New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-29
PUBLIC MEETINGS.
POSTAL REFORM MASS MEETING OF
MERCHANTS


Exchange, yesterday afternoon, to take into consider
alton such measures might be deemed necessary to
improve the Postal System.
THOMAS TILEsToN, esq., as announced in the Call
took the chair, and, Oh. motion of r. l.. STEWART,
Royal Phelps, Stewart Brown, George Griswold and
Simeon Baldwin, were appointed Vice Presidents, and
George ii. Moore, Pliny Miles, and Saml. d. Dabcock.
Secretaries.
Mr.. TILEsToS then addressed the meeting follows
FELLOW CITIZENS: We have convened this day to
consider most important and interesting subec-One
that has occupied the attention of thinking men in all
parts Of our country and j trust that before we adj
oun some measures may be adopted to carry ont the
great plan in view, which, in my opinion will prove of
immense advantage not only to the present generation
but for all future time. Perhaps there is institution
that requires greater reformation than our POs-Oce
system; and if the highly-inteligent audience that
see before me will lend their cooperation, the
foundation can this day be laid on which glo-
rious superstructure will soon appear. Ihe RAPID
increase of our population-the great extent Of
territory now occupied call aloud for Cheap
Postage, in order that frequent communica-
tons may pass from extreme of the Union to the
other, 20 that families separated by thousands of
miles may interchange ideas in cheap and econoni-
cal manner, thereby ccmentng and binding together
the most distant States and Territories included in
this great and permanent Union; Every expense for
postage is far fetter upon the spread of intei-
gence and it il upon free and uniettered inter
change of thought that the whole fabric of Gov
eminent rests. The Treasury of our country il now
full and | NAV add, overlooking, and for one | am
willing to see it depleted if 1t be necessary to produce
such revolution in Postal system that letters may
pass from one end of the Union to the other at price
not exceeding two cents per letter lApplausel.
THEODORE SEDGwicK, esq, read the following
resoluions
Resolred That the condition of Post Office system is
trey inadequate meet the wants of the country and dis
credtable the intelligence and energy Of our people
Resored That in order make the system what ought to
be- II in the opinion Of this meeting substantially
totn duceh he
l-USFoRM PosrAGE OF TWO CENTS on LETTERS, with;
regard distance and cheap uniform rata for printed
2-REcrivxe-nousrs AND LrrrERcARRIEEs for the col
without charge.
% ny i Post oces U on eseS os
4-COMPULoRy PREPAYMENT TO BIZ ABOLISHED, and double
All DEAD LETTERS TO BE RETURNED TO raE WATERS,
and, whenever possible, without opening. - ~ -
6The Postage all FRASKED MATTER TO DE PAID by The
R,,oirsd, That Committee of be appointed with
Government the adoption of these improvements .
ond with our ow.ciSens throughout the country and to
take .oeh Is hs s1 STe necessary TOT ~
Resolred, That the Compee have power TO ada 10 their
Mr. SrpGwIcK then proceeded to say that they had
no quarrel with the mannerR which the present sys-
ten was carried on. The Post-Ofice Department Ia
bored under great difficulties from the imperecons OF
the present system and it was against these defects
that tbere forts should be directed. The first thing
which thew demanded was uniformity Of rata ugi-
form rate of two cents per half ounce. This was the
in England, and there 1t had produced te mos,
advantageous results. II fortunate for the world
that this subject, like all others, had its enthu-
siasts England owed the perfection OF her present
postal system principally to the energy ana per;
serversnce Of Mr. Rowland HILL ana we oWeu
MANY of the improvements in our own to MIR.
Bates and TO Mr.. Miles who. had taken the trouble 10
collect the data and desderata of the postal system,
and who had shown that the letter postage OF TINS
country, with a population nearly equal to that
of England, and one that claimed vastly
Greater average of intelligence than that OF Great
Britain was only third of that collected ID that
country This could only be owing to the fact that IN
England they had regular and rapid TRANSMISSION OF
mails and uniform postage. Secondly, in regard to
etter.caliers. What was the reason that IN London
and Paris they had certain and uniform delivery Oh
letters while had none at all, for sucn was the case
in fact as-although the Government attempted 10 al
ford delverynnetenths of the business was done py
private hands. Twenty years ago, William Leggeu
had urged the expediency o.! throwing open the rosy
Office to private competition, and there was no DOUBT
that the work could this moment be better ana more
cheaply carried by private enterprise than II was
now What was the reason that We could not have
good delivery, day after day, instead OF beng COM
pe led to crowd about the old Dutch Church 10 ger our
Letters The third demand was for m0ney-ordefs'
Plat would abolish the practice OF sending money IA
the mails, and remove the principal temptation TO
those robberes of the mails which are now so frequent
The fourth was for the abolition OF compulsory
prepayment. As the law now was, If one ddnt hap
pen TO have stamp on Sunday, or were al pace
where a stamp could not be procured, he could not
send bis letter. This simply absurd. The NTH
demand for the return of dead letters. Now the
law directed the officers, whenever the letters con
tanned money valuable papers to return them but
as they did not know what papers were valuable, only
money letters were sent back, aud the rest were de-
stroyed BY the cart.trade. Ii would not be much
mon. tronble 10 return them than it was TO dis
nose of them now and We ought to be able
70 do ANYTHING that was done in England. Tue snih
reform touched one of the greatest difficulties when
ali posa reformers had yet had to contend wth-the
masked HYDRA which stood in the way of all reform
They did not intend to 60 to war with 1t; in tact they
rather thought il was stronger than they were. There
was stronger power sustaining it than the personal
convenience of Members OF Congress the rural popula
ton. who received through it many things wlrh tney
would NOT otherwise get were at heart IN favor OF
Il They therefore did not ask that the frankag
prvilege be abolished but that 1t should DE Pald lor
Nv the Government; that member Oh CohsIesS
6oud nut articles 10 be ranked in certain ouf
whence they should be sent free. meulos.s whcb
very often seen up 10 their knees in documents "ncn
they had personally to frank. The establishment ".
sncb bureau would lid them OF this trouoe' ~
had always been considered o. an aHlom lIa.
the Post-Ofice should pay its way oui "aa.
thew wanted was proper PostOince, N'
Il cost more or less. II was our existence
ouy daily habit, the government under wnca
we reposed But the real fact was, that II the
matter were paid for at ordinary rates. the
would vastly more than pay. These were tie lnI.S
festur,e of the proposed reform. The details NUS oe
,.o,I "a ont hvoaiing upon those who hsd made u
s,nd~ They did nol propose TO cory any Eagista
svstsm seryiiely; but they wanted system w1sc c
sioma I've saeo9ate 10 the needs Of our country Toe
Gnwa,rmanf oJy;cers were 40 constantly occupied 10
49, da;,r d,ss FRAT reform could nct be expected
-om them. Rsfy,m aI~sys resulted from or'"'e