Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-03-19

II was found that the carrying Of mer-
chandise BY mail had not been as profitable
as had been expected, and the prices were
doubled, at the last session Of Congress. BY
a stupid blunder transient newspapers we're
included in the list of articles subjected to
the increase. We believe the government
could afford to carry merchandise at the pre-
vious rates, as the charges Of express compa-
mics are extortionatc. Though for the few
months during which the government has
carried this class Of matter the amount has
not been so large as might have been wished,
it was rapidly increasing, aud would have
soon become profitable. Even now this class
Of matter can be more cheaply sent by mail
than by express in most cases, and we sin.
cerely hope people having small parcels to
send will send by mail. Let the revenue be
made great as possible from this branch of
the mail service, and another Congress may
find it practicable to return to the former
rate Of one cent for each two ounces. Tran
sient newspapers will probably be allowed to
60 at that rate as soon as the new Congress
gets to doing business.
The following, from one of the Boston
Journals dispatches, reveals the fact that
the law was the work Of the express compa.
mics. The same influence attempted to re-
duce the size Of the postal merchandise par
cells TO twelve ounces but failed. Here is
the extract referred to /: "The Boston lobby
ist who was engineering the matter for the
express companies says that he prepared
section which only referred to merchandise,
but that IL was rejected by the senate postal
committee, whe arc thus made responsible
for the inconvenience and injustice Of the law
as it stands"
Here is the testimony Of the New York
Times on the subject: -
There is no doubt whatever that the pub
lie owe the new change IN the postal laws to
the Adams express company. That c ompany
employed active lobbyists ut Washington.
and the clause was struggled through in ST.
lence and secrecy. for the sole purpose Of in-
creasing the business of very wealthy cor
poration, at the expense of every man who
has occasion to send newspaper or book by
post. 1t is very discreditable transaction,
and one which is not calculated to increase
the popularity of the Adams express.
And here is the Springfield RepuJl icdns
version -
The postal joke seems TO be on Hamlin,
pretty badly. lie moved the careless amend
mcnt in the Senate, and when quizzed upon
the subject wagged his head and animated
thathe knew all about it and that was enough,
Mr.. West, of Louisiana, attempted to get ut
his authority for proposing this amendment,
but Hamlin replied: "The committee on
appropriations does not absorb all the in
formation there is in this body and in the
country upon all subjects. Laughter. In
other words | want to say that while | con-
cedc that they know everything, am not
quite willing to admit that there is not any
body else who knows anything Laughter. |"
The laughter is on the other side now, and
the post-office department and the whole
country are cursing Hamin because he
didn't kIIOtC what he was about. Garfield,
the yoke mate in this pair of bulls, doesn't
scom 70 have Wanted his sapienco.