The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-06-10
LETTERS OUT OF THE REGULAR MAILS, AND
WHAT THEY COST

Much has been said of the high of postage between
the United States and Great Britain and many think tina,
the should be lower Now let how reasonably
go to work in applying remedy, There
several steamships running TO Europe that not
post oce contract packets One Of these is advertised
leave Baltimore for Southampton in few days The
advertise that they will carry letters postage l2A
cents TO be paid advance delivered board Now
the persons who send their letters by this steamer or other
steamers in similar way how much it costs get
these letters to their correspondents England can
tell them Every such letter arriving in English
portnot coming in contract mapacket of that coun-
try hiss 'ship letter. and is charged eight pence
sterngl5 centson delivery for single letters of halt
an ounce weight, and double, triple, aud heavier let
in proportion Add this l6 to the l25 cents
paid this side, and have 2sl cents for each
single letter between this country and Great Britain,
instead of "a cents the regular by the Collins and
Cunard mail steamers steamers that Invariably make
the rapid voyages the Atlantic. Fouranda
half cents extra not large lose but what
costs for quantity. Single letters average fve-eighhoi
half in weight Now, at that rate ton would
have in number 02 letters Theextra charge Al
per letter would make this ton ofleeis cost 6ssou four
thousand sir hl7dred 5oliqsnore than sent ia the reqular
mail Add to this the consideration that no one either
pay his postage clear through leave all the postage
be paid by his correspondent One thing more. Every
letter dimnishes the receipts without any dimnn-
ton OF expense of Post Office Department and of
necessarily makes the chances Of any further
ton of postage home--more and more re-
mote The Baloreans and all Others who take pains to
send their letters by these win have the
isacton Of knowing that while they do SO they pay for
every hundred thousand letters four thousand ire hundred
dollars hdn the government road hare charged them
go By spr steamers and at the time they have that
hundred thousand letters diminished the postal receipts Of
the Post Office Department to the amount Of $4,000
Twenty -four thousand doars) Really, this is paying
pretty heavy to spite the government when that gov
has the highest speed and efficiency that branch
Of postal service and has 81 postage the very
lowest the British government has consented adopt
citizen may not feel obligated and support bis
government loss himself; hut when patriotism
is as cheap as in this case when make money
by serving bis country, pray let him do it,
Every single letter sent to England BY extra steamer
pays considerably postage the British government
than If sent in Of our contract packets and thus all
who send their letters knowingly assist In aiding our
great naval and commercial rival the boosted mistress OF
the seas
may be permitted TO hope that you win give publicity
to this statement and that your contemporaries in BaI
more Philadelphia and New York will give the substance
Of II to their readers You that the writer Of
this has spent time In Great Britain and Is or ought
to be- well acquainted with the Of postage and the
postal regulations there and that have no object but 10
give the facts You also aware tina, am not connect
ed with Post Office any branch Of the government
and that have interest direct indirect with any line
Of steamers only wishing citizen to show how prepos
terousy many win 20 to work to oppose rather than sup
port that indispensable branch Of the government the Post
Office Department
Very respectfully, yours,