Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-01-05
WASHINGTON, ID. G..
THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 1854.
POSTAGE MATTERs.

newspapers was passed August, 1852, and has
now been in operation nearly q year and a
half-long enough, it might be supposed, for
postmasters to understand it. And yet, we
presume, every man who sends or receives q
newspaper through tho mai, suffers more or
less annoyance from their Misunderstanding
The part Of the Law most frequently miseon-
strued is that which fixes the rate on newspa-
pers Of ordinary weight at half a cent if paid
in advance. A few weeks ago, asubscriber to
our Weekly in Northern Ohio wrote to us that
the postmaster was in the habit Of charging q
cent on newspapers, unless paid in advance at
the Office uhere they soere mailed Later still,
from another office in Southern Ohio, where
We have large List Of subscribers, we re-
ceived word that cent postage was exacted,
because the papers were not prepaid at the
Office in which they are mailed. These are
but examples Of the frequent vexations to
which publishers and subscribers are sub.
jectcd
Again and again, and for the fortieth time,
we say, that by the Law Of August 1852, and
y
the prepayment on newspapers mag De- made
at either the office Of MAILING on DELIVERY, al
tie option Of The subscriber. By the Law and
by the Instructions, Postmasters haze no right
to charge more than half a cent, IF the sibscri-
Der chooses to pay one quarters postage az ad-
panre, at The office auhere he RECEIVES ms paper.
A few days since, we were furnished from
the General Post Office Department with q
printed copy Of the Law and the instructions.
We copy, first from the Law, passed August
3Oth, 1882
Each newspaper, periodical, unsealed cir
cular, or other article Of printed matter, not
exceeding three ounces in weight, shall be sent
to any part of the United States for one cent !;
and for every additional ounce, or fraction Of
an ounce, one cent additional shall be charged !;
and where the postage npon any newspaper or
periodical is paid quarterly or yearfyin adccnce
al the office uhere The said periodical or mepspa-
per is DELIVERED, on is pad yearly or quarterly
IN Advance al The office aohere the same as MAILED
and evidence Of such payment is furnished ut
the Office Of delivery in such manner as the
Post Office Department shall by general regu-
lations prescribe, one-half Of said rates only
shall be charged"
How can any man with common sense mis-
understand this? I'VE place in italics and
capitals the portions Of the Law which are
conclusive.)
We copy next from the printed Instructions
on page of the pamphlet
Goth. Quarterly payments in advance may
be made either at tie mailing office or ihe office
of delivery. When made at such mailing of
fee, at the commencement Of q year or Of
quarter, las he may elect,l the publisher must
prepare and hand to the postmaster, ready Tor
signature, o receipt for each post of6ce to which
the papers are to be sent for delivery-stating
the number Of papers to be sent to such post
Office, and the amount of postage to be paid
thereon; ALSO giving the names of each OF the
subscribers. Upon the payment of the post
age the receipts must be signed by the post
master at the mailing cfhce. The publisher
will then direct such receipts to the postmas-
tiers at the Offices Of delivery, and they will be
received there as evidence that the postage has
been duly paid. To entitle them to pass free
through the mails, such receipts must be lett
unsealed, endorsed Post Office Business" and
directed TO the postmaster at the office OF de-
livery. The postmasters to whom such receipts
deliver the papers mentioned in such receipts
TO the subscribers therein named, without fur
ther charge for postage
aWhen periodicals are printed not oftener
than once a quarter and are sent from the
Office Of publication to actual subscribers the
amount Of postage being marked thereon as
prepaid at the mailing Office, and the name Of
that Office with the date Of mailing being writ
ten or stamped thereon, will be sufficient EVIL
dence 10 warrant their delivery without further
charge--sueh periodicals may be prepaid by
stamps"
Hcre again, il is seen, that the subscriber
has his choice, either to pay in advance at the
Office Of mailing or delivery.
It sometimes happens that subscriber,
having paid his postage three months or agar
in advance, at the Office Of delivery, rs charged
fresh postage, should new Postmaster be APP
pointed. This is another and serious vexstion,
to which we lately called the attention Of the
Post Office Department instructions we're at
once issued to remedy the evil. These instruc
tons are to the effect, that Postmasers col
lecting postage on the reduced rate, in advance,
are entitled TO the commission, although they
may be turned out Of office the next day; and
the papers also must be delivered, free Of post
age, during tho tune for which they arc pre-
paid. A subscriber, claiming to have paid
yearly in advance to the former Postmaster,
must satisfy the new incumbent by exhibiting
the receipt Of such former Postmaster or othcr
satisfactory evidence, that the aforesaid pay
ment has been fully made, and that il was
made whilst he was in Office. In keeping the
account Of such paper, the succeeding Post
master must enter them in his quarterly re-
turn but instead of charging himself with the
amount he should make memorandum, to
the effect that they had been accounted for in
previous quarter. According 10 the inssruc-
tions, prepayment at the reduced rate cannot
be made for less time than three months.
We hope this statement viii DO found ex-
plicit Let our subscribers preserve il, and If