The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-21

10 the whole invoice.
Senator Eenton % Unburden Himself ON
Vknancc.
senator Fenton VIII address the Senate to-
morrow on the financial question, giving, in add.
ton to his views of December II, 1873, ideas
OF interest to the laboring as involved in the
currency question. He will seek to show that the
laboring man has great interest in the subject,
ana that he should return in his own way to
specie basis.
Reply OF the Postmaster General to the
the Frankinx Priviiege-S2, 25O, 900 .
Year Saved by It's Abolition.
The Postmaster General has replied to q resolu.
ton OF the Senate with regard to the ranking
privilege &C. He says had not the transmission
OF Congressional publications been discontinued
the rates OF awards In the readjustment now being
made with the railroad companies would be higher
in exact proportion to the increase IN the weight
OF the mails which the transmission of this heavy
matter would have caused, whatever that increase
might be. The general interests of the postal SER
vice are promoted, however, by relieving the great
mail lines Of the pressure caused by the carriage
Of the immense amount OF mail matter for
merly sent over them. So rapid is the increase
OF postal business that the through lines
are taxed to their utmost capacity to carry
despatched from the commercial and publishing
centres OF the country. The net sales OF oflcial
stamps for the next fiscal year, to cover the trans
mission of matter formerly sent through the mails
under the franks OF the heads of departments, are
estimated at So, 25O, 900. comparison OF the re.
ceipts on four items during the quarter ended
September &c. 1873 with those ON the same items
for the corresponding quarter Of the preceding
year, shows an aggregate increase Of 81, 66S, 446
and an increase, exclusive OF Official stamps, Of
1914, 912. These figures which do not include post
age on Congressional matter. confirm the Post
master General IN the opinion heretofore ex-
pressed in special report to Congress un.
der date OF January IL, 1871 that the
cost Of all free matter, II charged with
the regular rates Of postage, would amount to
$2,543 1927 annually. The Postmaster General says
he has answered the questions embodied in the res
Olution with as much accuracy as is possible from
the little material at his command. 1t must be re-
membered that the law repeating the ranking
privilege did not go into effect until the 1st of July
last, and that The department has had the advan-
tage OF that repeal for six months only To arrive
at anything like fair conclusions on the subject o
trial Of at least year should be made, and time
should be given for gathering accurate results
from the entire country. Thoroughly impressed,
as he is, with the belief that the re-
peal Of the franking privilege was o
wise measure and will be productive
OF the best results in the postal service, he earn
estly recommends that it be not restored until
at least fair trial be made. In his last report
he recommended a reduction Of postage on books
to one cent for two ounces, which is the lowest
rate now allowed by law for any kind of matter.
If that suggestion should be adopted he cannot see
why postage should not be paid upon Congressional
documents as well as upon departmental matter
by an appropriation from the Treasury. Such
action would amply provide for the transmission
by mail of all desirable documents to the people,
and enable the department to maintain that de-
gree OF accuracy in it's administration which is
essential to it's complete success. In the event,
however, Of returning to a general distribution
to the people of improved field and garden seeds
and public documents, he trusts he may be per-
mittcd to suggest in view of all the facts that the
department should be empowered to arrange for
their transportation rs freight in other convey.
ances than mail cars, so as not to embarrass the
legitimate postal business Of the country retard
the attainment of the perfection Of the system,
which should be The constant aim Of those engaged
in Its management He is firmly convinced that
the practice In this respect which prevailed be-
fore the abolition Of the ranking privilege cannot
be revived except at the expense of the i'm
pOrtant commercial and social interests
and wants which the maintenance OF the
postal system of the country is chiefly In
tended to subserve. There is one restriction
however, which he never advised, and which, in
his opinion, might be safely removed, and that is
the provision which forbids the free transpOrta-
ton OF weekly newspapers within the counties OF
their publication. as heretofore authorized by law.
The grounds upon which this recommendation is
made are:-First that such papers are so evenly
distributed over the entire extent Of the country,
and confined to lines OF transit short, that they
have never been known to impede the distribu-
ton and transportation of the mails; and second,
that the amount Of postage levied upon them as at
present collected, while affording but O trifling
revenue to the department, Is yet heavy enough to
be severely felt by their prOprietors ana patrons
and to obstruct the dissemination OF local intelli
gence. Good reasons may also be given in favor
of a free exchange between newspapers.
Yearly Postal Contracts-The Proposed
Limited Restoration Of the Franking
Privilege.
1t appears that the Solicitor of the Post ONCE
Department has decided that locks, postal cards
and stamps should be classed as stationery and
that contracts can only be made for one year. This
the Postmaster General stated would result disad.
vantageously in the supply Of postal cards and
locks. The committee win present to the House a
resolution explanatory OF the intent Of the law,
which will provide that such articles as nuctuate
in price shall be contracted for by the year; but
for articles Of postal expenditure in which the
government alone Is the dealer, contracts can be
mace for such periods as in the judgment of the
Postmaster General he deems for the best interests
OF the service. The committee will soon report a
bill restoring the ranking privilege to limited
extent.
A New Rule to Abolish the Monday
General Debate Order.
The House passed the whole Of this afternoon in
passing q new rule. There is custom which has
brought the lower branch Of Congress into dsre-
pute, II not contempt. Any member who can get
the Speakers ear or eye on Monday OF each week
after a certain hour on the last ten days of the
session, can offer ything in the shape OF a reso-
lution and If any one objects to t he can move to