The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-03-30

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To show the full cost OF this service heavy sum
be added for route agency and mai messenger duty made
necessary IN consequence
IL will be perceived from this statement that railroad
transportation has enlarged, of late, far more rapidly
than steamboat il having nearly quadtupled 10 len
yeats; also thai the expense or each aie OF The former
is about qnadrople that ol the latter. easG&aa a9gt
Should this species OF service coaunue 10 multiply IN
any such ratio for the next ten yeasis present eost
amouBng 10 about ibirt OF the deara.snrs entire
postage revenDeit quite apparent tal at The rates OF
pay now allowed the companies its enide income from
that source will be required Tor that single item OF expen-
diture
March ., lS45, he no.able day 10 tire annals Of the
office in consequence Of the passage by Congess on that
date OF four acts materially affecting its policy The first
OF these made 1t the duty OF The Postmaser General at
all future lettings of contracts, TO award the accepances
without other reference TO the mode OF transportation
than might be necessary to the due fiy security and
tert0tnty o the mails. The second directed him 10 ar
range the railroad routes under three classes according
10 their respective Importance as channels OF mail COM
mnnlcallon' and prescribed limit q compensation Tor
each class The third authorized him 10 contract, for
periods mol exceeding ten years. tor transportation o Tie
mails to any foreign port giving the preference TO the
steamships suitable for vessels war and cIaimabe
by government when needed tor that purpose al valua
lion. The fourth abolished the irankng privilege, and
adopted for the first time in the history OF the esablish
men scale oil letter postage based wsght-the just
MISUNDERSTANDING the charge Tor sugle leieI, (mited
TO halt an ounce) going not over 800 miles to five cents
and ten cents for greater distances aBo prescribed
improved scale for newspapers and other printed matter,
allowing the former 10 60 posage-ree to subscribers
within 80 miles OF the place OF publication Let us mo-
tice each OF these enactmens more particularly.
The in regard to the mode of letting the mail con-
tracts was designed to aid the department in carrying in
to successful execution the reduced postage tan refer
red to, by preventing the application OF any OF its funds
TO the maintenance OF mail coach lines Tor the benefit oi
the travelling community That II is servcsabe in re-
fact that during the first four years Of its operation 645
TO 1S49) the curtament under that head amounted TO
soo0 although the post roads extended within
ude OF construction Of which lie terms due celeri,y
cera ainty and security of the ma susceptible and
difficulties connected with its execution, the principle i'm
bodied in this statute has not been srngeniy enforced
in all cases
The act concerning the classification Of the railroad
pay has materially aided the department in resisting
rapid augmentation OF this class OF contracts and the
large decline in its under the present cheap rates
OF postage, il s obvious that The limits fixed thereby
(ranging from fifty to three hundred dollars mile per
for length OF road) more liberal than the
ablshment will be able hereafter 10 measure up TO- with.
out leaning upon the national reasurya recourse point
ed rut objectionable by ressons OF the wrighy
character The anies could nc; consistently, under
the circumstances, complain il Congress should pass
restrictive subject, because the
veyance OF the mails does not materially increase their
expenditures, while their stockholders and the
munes along their lines. are furnished thereby with
important social, intellectual, and commercial advan-
tsges A generous public spirit should dispose these
gentlemen TO forward the mails at prices merely rfma-
neratiye #"
been intended by the national legislature incipienl
step towards the creation OF steam navy, in imitation
OF policy extensively pursued in late years by Great
Bfain-the national defence and the protection OF com
merce in the emergency Of forelgn war being the prn-
cpal objects in yew the conveyance OF the mails being
subordinate. fresh impulse was given to the enter
prise by the act OF March 3, ls47, nsructng the Sec
retay OF the Navy TO contract for the transportation OF
the mails between New York and Liverpool, and be-
tween New York, New Orleans, Asp'nwa San Fran.
cisco, and ASTORIA in steamers constructed the plan,
and rendered by the owRers on The conditions, above
referred to contained in the statute OF lsa5 To aid
in carrying these laws into effect well az the first
contract made under their provisions (New York 10
Bremenhayen, in Germany0 Postmaster General john
son. in the summer OF ls47, despatched 10 Europe bis
accomplished FIRST Assistant, s. X Hobbe, esq with
authority enter iso International postal arrangements,
who succeeded in erecng treaty with OF the Ger
man States terms very favorable 10 the citizens OF
this country Under It's articles, the city OF Bremen, with
which we have extensive commerce, and which is
closely connected with ST. Peersburgb, Vienna, Trieste,
and other important cities the continent by railroads
and other travelling lines, became the transatlantic ex-
change Office for all mails sent by the ocean line
The rates of postage adopted which have since been
largely reduced. cursiled one-ba the previous expense
for correspondence and had the further merit OF being
left optional 10 prepayment The citizens oil The United
States and the thirty OF Germany thus enabled
correspond with each other without serious impedl.
meni Both IN social and commercial pon, OF view this
convention OF vast Importance Postal treaties
have since been effected with Great Britain and Prussia
and others contemplated with France and Belgium By
virtue of the British treaty, their citizens and
exchange letters and newspapers with each other
yenieny with those OF their countries 1t also
secures TO the cizens OF the United States wishing to
forward correspondence TO the ports OF the most distant
nations the benefits of the extensive mail tl-packet
system of that enlightened nation, the vessels OF
which convey regular mails 10 all parts OF the civil
lied world Under the articles OF this treaty de-
par,ment dispatches by the British steamers mail
TO all prominent ports in the West indies. and
on the northern and western coasts OF South Ameuca.
The Pruesan treaty provides for semi weekly closed
mail, which is sent by The British and American steam
ers via England and Belgium The cost of transmitting
letters under these conventions (vafying from len TO
wen,y-fou cents Tor single leltei) is considerably
greater than the spirit OF the age, the public sonve
nience and necessities make desirable vet in view ot
their effect upon national reputation. the great intel.
eotua social elgious, and commercial benefits secured
by them and their utility in dhusng knowledge of our
fee political institutions among the misruled muuiudes
OF the Old World IL would be difficult overrate III cir
Importance Ii is proper to add iha, arana ement
us been made by Judge Campbell with the owners of
line of clippershps for monthly conveyance OF letters
to Australia al two cents each Tor the postage,
which. il is hoped will prove the entering. wedge TO
| series oil improvements OF that class.
The United States government has under contract at
present the following routes, at annual expense