New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-24

should be charged four cents; and the same rate
should be charged for each quarter Of a pound. or
fractional quarter Of pound, beyond the first.
Each bound book should form package byirself,
with one book only in the same wrapper.
Circulars and similar printed matter not ex-
ceeding four ounces in one wrapper, should be
charged two cents; and all frseion.l excuses Of
weight sh ,uld be charged on the sams principle
as We have laid down ior e!ters. Monthly peri
odica,s not weighing above four ounces should
psy IL cents year; semi monthly Of the sane
weight, "a cents; AID quarterlies cents. But
moot of the monthly periodicals., like Black.
woods Magazine, Grahsms Magazine. The
Kpickerbocker, and Patnams Monthly, weigh
from ~ 70 y ounces q copy and would conse-
quebily cost "a cents year postage. The re-.
prints Of the Foreign Quarterly Reviews weigh
from 9 10 10 ounces, and would thus come to L!
cents q year postage. Most duodecimO volumes
from 800 to 500 pages, weigh from II to 20
ounces, and would thus cost from l6 to 20 cents
postage.
There ia no valid reason why there should be
different rates Of postage on papers published and
sent by mail within State, or from one State to
another Every man would reap his share Of the
benefits of the lowest possible rates of postage
on every species of malable matter aided by the
greatest uniformity attainable. Twenty cents
year postage for weekly newspaper is not far
from 26 cents . year, or - cents, the rates
row charged without or within State. The
20 cent rate is fair compromise. The free
carriage for papers within the County where
published could be continued, if considered
advisable, but in that case, all local papers in
cities and towns should be forbidden to circulate
their papers through the pla:e where published,
except at the usual rates Of postage, provided
there was free delivery by carriers. Otherwise
they would load and employ all the letter carriers
in delivering city papers. OF course, this would
not do.
In book postage, and postage on all transient
printed matter, bound and unbound, our rates at
present are one cent an Ounce-not burden,ome
charge, but one that subjects every siogle pack.
age containing more than single copy of paper,
pamphlet, or periodical, to be weighed and ad
justed to exact single ounces. This is both trou-
blesOme to the public and the Post Office clerks.
The English rate of postage on books is sixpence
sterling on each book weighing not over half a
pound, and sixpence for each half pound, or frac
tionsl part of a half pound beyond the first. This
is very convenient to all parties, as the weight
OF number of separate half pounds-and the post
see can. in most cases, be told by the Judgment
without resorting to the scales. With the quan-
tity of printed matter that our population re-
quires, it would probably be satisfactory to have
the postage adapted little nearer to the weight,
than this, in England, of having no intermediate
rate between half pound and pound.
/. s important to have as much uniformity
Is possible; to have all rates az the lowest
iDduceuent for each and every per,on that mails
a package to prepay it, If a person wishes to
send letter, an advertisement, a circular or a
transient newspaper, to q friend, or to any one
on business there is no reason why he should no.
prepay it with two cent stamp. Two news.
papers in the same wrapper should 60 for the
same postage one alone. The postage due on
TRANSIENT matter is in such little drlblets coats SO
much trouble in proportion to the amount and is
SO troublesome to account for in rendering al ac-
count of postage -mOney-s so easily forgotten
that every inducement should be offered for those
uiDg the mails to prepay ererything. fla person
should receive a newspaper, letter, circular or
packet not knowing its value, and be charged four
cents postage, he would be quite apt to refuse it,
and should DO SO. 1t would soon be understood
that, to iDtuIe delivery, packet should be pre-.
paid. If these rates of postage are NOT right in
every particular-and very likely they may not
be-they are on general plan, that presents a
good deal of equity toward the public, aud sim.
picity and convenience for those whose business
it is to carry on the varied and multifarious ope.
rations Of the postal service. Before condemning
our programme, let all these various considera-
tons be duly weighed and considered.