The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-01-23
Postage Two Cents.

Postage Two OeIll.,
The pogt-ofisce appropriation bill which
passed the House OF Representatives some
time ago was passed by the Senate last Sat
urday. with number Of amendments; but
that feature OF II In which people generally
arc most concerned was lett untouched.
We mean the feature reducing letter post
age from three cents per half-ouncc to TWO
cents per hali-oance; or as we stated tne
case some time ago In arguing III saVcr Oh
the change, tint feature which VIII enable
persons aftcr the LIST Of July next TO seno
five tfters for ten cents instead OF sending
as now only three letters for ten cents MI
EpuyNps, in order to test the sense OF 'he
| Serafe. moved on saturday to strike out
the section providing for areduction OF
letter postage. By vote OF 40 10 10 the
scnete rejected the motion.
Mr.. EpMuYDs's motion was made, so ne
sliJ. because the President oil the senate
had ruled that no amendment IN the nature
Of general legislation could he considered
l,y the Senate. To us the manner in which
ur. Davis construed the Senate rule on the
sllfcct was little less than ludicrous; and
we do not wonder that Mr.. EDMUNDs
was restiye under such constrlc-
ton OF The rule in question. For
exqnplc, Che hill as it came from the House
provided for reducing postage on letters
from threecentsfor each half-ounce to two
cents for each half-ounce. Mr. LAPHAM
moved, as an amendment, to reduce the
postage on drop letters to one cent per
half-ounce ~ carrier-oflioes. To lie average
man Mr. LApHAM's amendment would ne
turaIly appear TO be particularly appropri-
ate to the bill under consideration; but
Mr.. DAVIS ruled il out, and no senator APP
pealed. Mr.. EDMUNDs ought to have done
this instead Of trying TO have the Houses
" generaLlegislation feature" stricken out.
There was a good deal OF Republican OF
position to the reduction OF postage on SIM
gle letters to two cents; but when the
/ Senate came to the question OF engrosSine
the bill and ordering it to I've read a third
time the vote was not recorded-that is, the
yeas and nays were not demanded. The
strength or popularity Of the bill had, how
ever, been shown by the vote on Mr.. ED
MuNDs's motion TO strike out the section re-
ducing the postage on single letters. That
vote was rs follows:
YEAS Mcssrs. Anthony, Blair. Cameron
of Pennsylvania, Cameron Of Wisconsin.
Davis OF Illinois, Edmunds, Hawlcy, Hoar,
Jones of Florida, Laphan. Miller OF New
York, Morrill,, Plat, Rollins, and Sher-
man-I5.
NAYs.-Messrs. Barrow. Beck, Brown,
call, Camden, CockrcIl, Coke, Conger,
Dawes, Frye, Garland, George, German,
Groome, Hale, Hampton, Harris, Harrison,
Hill. ingalls,, Johnston. Jonas, Kellogg, La
mar, NcDill, Mcmillan, Malone, MaXey,
Morgan. PcNdletoD, Plumb. Pugh. Sewoll.
Slater. Vance, Van Wyck, Vest, VOORHEES,,
Walker, and Williams-4o.
1t is a little singular that but one Demo-
Graf voted for that motion-namely, Mr..
JoNEs, Of Florida. Messrs. SHERMAN. HAw-
LEY, and other leading Republicans had
committed themselves in speeches against
the bin as il stood.
We suppose the hill VIII soon pass The
House Of Representatives without material
change. We can see no force whatever in
the objection that there are many three
cent stamps ON hand which will be lost.
Surely il will be allowable for the Post
master General 10 sell tnrco-cent stamps
for two-ccnt ones after the 1st Of July, and
let them he used rs If they were twO-cent.
stamps. Besides, the fiscal year OF the
Government begins July 1St, and that is,
the proper time for such cXpel :
ments as the one under consideration TO
go into operation. II is not, however,
mere experiment. 1t is wise measure
which is sure TO succeed.
Now, let Congress provide thai all papers,
whether sent from the office Of publication
or not, or whether few or many be III Il
package, shall pass through the mails for
two cents a pound. This is n needed re-
form. Or, il this he not done, let the fol-
lowing 'Ereform" be made: People can
not weigh packages very accurately. Let
the weigh Of the wrappers, therefore, be
omitted in weighing 80 ascertain tie
charge, when the Government wrappers
are used. This will improve the looks OF
the mailed matter, and leave eXactinS post
masters less excuse for demanding another
stamp 10 cover an additional weight of the
sixteenth OF IN ounce.