Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-01-22
InCreaae of Postage.

II is said that the Post Office Committee of the
Senate have agreed to report favorably ON the bin
of Mr.. Hunter, proposing, amongst other things,
to increase the postage on inland correspondence
between points distant not more than three thou
sand miles, to FIVE cents. This bill also proposes
to abolish the ~franking privilege on all private
matter weighing over three ounces, excerpt the
Presidents annual message and accompanying
documents, the annual report of the Secretary of
the Treasury, and the Patent Office, and the Con-
gressional Globe. There can he no objection to
ourtaiGng the Thanking privilege. indeed we think
it should be abolished altogether, or so modified
a. to prevent the foul abuses to which it is now
subject. The chief object which it was designed
to secure, could be much better accomplished by
investing the principal officers of the Senate and
House of Representatives with the power to frank
public documents, or by appropriating a certain
sum for this purpose. and prohibit members OF
Congress from ranking letters and parcels on their
own private business, on of giving their franks to
cover the correspondence cfthe numbcrless teaches
and parvenues who hing around them at the Capt.
tol, or dance attendance upon them in their own
Districts-
The Post Master General says that the expenses
Of the Department are nearly seven millions more
than its receipts, and yet We find that the Govern
ment is paying the Overland Mail Company about
$l,5O0,000. for carrying one-teuth of the Cslifor-
mia mail over a route that has no other merit than
that Of sxpediting the mail a very few days more
than the older and cheaper route. He estimates
also. that the cost Of transporting Congressional
books and documents through the mails, will
amount annually to 81 400. OOv; and if to this were
added the immense correspondence of the Execu-
tive Departments, and the vast mass of returns,
accounts, packages and parcels received and sent
from the General Land Office, fine Pension Office.
the Patent Office, &C., the sum would doubtless
reach 1000,0 0O, 900. Then we have 1915, $50 paid
81 ecoount Of ocean postage, being this amount in
Sxcsss, Of the receipts from that source SO that
On these thres items, nearly four millions of dol
hss Of this deficiency acorues, which it is proposed
10 make up BY taxing the business men of the
country Nobody can doubt that the larger por-
ton Of this increased tax will fall upon the class
named. and that the barthen imposed by the abu-
sss that prevail under the present post Office reg.
ulations. will be unequally laid.
In England. . letter is sent from one extremity
Of the kingdom to another for q single penny, and
~ have no doubt that our present rate of postage,
which = double this sum, and in all cases pre-
y laSe. - that the Government loses nothing as un-
der ~ ssfmer LAWS ample to meet the expense
incasssA in Supplying the Atlantic, Middle, and
Mestrnd states taken together, with mail fac;li-
: - hasdf it will not provide a sum sufficient to
asks sp the deficiency .accruing on ocean and
California correspondence. together with gratui-
~ 49, - -.I~-l Il =,
~ intsrssssd should take care of the deficit by
lsilg tazsdto meet il. To charge Eve cents for
sspsseyinga letter from hess % Richmond, and
osly ten cents to California, more than 5 1000 miles;
- y tAs Earqpsan continent for twenty cents, a.