Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-06-08
WASHINGTON NEWS AID GOSSIP.


the Third Ward desire to know Of w. d Wal.
ZACH, editor Of the Star, whether he includes
them In the category Of denunci alton which
the editorials Of that paper OF tho 9Th and 9th
inst contained. under the heads The election
Yesterday and what are we comiog TOT
and whether he Is disposed to make said
charges distinct against them?
THE commissioners of tho Second Ward
have served similar notice upon the editor Of
the Star, with tho above, whicn is the sub
stance Of q notice served upon him by the
our TALENTED, aniG5te, enthusiastic enter.
tanning, ingenious, truthful, and knoDing
ne1gkbor's columns.
Yesterday, after the copy for our paper of tie
day was prepared the commune atoms referred
to above, purporting to come from the commits.
sioners of election for the Second and Third
Wards, came under our notice We have to
say for the edi6cstion of our interesting and
knowing neighbor, wide the winnings of its
friends en- the Virginia election,) that what
We have written aud published on the subject
Of the recent election is not susceptible of
being misunderstood. We have avoided in
the Star, as far as possible, and intend to
that the freedom and Independence OF the
press shall be impaired by concessions to any
such demands as those to whi,h cur talented
enthusiastic, high toned, courteous, entertain
Ing ingenious, truthful and knowing nei ghbor
refers, the object Of which is apparent. We
commented, in general terms, on the con-
duct of the Know Nothings of this city and
their leaders as we deemed just, and are con-
WINGED that we were correct, as will be appar-
ent in the legal proceedings designed to defsa.
the contamination Of the frauds perpetrsted
by them in the recent election. We specified
no individual, leaving that to be done in the
legal proceedings to which We refer above
If those who address Us in so perem tory
terms, or any others, think we did them in
justice, we cheerfully offer them the columns
of the Star in which to disclaim their partioi-
patton in the courses we intended to stigma
tie, or for q proper defence of themselves
and We shall be gratiied if they will make
such, use of them in a proper way
The commissioners of the late election were
acting in responsible public trusts, and.if we
were to allow ourself to be deferred from com.
menting on the manner of their fulfilling them,
We should be recreant to our duty. IF this
course does not satisfy our talented, cour-
teous, amiable, entertaining, ingenious, truth
full, and Know Nothing neighbor, and others
feeling themselves aggrieved by anything in
this connection appearing in the Star, we
cannot respond otherwise, though its columns
to them, or to the e1rteLs to which our so.tsl.
ented, entertaining, courteous, entertaining
amiable, ingenious, truthful, and Know Moth.
ing neighbor (vids the Virginia elec;ion) re-
fers.
Insuficiency Of Our Postal Treaty with
CIR at Britain As the rule now practiced in
regard to ipsuficiently prepaid letters in the
Unired States and British mails has bsen the
subject OF much discussion and complaint IL
this country, we present briefly history of
the case that the public may see how the rule
comp lained of came to be enforced, and may
also understand that the British Office is alone
responsible fer the censure and complaints go
justly and universally expressed by correspon
dents in this county AID Great Britain.
By treaty stipulation, the .ipgle rate of lot.
ter postage between the two countries, unclud
ing the United States nland, sea, and British
inland postage,) is twenty-four cents, prepay
men. optional; q single ratio being charge
abs on letters no. exceeding half an ounce in
weight; double rate on letters over half an
ounce: but not exceeding an ounce quadruple
rate on letters over an ounce, but not exceed
ing two ounces, and so On according to weight,
charging two additional rates for each ounce,
or fraction of al ounce over the FIRST ounce
1t is also stipulated .that il shall not DO per
mitted TO pay less than the whole combined
rate, which was origin ally construed to mean
single combined rate of twenty -four cents
and the practice of tho exchange Offices of
both countries was made to conform to that
construction, by crediting each full rate Of
twenty four cents prepaid, and disrsgarding
fractional parts Of SINCE rates, until the year
1852 at which tine information was received
from the British Office that they construed the
provision differently, and that letters prepa d
single rate, and liable to one or more add
tiOnal rates, should be treated as tchokiy un
paid, the partial prepayment, even when it
amounted TO an entire rste Of twenty -four
cents, being difregarded, and entirely lost to
the sender. The British Office at the same
time proposed to modify the treaty SO as to
give credit for all proponents, even the
smallest fractions of single rates, which was
declined by cur department. because Of the
imprac,icsbiiity of crediting each country
With its proper proportion Of the postage in
such cases, and the consequent complication
Of the accounts; and also, because the add.
tional labor and embarrassment resulting
from such change, would fall almost sxclu.
sively upon our exchange Offices, as a very
large majority Of short and improper prepay
ments are made in the United States, on &C.
count of the large number Of postmasters, and
the impossibili.y of keeping them generally
and fully instructed in regard to the rates Of