The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-07

Was then ready 10 negotiate - once, waving the priv
lep4 Of the convention which England set up in her ees
half This government deemng the treaty uuequai n ~
bearing upon the interests countries partic
ulary account of the exceptional clause referred TO-
ana being DESTROYS Of concentrating, without loss o.
hne the triple arrangems mt contemplated by the
twelfth article commenced negotiation for that purpose
nm diateiy after the treaty executed which neeo-
taons have been continued 10 the present tme-neary
SIX years-whout any beneficial result. The British
government has steadily declined 10 unite IN eaec.nH
such arrangements would abe conducive the
interests OF the three Countries which ARRANGEMENTS
might nave rendered the ual
tion and the original terms OF n. convention still
remain unr hanged The more important parts Of the
correspondence. which has passed between the
two governments on this subject is contained in En-
ecutive Document No. 32 published By order Of the
Senate at the second session Of the Thirty Con
gross. On the part of this government, il y claimed
that the British transit cbargr FOR the United States
and French correspondence II sent IN closed nails
through the United Kingdom, shall not exceed twelve
and halt cents an ounce thai being the proe paid BY
Great Britain for the transit Of British closed mails
through the United states 10 and from the British
North American provinces. The lowest offer OF the
British government is that contained in Lord Palmers
toms note OF the eth May. 1881. In reply 10 Mr. Law
rcnces communication OF 18th October preceding OF
shilling twenty -four cents) an ounce, a SUM
nearly quite double that received BY the United States
for similar service. Under partial arrangement
cluded between Great Britain and France in May, 1851
tn" mails from France for the United States have been
forwarded through Englnnd closed nails Franco
agreeing to pay to Great Britain the price demanded
ccnts), and for the Atlantic conveyance
shilling eight pence dnrty cents) ounce. Prior
that date, the British Office charging and
receiving the postage all correspondence between
the United States and France, via England conveyed
the Atlantic by United states steamers, tne
when conveyed by their own packets; the result
OF which was. that double postage having Ia be
paid all correspondence forwarded by United States
cts she great bulls Of the United States French
mails via England wa sent by The Cunart line Since
the partial arrangement above referred to went ope
ration charge has been made BY GreatBritan FOR the
sea postage letters conveyed by American packets
yet under it's operation the single rate Of postage be-
tween the United States and France by United States
packets is six cents higher each letter Of the weight
of quarter and under than by British packets
aud consequently much the larger Of the correspon
deDce Is still diverted 10 the British lines For instance,
taking the weight of the Trench mails received nj New
York by the Cunard packets TO be the with that
received by these packets Mt Boston and reckoning four
letters to the ounce. The number Of French letters
brought by the Cunard inc during the 237 $40,
while the number received by the Collins steamers per-
forming just half many trips Al 60S-less than
fifth The present treaty in other respects gives
undue advantage TO Great Britain and operates to the
serious injury Of the United States Under ITS provi-
sions, win be by appendix A. Of at
least $ coo British potagcs has, during the last year,
been collected by the United States for the British Office
and above the whole amount Of United States
hostages collected by Great Britain. This largo
balance OF British hostages has been collected
shape Of commissions our postmasers; and this de-
partment suffers also the additional loss by exchange,
&c. necessary to place the money in possession Of the
British Office in London Of not less than 81, 500 When
II Is considered that all this outlay is made part
without receiving equivalent in return, one of the
most striking inequalities of the existing arrangement
is pontedy exhibited.
No satisfactory progress has been made since my last
report toward efectne postal convention with France,
has the contemplated arrangement with Belgium
been yet contaminated.
Some steps have been taken with reference postal
convention with Mexico A mutual exchange Ot dead
has already been agreed upon and carried into
CT and await roje q, which Mexico is 70 pro
pose for perfect arrangement by which Is ex-
pected the rates of postage between the two countries
will be materially reduced
Under our postal convention with Great Brita a. the
Philalcpha Post Office. with the If that
government has been constituted Office Of exchange
for United States and British mails. The articles Of
agreement this subject hereto annexed. regret
Ia state that my proposition for the reduction of PAM
phlc and magazine postage between the two countries
TO one either side has been positively
declined by the British Post Department The combined
rate 1T altogether too high being eight cents
for all works OF this kind above the weight Of
two ounces.
In the month Of March last arrangement. made
with the proprieor OF The Australia Pioneer Line OK
monthly packets to convey mails regularly between New
York and Port Philip Australia, at two cents letter,
onehaf cent per newspaper, and onequarter cent an
for pamphlets and magazines and with the view
Of aHordng citizens the cheapest practicable
Of with that country, have fixed
the rates all outgoing matter by that line at five
cents letter, two cents each Tor newspapers. ami
cent gaction Of ounce for pamphlets and
magazines pre- payment required These rates cmbrace
both The Unite. states inland and postage. As the
United States postage cannot be prepaid incoming
letters BY this line, they treated ordinary ship
letters. Similar arrangements have been made during
the year with the proriotors Of the steamers P:a K
Warrior and cabawia 10 convey mails scmimoniby be
tween New York and Havana, and New Orleans and
Havana, NJ cents letter; and also with the PRO
pr,ctor of the steamship learss to convey mails
every twenty days between New York and Nassau New
Providence, returning BY way of asana, NJ the
rae Of compensation.
Fly these agreements nm important point has been
gained in sustaining The department in tho Efforts which
should he made in all future arrangements 10 keep
the cost % the ocean service, If possible, within is
cepis
To the appendix (marked A. invite your particular
attention and that OF Congress.
II exhibits full statistical information on the subject
OF the foreign mails. embracing the amount OF postags
inland and foreign. malabe matter received and
sent by the different mail ses Hship lines during tho
year the Of letter hostages on British pr,Is
sian, Bremen and Havte mails the portion thereof col
lectel by the United States Great Britain Prussia and
Bremen, respectively and the amounts OF unpaid aud
paid matter received cnd sent by each Of the lines OF
mail steamers The gross and net revenues received bv
the department from eacA Of the transatlantic mail lines
shown, and also the derived from the cor
respondcncc with Great Britain, Prussia, and Bremen
respectively under the existing postal nge mcnt.
with those countries, both including and Guiding the
United States inland postage 1t also shows the number
OF letters and newspapers exchanged during the year
between the United STATES and Great Britain in British
mails between The initcd states and Bremen in Bremen
mails and between the United States and the Kingdom,
Of Prussia in closed mails the number of letters lin
ounces received and sent in closed mails under each
closed mail arapq nents and the number of letey
and newspapers conveyed by the several home lines Of
ocean steamers Otler valuable statistics connec,s,
with the foreign mail service are alss fully stated
The usual report OF fines and deductions will be shIy
furnished FOR the information Of Congress- These ses
and deductions for The year ending the Goth June 1854
amount to s110,4s5 50. The amount for the prevo,ss
year S37 800 81 The increased amount has been
manly caused by rigorous eXactiOn than
fore OF foretnrcs for defective service The aggregate
amount OF fines and deductions Tor tle last year Las thus
been greatly increased.
pleased TO that the introduction into the post
Offices Of better system OF responsibility for mail bavt
has resulted in checking the waste of this species a
property. The consequences has been a decrease Il
twenty cent Ia the number Of letter bags pro
cured during the year ending 10Th OF June last as com
pared with the preceding year though the ordinary in.
in the transportation OF letters has thu
Of greater number Of bags than were actually used
before.
Ny assistants and chief and other clerks have faith.
fully attended 10 all their aates during the past wear
JAMES CAMPBELL.
q. the President.
LsnrSrAnIE Drs. STIR IN CANApA.-About fhc