Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-12-16
daily Tiraini1u.
Should tho Rates ofpos. -,
9 Reduced.

Should tho Rates of Pos 80 h3 Reduced.
Il there be a Department OF tho Government in
'ts domestic relations vi more consequence to the
people than any other, that department is the
Post Office Nut only does 1t toem daily with
communications ON family ties and endearments,
ON commercial relations. on industrial interehan.
ges OF thought and fact, regards both agrioul
ture and manu- ufactnrcs, and ON monetary CORES
pondences- 1t il also n great. manifold and
ever-distributing engine Of literature philosophy
and science, through every vein and artery, and
to every member and point of our widely extended
land. Therefore, IL Il, that cheap po,tags rates
nro in every way desirable for tho general good -
And yet II is proposed TO advance tho postage on
letters and the President complains in his Mes
sagc, that the expense of the Post Office Depart
ment annually exceed the receipts, and the Post
asler-Cicncral wishes the rates to bo Increased
from M'rc to fire cents on single letters, and he
hints also at modification of tho excessive frank
ing privilege. which We nothing doubt, is much u
hnscd, nnd the people ut large would not object TO
salotary restrant being placed upon it. Not so,
however, with regard to the projeetod charges for
letter-carrying. That service is for tho benefit of
the entire community, and its privileges are par
ucipated in by every man. woman aud child with
in our boundaries. from Maine To Texas, and from
tho Atlantic 10 tho Pacific Oceans. Truo--whcro
the distances ARC enormous from the centres of
population, there could be no harm in raising tho
ratios proportionaby--ns those who choose to 1.-Two
in the tnr-of wilderness should not object to con-
tribute their just quota in rcquitnl of the addition
al expense thcy enta upou the q ,yernmrnt, for
thu luxury ot conscrsiag IN correspondence with
their friends in tho tr.'ral aud Ens pru States
Yet after ALL an inorcas, II gpar,ely scl'leI re-
x MS would produce but ~ ~ '.trntaton # the
revenue --perhars not enough H. mort notice
And then, it shouli lie remenbered--that In tho
thickly populated States. the people as n body.
now pay far more for their postage than IL costs
The postage is therefore an unequal burthcn---nnd
will he more oppressive still, il raised to five cts.
The truth is our Executive und his Cabinet seem
dcsirons of cg'saing for and considering tho sub
ject l,sr Sc This is apparently an error. II
should De taken IN connection and only as nn in
tegrnl portion of the general revenue Of tho coun-
try. II tho accommodation of the community il to
lac consulted, why should tho Postal Service bo
impcrnt'vely required 10 pay its own expenses to
the inll? Why not merge it's deficiency in tho
current charges to bc betrayed out of tho Nation
nj Treasury? We see ny good reason to tho con
trnry. Surely such II course would bc preferable
10 such augmented rates ns must ictor trade and
commerce.; decrease tho number ot letters prohn-
lly TO II still less productive revenue. and mneri-
nlly and nuriously limit private correspondence
and lessen the diffusion Of useful knowledgc-
Ha1. Enqarcr.