The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-12-08

Total ------.------------ 5Os s95 per annum
Before the completion of tho rail
road the highest pay for convey
Ing the through mail this
route was ------------ 27 600 per annum.
Increase -------.--------- 1925 per annum
or nearly 100 per cent
But If 1t be desired to relieve the treasury from the
quisitions upon it for the service OF this department it
will be necessary not only reduce expenses by dcon
meeting the mails from the transportation of passengers
and freight but to increase the by the imposition
OF rates OF postage approaching nearly the value
ceBt OF transportation and delivery of letters and printed
matter move in this direction made at the last
session of Congress by the introduction of bill in the
Senate having for its chief objects the raising OF the
threocent rate upon letters to five cents and the abo
ton OF the discount allowed by law for the payment
Of newspaper and pamphlet postage quarterly yearly in
advance.
1t is believed that the effect of this bill would be to
raise the revenue from postages about 500 900, with
out taking into view the provision it contains in relation
to the transmission Of public docum' ats The immense
of heavy books and documents sent through the
mails to all parts of the country devolve very consd
erabe expense upon the department for larger
transportation than would be required for the ordinary
mails This expense, it is true, is compensated in part
by the annual appropriation of 800 0e0 from the teasu
ny by the acts of March 8. ls47 and March 3, 1851
but this allowance is not believed to be one half Of what
such matter would amount to If charged with postage
The discontinuance modification Of the rankng priv
ege having been suggested by several Of my predeces
sos means Of increasing the revenue, shall not
notice the subject further than to present for
sideraton such modification OF it 1t appears to me
can be readily adopted without subjecting members OF
Congress to the charge of postage their personal
official correspondence 1t is proposed that in lien of the
frankng privilege allowed by law to members of
Congress the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of
the House, such other officer may be designated for
the purpose furnish the members with postage stamps
to be used all letters public documents and packets
transmitted by them in the mails and keep account
OF the stamps furnished to each member to he paid for
out of the contingent fund of each House II is further
proposed that all letters and packets except newspapers
addressed to members of Congress- shalt he prepaid the
mailing Office In this way the department would be
compensated for the service rendered without TO
the Inconvenience of keeping daily minute accounts Of
the postage chargeable on such mail matter
II is evident the slightest rejection that the whole
theory which the Post Office Department original
y founded has been in great departed from
Its great function for many years the transmission
OF mail matter proper such letters newspapers and
light pamphlets from part of the country to another
The idea OF the government becoming carrier
of persons and merchandise entertained But
what is the transmission Of the immense Of book
matter amounting annually to hundreds of tons, but
merchandise, whether sent from private book establish
ments from the two houses Of Congress In single
instance, the transmission Of the books &C., Of mem
Der from Ua has cost the department between six and
thousand dollars Why cannot these be forwarded
under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate and
Clerk OF the House either by the ordinary modes Of
veyance, by the application of postage stamps
other mail matterf Another consideration forcibly
presses itself the mind in relation to this department
Many steam lines have been established, not really
to Aee the postal wants the country but to give aid
and assistance to growing and expanding
The department could have returns in posages that
would at all compensate for their expensiveness still
il of the first Importance to and agri
culture to have such lines the duty of establishing them
it thought, had well be devolved upon the Post
Office Department any other
The great necessity and propety of establishing
nexon with distant possessions the Pacific both
by sea and land, was universally acknowledged. The
route by Panama has repaid In postages half Its
expense yet the nation has been in her trade and com
merce, remunclated a thousand fold 50 of the great
overland routes the main of which has been estab
lshed by the express enactment Of Congress None Of
the latter make postal returns at all proportion.
ate TO their cost but through their agency nearly
half of our republic will be developed in its agricultural
and mineral Other references might be made
clearly showing that the Post Office hns late years
been made the instrument OF accomplishing many things
of great national importance not within its original scope
and purpose Of merely sending letters and newspapers
from place to another 1t not fair, therefore,
its usefulness by the receipt OF postages
nor 70 complain that in accomplishing great and lasting
benefits o the commerce. to the settlement and security
OF the country it has brought charge the trcasu
ry beyond its contributions The other departments sub
ss wholly the treasury bringing returns whatever
into it. Why then should il be thought strange that
the Post Office Department when charged with opening
sources of 10 the merchants new
for agricultural products and placing government
and people in direct and independent communication with
the other nations Of the EARTH should not be able
complish these great results upon threecent postage
letters and printed matter almost postage at
all 7
The exact principle of justice this whole subject
conceive to be- that in conducting its ordinary business
OF transmitting correspondence, it should be thrown
tirely on its revenues But whenever any service
on the the land is required of it, mainly II /
not exclusively, for national obectssuch the cxten-
sion of our the spread Of population and
the development of the various Of coun-
tythe cost thereof in all fairness ought to be borne
by the national treasury These national purposes il ao-
counnsed through the action Of the Navy and War De
plrtments, they might be, would necessarily fall
on the national treasury. What difference then,
should there be in this respect, when the same
duties are supcraddcd to the Post Office Department
whose ratio of posagcs, h only OF raising rev
Dnuc, has been adjusted for very different purposes
II is In the light Of this dstnotion that the ope-
Iations at this department ought to le examined
II isno longer machine composed Of horses stages
and mail bags for tho transmission mainly of tho pri-
vatc correspondence Of individuals 1t has become the
great pioneer OF civilization and progress 1t is The agent
1t commerce and intelligence it visits every town and
city 1t comes home to almost every domc of the con
Try and its high mission individual and national use
ulness ought not to be diminished by any msaprshen
son OF its true character and functions Appying these
general remarks 70 the precise question of the present rate