New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-12-05

form and urt principles, and no community or region
Of country bss right 70 demand that larger proper
tion Of 1t sls BIZ expended, ether lot Sne mnnph@
cn or sceeersion OF It's mas than its eorrcsoodenoe
III en.lle Il TO. In England, tls rule OF adminsra-
ticn is universally recognized, end eheennly ayqu-
esced IN by the public. In that country, from whoss
large experience and Ipened Judgment m Poota al.
fair much may be learned, when city or community
requires mail accommodations beyond what ls i"grf-
mate share OF the postal fund will afford, they are
granted only condition that the excess shall Dc paid
for by those whose Instance and for whoee benenI inc
EXPENDITURE is made. This il the memorable law OK
The service; and, while it, operation Is inst 70 all It
checks extravsgant and wateful appropriations Of the
POSTAL revenues, and thus protects the Department
from those oppressive burdens which are % heedesy
imposed upon IL in the United States. This principle
IL thur enforced against the Government ITSELF 10
that while English steamers carry the ma5 al enor-
mous cost TO almost every part OF the civilized wod,
the Pcst-Ofice Department is debited with only 70
much of this expenditure az covered by The Poagss
received tie mails thus conveyed 1hesxceas Se-
fayed by appropriations from the treasury Of the "a
ton In furtferance Of whose interests this extended
and onerous service Is performed This system - care.
fully maintained illustration alike OF Justice and
of an enlightened statesmanshp whose Lessons shouA
not be lost
AMENDMENTS OF POSTAL LAWS.
At the lst session of Congress, bills were ntroduos4
ia Se House Of Representatives, having for Their Oh
iect various notifications, which L venture 10 h"f"
will be made in postal laws at an early DAY. Al
though the therein proposed have been reco
meRded by the Department in special comnnn7sions
10 the Post Office Committee of the House dssrn G
proper here 10 refer 10 them and to reesq'tnhe sey
some of the reasons submitted IN support vi '' p""
age. e.;eo.r, ,a,a os Ave cent. for
shin letter. whether delivered at the port OF ARRIVAL or
forw arded by mail, thus avoiding the anomaly OF
choroino Tx cent? when delivered a. the port
~ arrival and only five cents when forwarded AZ re-
ouiTed BIZ exiting laws. The fee tothe captains DinS
two cents, the Department will receive the Uniform
| rate of three cents as its share OF the postage
To guard against loss 10 the postal revenue from The
transmission Of mail matter outside OF the mails ~
| steamships running mail lines, it is reconDnended
that the ordinary rate of postage with two cents ADD
ed the Captains fee De charged on all letters 20 car
lied, instead Of the ship letter rate.
Upon all letters 10 foreign countries with Whch We
have postal arrangements AZ TO Mexico, cnpd &C.,
it is considered very advisable 10 have UNIFORM tats
of 10 cents, instead Of charging, ar at preent ~ os
20 cents according to distance IL IL often difncn,
particularly for posmasters in the interior, 10 deter
mine the diance letters 10 be tranmitted and ting
leads irreguaiy and complaint In some instances
insufficient postage is taken and the letter has 70 be
returned for full prepayment, while in others 100 mnca
Is collected Much Of the greater part Of this oors-
| spondence comes within the 2, 500 miles.
1t 10 proposed 10 permit regular dealers N DewspA-
pers and periodicals receive by mail such qnanitiee
Of either as they may require and 10 pay the postage
ON receipt at the rates regular subsa bers 70
such publications. The object and propr,ety Of ihis
| will be readily perceived:
Maps, engrayings Autographs, or Photographic
pints on rollers in paper covers phonographie pa
per- letter envelopes, and books bound or unbound u
is recommended shall be allowed to be cent IN the mail
charged with postage by the weight OF the askaSe.
rot 20 exceed four pounds AT one cent an ounce toy
place in the United States under 500 miles and two
cents an ounce over 500 miles. II IL proposed asos
10 apply the same rltes 10 cards. blank or printed,
when put up in packages of at least eight and
| Of seeds or cuttings, in packages not exceed
| ing eight ounces in weight. Many Of the above
| enumerated articles are now entirely Wihheid
L. .nn,lo xrtpr 70 fhaIR hs nns
iect 10 letter postage, and by reducing the rate
upon them much desired accommodation will be'ss~
cured TO the public and the revenues Of the DEPART
ment increased.
Under the act of 1885, the domestic rate of postage
for letters Is three cents under three thousand mike,
and ten cents when the distance exceeds three thou
sand miles. The intention of this limitation was TO
secnre the higher rate upon all letters Transmitted 10
and from tie Pacific States Ru since the es,absh-
ment Of the Overland MAIL the distance from the
valley of the Mississippi TO California, being ss than
three thousand miles, much Of this correspondence
pays only the lower ate of three cens; and IN orer
10 maintain the original purpose Of the law IL recon-.
mended that said oct be modified as TO require the
cent rate TO be prepaid all letters conveyed IL
the mail from any point in the United States east Of
the Rocky Mountains any State Territory The
Pacific, and rice rersa. In view of the expensive
character of the mail service 10 the Pacific this rate Is
sufficiently low From lS4S to 1851 it was forty cent?
Drop letters, ike all other domestic letter. it Is sd
yised should be subject 10 the rule Of eompnsox
prepayment py postage STAMPS
MISCELLANEOUS.
TIE ground now occupied BY the Post Office ia New.
York has been bought site for new and enlarged
edce, which in its dimensions and arrangements shall
be commensurate with the wants Of the service. The
price agreed 10 be paid is s200 which leave II the
appropriation balance Of $500, 900 for the cons'uc
ton Of the building The title to the property has
been examined, and determined 10 be perfect by tho
Attorney General and he assent Of the Legislature Of
New-York is alone required 20 consummate the pur-
chase. So soon as this shall have been Obtained, g
plan will be adopted, and proposals invited for the
erection Of the building.
TIE Commissioners have also at length succeeded ia
procuring site in every way desirable for the new
PosOfee which, for series Of years, has been IN
contemplation 10 build in the City Of Philadelphia.
The cost Of the property however, has far exhausted
the appropriation that there remains an unexpendc4
balance Of brt 1853, l07 70. This sum will probably
be insufficient for the erection Of the edi6cc, which
architecture Of the city, as, In its proportions, should
be equal 10 the present and future exgenccs Of the
postal administration The architect Of the govern
IL engaged in the preparation Of plans for
such bnding and should his estimate OF III cost ex.
coed tie balance of the appropriation remaining un-
expended il is recommended that the deficiency DO
supplied, and that the Department be authorized 70
proceed at once With the work.
Although the fiscal year ended Both of June last
braeed one Of those periods recurring quadrennaly,
during which there unusual demand for mail bags,
in consequence Of the vastly increased amount OF
printed matter transmitted through the mails, there
was reduction Of twenty hive per cent in the expense
of all the mail bags purchased and repaired for the
vice during hat year, compared with the year next
preceding.
The locked bags Of all kinds fused for the transmits
sion Of letters purchased and put into the service
during the fiscal year ended 30th June last number
$780, and cost sl594 49, being thirty seven per cent
lesS in number and fty-eiQht per cent lss i'm cost