The New York herald., 1868-06-30


indicate dissatisfaction by the British Post once
Department with the principles of "free trade" as
applied to the carriage OF ocean mails. Mr. Anthony
Trollope, sent3over to negotiate new postal con-
vention replace the one which went into operation
Q few weeks ago, and which reduced the rates of
postage between this country and Great Britain to
twelve cents per half ounce, submitted long memo
randum Of objections to the practical working of the
convention, and proposed various notifications.
Prominent among these latter are some which ap-
pear to seek substantial monopoly OF letter carry
ing per ships Of the Cunard and nman nes ignoring
the fact that the average time made from Southamp-
ton by ships OF the Hamburg, American and North
German Lloyd lines Is fully equal II not superior to
those OF the best English ships while 1t is much bet
ter than the time made by Cunard freight ships,
which are proposed for the service once week. In
Mr.. Tr0llope's communications he makes the follow
ing among other propositions, viz:-That regular
malls shall be despatched from Liverpool via Queens
town, to New York, and from New York. via Queens
town, to Liverpool, three times In each week, the
days OF departure to be Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays from Liverpool and New York re-
mails than these would not. IN the exist.
ing state OF communication between the two coun-
tries, be efficient for good purpose. No doubt
frequent packets might be employed, but If this were
done the mails sent, say ON a Friday, would fre-
quently, II not usually not be delivered TIL after
those sent on the Saturday or course IL IL presumed
that the fastest lines OF steamers will he secured for
the days named, and that, therefore, those not
secured for those DAYS would be slower and less
punctual. Mails forwarded by other vessels should
be considered ship letter mails--as distinguished
from mails by packet-and II Is proposed that the
gratuities on these mails shall be paid by the Post
Office OF the port OF Decentralization To the command
ers or owners OF the ships in question Postmaster
General Randall, replying on the 23d of May to
used the following terms:-
The second article Of the present convention,
ONCE in Mr. feys letter Of II the Esd Of october T'
1866, and accepted by this Office without mOdidca-
tl0n In the very terms as proposed, wisely in
tended 10 give, ana was mutually understood as CIV
ing to each Office the exclusive control Of its own
arrangements FOR the despatch Of mails the other
without any restriction, except that the vessels en-
ployed are TO be "wel appointed ships. sailing ON
stated days." :
The principle OF leaving each ofilce free to make
its own arrangements for the conveyance of the
mails which II dispatches adopted in this article is
not only equitable and Just as between two Offices
but adapted In all respects to the rapidly increasing
means OF steamship communication across the Al
lantlc IL Will enable each Office by inviting compe-
tition from year TO year from the rival lines not
only to secure the best attainabe mail service but
on the most favorable terms. The same principle
has been adopted in each Of the postal conventions
recently concluded between the United States
and countries on the Continent OF Europe,
and to return to the old system of special contracts
or subsidies for term OF years with particular lines
oil steamers, TO the exclusion Of other lines equally
efficient for mail purposes and anxious TO compete
for the mails would certainly be retrograde move
ment unprodnctive of any beneficial Iesult either to
the mai service or to the people OF the two countries
That the British Post ONCE was in entire accord
with this department at the time OF negotiating the
present convention with regard to the propriety and
practicability OF adopting this principle and the
advantages to result therefrOm in increased fire.
quency of mail service and reduced cost of
portation appears from the following extracts which
quote from Mr.. +. Hills letter OF June ~, 1885, ad-
dressed to the Right Honorable f. Hammond, &C.,
Foreign Oice, published by order of the House OF
Commons OF March IL, 1867, with other correspond
ence on the subject of the postal service the At
lantic:-
"The Postmaster General does not propose to enter
into q new contract for the continuance Of q mail
service like that now existing between this country
and North America he Is OF opinion that without
any such contract the numerous steamships now
plying afford the means OF maintaining rapid and
frequent postal communication with the United
states. In his Lordsllips opinion arrangements
may advantageously be made with the owners OF
well appointed ships leaving this country on stated
YORK, in consideration or payment equal TO the
whole sea postage, II the voyage be performed within
certain time, and equal to a smaller sum, accord.
Ing to fixed scale, where that time IL exceeded. A
similar course might be pursued by the United states
Post Once with regard to the despatch OF mails To
this country; and 1t seems probable looking at the
great commercial intercourse between the two coun-
tries, that after a time, under such plan, a daily
mail might be established in each dlrectlon.n
Under this arrangement all necessity for the Post
ONCE OF one country to send to that Of the other in
structiOns respecting the transmissl0ns OF its mails
necessity giving rise to much trouble, would be
avoided. AS respects the outward mails each Office
would have the sole direction. Each Office thus
OF the outward mails, the Postmaster General would
propose that the despatching Office should retain oil
the postage charged the International CORE
sp0ndence, and that the Of1ce to which the mails
sent should make no charge on the delivery OF such
correspondence.
In regard to the other circumstance mentioned in
your memorandum OF the 26th ultimO as an objection
TO the existing convention, VIZ, that under the
operation of the provision I'm the second article hat
each ONCE shall make It's own terms with the
Of vessels this department Is paying for the current
year only fifteen cents per ounce for the ocean trans
pora3n OF ne letter malls while ne, the British oiice is
each Ofice being the samc) twentyfOur cents per
ounce, have to remark that this difference in the
cost OF sea service plOyed by the two Offices
suited from the different mode OF inviting tenders
adopted on eacn side, the British Office agreeing in
advance to allow the full amount of sea postage as
compensation for the service, while this department
invited competition, not only In respect TO speed
and other requisites but also in regard to the rate Of
compensation To be paid
IL is reasonable to suppose that If the invitation for
tenders issued by the British Office had not fixed the
rate Of compensation to be paid, that equally favor
able tenders for sea transportation would have been
made to that office; aud II Is not doubted that under
the operation Of free competition on each side the
cost OF the transatlantic service by first class steamers
OF approved speed, be lessened from year TO
year, enabling the respective governments to further
reduce the rate OF International letter postage In the
interest OF the people OF both countries; oh ect
the accomplishment OF which IL earnestly desired by
tins department, for In the proportion as the
cost of the sea transportation Is reduced IL Will
be practicable to reduce postage rates without
loss 70 the postal revenues OF either country. No
good reason Is known IN this department why
the Atlantic service cannot be just efficiently per-
formed at present II open To free competition at
a charge OF two cents per single letter rate (which
would he a sufficiently remuneratve charge for the
service the steamers are required to render) and
would justify the establishment OF an International
charge Tor letters OF six cents three PENCE
per single rate, Of which two cents would
be the sea postage and two cents the in
land charge In each country. In our re-
cent interview informed you OF the desire OF this
department to provide ior gradual reduction Of the
rate OF International letter postage In the proposed
new convention, and to express the hope that the
British Post Oice will agree 10 reduce the letter rate
OF postage TO ten cents and after the LIST OF Jan
airy, 1862 with provision for further reductions
propprtloned 10 the reductions that shall be effected
fronf year to year In the cost OF transporta-
tion.
This department cheerfully assents to the PROPOSE
ton that the maiis be despatched rom Liverpool
via Queenstown TO New York and from New ork
via Queenstown to Liverpool three times each week,
the days Of departure to be Tuesdays Thursdays and
Saturdays from Liverpool and New York respec-
lively, II satisfactory steamers Of approved speed
and rate OF compensation rendered for the pro-
posed additional weekly trips between those ports
There Is at present regular semiweekly mail COM
muncation between those ports and this DEPART
men will gladly avail Itself Of the earliest oppor.