Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-04-14
PROGRESS BACKWARDS.

Yesterday, in the HouSe Mr.. Odds, from the
Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads,
reported a bill further to amend the act enti
tied, AN act to reduce and modify the rates
of postage in the United States and for other
purposes" passed March 3, 1851, and the act
amendatory thereto, passed August 80, 1852 /;
which was read twice.
The bill was then read at length, as follows:
Be 1t enacted, &c, That, from and after the
commencement of the next fiscal quarter after
the passage Of this act in lieu of the rates Of
postage now established by law, there shall be
charged the following rates, to wit
For every single letter in manuscript or pa
per Of any kind in which information shall DO
asked for or communicated in writing, or by
marks or signs conveyed in the mail for any
distance between places in the United States
not exceeding three thousand miles, five cents;
and for any distance exceeding three Thousand
miles, ten cents For every such letter or pa
per when conveyed wholly or in part by sea,
and to or from foreign country for any dis
TANGO not exceeding three thousand miles the
ocean postage shall be five cents, and for any
distance exceeding three thousand miles such
ocean postage shall be ten cents; excepting,
however, all cases where such hostages have
been or shall be adjusted at different rates by
postal treaty or convention already concluded
or hereafter 10 be made; and for a double let
ter there shall be charged double the rate
above specified: and for treble letter, treble
those rates; and for q quadruple letter, quad.
ripple those rates; and every letter or parcel
not exceeding half an ounce in weight shall
be deemed single letter; and every add
tional weight Of half an ounce, or additional
weight Of less than half an ounce, shall be,
charged with an additional single postage; and
upon all letters passing through or in the mail
Of the United States, except such as are from
foreign country, the postages as above spool
fed shall be prepaid and f.om and aftcr'the
first day Of January, 1855, such pre- payment
shall be by stamps; and all drop letters, OF
letters placed in any post ofhce not for trans
mission through the mail, bnt for delivery only,
shall be charged with postage at the rate Of
one cent each and all letters which shall
hereafter bc advertised remaining over or
uncalled for in any post Office, shall lie charged
with one cent each, in addition to the regular
postage, both TO be accounted for as other post
ages now are.
Sec 2 dnd be IL further enacted, That 30
much Of the 81 section Of an act entitled "An
act to amend the not entitled An act 10 reduce
States, and for other purposes,'O passed Au-
gust 30, 1852, rs is 10 thcse words VIZ: And
when the postage upon any newspaper OF
periodical is paid quarterly or yearly in ad-
vance, at the Office where the said periodical
or newspaper is delivered, or is paid yearly or
quarterly in advance at the oficc whore the
same is mailed, and evidence Of such payment
IL furnished to the Office OF delivery in such
manner as the Post Office Department shall by
general regulations prescribe one half of said
rates only shall 10 charged be and the same
Is hereby repealed
Sc 3. And be IL further enacted, That oil
acts or parts OF acts which come in conflict
with the provisions Of this act be and the same
are hereby repealed
The present Democratic Administration, as
il is called, seems determined to cover itself
with glory. Not satisfied with the attempt to
annul compact Of vital Importance to Free
Labor interests, II now seeks to abolish tho
system Of Cheap Postage, 50 essential to the
comfort and intelligence Of Free Labor popu-
Iation That DR.. O.ds, q Representative from
State thoroughly progressive and deeply in
tercsted in low postage, should stand forth as
the champion Of a measure directly against the
Public Sentiment, not only Of that State, but Of
all other States similarly situated, will surprise
nobody who recoIlects that he has manifested
the same sublime indifference TO the will Of his
constituents by supporting the repeal Of tho
Missouri Compromise.
This new Bill proposes to raise the postage
on letters carried within Tho United States, 10
five censs, unless the distance exceed 1000