New-York daily tribune., 1856-08-02


Glow to learn. Ha piece oftimber, sack of grain
bale of goods, or box Of specie is to be conveyed
from one seaport to another, the bulk, weight,
value and risk are considered, and price charged
for the service in accordance with these several
circumstances, and all regulated BY the rules OF
mercantile affairs and the law Of supply and de-
mand. But if information, If letters, are the srt
cles to be conveyed, it is considered totally diff
ferent matter, and all or1inary principles are set
aside. Ever since certain despohc rulers discov-
cred that there was both power and profit in con-
trolling the circulation of information, Govern
ments, the despotic and the liberal alike, have as
sumed complete monopoly Of mail operations
With absolute monarchs who are jeal' us Of the cir
culston of intelligence and of the prosperity Of the
mercantile classes, and who claim the right to es
tabsh system Of espionage over every individual,
the case, apprehend, is very different from what
it is in Republic where the distribution of infor-
nation and mercantile transactions are free and
open to all alike. IT. however mOnarchs had not set
up such monopoly we should not to-day have to
pay from three to ten times as much as it is worth
to convey letter from one place to another. Let
ters between New-York and Liverpool are con-
veyed in boxes, and by actual measurement, as
goods are measured, there are 36, ,O62 letters in
tup This. at "a cents letter, gives 50, ,654 tun.
Goods sre conveyed on the same steamers that
carry the mail for $l5 tun, and the letters at this
rate would cost four. tenths of mill each, or twen-
ty-four letters for one cent.
But we will lot lose sight of another consider
alton. To have steamship mail across the Allan
tic the steamers have to be built; and If Govern
ments chotse to pay large sum annually for
certain number of years for the mail service, In
order to remunerate parties for building vessels
and ests sblishing line, these Governments claim
that they have right to reimburse themselves ss
least partially, by fair postage tax. 80 far, go
good; but when great object is to put steamers
aHoat that can be used for naval purposes then it
is q national business, like supporting fleets and
armies. The circumstances that govern the traffic
over certain route at any period will in few
years be very different. To carry the mail this
year once week from Green Bay TO Itasca Lake,
would, perhaps, cost twenty thousand dollars-a
,um that would not be returned at charge Of two
dollars letter But in quarter of century or
less large profit would be made in carrying letters
over the same ground for one cent each. This is
precisely the case with our ocean mails For the
general convenience of the two nations, i. was
sidered good national policy to pay large sum and
adopt high rate Of postage, in order to set on foot
a steam conveyance at time when there was no
prospect of sufficient amount of ordinary traffic
to meet the outlay This was the case once; but
is it always to remain sol Will the ordinary traffic
never be remuDerative J
The American and British Governments have
made certain contracts for the convey snce Of ocean
mails which they are bound to fulfil, but is it ne
cessary to repeat these contracts Will not the or
dnary business keep steamships aaoat between this
country and Europe There msy not be as many
steamers without Government sid as WITH but will
there Lot be sufficient number of steamers, and
those of great power and speed, for all necessary
correspondence II any are inclined to answer in
the negative, let US remind them Of the trans-At-
lantc telegraph now being laid down. With con-
lection Of the wires between New.0Ileans and
Constantinople, via New-York, London and Trieste,
the great necessity for very rapid AID very frequent
steamers will not exist. Mails once swetk, cross
ing in twelve days, and low rate Of postage, with
the magnetic telegraph for importsn! correspond
ence will give far greater facilities than mails
crossing in eight days, running twice week, and
at high rate of postage. And in this the poor
will be accommodated as We'll as the rich. Why
should governments claim monopoly Of letter
carrying any more than any other traffic Except
usage and preced, Mt, there is not single reason
Why governments that are not despotic should carry
letters at ALL or have an establishment or system for
transporting correspondence any more than for car
y ing goods and passengers.
Now, if we are ever 10 have our postal service
on any better footing, IL we are ever to have any
lower postage between this country and Great
Britain, we must look the matter directly in the
face, and act according to the dictates Of plain
common sense. And these considerations are of
equal importance to the people Of Great Britain
and the United States. II We renew contracts, or
mske others for long periods, We shall hsve to
carry out Our good intertions for posterty and not
for ourselves. A proposition has just been made
to Congress for more mail service to England
Mr.. VaDdt rbit Offers to carry the mail for ten
years between New York AID Southampton, once
or twice month, fer Sl6, $50 q round trip II the
Blitish BIZ the CIiteo Stats Cove rDmeut would
et Il rir pIe;elt uail contracts elp'e and then es
tatllsL ~ !4:e e page, 4;1 Se-d a nail By