The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-01-12
POSTAGE MATTERS.

The Law reducing the rates of postage on
newspapers was passed August, 1852, and has
now been in operation nearly year and
half-lOng enough, it might be supposed, for
Postmasters to understand it. And yet, we
presume, every man who sends OR receives a
newspaper through the mail suffers more or
less annoyance from their misunderstanding
The part of the Law most frequently miscon-
struel il that which fixes the rate on newspa-
,,ars of ordinary weight at half a cent, if paid
il advance. a few weeks ago, subscriber to
our Weekly in Northern Ohio wrote to us that
the postmaster was in the habit Of charging a
cent on newspapers, unless paid in advance at
the of;e ukere hty l0eye mailed. Later still,
from another Office in Southern Ohio, where
We have q large list Of subscribers, we re-
cevtd word that cent postage was exacted,
because the papers were not prepaid at the
Office in which they are mailed. These are
hat examples of the frequent vexations to
which publishers and subscribers are sub
jectld
Again and again, and for the fortieth time,
We say, that by the Law of August, 1852, and
l,y the Instructions Of the Postmaster General
the prepayment on newspapers may be made
al eifhcr me q6ioe Of MAILING or DELIVERY, at
the cp',,n Of the subscriber. by the Law and
by the Instructions, Pestmasters haze no right
10 Charge more than half a cent, if hsS,dscri-
ber otoosss 10 pay one quarters postage IN ad-
r'a.c 81 ne office arhere he RECEIVES has paper
4 few days since we were furnished from
the General Post Office Department With
printed copy Of the Law and the Instructions
We copy first from tho Law, passed August
Both, 1852:
Each newspaper, periodical, unsealcd cir
cnlar 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 upon any newspaper or
periodical is paid quarterly OF yedrtyfn atrance
al The Office ukcrs til: SAID periodical or neUSpa-
pr Is DELIVERED, or is pdid yeariy or quarterly
-. Gdrlnoe at tie o6te lrhere he same as MAILED,
and evidence of such payment is furnished at
the cfhce 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! we 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
9Th. Quarterly payments in advance may
he made eathcr at the mdiiiny office or HE office
If Ill l. r
hcc at the commencement of a wear or of q
qaart'r, (as he may elect) the publisher must
prepare and hand Co the postmaster, ready for
signature, receipt for each post Office 10 which
the papers are to be sent for delivery-statng
the number Of papers to be sent to such post
"iFce and the amount of postage to be paid
thereon: also, giving the names of each of the
subscribers Upon the payment of the pest
age, the receipts must be signed by the post
master at the mailing Office The publisher
VIII then direct such receipts to the postmas-
ters 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 left
unSealed endorsed " Post Office Business" and
directed to the postmaster at the office OF de-
livery. The postmasters to whom such receipts
have been sent, will bo thereby authorized to
papers tH fSeciptc
TO the subscribers therein named, without fur
Their charge for postage.
When periodicals. are printed not oftener
tnan once quarter and are sent from the
oifce OF publication to actual subscribers, the
amount of postage being mar ked 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 eyi
dence to warrant their delivery without further
charge-sueh periodicals may be prepaid by
stamps"
Here again, it is seen, that the subscriber
has his choice, either to pay in advance at the
Office of mailing or delivery.
1t sometimes happens that a subscriber,
having paid his postage three months or a year
In advance at the Office of delivery is charged
fresh postage should new Postmaster be APP
pointed. This is another and serious vexation,
70 which we lately called the attention of the
fost ofhce Department instructions were at