Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-01-19

Although this, in my opinion, is deeply TO be
regretted, it has been, and shall continue to be-
my effort to con6ne its expenditures, as nearly
as practicable, within its income. Ia no de-
partment of the government is greater care
required in the expenditures of money, and If
once the doctine be established that il is a
charge upon the treasury, less care and vigi-
lance will be exercised, moneys will be uselessly
expended in supplying imaginary wants, and
abuses of every description will be generated.
When regarding the deficiency in the Post
Office revenue, there are two matters which
stand prominently out and demand our consid.
Grafton and the first is the ranking privilege.
When the subject of the reduction of postage
was before the British Parliament il was dis
covered that out of The number of sixtytwo or
sixty-iour millions of letters which passed
annually through the General Post Office Of
that country, seven millions, or about ninth
part of the whole, were franked-and this un-
der tranking privilege which limited members
of Parliament TO ten letters or packets to be
sent, and fifteen 10 be received, each day.
When the act of Parliament Of 1910 was passed,
reducing the rates of postage to the uniform
rate OF one penny, one of its provisions abol
ished the ranking privilege, petitions to Par
lament and parliamentary documents only
postage in that country previous to the passage
of the act of 1910 caused the franking privilege
to be very much abused, and no vigilance
could guard against its being most extensively
used as vehicle for private correspondence
1t is, think, to be deeply regretted that, on
the passage of the act Of 1851, similar prov-
sions were not incorporated into that act. In
country so wide and extended as ours, it would
be almost impossible to ascertain with any
degree of certainty how many millions Of letters
passed through our mails, or what number
were franked. In an account kept at the
Washington city post Office during the month
OF January, 1854, it was found, there were
lranked by members of Congress, during that
month, 77,727 letters and public documents
which weighed 693,508 pounds The weight
ofletters and documents ranked at the depart
ments amounted to LOGS pounds, During the
same month the weight Of newspapers sent free
from this Office amounted to 1902 pounds
The amount for this month can be safely taken
as showing less than fair average estimate
for the whole year but the postage, if collected
at the prepaid rates on that amount of mail
matter, would be 81 ,468,886. The letters and
documents franked by members of Congress
when absent trCm the seat of government have
not been estimated, but the number must be
very considerable. Two hundred and ninety
six senators and members and seven delegates
enjoy this privilege, and, by the construction
given to the various acts on this subject the
ranking privilege of member and senator
elect commences from the 4th Of March pre-
vious to the first Monday of December when
the Congress to which he has been elected shall
assemble. The senators and members whose
terms have expired continue to exercise this
privilege until the next Congress assemblies !;
so that, between March and December of the
present year, four hundred and nine senators
and members and delegates mere using the
franking privilege in every part of the country.
If the letters and documents thus franked were
limited to the public service, the evil would not
be as great as it now is, but, low as are the
present rates of postage, the frank covers pri-
vate correspondence Of every description, and
abstracts largely from the treasury. The de-
partment not only carries all this matter free of
charge, but likewise pays to every postmaster
whose yearly commissions do not amount to-
the of $4,000 one cent for the delivery of
each letter. Though the free matter passing
through the mails is very large at the present
time, the amount of tits yearly increasing. The
weight and number of public documents add
very much to the cost of transportation, and,
when not conveyed by railroad, retard the mail
The directors of the varions railroad compa.
MES, when required to reduce their charges,
point to the mail matter conveyed by them
amounting in some instances to tons, and insist
that they do not receive as much for it as for
ordinary freight. Although this assumption is,
in my opinion, most unfounded, it affords pre-
text to some of them for demanding the present
enormous rates. In addition to this, the guam
tity of free, joined to the printed matter, to
which I shall prarantlv allnda ohl;ras "a. A.
partment to contract for a higher grade of SER
vice than the ordinary mails would require, and
two and four-horse coach service have to be
substituted for horseback, at greatly increased
rates. and has, in effect, rendered imperative
the eighteenth section ofthe act of third March,
l845, which was intended to reduce the cost of
transportation by requiring the Postmaster
General to select such modes as might be ne
cessary to provide for the due celebrity, certain.
ty, and security of such transportation, without
reference to any other consideration.
The second subject to which shall ask your
attention when considering the deficiency in
the Post Office relates to the rates on printed
matter. In my last annual report, deemed it
my duty to recommend that the act of Both
August 1852, be modified by repeating the
clause therein which provides that "when the
postage on any newspaper or periodical is paid
quarterly or yearly in advance, one.half only of
the regular rates shall be charged" The effect
OF this will be TO secure from this class of printed
matter the full, regular rates established by
that law. For instance: on a single newspaper
or periodical not weighing over one ounce and
a half, when circulated in the State where
published, the postage will be half cent; and
when not over three ounces in weight, sent to
any part Of the United States, one cent each
whereas, under the operation OF the present
law, on all publications for which postage is
paid quarterly or yearly in advance, one half
these rates only is realized-namely, one.
quarter cent each in the one case and one.
hafcent in the other. 1t will not effect any other
class of matter, nor the provision by which
newspapers to subscribers residing in the
county where published are allowed TO pass
Free Acknowledging fully the importance
attached to the general diffusion of intelligence
through the medium of the periodical press,
cannot avoid the conviction, in view Of the
great and increasing bulk and Of the expense
attending the transmission and distribution of
tho pariodical and nawonanar r,,;Is H.. IL