The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-12-05
PRICE TWO CENTS.

4 : C tha
words aRy post road which za6y be established do
not embrace those declared to be such by law in the city
OF fIadelpha, 1t Is not easy to conceive what terms
could be employed sufficiently comprehensive for tho
purpose The qt0 amino imputed to CONGRESS in tbe
enactment OF the act Of March 8 1851 by no means
made apparent in the course Of the ARGUMENT The
monopoly created by the act Of March 2 1897 would
seem to extend alike to every post road then existing or
geer To exist whether pcrvading the country the
y or connecting different post Offices with each other
Or with the domcil of the citizen
Ire Is no restriction in the language and to impose
one by construction to impair if not to deraat tbe
er system winch Congress has recognized as necessary
consideration which can be urged in nnt f L AZ ever
opy, conceded to exist the general post roads Of fe
country, will equally apply to that claimed fer those of
the city As the constitutional power purpose is
not seriously conroverted with view relieving the
department from future litigation upon question
recommend that in terms precise and emphatic not
to be mistaken by the courts Congress shall apply the
provisions Of the March 2 1927 to all post routes
established in the cities under the authority of the
! tute of March 8 1851
Nc objection on the score either of policy or princina
can be successfully urged against the suppression Of the
private expresses occupied the conveyance of letters
ana packets in cities The growth Of these
the postal service in the delivery of letters and nacEe
at the residence of the citizen Indispensable as they
are in the transportation and delivery of the mails at the
various post Offices in the country districts But the SER
vice can only be maintained a unit by clothing it with
the rights and privileges of complete government mo
nopoy in all the fields Of its operation Some of its
branches well known to be heavy upon the
pHtmenti and they woud be insupportabIy oppressive
were it not for the relief by other branches which
are remuneTative but which will continue to be only
SO lOng as le competition oil private enterprise IS eGeCu
ally excluded.
There are now four daily deliveries of letters and pack
cts by carriers in the city of New York four Phadel
Phl ana three IN Boston; and the number will he in
creased from time time, the of population
and correspondence wiustify it, The high price of la
F however ana the low rates OF our postages, forbid
the hope that, without change in the existing laws
the system attain the perfection which dstng
se3 II IN some o the european capitals While this is
admitted it should also be stated that operations thus
lar have been more successful than could have been an
cipatd IN view Of the obstacles it has had to
ter Inc introduction of every system while seek
ing he advancement OF the public good rarely avoid
te INVASION OF local and petty personal interests which
proyokes hostility that often finds its ypresso in
| deceptive criticism and unscupulous defamation
When to such unworthy opposition the press is tempt
ed to lend its influence, undue importance given to the
slightest irregularities that may Every effort pos
sble, with the funds under the control of the DEPART
ment has been made improve the efficiency of the car
rier systom and while defects have existed and still ey
ist is believed the result has satisfied pubIic ~
pecation and has been creditabe to the ygilan ana
faithful officers who have been charged with the sunerv
sion OF this difficult and perpeXing branch of the public
service Appended to this report will found an inter
! eSting communication from the Hon John A. Dix the
present head Of the post office New York
Ihe views which he presents the of thorough
study OF the details and practical working of the carrier
system in that city, and his suggestions for its improve
| gress.
! REGISTRATION OF LETTERS
The act of March 1853 providing for the registration
OF valuable letters posted for transmission the mails Of
the United States has been in operation more than
five years, but with results regret add which have
disappointed the expectations that led to the adoption
this novel feature in postal system Whether regard
ed as precauon for the protection Of the interests Of this
cass OF correspondents or as an nsrumantaty for the
detection of depredations upon the mails the law has
proved failure. The government assumes no responsi-
oy "haFer "r te loss OF letters or packets thus reg
istered and they conveyed in the same pouches
they are surrounded by greater guarantees their
security either in transmission or delivery than such as
DeIoE TO the ordinary mails of the country They bear
mark, however, which indicates to all through whose
hands they pass their vaIu bic character and this ndi
cation serves rather to suggest and invite depreciation
than tOprevent it.
The practical working of mail system makes it en-
he
mark-whch points out the valuable contents of letters
and packets IS as FAR possible tobe avoided certainly
endangering their safety The principal argument which
is that 1t operates as safeguard for the Of the mails
, w Hl'etHn8 e at'gI2n oi uePreoatoTs from them
nttc tuiS Is no .,'hpI uue 10 d uegree, II serves
rather to confirm than to Confute the view which
eSfntG @ %SGst o Inc lo4gel continuance OF
designed protect The sagacy Of private interest is
proverbia and the following table showing the revenue
derived from the registration Of letters for the last five
years. makes it clear that the public are fast losing the
confidence with which the registry system was at first
received.
Amount of fees collected for registered let
ters for the fiscal year ending June so 1856 sGl 466 50
" June 80, 1857. 35.S76.S7
June 80 1885 % 1I5 l6
June 30. 1859 25O5295
June so, 1860. 25O3S 10
II will he observed that the receipts for 1860 were $40
SIS II 80 20 per cent less than for the year 1857
This exhibits falling OIL in the number Of letters and
packets registered to the 267G0; and yet du
ring the brief period in which this decline occurred
general correspondence and the service in
creased at least fifteen aud half per This condi
tion Of things can only hnd explanation in the fact
that correspondents have become convinced that in regis
ering their valuable letters hry have been hut holding
light Tor the deprcdator instead Of daIkening his Way
or embarrassing him in the commission of his crime
DEFALcATIoN or POSTMASTER AT NEW YORK
In report addressed to tn" House of Representatives.
under date OF 9Th Of June last the circumstances attend
ing te Iri"cHtioh Of Isaac Fowler, late postmaster
- - - l,'l. I.Is ~ u ~. eheII
mas o,n since ascertaned t" amount to &l109467 For
l "IrN ue s'altIe lSuy PNhsIes as ieio,
n 'r,nfr. rra,5, in.if,. r.t t, 's y" 'e' - III
NV rli ~ ''taSI ms t'Srl place ana no
barn c,r,r,.rrad ,rqirst IL ,r. "' @ 'I" % mas
10 ~ t - ms rs '.'s'-, u,'1 no Judgment
s m y. ,s Dp'l ne! ttsl.t '9e recovery prin-
fi,, .I,s a, I,I '' .i - va" uuugrs'oGu p5'"teh
The bcrd$ T'rlr. - r. iis,n Il a.. - - Ho'Lu sISt'
nG .'a NV l'.t u WIS u'uyefeu 10 'h' government,
IN 5 @ NV nv ,if to"'r mas #l'o, ms deposition
IN support OF inns oel,nce, alleging that there
,rI d" aSFesnG'4t rem, between amseit ana the two
signature of tr Mira ~ 'li. ne It'i'' 1" procure tr
bond 10 bn @ a. y '.-I g.. 81 .'' - at"s d.
of this agreement II was Tins accented in ,,,d
faith by the government without The .Iiof rst
from any quarter that its execution was in formal mr. in
c1mlce Thr cross rra1I atrnrtel "a L, ,,r"ctisl b
this corc.almcnt was a fttino nr.uI 70 tb ar1IzIS
ment which followed if indeed Il vgs not a svstarati
coupact between these snraas nv, ,Iaf rri,cjoI ttl
not communicated to the government viii bar fie %
ing suit then no con GI4ra can H.. s,r.I. r,,as ~ H.
dcpartmcnts in anv ront cvcrts b, ibcfr eiS w % ,1
gagged in the public service In that event il viii he r
Congress TO determine LstIcr conn, f,tIr Iaisi,; g.;
not necessary for the protection of those Interests bos
security the announcement of eo traorIna 1aoaI
pro,os,tiou must necessarily compr9n,is, ' " 'S5'
EETRENCHMENT.
The experience of the past wear has fully vipdcated
the retreuchmcut and reforms previously made and
which presented somewhat in detail in the last an
nual report So far from imparing they have greatly
increased the efficiency Of the service while thew have
unuucstonahlv elevated and uurifad its moral tone -
The policy which they announced is believed To have be
suuport Of the deliberate iudent Of ta country and is
not tbe less valued bacasa its rra,n,n o,
have given offence TO those whose nsun1Ions anbtio3
would usa ba revenues oF mis- ,larr,art as an i,st,
ment for Dotrai advancement Tho or,ininn ia nrt.r
tanned more firmly than evar that tbe dn,rtrnan br1
! he a1,,iristorsJ i, ,r,,f,r,;t,, - tb ~ ,i; ~,
or,, m eit IL ~ 20 iIi III w., W '' tly
ss 49,. @ e. ] % VI "ti I'it.'LL.lE cUiuucJeu
nri,.i,i :, ,Ibi ~ IH pa ,u't oL' tis
d -, a. " 3 - ~ Its 1''eleeS' a''Ne 10 l's Iohor
T nv ~ ". ie ' ~, ""' s"tVesS VI l's operations
$50 I; @ IA 'I e'I iif' ~ lIle cost o inc
- uIIInI IIt P'St year ""ich however VIII ne
cd by C,.s- 80 ~ - It "tLi " I. io't.9 VI
$50 - ., ~, lio'' IA. "e, ~, pu' lI'tD yeIdIloi
" Ii t -. ~ Wv, y. NS''i' I''9 eNe'S "e"iS p''
] ~ % i - @ !" :, Wv i,yl increase III ''g PUsla t
a. iil lIle pre-, !"us H'r ;" I' .Ns
IidIiC' status OF le oepaTti5 MT IS sun cohlihudy I'M
pauHnH' "s FdPuy as the IrE'sIalioR oi congress VIII
aEe pcn clreI9y examined inH adutlona man
nav giL - vi I isu |eLg.e ~ e, Ine amount !s VI COT CO
osoi go - .i - m m III aiS vt .'s r Justily IT, Ih5
sbo,i5 % ho lit,,rsI ~ 1919 LIE y - u ne ;. "aon anu
Ia ~ 80, ~ -, W. ' g w, IN - . 80 Jus' III.ClPiSs
- .tnt -. Va Etia - W " ~ y ''I' ii a. ilsn' 70 uG-
-. c. IL ,,t2,.i e: ~ va " t "' ~ 90 NlII'e,''
- 80. -. - -. a 70 ~,, w W ~, N'' u 10 ll"l's
' T iy 10 , ~ I w" l. y'l!tls ~ 10. 70! .,
III EnE'ahu thla lule OF administration IS universally
recognized and cheeriuy acquiesced in by the public
IN that country from whose large experience and npened
judgment IN postal anairS much may oe learned when
CITY or community requires mail accommodations beyond
what Its egitlmae share Of the postal fund will afford,
they are granted only on condition thar the shall
he paid for by those at whose instance and for whose ben
eft the expenditure is made This is the neXoTable law
OF the service, anu wle It's operation Is Just to all, 1t
checks eNtrayagant and wastefu appropriations of the
postal revenues ana thus protects the department from