Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-10-13

In anOtnef cOlumQ we publish leJLter
from Postmaster Wakeman, of New York
City, which gives satisfactory reasons for
the issuing of the circular by the POstof-
fee Department requiring POstmasters not
to recognize torn and defaced postage
stamps, but to send letters covered by such
stamps to the Dead-letter Office.
The New York Times, in commenting on
the letter, says:
"As the Postmaster General has, we
learn, recently been here in consultation
with Mr. Wakeman, VIC may take the let
ter of the latter now published as authori-
tative and official It will be found very
lucid, and in the main, we think, satisfac-
tory.
awe are glad to find it contain the
statement that the PostOfice Department
is making arrangements to redeem those
postage stamps that, in their use as cur
rency, have become so soiled and defaced
as to be unfit for the payment of postage.
The recent notification by the Department
that no soiled stamp OF stamps that had
"apparsnty" been used previously in the
payment Of postage, would be recognized
if attached to letter or paper, caused gen
eral indignation on the part of the people.
They looked upon it as a deliberate at
tempt of the Department to repudiate the
stamps it had sold and obtained full con-
sideration for.
at is true the Postmaster-Generalh had q
strong case in his favor. He had from the
first opposed the use of stamps as currency
he refused to let Secretary Chase have
postage stamps to be issued as currency, as
the law of Congress seemed at first sight
to contemplate. His opposition to the
whole scheme was so obstinate that Mr..
Chase was obliged to adopt the "postage
currency bills that are now beginning to
be issued, in lieu of the postage stamps I;
and thus, by the construction of the high
est officer of the National Treasury, the
postage stamps were exempted from US as
currency, and not recognized as legal
tender by the Fiscal Department Of the
Government.
But while the Postmaster General was
carrying his point against the Secretary of
the Treasury to prevent the use Of stamps
as currency, the people were buying the
stamps and showing them into use as cur
EGnCF. anu Luls MI hAhlI COulu Aub pre-
vent. He is right to discourage by all
fair and legitimate means, the continued
use of stamps as currency, and
the people will thank him or any
other man who will deliver them from the
scourge. The redemption of soiled stamps
will satisfy the popular demand for honest
dealing in the matter But what scheme
is projected, or can be projected, to pro-
hibit after a given day, the further use
of clean stamps as currency, that must in
their turn become soiled and defaced, and
demand redemption We must reach
this end before we are rid of the nasty
things.
"The plea of necessity has heretofore
been urged as a justification for the en-
ployment of stamps in making change.
But now that the corporation of the city
of New York, as will be seen by the pro
ceedings of yesterday in the Board of AL
dermen, is about to issue small notes of 3,
10, 25 and so cents denominations, we
shall have this excuse removed, and
may hope to see an end Of the pos
tage-stamp nuisance. These notes, or
any legitimate kind of small change,
are imperatively needed to carry on the
trade of the City. The Government has
failed to furnish its small currency
promptly and in sufficient quantities for
the public uses, and the municipal author
tiles have at last been compelled to come
to the relief of the suffering and patience
worn community. The small notes Tor
-plasters) of New York City will be
as good as Treasury Notes or City Bank
bills in any part of the country, and will
prove to be National as well as local
relief