New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-15
REc,sTRY or MONEY LETTERS.

After the first of July, persons having Occa-
sion to send money or other yaluables through
the mail may register the same at the Post.
Office by paying the sum of Eve cents for each
etter. For this the Postmaster will give
receipt, and when the letter is taken out of tAe
Office BY the person TO whom it is addressed
receipt is also given. Registered letters are 10
be made up in separate packages aud addressed
% the Postmaster.
This plan may be well enough so far "a il
goes, though we doubt if it is much Of an i'm
provement. A perfect account of the letter is
made at the Office in which il is depOsited the
receipt will be evidence that it was duly mail
ed; $50, if it reaches its place Of destination,
the regulations are such that it would be likely
to be delivered. But suppose it is stolen on tho
route AS it may be, as well as any other LETT
ter. Indeed, il is quite obvious that if there
are any misearriages of letters after the period
above referred to it will be among those pack
ages directed to Postmasters for, being so ad-
dressed, of course they may be presumed to
contain money, and will be just the ones to DO
purloned.
What the people desire is system by which
money may be safely RENTED. The plan ia
ouestien does not appear TO US to be of that
character There is more risk about it than I'M
der the present system, for now dishonest clerk
must steal a whole mail to be certain of finding
letters containing money, whereas under the
new plan the valuable letters are separated from
the ordinary ones by the Department itself, and
l.. 10. -. al nla
age 10 obtain haul.
In view Of these facts we ought to have a
Money Order system similar to the one in opera
ton in Great Britain. Then there would be no
chance for losing anything. There the Govern.
ment takes the risk aud if anything be lost, and
it is next to impossible that this should occur,
the Government stands the loss. SO it should DO
in this country The Government here should
charge sufficient sum for the conveyance of
valuable letters to secure their conveyance and
delivery; or in case of loss it should indemnify
the loser.
We have little confidence in the Registration
system which is shortly to be adopted. We
shall pay an increased rate of postage without
increased security to the letter. The Govern
~ II tiut Will tdAt a IltiuoEdu0uIn Oh ~,
and in case of loss will endeayOr to ferret out
the thief But this it should do in any event.
1t is paid for safely conveying all letters. When
it receives letter upon which the postage is
paid, it contracts to deliver it to the person to
whom it is addressed upon his calling for it
just as iorwarder contracts to deliver an
article of merchandise, the conveyance of which
he undertakes In the latter ease the forwarder
is bound to make good any loss the property
may sustain while il is in his custody. Why
should not the Government be in like manner
responsible for communications it undertakes to
make, especially when it gives receipts for the
samel In aword we think the Government
should be sued upon those receipts in case
letter miscarries or is lost as forwarding mer.
chant may be upon a receipt he gives for mer-
chandise placed in his charge for transmission
from one portion Of the country to another.