, 1859-01-22
PRESS AND TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY MORNING, JANUARY %, 1863.

L lLIDD AMI 1lb1DU411 LIZ
SATURDAY MORNING, JANUARY %, 1853.
Proposed Increase in ~ Rates of
Postage.
Qnita the mott interesting ~ connected
with the present sitting Of esagrcss, the one
most likely to arrest the attention Of all class.
e. and conditions of the communfty-thc
Bank President who sends his correspondence
to the Post Office erety cren,ng in special
mail bag. alike with the wet-uurfc who writes
and receives half dozen letters per annum-
is the reported agreement Of the senate Post
0f3>e Committee TO bring ia bill increasing
the rates Of postage to Jirt cents for all dstan-
ces uodcr three thousand miles. This feature.
1t u sa!d, WAS opposed by Ne ssrs. Digler,
Dixon and Hale. Tue balance of tue Com
mittce, Asssrs- Yu,ee Of Florida, (whcrc the
transportation Of letters costs the Department
about twenty cents cach,) GEin Of California.
(whose overland mail costs five dollnrs for
every letter tranaportcd,) Wand Of Texas,
twhere the expense of mail transportation cx-
ceeds that o: Florida,) and Pcarcc Of Mary
land-a.c Of COURSE in favor Of the increase.
The Committee nc learn vere unanimously
in favor Of restricting the frankins privilege
an amendment which we would still further
amend By abolishias that abuse altogether or
transferring its expense 10 the Departments
OF the Government which create it, instead
Of saddling it upon the priva te correspond
enee Of the country aud then waxing wise
and economical because the Post Office revcn-
ucs show annual deficit Of two or three mil.
lion dollars!
No measure which could receive the sane.
don Of Congress would elicit 20 vehement q
protest, or BE- followed By so ext cnsfve &
slaughter Of politicians, as this increase in
the rates Of postage and both protest and
punishment would be entirely just. The
older, more enlightened and more populous
sections Of the country are already heavily
ovcrta1cd for the bene6. of the moro primi.
t'veand sparsely populated States aud Terrific
rles, while all are burdcned to give cheap post.
age to The PAcd, cuast, and exemption from
fe~sNt~ ~ sAI f~AGk k+4NA!A u 1uA4A lArS " Auu
from tho District OF Columbia, where hardly
any but day laborers and washerwomen ever
have occasion for letter stamp. The ave-
rage expense for mail carrying in New Eng
land aud New York is one cent and eirlt
mills per letter, and the Elk New England
States contribute q surplus Of revenue to the
Department Of over half million dollars pcr
annum. In the Middle and Western States
excluding California, the expense is under
three cents per letter-Mr. Pliny Miles,
the writer On Postal Reform, computes
It at three cents and three mills, including
California, before the Overland Route was
established. In the Southern md Southwest
era States, the average is six cents and teyen
mills, aad the deficit Of revenue one and ore-
half millions per annum. Yet We hear Of no
complaint On the score Of these Inequalities,
a uniform rate Of postage Tor all distances
this side Of the Pacific, is essential 10 ye,,
regulated system of postal service, and is q
luxury which the people would not dis
pense with, notwithstanding Massachusetts.
checkered with railroads and tccmiae
with population, contributes largely to
supply the same blessing to Texas, which has
no railroads and very thin population.
The enormous Eums paid every year for ocean
mail service, though tue benefits accrue to
only small per centase of tue letter writer's
OF the country would not be grumblcd at, nor
would the dissatisfaction created by the cx-
pcnslve overland contract to tue Pacific ever
assume fuch proportions as TO troubie the
Administration Which tathcrcd it. All these
are looked upon as national necessities. They
furnish facilities which any person may re.
quite to use, and they are not to be abolished
without involving other consequences pcr.
haps more serious tlan tie mere stoppacc OF
letter mails,
Bat when the question comes up Of laying =
nc" toll OF two oe"to eaoh tho mill onn of
letters transported for short distances, tor the
bsne1t OF the dozens which go across the
ocean or the contincat-to pcr.ect the balance
sheet Of the General Poztottice, upon which tic
Departments Of State, Treasury, War, Navy,
aud Interior, both houses Of Congress, and
the City OF Washington are established rs
permanent dead hcads-thcre will be resist
ance to the demand. The Injustice is appa-
rent IN every point Of view. The excuses
for the franking privilege full to The ground
utterly, when the revenues Of the Depart
mcnt are so reduced as to call for an increase
In postage rates. The expensive Ocean and
OEtrland service is as properly ehargeable
to any other hurcau Of the public business as
to the Post Office. It is we'll known that the
reason alleged 10. paying nearly million Of
dollars per annum for mail transportation 10
the Collins steamers vas, not that the service
WIS worth that sum Of money, but that tie
steamers could not be built and nayigated for
less sum. 1t is also known that the chief
object had in view in establishing the Over
land California mail was not to carry mil
bags which we're already provided with
costly route ria Panama, but to open
up and settle the country between the
oceans, dilluse knowledge Of its re.
sources and prepare the way for a Pacific
Railroad. I: was alleged, and justly
too, that the Ca i{ornia ocean mail service
WIS esEcntial to the perpetnisy Of fraternal
feelings between the citizens Of tue Pacific
coast and th.: res: OF the Union. Why ghyuld
the cost Of these manifold advantages, accru.
ing to eo many different interests be charged
to the Post Office and lcvicd upon the letter !
writer's Of the country? The ta1 j, grossly
misplaced cTcn under the present system Of |
postage rates, and calls loudly for reform.
But without =oiug farther into the subject.
We may eay that lhcre is no danger of tbc
Senate report brlug adopted by tue House Of
Representatives, even il it should pass the
body ID which il originates. The people take
too lively an interest in the tllrcc cent oncs.
tion to tolerate the change longer than would
be required 10 put in retirement crery mem.
ber WHO voted for it. There are not three
members from the Northern States in both
Houses who could be reelected With the issue
OF Increased postage asainst them.
The Revolution in uayti.
The Empire OF 1Ilyti occupies the VICE. crd
OF the Wet InHiu J.1au5 ~ a.. !