New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-20

cipatlou, aud Of the Constitution according TO
| its liberal and humane intent.
THE FRAsKING PRIVILEGE.
The Franking Privilege, sO-called-the send
| ing free by our mails of thousands upon thou
sands of tuns Of books, speeches and Congress
sional Reports, while it is notorious that not
one in five is ever reads utterly an outrage,
go C, mpletely at war with all principles of equi-
| ~ and Justice hat we need Lot wonder the hos
tility to such a system is so universal, and that
il throws so much odum on all who labor to
perpetuate it. A speech or public document
from Member of Congress - constituent or
political friend is no doubt appreciated; but
still that friend knows the system to be wrong,
| though while he thus condemns ii he does not
know the price which he and every other citzrn
has to pay for it. Withouton particle ofimpcoge-
ment in our whole postal system except this, 1t is
susceptible of the clearest demonstration rbat
were frapkiDg abolished ana all Government
hostages paid for out of the Treasury, We could
have letter postage reduced at Once 20 two
cents for all distances and even then the Post
| Office would sustain itself Instead of the
mail matter of our citizens involving our
| Post-Offi in debt at this time with the present
rates of postage, our letters aud papers more
than meet the mail expenses If We deduct the
cost Of all matter transported free. Let us look
the frsnkiJg system square in the face, see what
| il costs and who pays the bill. Most certa MY
the free matter costs just as much t. sort ham
die, transport and deliver the paying matter
L. .oI, in III IN no a.
iect, the actual amount of franked documents
or near approximation being known An Off
cial statement made by the Washington City
Postmaster to the Chairman of the P0st-Oflice
Committee in the House of Representatives
gives the following exhibit of the Quantity of
" mail matter sent from Washington during the
O. month Ct January, 1854 upon which no post
age is collected, and showing the amount OF
revenue that would accrue if the same were
" chareeabe with postage, aud prepaid"
Nun her ofstieI ranked by Members OF Congress- 7I7H
Ano. n, Of postage on the prepaid .. $65J g.
Weight OF Public Documents tranked by Members co, .oo
OF Congress. bo0Vo
Amount Of pot. &c on the same prepaid sllO s5l 20
Weight letters ranked by Eaecut We oihcerslbs %
Amount OF po.rsge the came II pepad.';'' tboZ ~
Wesht Of hewPspers - e., one S
Total amount Of postage GA the sooNe iot Que io-Ih'
Uniting the Newspapers provided It were pre- 49, ~ q,
Td,a so1n, for twelve Asa
Toll amount twelve months If not prepaid 1881 ois 20
We are not informed why the postage on the
newspapers was not reckoned.
But beside these we have about 81 500, 900
for the postage due on mail matter going out
only, and that from the one POstOifice at the
seat of Government. Considering the immense
number of Government and Congressional let
tiers and documents sent to and from Washing
ton, and how many are franked throughout the
Union, the postage due on all 'free matter
sent by mail at the lowest prepaid rates cannot
be under S3.00O,000 per anuum. The Post
Office Committee estimated il at 81, 500, 900,
and we are content to admit that as fair
estimate. The Washing ton City matter alone,
both going out and coming in, was made out
partly by estimate and partly by calculation TO
be 1920, $40 during the two years ending July
/, 1851, and this would be 81, 100, 4l0 annually
for the free matter arriving and departing at
this one Office. Certainly S2,500,000 is low
estimate for the free mails actually transported
in year; and fiat the rates charged to those who
pay for carrying Government aud Congressional
documents the expense amounts to this sum,
why should it not be paid out Of che Treasury
as all other Government expenses are betrayed,
and lot fastened as direct tax on tie postage
paid by the people 1t would be just as equit-
able 70 tax the correspondence of the country
for money to support the United States Navy or
to meet the contingent expenses Of the two
Houses Of Congress.
This sum then of S2,5OO,OOO being fairly due
to the Post-0ffice Department by the Govern
ment, annually, for mail transportation, let US
make cut TIE ceount for the last five years aud
see the result in correct balance sheet. The
following table gives the gross revenue and ex-
pense Of the POst-0fice Department since 10,
but the revenue is that from hostages only, and
does not include the annual appropriations from
the Treasury, these being given in the column
next the last:
Revenue Po.tof Appropriation. Appropria
Date from fee that were thst shouH
MAD NJ a..