN
OUNCE system Of postage for all matter safe be carried
1t all Distances, except across the Rocky Mountains