The Georgetown news., 1855-06-21

EDITOR GEORGETOWN NEws:-I noticed
in last weeks Meas, a communication sign
ed Reform" In your Editorial comments
upon it you say the matter can be much bet
ter answered by the P. NJ, for which please
accept my thanks, and also, for the candid
manner with which you treated the whole
subject. Supposing the communication not
to be intended as personal, and believing it
was written to redress supposed grievance,
| shall willingly answer it in the same spirit;
and agreeing most fully with Reform, that
Post Offices and post routes were establish
ed for the convenience of the people, but
not exclusively for the accommodation Of a
few that have the good fortune to procure a
few stamps. So far as relates to the COM
plaint that letters had to pass through the
hands Of the p NJ, that he may scrutinize
the direction, it may not be amiss to copy
the following extract from the instructions
Of the p. NJ. General bso4ute prepay
ment being required on all letters to places
within the United States from and after lst
April. 1885, great care should be used as
well in prepaying the proper amount on let
terS above the weight of half an ounce, as
on single letters" and it is also required
that all letters put into the 2. 0. without
proper payment should be advertised and if
not called for, sent to the Dead Letter Of
flee. Up to the 18th of April or lSt of
May, large portion Of the community had
not become acquainted with the law; and
there are some now, as the experience OF
last Sunday will testify, have not yet learn
ed it-consequetly an amount Of letters ac-
cumulated which could not be sent by mail,
and thereby disappointing large number
Of respectable citizens and their eastern
friends, merely because those sending them
were at distance from town, and were
working for living instead of reading the
laws of Congress, consequently it was
thought advisable to coIse the letter box un-
til such time as all might have an oppor-
tunity to become acquainted with the law.
The letter box is now open for all, and if
Reform" was at the office last Monday
evening, at the date Of his complaint, he
could have seen an aperture with letters
over it: Letter Box" If there has been
any error it was with a desire to promote
the interests Of the public generally, and but
few, comparatively, could be discommoded
for by the last Atlantic mail, the proportion
of letters paid by stamps was only &c to
544 paid in money at The time they were
handed into the Office. So far as to the
closing the Atlantic mail too early, that is
all moonshine. The mail closes regular Y
every Monday, Wednesday and Friday
evenings, at s o'clock All letters that
were IN the Office on Monday night were
mailed, in order to have them arrive in San
Francisco in good time, and all on hand the
Wednesday after were also duly mailed; and
Mr.. Editor knows that he mailed letters on
Wednesday evening which were forwarded
the next morning, 50 that there is no partic-
ular date of closing the Atlantic mail before
the sailing of the steamer. All that the
public have to- do is to run their own risk as
to how long they are willing to delay mail
ing their letters, and at their own risk of
having them arrive in San Francisco before
the departure of the steamer
ours &c,
w STOWE D NJ