Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-06-11
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS
Fanny Jtne 10, isiu.
QIaN ATE


hook publishers and authors relative 70 pro-
posed notifications Of the copyright law0.
Mr.. Wilson introduced a bill 10 enable on
eors OF tho army 10 Insure their lives 10 life
insurance companies In me United States.
Referred 10 Committee on tho Judiciary.
Mr.. Pomcroy called up the bill relating TO
the Central Branch Union Pacific Railroad
Company and after discussion Il was recon-
niltted.
Al 1 o'clock the bill to abolish the ranking
privilege was taken up.
Mr.. Morrill,, OF Vermont said, In reference
10 cheap postage, that our mall facilities were
really Afforded at cheaper rates TO the people
than In Great Britain, Letter postage there
was two cents, here II was three; but whcro
they carried hundreds Of miles we carried
thousands. In reference to the 2, 100 post
masters who had tho franklng privilege, Il
was known that n great number Of uiom
would not accept the positions but for this
privilege, and u II was abolished the salaries
OF at least half OF them would hayo to be
raised.
He also thought that II the system Of max
ing appropriations TO the apartments for
postal service was adopted, II would lead TO
much greater abuse than tho abuses COM
planned Of In the franklng privilege. Neither
did he have any idea that the cost Of trans
portatlon would be lessened by there being no
FREQ matter. He proposed that, at any rate,
public documents already printed should be
sent free; also that the Agricultural Depart
mcnt should send out free cuttings, seeds,
roots, &c.
Mr.. Sumner said this bill rudely did away
with IN old -tlmo-honorcd system, under
which the people had grown In knowledge.
II was destructive, not constructive; II was q
raw, crude measure. In England the frank
was first conferred as privilege; but ii Ind
no title 10 any such term In this country. The
franklng system In this country cannot be
treated alone. II Ia part Of q greater sys-
tom, being the postal service. Ii Is that part
Of the postal service by which the people ed-
dress their representatives without cost, and
arc answered without cost thus Ringing both
together, and 1t Is the free transmission of
speeches, seeds and documents, many Of
which arc valuable.
Tho ranking system has brought the people
and the Government closer together than
people and Government were ever brought
before. II has been tho means Of difusing nm
immense amount Of knowledge among the
people, and now II Is this day the means of
sending knowledge and intelligence through
the regions Of the South which wero ~ long
kept In ignorance through the domination OF
slavery. He would advocate such simplln-
cation and reduction Of tho rates Of postage
rs would render the frank unnecessary. lie
would place the letter postage Gt one cent
Mr.. 8. gave an Interesting history OF the postal
service In England, beginning with the reign
Of Charles /. The postal service was farined
out, and was subject TO provisions and allow
anccs for different members Of the royal fam
lily, or sometimes for royal mistrcssor other
fayorltc. The Duke Of Marlboro had NJ one
time an allowance from the post Office rove
MUGS. The franking privilege In England
finally degoncrated so much that the priyl-
lodged ones not only gave their franks away,
but sold them.
In the colonies of North America the post
office yielded no revenue Until Bcnjnpin FfnBk-
lin faanf1aa pfaNfuuagaN (aNarul Ia ALL
mics. He startled the people by lnauguratlng
a fast mall between Philadelphia and Boston,
leaving each city on Monday morning and
arriving In the other on Saturday night
Rowland Hill originated In England cheap
postage, but he did not at that time venture
to recommend tho abolition Of the frauklug
privilege. The idea Of one penny postage
was secuted In Parliament as perfectly ridicu-
lous, and IL was asserted that the post office
revenues would dwindlo 10 nothing The tcs-
tlmony taken on this subject by the commit
tee Of Parliament filled three large folio vol
umes. Lord AshburtOn made use OF the re-
markable language that "a high rate Of
postage was a tax on the conversation of pcO-
pie living at q distance from each other" but
though he advocated cheap postage, he hcsi-
tated TO tx II at one penny. At last victory
WINS assured, the Parliamentary Committee
brought In a report In favor Of cheap postage.
On August 10, 1870, the rate was established
at one penny, and the franklng privilege was
abolished except as 10 memorials addressed 10
the Crown or TO Parliament and not exceed
ing thlrty-two ounces. .........
In 1850 the net reserve was 81 ,27S, 900, with
470, 000, 900 letters sent through the Post
Office, and 6O0, 0O0, 900 Of orders. Rowland Hill
had become prophet tradesmon wrote Crate
full letters TO him for increasing their business;
literary men and business men wrote 10 him.
Education had immeasurably advanced, thou
sands Of people learning to read and write for
the pleasure OF carrying on correspondence so
cheaply. Miss Martencau gave her testimony
as TO the immense advantages accrulng In her
neighborhood. Every one, high and low, tcs-
tilted their indebtedness for penny postage.
II was the great reform by which the Post
Office became the eyangcl At civilization. We
can secure these great benefits here no such
difficulties are here To overcome US existed In
England. No mere question Of reserve should
be permitted to weigh one ounce In the con-
slderatlon Of this subject The postal service
of tho United States was kindred TO that of
England, until the latter was TRANSPORTED by
the transcendent genius OF Rowland Hill.
Both had the same complex system OF rates,
extremes and dlspToportionatc.
We have now at least three different rates
on inland letters, with any quantity on for
cign letters. The rates Of postage should be
uniform; all letters should be equal before
the law. The penny was adopted In England
as being the lowest unit Of coin value, stand
Ing In tho same relative position US one cent.
The success Of penny postage In England
proves that II will be successful here. The
great question Is, will 1t payl Il will pay In
benefcent results q hundred fold. To cheaper
anything Is TO increase Its consumption.
Rowland Hill asserted that tho increase In
consumption Is inyersely as the square OF the
prices. Thus, TO reduce the rate Of letter
postage to one cent would be to Increase the
number OF letters thirty-slx times. In 1867
the number of lottors sent through the mails
in England were IA, 900, 900. Our experience
proves that even tho slight reductions which
have been made In our postal rates have al
ways been followed BY large increase In the
that 100000 letters passed through our
Il Is said that tho existing rate Is not OPP
prcsslye, and there IL no need Of ~ 1cdhftlan.
Plainly and Individually II Is oppressive on the
poor, and II Is absurd to say Ii Is not, Any
existing Institution Is declared not 10 be OPP
proslYe. Slavery was so declared In ~ day,
and It was asserted that the slaves did not
wish TO be free.
He commended that one cent rate for half
ounce letters, with proper corresponding con-
dltlons, would In short time be ronmncrntlye.
Make tho postage ONT. cent, and our people
will be tempted to write letters, just as the
people of England were. Tho estimated de-
iicit in the Post 0flicc Department for 1870 Is
S7,A40 900, but included with this arc eXtrinslc
burdens, which should properly be charged to
In regard to tho Post oflce being scli-sus-
talnlng, Mr.. Sumner dlssentod somewhat
from the prevailing opinion and assumed
that itwas as much tie duty Of the Govern
ment 10 foster Il as the army and the navy.
SO long as slavery bore the, sway, It's masters
set their faces against the Post Office. One
Of the ilrat acts Of tho rebel g0yeInmept at
Montgomery was TO raise the rates OF post
age. Now our duty u 10 relleyec tho Post
,Olneo Of all burdens, Tho Post Once should
DO like the common school, open TO all, with
q rate only sufficient TO prevent abuse, and
this will DO provided for by one cent postage
The question being then on the amendment
of Nj Drake continuing the FREQ exchange OF
neWspaperS, and the free transmission Of
newspapers 10 subscribers In the country In
which printed, a.
Mr., fruinbuil sAId those who were in favor
Of abollhhing the Thanking privilege should
vote down AL amendments, but II the major
ity Of the Senate wished TO retain thls prlvi-
lcge the best way wa, Of course, 70 put on
amendments, as then thcrowould DO vory little
nrohabillty az getting any bill passed. For