The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-08

graduated By dssncs and while Il greatly reduced the
issued 70 regular the rsss
transient newspapers and other descriptions of printed
ossdDgy inconvenirnt in practice owing there being
less than six different rates OF postage regular
printed matter which had amour lei to 81 80 in
the year ending June 3d. 1851 sunk In the year ending
June 80 1862 to s7se 24o 3d. berg decline Of s2as,
In remedy the Inconvenience TO postm asteYs
and the public arising from the charging Of postage
such gem rally, the act amendatory the act
OF 1861, Ito reduce and modify the rates Of POSTAGE
&C., passed the Both August 1852 to take elect
the LIST October folowing this sn further re-
duced the rates of postage printed matter that the
three of the fscal year ending 3oh June 1885,
amounted to less than the three which mmsd
atey preceded them by the Of $3.50 1874 At being
reduction evow the printed matter produced
by the act OF 1851 OF than 35 per cent This great
reduction is mainly attributable that provision in the
act of August 1862 whoh requires only ha the regular
rates Of ,s.age be paid nswspa psis and periodicals
when payment Is mlde quarterly yearly ia advance
either at the Office ~ mailing or ellsery.
The 1861 does to have
the expecs items of its friends but while such has bssu
its ELECT upon the the expenditures OF tho de-
partmen particularly for transportation have been very
Whilst from IS 2 to 1870 including the sum of $685.
6s2 PAID in the latter year for foreign services the Of
in part owing to salatay changes
made 10 is46 decreased in the sum Of $4o3 $50; since
that time 1t has gone on rapidly increasing In the
ms cost ths department the sum Of s. 4o1 II; in
the year ending seth June 1850. the Of 81 1885,,
$50 ss IN the year ending June 80 ISL o
In the ending 3oth June, 1858, the OF $4,000
sos o5 being increase o, 2as Al for porta
tion alone aince ths act of 1851 went into operation
The commissions allowed to deputy postmassrs by the
9th section Of the act to establish certain post roads
and for other approved Sd March 1853 have
proved at several the distributing offices to
tefray the expenses indispensable to their efficient ad
mnistraton So made auae indeed have besn the com.
mi WI n m clspa nj
that the besides being obliged to forsgo their
compensation, have been brought In debt Tor
absolutely necessary to be incurred In the public
This state Of things unjust to the postm. alike
unjust to those upon whose fidelity and diligence they
must rely for the performance of the and
sper sble duties of their and cannot be permitted
this evil would respectfully recommend that Congress-
to the Postmaster General the discretion cond ed
to him by the sixth section Of the "act to reduce and
modify the rates Of postage approved March 1851
that he may be authorized to allow to postmastss a. dis
tbutng Offices such sum- in addition to the commissions
scnabls necessary expenses aud that the auditor
DO authorized under the direction Of the Postmaster Gen.
era credit the account of any postmaster OF dis
ributng Office with such sum or sums as may be found
to dersy the expenses of his Office from the 1st
April 1853, from such time thereafter ho bscIme
While this power should thus be given to meet exisen
cies that may arise in particular class of aeund
of the hostages bs Withdrawn from the the
General Post Once But great relief can be afforded to
Ofhce6 l08B0nny
| the amount Of labor they require.
sor ssw pre- o IT,
filing up the post bill, and how much in the bust.
ness Of collecting postage and keeping the accounts
developement Of important bearing the interests Of
this department has TO my notice in observing the
operations Of the act Of 1851 large amount of letter
correspondence passed through the mail chiefly ON the
cities and principal villages but cent postage pei
letter. whereas three cents when pre- paid and Ave cents
when unpaid the uniform rate for letters conten
plated by that great of rform The letters
ered to sent at tive thirds less than letters
rally because the body Of them printed
an Of b
advantage is taken Of the provision Of law in regard 70
printed circulars and they are mailed snd legally teo
under that provision need not point out Its effect in
reducing the and disappointing expectations in
the working of the lowpostage measure nor mead sho
experiment and that Of England, the Injustice (un-
designed indeed) in relieving class of etierwrsrs OF
OF ne tas and i'm posing it on others
psriment felt my duty to inquire particularly into
the ode of examining and checking the quarterly re-
turns Of pursued in the department. aud be-
acquainted vita the fact that, although tho
turns carefully examined, 10 test The accuracy OF
the additions and other calculations involved their
settlement there is, nevertheless process in us, in
which the postbis pared and checked with tbs
transcripts of I'm sils receyed and .mas nor arc
thos. transcripts checked with each other to ascertain
whether the receiving postmaster ctarges himsal! with
all the unpaid matter sen. to him. well the paid
matter placed in his office for transmission. Hence fol-
lows that the postmaster at may mail upon .he port
master AZ certain amount of unpaid Letters aud tha
az .. BaOrt OF thS
sun stated tho pcstb he may suppr the post
bill altogether OF lect the stage The letters
ceivei aud appropriate 1t to his use wlthou. Any
| great risk of detection. ! informed it IL true
that where there is reason to suspect the ntgty of
postmaster rigid scrutiny is instituted into hid
| accounts /; but such instances are not Gem aon.
For the purpose of such inye IONS and for the ur
Their purpose OF tracing letters reported 10 be lost
stolen iron the mails, all tn pos! bills belonging
eturnf of Posmaste retained for tho period of
year and half and then sold waste paper but the
whole system Of accounting to the extent Just noticed ii
10 little calculated to protect and secure the public
that cannot rest under the grave responsibility
permitting it to continue any longer than tho proper
| mcdy can be devised and applied.
The number Of postage stamps issued to postmasters ro
sale during the fiscal year5 ending June 80, 1852,
Jans 80, 1853 il shown by tn following statement
Denonin1- Den,mind- Dsnomaa
| Year cnding h0s, ton, ton, Amotn!
| Jahe 50. cent. cents. IL CENTS DaliIrs
lS52... ....b,4ss2i2 4s,il0c35 2S7oi2 1856 $50 s.
1852. .,4iS6,all 5l,4al,c4o ii6 655 l,eoS7o2 q
Tetal 10 225 $50 o9sTl075 3s3,6s7 3,1i443l 4
| The amount Of postage stamps sold during the yaa
| lima q nd tha ala,