Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-12-09

ed between the revenue or the TWO last fiscal years.
through the whole Of which the existing Of postage
prevailed This shows that after giving each year the
liberal allowance of Of the one-cent stamps
sod year ending June 3d. 1854 exceeds the previous
year only as 100 per cent.
In this act there is clause which provides that when
the postage upon any newspaper periodical is paid
quarterly yearly in advance onehalf only the regu
lar rates shall be charged In view of the trivial increase
of the postage printed matter and Of the extremely
law rates. particularly for newspapers and periodicals.
would recommend that the law be SO far changed to
omit the clause referred leaving the Department. fall
back upon the act Of 1885, under which quarterly pay
ments in advance on newspapers and periodicals have
heretofore always been required The proprety of this
will be apparent not only for the
above suggested but also from the following comparative
statement Of facts Under the act in operation prior and
up to July 1st 1851, the POSTAGE for instance week
ly newspaper when sent not hundred miles,
any distance in the State where published was thirteen
CENTS and when sent hundred miles, out Of the
State where published nineteen and half cents quar-
ter BY the act of March 3d. 1851 six different rates
according to distance, were established. Thus
weekly newspaper, for any distance not exceeding fifty
miles, five cents quarter over fifty and not exceeding
three hundred miles, ten cents three hundred and
not exceeding thousand miles, fifteen cents; over
one and not exceeding two thousand miles, twenty cents
two and not exceeding four thousand miles, twenty
Ave cents four thousand miles, thirty cents quar-
ter and weekly newspapers to subscribers in the county
where published made free. By this act the post
age it will be perceived for any distance not
thousand miles, greatly reduced but owing to the
and too great increase for the longer disancests mod
fcation at called for and this resulted in the
present law by which the quarterly rate any weekly
newspaper periodical not exceeding three ounces in
weight sent any distance in the United States is only
six and half cents On newspapers not exceeding
and half ounce in weight when circulated in the State
where published the quarterly rate is still onehaf less,
being only three and quarter cents; and weekly news
papers to subscribers in the county where published 20
free. cannot avoid the conviction that had it been
clearly understood that the act of 1926 required payment
quarterly in advance regular newspapers to subscr
bers and that the effect Of the clause in question would
be to reduce the postage the great bulk of printed
matter to rates exceedingly low, Congress never
would have given its sanction to the measure. If my
COMMUNICATION be adopted the quarterly postage for in
stance, on weekly newspaper or periodical not exceed
ing and half ounca circulated in the State whore
published land in the proportion for frequent
publications., will be six and half cents and when not
three in weight sent to any part Of the Uni
ted States thirteen cents quarter The newspapers to
subscribers living the county where published will
tinue to go Free
The expenditures of the current year ending June 30,
1855, owing to not within the control Of the De-
parment, win greatly exceed those of the past year.
In my report of the st December last had the honor
to state that the commissions allowed to postnasers by
the 9th section of the act to establish certain
&c., approved Sd March, 1863 had proved insufficient at
several Of the distributing Offices to defay the xpenses
necessary their efficient administration and to remedy
state of things injurious to the service then
mended the restoration to the Postmaster General of the
u
reduce and modify the Of postage approved March
1851 that he might have it in his power to allow
the postmasers at such distributing Offices the
cessary to defray expenses At the time took
sion to that while this power should be given to meet
the exgenoes Of particular class of cases. not exceed
ing twenty in number there abundant why
larger share of the hostages should not be diverted
from the general purposes of the Department Upon
presentations subsequently made, it deemed expe
dent to ask an enlargement OF the power above mention
ed 50 far only as to embrace few separating offices 81
tuated at points exactng great labor and aording but
nominal compensation to the incumbens. Careful est
mates made by the Auditor of the increase of
pense necessary relieve the few distributing and
paratng Offices which might, upon investigation appear
to be justly entitled to aid from the Department, and
the conclusion that the whole amount could not
coed $4,000 per annum. This sum would certainly
have been sufficient all proper demands for ad
ditonal aid But the views of the Department did not
prevail and Congress passed the act of June 3d. 1854
fixing an increased scale of commissions and raising the
aggregate compensation Of all the posmasters in the
United States not less than $500 per annum thereby
increasing the expenditures of the Department to that
amount instead of SAL, 900, had been recommended.
The expenditures Of the current year for compensa
ton to postmasers" clerks for Offices" SC. will be
further increased by the operation of the 4th and 9th
sections of the act Of 9th july 1854 making provision
for the postal service in the State Of California and the
Territories Of Oregon and Washington BY the 9th Sec
ton of the act the Postmaster General is authorized and
directed to allow in the statement of the accounts of
posmasters in California and Oregon originating pre-
penses incurred by them in and about the business Of
their respective offices and the discharge of their official
dues provided that allowance shall be made where
by the United States shall be charged with any indebted
ness whatsoever The balances due from late and pre-
posmasters in California and the Territories of
gon and Washington subject to the operation of the 4h
and 9Th sections of the act just mentioned amounted on
the 30h june 1854, to $164 A Al Of which sum it is
estimated that not less than $780, be cancelled
under the provisions of the 9th section and carried into
the general accounts Of the Department rs expenditures
| of the current year.
In addition the burdens thrown upon the revenue
the Department by the general increase of the compensa
ton of postmasters the special legislation for those
in California Oregon, and Washington Territories the
cost Of transporting the mails viii be greatly increased in
the present by putting post in operation
by the enhanced prices demanded in the very large
ton let to contract from the ss July last and by mpor
tant improvements in the grades Of service generally
/ Whilst shall take that the expenditures Of the
Department not unnecessarily increased and that
shall draw from the general treasury only as much as
its absolute wants require, which, fear, il
sar do for years under the present rates of post
age it would be neither wise expedent deprive or
keep from people the mail facilities which they re-
qure. The principle adopted in the infancy Of our Re-
public, that the Post Office Department should sustain
itself from its revenues was in my opinion most
wise and saluary. postage then laid sufficient to
meet the wants Of the service and under this system
each citizen paid the expenses Of the transportation of
his own letters aud others not taxed for his benefit
they must be when have to be drawn from the
general treasury deficiencies in the Post Office
i revenues.
Having thus briefly adverted OF the causes Of
increase in the expenditures in the year pro-
coed to show what those expenditures will probably be-
4 n