The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-29

Rostsl Rsssrm.
NETTING At TEE MzRCHANrs' K0HAN0B.
meeting Of persons In favor ofa reform in our pre-
ssat system Of postage was hold yesterday afsrnoos in
The Asrohans Exchanse In accordance With the follow
NJ call
xros.As Hssoc..-A public meeting Vim be held a ths
IS n..n a sx pa s sss SS E0p@s fSo
oesa0 a n II he - have &
and tals such nsssass :. may s. oosssrsd nsoss
s By ss proper
Rc.s:i .cts: g % 2 our bu.ns oomnuniss and
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Tho attendance was larger than at any meeting which
has taken place in that building for year past, and
those present appeared to bs unanimously in favor of
the objects for which IT was convened.
The meeting called to order about half past three
O'Clock by Mr.. Thomas sston the Presideot. The fol-
lowing gentlsmen were unanimously e'ested:--
yos Phelps, Stewart Brown, Simeon
Scraies-Geo. 81. Moore, Piiny Miles, Samuel D. Bah.
cock
ing remarks:-
FELLOW Crn1Us-Ws have come together this d = TO
consider most portant and interesting subject and
that has occupied the attention of thinking men ia
ou1nirs some measures must Se adopted & osrsy out
the great plan In view which, In my opinion, viii prove
tion, but to all IN future time Psrhsps % there Is
no institution In regard to which we require gene
r: information than our Post Once system, and il the
highly Intelligent audience that zee before will lend
their cooperation in this work. glorious superstructure
win soon sppear. Tho rapid increase Of population the
postage In order that communication NAV psss
op 20 that families separated BY thousands Of miles may
thereby esmsnns ana bneins sosssSsr most distsns
states and Territories Every expense for postage
% 'r s.S the Of q and i
whole fabric o. orr government rests The treasury of
ous %. I'D and %
produce such revolution in postal sys that let
ters may pass from Of the Union the other at
q price not exceeding two cents per letter.
Mr.. THEODORE SDawIcK read the following resoluh ,rs
which he said were prepared BY committee app iussl
At preliminary meeting, which held about f,rt-
night sgo, st the Astcr House,
Resolved That the condition Of our Post Office system
is entirely inadequate 70 meet the of the country
and h discreditabe to the intelligence aud energy Of
Resolved, That in. order to make the system what it
ought to BE- II necessary In the opinion Of this meet
ing substantially to introduce the following reforms:
l. Uniform postage of two cents on letters, and .
cheap uniform rate for printed matter.
Receiving houses and letter carriers for the c,ls
lion and delivery Of letters cities and principal to wns
without extra charge.
g. Money orders, for sums not exceeding SIS, to be
drawn BY the principal Post Offices on each other.
pessgs . be charged on all mail matter not prepaid
D. Al dead letters to be returned to the Writer'S; and
whenever possible without opening. a
The postage on all fsnked matter to be paid by the
Resolved That q con mfttee q fifteen be appointed
with power to call pubic meeting with view to urge
upon the government tbs adoption Of those improve
Resolved That ths Same committee hare power 70 cor
respond with feiiow citizens throughout the country
for the purpose Of -oducing the desired result.
Resolved That the committee have power to add to
their number.
believe said Mr.. Sedgwick, In regard to these resou-
tons, that they particularly commend themselves 70
the Judgment and approval Of this mssos and to the
whole American people. think ws are generally con-
vnced that behind what ought be ia regard
to the postal convenences our government Affords The
first resolution h to the effect that the post Office
system is not what 1t should be. Now there il
no intention In this meeting to attack the
government 81 Washington the head Of the Post Oce
Department or Mr. Fowler Tho Post Oaice Department
Of all other branches Of the city has peculiar
difficulties 20 contend with. Such storm this inter
res with the tson Of the mail large ssc-
tion Of country, and it Is to provide remedy
under such circumstances. But after ALL this is merely
temporary and here nothing prevent the mails being
carried more regularly and economically than they ct
PRESENT The second rescatio asks for uniform post
age Of two cents upon every letter sent through the
mail That is the system which Is pursued in Engand
and has produced podgous results for the benea Of
the communi Is ortunae for the world that there
are such enthusiasts, for II 10 to them that
We are indebted fos the great postal reform in
England owes her present system; aud what do
we not owe to the late Mr.. Bates for the
reforms which he accomplished Mr. Miles has produced
n In raln M tlA pna<
and one which our government must rely for iaor
nation for some Of is valuable st.tstics Here il
startling fact for instance which sares In the face
that the postage Of this country, which has papua-
tisn equal 10 that Of England, and claiming esstsr
which is attriOusbs to The defects Of ops prssen. post
sge system. What We want is uniformity and xAne
that in cities like Paris Lon6on they have resu Or
and certain delivery Of lstters while have hing
Of the kindf The Cover nmsnt has attempted some-
thing like IL, but for some reason other nine
tenths of the whole city postage Is done By pri
ysss bands Twenty years Ego one Of the mos.
and that Mr.. Leggett, made proposition to throw
open the post Office business to private speculation,
TIE ouId that it could be done cheaper Bat the
Post oce is vast political engine which is capable Of
being employed for es but which has effected great
zeal Of good, and for the good which 4 does are
with large community, crowded Into small space we
cannot have as good del very hour a hour and Gay
ia true, may prevent at times the regular trsnsmson
a the mails, but this is reason that we should not
have within the limits OF our own city. We also
compelled to send our paper money BY thousands and
tens OF thousands through the Post Office Offering all sorts
Of temptations for pags, but such thing s unknown In
Engnd the Continent The mail business transacted
with certainty and without the possibility Of theft The
fourth resolution calls for the abolition Of the system Of
compulsory prepayment, and believe there Is hardly
gentleman here that has not tested the sweets Of IT,
you happen TO be out Of stamps Sunday you can't get
your letters and the and loss ths puts
you to has already been experienced BY many The afh
resolution says that all dead letters should be returned
20 the writer's Now II Is we'll known that tbs Post Office
law ia very general in It's terms It d the officials
to return euch letters contain money papers II m
orauce; but ~ II Il impossible for them - know what
ae Of importance and what not they esroyed
BY the catlcsd What IA done In England be done
here and what ask IA the abolition Of the compulsory
system, and the return Of all dead letters The sixth
solution touches VI The greatest difficulties that all
postal reformers have had to contend against, and
not inclined to make with II, bat ask that ,hs
postsge all franked matter shall be paid by the gov
ernmentthat the member. OF Congress- shall put their