Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-12-28
The Postal system,

The enormous expense attendant upon the
transmission of the mails has attracted the
attention of Congress and the country TO the
SUBJECT OF our postal system. The expenses
OF this Department of the government have.
Tor several years, exceeded its income; but
so long as the Federal treasury was full. no
especial notice was taken Of the matter. Now.
however, since the Treasury has got into such
financial straits, and the pruning knife Of
economy Is about to be employed in looping
on all excrescences, the mail service has come
In for its share of attention and retrenchmcnt
The question seems to be, shall the Post office
Department be made self.sustaining one:
aud If so. by what means? Ii is generally
agreed that the government is under no obl-
CATION TO undertake to convey gratuitousIy
the newspapers and letters of its citizens. In
deed, ID has nevOr undertaken to do so. but in
doing it at unremuneratve rates il has Ger
= tainly lost mOney-that is to say. il has paid
out more than il has received 1t is suggested
that this is wrong in principle as well as in
fact, and that such a system should De adopt-
Ell as will pay its own way. This is probably
~ 'i"N poil'y hl'l IT. u tiltiHS OF ATTAINING
1t, the Postmastor-General has recommended
modification of the franking privilege. and
an Increase Of the rates of letter postage as
also the abolition of the custom of contract
ing for stage-coache- for the convenience of
travellers. We concur with the Postmaster
General in his yew of the Thanking privilege,
to certain extent. 1t would be contrary to
the nnbIic int 70 70
but it might be modified and limited so az to
prevent abuse and subserve all useful pur-
poses. He is also right in his suggestions con-
corning the custom of paying for four-horse
stage-coaches for transporting the mails
Contractors should he paid for Conveying the
mails, and left TO choose their own modes
But on the suhjcct of increasing the rates of |
postage. we are disposed to doubt its propriety.
The people are more directly and universally
interested in this subject than any other sub
Ject regulated by the Federal government
The present state and wants of society require
the utmost possible diffusion and cheapness of
mail facilities.
Our own impression is that the Department
can be made to accomplish this, and at the
sametime support itself without uniform
rite of s cents letter postage" The most ex-
pensive routes, those between the Atlantic and
Pacific, and those connecting with the old
world, should be first looked to. While de-
veioping our international commerce we
should not pay such bonus for the purpose
as viii subject the people at large, to unusual
or unnecessary burdens in their correspoC-
dence. There are several routes to the Pacific.
some OF which, doubtless. might be discontin-
ued wi bout material detriment to the public
convenience and interest. Besides the frank
ing privilege and the system of contracts
should be so modified as that the people and
the government should have absolute Justice
on correct business principles. II. after such
reforms as those Indicated. are adopted there
should still be a necessity for increasing the
rate of letter and other postage. we should
re-adopt the principle of charging according
to distance. The principal of uniform post
age does very well where Il can be made 10
pay its own way at very cheap rate; but il
is not good when raised even 10 five cents Tor
single letter. Let the government receive
back its outlay, and from the persons for
whom the outlay is made II to convey "A
letter one thousand miles costs five cents. let
th. person who receives IL refund the amount
to the government; aud IL il costs bat three. or
even two cents, to convey il fifty miles. then
let il be paid for at a rate approxmating the
cost-rate. This is nothing but justice aud
equity to, all parties. Ii is otherwise il the
government Is 70 charge It's citizens the same
amount for carrying letter three or thirty
miles as for three thousand. Th- subjeci il
one of universal concern, and should certain
ly be determined on principles OF fairness,
and SO as to afford the widest facilities at the
least cost to the people.