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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 02:34:09 -0700 |
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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 02:34:09 -0700 |
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diff --git a/27196-tei/27196-tei.tei b/27196-tei/27196-tei.tei new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6dcdc98 --- /dev/null +++ b/27196-tei/27196-tei.tei @@ -0,0 +1,5014 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> + +<!DOCTYPE TEI.2 SYSTEM "http://www.gutenberg.org/tei/marcello/0.4/dtd/pgtei.dtd" [ + +<!ENTITY u5 "http://www.tei-c.org/Lite/"> + +]> + +<TEI.2 lang="en"> +<teiHeader> + <fileDesc> + <titleStmt> + <title>Cheap Postage</title> + <author><name reg="Leavitt, Joshua">Joshua Leavitt</name></author> + </titleStmt> + <editionStmt> + <edition n="1">Edition 1</edition> + </editionStmt> + <publicationStmt> + <publisher>Project Gutenberg</publisher> + <date>November 7, 2008</date> + <idno type="etext-no">27196</idno> + <availability> + <p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and + with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it + away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg + License online at www.gutenberg.org/license</p> + </availability> + </publicationStmt> + <sourceDesc> + <bibl> + Created electronically. + </bibl> + </sourceDesc> + </fileDesc> + <encodingDesc> + </encodingDesc> + <profileDesc> + <langUsage> + <language id="en"></language> + </langUsage> + </profileDesc> + <revisionDesc> + <change> + <date value="2008-11-07">November 7, 2008</date> + <respStmt> + <name> + Produced by Bryan Ness, David King, and the Online + Distributed Proofreading Team at <http://www.pgdp.net/>. + (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain + material from the Google Print project.) + </name> + </respStmt> + <item>Project Gutenberg TEI edition 1</item> + </change> + </revisionDesc> +</teiHeader> + +<pgExtensions> + <pgStyleSheet> + .boxed { x-class: boxed } + .shaded { x-class: shaded } + .rules { x-class: rules; rules: all } + .indent { margin-left: 2 } + .bold { font-weight: bold } + .italic { font-style: italic } + .smallcaps { font-variant: small-caps } + .gesperrt { font-style: italic } + </pgStyleSheet> + + <pgCharMap formats="txt.iso-8859-1"> + <char id="U0x2014"> + <charName>mdash</charName> + <desc>EM DASH</desc> + <mapping>--</mapping> + </char> + <char id="U0x2003"> + <charName>emsp</charName> + <desc>EM SPACE</desc> + <mapping> </mapping> + </char> + <char id="U0x2026"> + <charName>hellip</charName> + <desc>HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS</desc> + <mapping>...</mapping> + </char> + </pgCharMap> +</pgExtensions> + +<text lang="en"> + <front> + <div> + <divGen type="pgheader" /> + </div> + <div> + <divGen type="encodingDesc" /> + </div> + + <div rend="page-break-before: always"> + <p rend="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center">CHEAP POSTAGE</p> + <p rend="font-size: x-large; text-align: center">REMARKS AND STATISTICS</p> + <p rend="font-size: large; text-align: center">ON THE SUBJECT OF</p> + <p rend="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center">CHEAP POSTAGE AND POSTAL REFORM</p> + <p rend="font-size: large; text-align: center">IN</p> + <p rend="font-size: x-large; text-align: center">GREAT BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES.</p> + <p rend="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center">BY JOSHUA LEAVITT,</p> + <p rend="font-size: large; text-align: center">COR. SEC. OF THE CHEAP POSTAGE ASSOCIATION.</p> + <p rend="text-align: center"><q>The well-ordering of the Postes is a Matter + of General Concernment, and of Great Advantage, as + well for the preservation of Trade and + Commerce as otherwise.</q>—Statute of + Charles II.</p> + <p rend="text-align: center">Boston</p> + <p rend="text-align: center">Published for the Cheap Postage Association;</p> + <p rend="text-align: center">By Otis Claps, Treasurer,</p> + <p rend="text-align: center">No. 12, School Street.</p> + <p rend="text-align: center">1848</p> + </div> + <div rend="page-break-before: always"> + <head>Contents</head> + <divGen type="toc" /> + </div> + + </front> +<body> + +<pb n='002'/><anchor id='Pg002'/> + +<div rend="page-break-before: always"> +<index index="toc"/> +<index index="pdf"/> +<head>PUBLISHING DIRECTION.</head> + +<p> +Subjoined are the proceedings under which the following sheets were prepared +and are now published: +</p> + +<p> +<q rend="pre">At a meeting of the <hi rend='italic'>Board of Directors</hi> of the +<hi rend='smallcaps'>Cheap Postage Association</hi>, on +the 31st of March, 1848, Dr. Howe, Dr. Webb, and Mr. Leavitt were appointed a +Committee of Publication. And on motion of Dr. Samuel G. Howe, it was</q> +</p> + +<p> +<q rend="pre"><hi rend='italic'>Voted</hi>, That the Publishing +Committee be authorized to procure the compilation +of a pamphlet on the subject of Cheap Postage and Postal Reform.</q> +</p> + +<p> +<q rend="pre">At a meeting of the Board, on the 25th of +April, 1848, Mr. Leavitt, the Corresponding +Secretary, on behalf of the Publishing Committee, reported the copy of a +pamphlet on the subject prescribed. And on motion of Mr. Moses Kimball, it was</q> +</p> + +<p> +<q><hi rend='italic'>Voted</hi>, That the pamphlet be +printed for general circulation, under the direction +of the Publishing Committee.</q> +</p> + +<p> +<hi rend='smallcaps'>J. W. James</hi>,<lb/> +<hi rend='italic'>Chairman of the Board</hi>. +</p> + +<p> +<hi rend='smallcaps'>Charles B. Fairbanks</hi>, +<hi rend='italic'>Recording Secretary</hi>. +</p> + +<p> +<hi rend='smallcaps'>Boston</hi>, April 26, 1848. +</p> + +<p> +BOSTON:<lb/> +PRINTED BY FREEMAN AND BOLLES,<lb/> +DEVONSHIRE STREET. +</p> + +</div> + +<pb n='003'/><anchor id='Pg003'/> + +<div rend="page-break-before: always"> +<index index="toc"/> +<index index="pdf"/> +<head>CHEAP POSTAGE.</head> + +<p> +For more than eight years, the people of Great Britain have enjoyed +the blessing of Cheap Postage. A literary gentleman of England, +in a letter to his friend in Boston, dated London, March 23, +1848, says—<q>Our Post Office Reform is our greatest measure for +fifty years, not only political, but educational for the English mind +and affections. If you had any experience of the exquisite convenience +of the thing, your speech would wax eloquent to advocate +it. With your increasing population, a similar measure must soon +pay; and it will undoubtedly increase the welfare and +<hi rend='italic'>solidarité</hi> of +the United States.</q> +</p> + +<p> +Mr. Laing, a writer of eminence, said four years ago, <q>This measure +will be the great historical distinction of the reign of Victoria I. +Every mother in the kingdom, who has children earning their bread +at a distance, lays her head upon her pillow at night with a feeling of +gratitude for this blessing.</q> +</p> + +<p> +An American gentleman, writing from London, in 1844, says, <q>It is +hardly possible to overrate the value of this [cheap postage] in regard +to the exertion of moral power. At a trifling expense one can carry +on a correspondence with all parts of the kingdom. It saves time, +facilitates business, and brings kindred minds in contact. How long +will our enlightened government adhere to its absurd system?</q> +</p> + +<p> +The London Committee, who got up a national testimonial for Mr. +Rowland Hill, speak of cheap postage as <q>a measure which has +opened the blessings of free correspondence to the teacher of religion, +the man of science and literature, the merchant and trader, and the +whole British nation, especially to the poorest and most defenceless +portion of it—a measure which is <emph>the greatest boon conferred in +modern times on all the social interests of the civilized world</emph>.</q> +</p> + +<p> +The unspeakable benefits conferred by cheap postage upon the +people, are equalled by its complete success as a governmental measure. +The gross receipts of the British Post-office had remained about +stationary for thirty years, ranging always in the neighborhood of two +millions and a quarter sterling. In the year 1839, the last year of the +old system, the gross income was £2,390,763. In the year 1847, +under the new system, it was £1,978,293, that is, only £413,470 +short of the receipts under the old system. A letter from Mr. Joseph +Hume, M. P., to Dr. Thomas H. Webb, of Boston, dated London, +<pb n='004'/><anchor id='Pg004'/> +March 3, 1848, says, <q>I am informed by the General Post-office, +that the gross revenue this year will equal, it is expected, the gross +amount of the postage in the year before the postage was reduced.</q> +Mr. Hume also encloses a tabular statement of the increase of letters, +together with a copy of the Parliamentary return, made the present +year, showing the fiscal condition and continued success of the Post-office. +He sends also, a copy of a note which he had just written +to Mr. Bancroft, our Minister at the Court of St. James, as follows: +</p> + +<p> +(COPY.) +</p> + +<p> +Bry. Square, 2d March, 1848. +</p> + +<p> +<hi rend='italic'>My Dear Sir</hi>, +</p> + +<p> +I have the pleasure to send you the copy of a paper I have prepared, at the +request of Mr. Webb, of Boston, to show the progress of increase of the number of +letters by the post-office here, since the reduction of the postage, and I hope it may +induce your government to adopt the same course. +</p> + +<p> +I am not aware of any reform, amongst the many reforms that I have promoted +during the last forty years, that has had, and will have better results towards the +improvement of this country, morally, socially and commercially. +</p> + +<p> +I wish as much as possible that the communication by letters, newspapers and +pamphlets, should pass between the United States and Great Britain as between +Great Britain and Ireland, as the intercommunication of knowledge and kindly +feelings must be the result, tending to the promotion of friendly intercourse, and to +maintain peace, so desirable to all countries. +</p> + +<p> +Any further information on this subject shall be freely and with pleasure supplied +by, yours, sincerely, +</p> + +<p> +(Signed) JOSEPH HUME. +</p> + +<p> +His Excellency George Bancroft. +</p> + +<p> +MR. HUME'S TABLE. +</p> + +<p> +<hi rend='italic'>Estimate of the number of chargeable Letters delivered in the +United Kingdom in each year, from</hi> 1839 <hi rend='italic'>to</hi> +1847.<note place='foot'><q>The estimate for 1839 is founded on the ascertained +number of letters for one week in the +month of November, and strictly speaking, it is for the +year ending Dec. 5th, at which time 4<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. +was made the maximum rate. The estimate for each subsequent year +is founded on the ascertained +number of letters for one week in each calendar month.</q> +</note> +</p> + +<table rows="11" cols="4" rend="latexcolumns: 'p{2cm} p{2cm} p{2cm} p{2cm}'; + tblcolumns: 'lw(8) lw(20) lw(20) lw(20)'"> +<row><cell>Year.</cell><cell>Number of Letters.</cell> + <cell>Annual Increase.</cell><cell>Increase per cent.</cell></row> +<row><cell></cell><cell>Millions.</cell> + <cell>Millions.</cell><cell>on the No. for 1839.</cell></row> +<row><cell>1839.</cell><cell>76<note place='foot'><q>This is exclusive + of about six and a half millions of franks.</q></note></cell> + <cell></cell><cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>1840.</cell><cell>169</cell><cell>93</cell><cell>123</cell></row> +<row><cell>1841.</cell><cell>196-½</cell><cell>27-½</cell><cell>36</cell></row> +<row><cell>1842.</cell><cell>208-½</cell><cell>12</cell><cell>16</cell></row> +<row><cell>1843.</cell><cell>220-½</cell><cell>12</cell><cell>16</cell></row> +<row><cell>1844.</cell><cell>242</cell><cell>21-½</cell><cell>28</cell></row> +<row><cell>1845.</cell><cell>271-½</cell><cell>29-½</cell><cell>39</cell></row> +<row><cell>1846.</cell><cell>299-½</cell><cell>28</cell><cell>37</cell></row> +<row><cell>1847.</cell><cell>322</cell><cell>22-½</cell><cell>30</cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +The most important of the tables contained in the parliamentary +return will be given in the appendix, either entire, or so as to present +the material results in their official form. The contents of that document +have not, to my knowledge, been in any manner brought before +the people of the United States. +</p> + +<p> +It is humiliating to think, that while a system fraught with so many +blessings has been so long in operation, and with such signal success +as a financial measure, in a country with which our relations are +so intimate, I should now begin to prepare the first pamphlet for publication, +designed to give the American people full information on the +<pb n='005'/><anchor id='Pg005'/> +subject; this publication being the first effort of the first regularly +organized society, now just formed, for the purpose of securing the +same blessings to the citizens of this republic, which the British Parliament +enacted, after full investigation, nine years ago. If we look at +the various political questions which have already in those eight years +grown <q>obsolete,</q> after occupying the public mind and engrossed the +cares of our statesmen, to the exclusion of the great subject of cheap +postage, and consider their comparative importance, we shall be satisfied +that it is now high time for a determined effort to satisfy the +people of the United States with regard to the utility and practicability +of cheap postage. +</p> + +<p> +Prior to the year 1840 the postal systems of Great Britain and the +United States were constructed on similar principles, and the rates of +postage were nearly alike. Both were administered with a special +view to the amount of money that could be realized from postage. In +Great Britain, the surplus of receipts above the cost of administration +was carried to the general treasury. In the United States, the surplus +received in the North was employed in extending mail facilities to the +scattered inhabitants of the South and West. In Great Britain, private +mails and other facilities had kept the receipts stationary for +twenty years, while the population of the country had increased thirty +per cent., and the business and intelligence and wealth of the country +in a much greater ratio. In the United States, there was a constant +increase of postage, although by a less ratio than the increase of population, +until the year 1843, when, through the establishment of private +mails, the gross receipts actually fell off, and it became apparent that +the old system had failed, and could never be reinvigorated so as to +make the post-office support itself, without a change of system. +</p> + +<p> +In Great Britain, the government, after full investigation, became +satisfied that it was impossible to suppress the private mails except by +under-bidding them, which they also ascertained that the government, +by its facilities, could afford to do. They also became satisfied that +no plan of partial reduction of postage could restore the energy of the +system, but the only hope of ultimate success was in the immediate +adoption of the lowest rate. And although the public debt presses so +heavily as to put every administration to its utmost resources for revenue, +they resolved to risk the whole net revenue then realized, equal +to above a million and a half sterling, as the best thing that could be +done. In the United States, the government, without extensive examination, +resolved to do what the British government dared not attempt, +that is, to put down the private mails by penal enactments. It also +resolved to adopt a partial reduction of the rates of postage; and +without regarding the mathematical demonstration of its futility, persevered +in regarding distance as the basis of the rates of charge. +</p> + +<p> +A few extracts from the Debates in Parliament, will show several of +these points in a striking light: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Francis Baring, on first introducing the bill, +July 5, 1839, declared his conviction that the loss of revenue at the outset would be +<q>very considerable indeed.</q> He said the committee had considered that <q>two +pence postage could be introduced without any loss to the revenue,</q> but he differed +from them, and found <q>the whole of the authorities conclusively bearing in favor of +<pb n='006'/><anchor id='Pg006'/> +a penny postage.</q> And he <q>conscientiously believed that the public ran less risk +of loss in adopting it.</q> Referring to the petitions of the people, he said, <q>The +mass of them present the most extraordinary combination I ever saw, of representations +to one purpose, from all classes, unswayed by any political motive whatever, +from persons of all shades of opinion, political and religious, and from the commercial +and trading communities in all parts of the kingdom.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Mr. <hi rend='smallcaps'>Goulburn</hi>, then one of the leaders of the opposition, +opposed so great a sacrifice of revenue, in the existing state of the country, but +admitted that it would <q>ultimately increase the wealth and prosperity of the +country.</q> And if the experiment was to be tried at all, <q>it would be best to make +it to the extent proposed,</q> for <q>the whole evidence went to show that a postage +of two pence would fail, but a penny might succeed.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Mr. <hi rend='smallcaps'>Wallace</hi> declared it <q>one of the greatest boons that +could be conferred on the human race,</q> and he begged that, as <q>England had the +honor of the invention,</q> they might not <q>lose the honor of being the first to +execute</q> a plan, which he pronounced <q>essentially necessary to the comforts of +the human race.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Sir <hi rend='smallcaps'>Robert Peel</hi>, then at the head of the opposition, found +much fault with the financial plans of Mr. Baring, but he <q>would not say one word in +disparagement of the plans of Mr. Hill;</q> and if he wanted popularity, <q>he would at +once give way to the public feeling in favor of the great moral and social advantages</q> +of the plan, <q>the great stimulus it would afford to industry and commercial +enterprise,</q> and <q>the boon it presented to the lower classes.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Mr. <hi rend='smallcaps'>O'Connell</hi> thought it would be <q>one of the most valuable +legislative reliefs that had ever been given to the people.</q> It was <q>impossible +to exaggerate its benefits.</q> And even if it would not pay the expense of the +post-office, he held that <q><emph>government ought to make a sacrifice for the purpose +of facilitating communication</emph>.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<hi rend='italic'>July</hi> 12, the debate was resumed. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Mr. <hi rend='smallcaps'>Poulette Thompson</hi> showed the impossibility of making a +correct estimate of the loss of revenue that would accrue. One witness before the +committee stated that there would be no deficiency; another said it would be small; while +Lord Ashburton declared that it would amount to a sacrifice of the whole revenue of the +post-office. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Mr. <hi rend='smallcaps'>Warburton</hi> denied that the post-office had ever been +regarded as a mere matter of revenue; the primary object of its institution was to +contribute to the convenience of the people; its advantages ought to be accessible to +the whole community, and not be made a matter of taxation at all. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<hi rend='smallcaps'>Viscount Sandon</hi>, of the opposition, said he had long been of +the opinion that the post-office was not a proper source of revenue, but it <q>ought +to be employed in stimulating other sources of revenue.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<hi rend='italic'>July</hi> 22, another discussion came on. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Sir <hi rend='smallcaps'>Robert Peel</hi> admitted that <q>great social and commercial +advantages will arise from the change, independent of financial considerations.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<hi rend='italic'>August</hi> 5, the bill was taken up by the peers. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<hi rend='smallcaps'>Viscount Melbourn</hi>, in opening the debate, dwelt upon the +extraordinary extent of the contraband conveyance of letters, as the effect of high +postage, and said this made it necessary to protect both the revenue and the morals of +the people by so great a reduction. The means of evasion were so organized, and resort +to them was so easy, and had even become a habit, that persons would, for a very small +profit, follow the contraband trade of conveying letters. It was therefore clearly +necessary to make the reduction to such an extent as would ensure the stopping of +the contraband trade. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +The <hi rend='smallcaps'>Duke of Wellington</hi> admitted <q>the expediency, and indeed +the necessity</q> of the proposed change. He thought Mr. Hill's plan <q>the one most +likely to succeed.</q> He found fault with the financial plans of the administration, but +for the sake of the reform of the post-office, he said, <q>I shall, although with great +reluctance, vote for the bill, and I earnestly recommend your lordships to do the +same.</q> His customary mode of expressing his opinions. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<hi rend='smallcaps'>Lord Ashburton</hi> expected the cost of the department, under the +new system, would amount to a million sterling, which must be made up out of several +pence before you could touch one farthing of the present income of a million and six +hundred pounds. There could be no doubt that the country at large would derive an +immense benefit, the consumption of paper would be increased considerably, and it +was most probable the number of letters would be at least doubled. It appeared +to him a tax upon communication between distant parties was, <emph>of all taxes, the +<pb n='007'/><anchor id='Pg007'/> +most objectionable</emph>. At one time he had been of the opinion that the uniform charge +of postage should be two pence, but <emph>he found the mass of evidence so strongly in +favor of one penny</emph>, that he concluded the ministers were right in coming down to +that rate. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +The <hi rend='smallcaps'>Earl of Lichfield</hi>, Postmaster-General, said the leading +idea of Mr. Rowland Hill's book seemed to be <q>the fancy that he had hit upon a scheme +for recovering the two millions of revenue which he thought had been lost by the high +rates of postage.</q> His own opinion was, that the recovery of the revenue was totally +impossible. He therefore supported the measure on entirely different grounds from +those on which Mr. Hill placed it. In neither house had it been brought forward +on the ground that the revenue would be the gainer. He assented to it on the simple +ground that <hi rend='smallcaps'>THE DEMAND FOR IT WAS UNIVERSAL</hi>. So obnoxious was +the tax upon letters, that he was entitled to say that <q>the people had declared their +<emph>readiness to submit to any impost</emph> that might be substituted in its +stead.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +The proof is thus complete, that the British system was actually +adopted with sole reference to its general benefits, and the will of the +people, and not at all in the expectation of realizing, in any moderate +time, as much revenue as was derived from the old postage. The +revenue question was discarded, from a paramount regard to the public +good, which demanded the cheap postage, even if it should be +necessary to impose a new tax for its support. The extravagant +expectations of some of the over-sanguine friends of the new system, +were expressly disclaimed, and the government justified themselves on +these other considerations entirely—considerations which have been +most abundantly realized. It will be easy to show that the benefits +and blessings anticipated from the actual enjoyment of cheap postage, +have fully equalled the most sanguine expectations of the friends of the +measure, and have far exceeded in public utility, the pittance of income +to the treasury, which used to be wrung out by the tax upon letters. +The same examination will also show, that there is no substantial reason, +either in the system itself, or in any peculiarity of our circumstances, +why the same system is not equally practicable and equally +applicable here, nor why we should not realize at least as great benefits +as the people of Great Britain, from cheap postage. +</p> + +<p> +Mr. Rowland Hill published his scheme in a pamphlet, in 1837. +In 1838, it had attracted so much notice, that between three and four +hundred petitions in its favor were presented to Parliament, and the +government consented to a select committee to collect and report information +on the subject. This committee sat sixty-three days, examined +the Postmaster-General and his secretaries and solicitors, elicited many +important tabular returns, and took the testimony of about ninety +other individuals, of a great variety of stations and occupations. +They also entered into many minute and elaborate calculations, which +give to their results the value of mathematical demonstration. Their +report, with the accompanying documents, fills three folio volumes of the +Parliamentary Papers for 1838. Its investigations were so thorough, +its deductions so cautious and candid, and its accumulations of evidence +so overwhelming that they left nothing to be done, but to adopt +the new system entire. +</p> + +<p> +In this country, no such pains were taken to collect facts, no means +were used to spread before the people the facts and mathematical calculations +and irrefragable arguments of the parliamentary committee; +little study was bestowed on the subject even by our legislators but +<pb n='008'/><anchor id='Pg008'/> +with a prejudged conclusion that the reasonings and facts applicable to +Great Britain could not apply here, on account of the length of our +routes and the sparseness of our population, a partial reduction was +resolved upon, which retained the complication and the cumbersome +machinery of the old system, while affording only a small portion of the +benefits of the new. +</p> + +<p> +The effect has been, that while the British system has gone on gathering +favor and strength, the American system, after less than three +years' trial, has already grown old, the private mails are reviving, the +ingenuity of men of business is taxed to evade postage, and a growing +conviction already shows itself, that the half-way reduction is a failure, +and it is time to make another change. That is to say, the partial +reduction has failed to meet the wishes of the people, or the wants of +the public interest, or the duty of the government in discharging the +trust imposed by the constitution. Indeed, there ought not to be a +great deal of labor required to prove that there is only one right way, +and that the right way is the best way, and that it is better to adopt a +scientifically constructed machine, which has been proved to be perfect +in all its parts, than a clumsy contrivance, the working principle +of which is contradicted by mathematical demonstration. I propose to +present several of the main principles involved in the reduction of +postage, illustrated by facts drawn from the parliamentary papers, and +from other authentic sources. +</p> + +<p> +I. <hi rend='italic'>Reduction of Price tends to increase of Consumption.</hi> +</p> + +<p> +Our own partial reform in postage proves this. In a report of the +committee on post-offices and post-roads, made to the House of Representatives, +May 15, 1844, it is said, +</p> + +<p> +<q>Events are in progress of fatal tendency to the Post-office Department, +and its decay has commenced. Unless arrested by vigorous +legislation, it must soon cease to be a self-sustaining institution, and +either be cast on the treasury for support, or suffered to decline from +year to year, till the system has become incompetent and useless. +The last annual report of the Postmaster-General shows that, notwithstanding +the heavy retrenchments he had made, the expenditures of +the department, for the year ending June 30th, 1843, exceeded its +income by the sum of $78,788. The decline of its revenue during +that year was $250,321; and the investigations made into the operations +of the current year, indicate a further and an increasing decline, +at the rate of about $300,000 a year. Why this loss of revenue, when +the general business and prosperity of the country is reviving, and its +correspondence is on the increase?</q> +</p> + +<p> +The report of the Senate Committee at the same session, made Feb. +22, 1844, says that <q>the cause of this great falling off, in a season of +reviving prosperity in the trade, business and general prosperity of the +country, cannot be regarded as transient, but, on the contrary, is +shown to be deep and corroding. The cause is the dissatisfaction felt +generally through the country, but most strongly in the densely peopled +regions to with the rates of postage now established by law, and the +frequent resort to various means of evading its payment.</q> +</p> + +<pb n='009'/><anchor id='Pg009'/> + +<p> +The result was the passage of the act, now in force, by which the +postage was reduced one half, to begin on the first day of July, 1845. +The last annual report of the Postmaster-General gives the result. +He says: +</p> + +<p> +<q>It is gratifying to find that, within so short a period after the great +reduction of the rates of postage, the revenues of the department have +increased much beyond the expectation of the friends of the cheap +postage system, while the expenditures, for the same time, have diminished +more than half a million of dollars annually, and that the department +is in a condition to support itself, without further aid from the +treasury.</q> +</p> + +<p> +The number of chargeable letters passed through the mails in +1843, was stated in the Report at 24,267,552, yielding the sum of +$3,525,268. The number for the year ending June 30, 1847, was +52,173,480, yielding $3,188,957. Thus the reduction of price one +half, has in two years more than doubled the consumption, and already +yields nearly an equal product. +</p> + +<p> +The experiment in Great Britain shows that a still greater reduction +may be perfectly relied upon to give a rate of increase fully proportionable. +The <q>Companion to the British Almanac,</q> for 1842, says, +<q>The rate of postage in the London district, (which includes the +limits of the old two penny post,) averaged 2-⅓<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi> +per letter, before the late changes; at present it averages about +1-¼<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi>, and the gross revenue +already equals that of 1835. The gross receipts in 1838, the last +complete year under the old system, were £118,000; the gross +revenue for 1840, the first complete year under the new system, was +$104,000.</q> +</p> + +<p> +The parliamentary committee, in their report in 1838, state, as the +result of all their inquiries, that the total number of chargeable letters +passing through the post-office annually, was about 77,500,000; +franks, 7,000,000; total of letters, 84,500,000. The average postage +per letter was 7<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi> The gross receipts annually, for six years, +ending with 1820, were £2,190,597. For six years, ending with 1837, they +averaged £2,251,424. For the year 1847, the number of letters was +320,000,000, and the gross receipts nearly equal to the old system. +Here a reduction of the price three-fourths, has increased the consumption +fourfold. Some other cases of similar bearing, may be worth +stating, taken chiefly from the parliamentary documents. +</p> + +<p> +Before the reduction of the duty on newspapers in England, the +price was 7<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi>, and the number sold in a year was 35,576,056, +costing the public £1,037,634. On the reduction of the duty, the price was +reduced to 4-¾<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi>, and the public immediately paid £1,058,779, for +53,496,207 papers. +</p> + +<p> +Under the high duty on advertisements, when the price was 6<hi rend='italic'>s.</hi> +each, the number was 1,010,000, costing £303,000. By the reduction +of the duty, the price fell to 4<hi rend='italic'>s.</hi>, and the number rose to +1,670,000, costing £334,000. +</p> + +<p> +Formerly the fee of admission to the Armory of the Tower of London +was 3<hi rend='italic'>s.</hi>, at which rate there were in 1838, 9,508 visitors, who +paid £1,426. In 1839, the fee was reduced to 1<hi rend='italic'>s.</hi>, and there were +37,431 visitors, who paid £1,891. In 1840, the fee was reduced to +<pb n='010'/><anchor id='Pg010'/> +6<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi>, and the number of visitors in nine months was 66,025, +who paid £1,650. During the entire year ending January 31, 1841, there +were 91,897 visitors, who paid £2,297. +</p> + +<p> +The falling of the price of soap one-eighth, increased the consumption +one-third; the falling of tea one-sixth, increased consumption +one-half; the falling of silks one-fifth, doubled the consumption; of +coffee one-fourth, trebled it, and of cotton goods one-half quadrupled +it. +</p> + +<p> +A multitude of similar facts could be collected in our own country, +showing the uniform and powerful tendency of diminished cost to +increased consumption. A gentleman who is interested in a certain +panorama said that, in a certain case, the exhibiter wrote to him that +the avails, at a quarter of a dollar per ticket, were not sufficient to +pay expenses. <q>Put it down to twelve and a half cents,</q> was the +reply. It was done, and immediately the receipts rose so as to give a +net profit of one hundred dollars a week. +</p> + +<p> +These facts prove that there is a settled law in economics, that in +the case of any article of general use and necessity, a reduction in the +price may be expected to produce at least a corresponding increase of +consumption, and in many cases a very largely increased expenditure. +So that the amount expended by the people at low prices will be fully +equal to the amount expended for the same at high prices. The people +of England expend now as much money for postage, as they did +under the old system, but the advantage is, that they get a great deal +more service for their money, and it gives a spring to business, trade, +science, literature, philanthropy, social affection, and all plans of +public utility. +</p> + +<p> +II. <hi rend='italic'>Nothing but Cheap Postage will suppress Private Mails.</hi> +</p> + +<p> +It is true that, in this country, private mails are not of so long +standing, nor so thoroughly systematized as they were in Great Britain +before the adoption of cheap postage. But on the other hand, the +state of things in this country affords much greater facilities for that +business, and renders their suppression by force of law much more +difficult and more odious than in Great Britain. +</p> + +<p> +On this head, the report of the Parliamentary Committee contains a +vast mass of information, which made a deep and conclusive impression, +upon the statesmen of that country. They found and declared that, +<q>with regard to large classes of the community, those classes principally +to whom it is a matter of necessity to correspond on matters of +business, and to whom also it is a matter of importance to save, or +at least to reduce the expense of postage, the post-office, instead of +being viewed as it ought to be, and as it would be under a wise administration +of it, as an institution of ready and universal access, distributing +equally to all, and with an open hand, the blessings of commerce +upon civilization, is regarded by them as an establishment too expensive +not to be made use of, and as one with the employment of which +any endeavor to dispense by every means in their power.</q> And +among <q>the commercial and trading classes, by dint of the superior +<pb n='011'/><anchor id='Pg011'/> +activity, had in a considerable degree relieved themselves from the +pressure of this tax, without the interference of the legislature, by devising +other means for the cheap, safe and expeditious conveyance of +letters.</q> Some specimens of these expedients, as developed by the +evidence before the Parliamentary Committee, will be at once curious +and instructive. +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +M. B. Peacock, Esq., solicitor to the post-office, detailed the methods which the +department had used to suppress the illicit sending of letters. By law, one half of +the penalty, in cases of prosecution, went to the informer, but of late, informations +were given much less frequently, and he thought the diminution of informations was +owing to the fact that, about five years before, there had been a call in parliament +for a return of the names of informers. He said the post-office had done all in its +power to put a stop to the illegal sending, <emph>but without success</emph>. And he was +decidedly of opinion, that the prevention is beyond the power of the post-office, and +could only be done by reducing the rates of postage. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Mr. G. R. Huddlestone, superintendent of the ship-letter office, gave an account of +the illicit sending of letters from London to the outports to go by sea. He said they +were customarily sent in bags from the coffee houses, and by the owners of vessels, +in the same way as from the ship letter office, and no means had been devised which +could put a stop to it. Of 122,000 letters sent from the port of Liverpool in a year, +by the American packets, only 69,000 passed through the post-office. The number +of letters received inwards, from all parts of the world, by private ships, was +960,000 yearly; the number sent outwards through the post-office, was but 265,000. +In the year ending October 5, 1837, there were forty-nine arrivals of these packets, +bringing 282,000 letters. The number of letters forwarded from London by post to +Liverpool for these lines, was 11,000; the number received in London from these +lines, was 51,000 a year. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Mr. Banning, postmaster at Liverpool, stated that, in return for 370,000 ship letters +received at his office in a year, addressed to persons elsewhere than at Liverpool, +only 78,000 letters passed through that office to be sent outwards. And yet +the masters of vessels assured him that the number of letters they conveyed outwards +was quite equal to the number brought inwards. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Mr. Maury, of Liverpool, said that on the first voyage of the Sirius steamship to +America, only five letters were received at the post-office to go by her, while at least +10,000 were sent in a bag from the consignee of the ship. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Mr. Bates stated that the house of Baring & Co. commonly sent two hundred +letters a week, in boxes, from London to Liverpool, to go to America—equal to +10,000 a year. +</quote> + +<p> +These things were done under the very eye of the authorities, and +yet no means had been found to prevent it. What police can our +government establish, strict enough to do what the British government +publicly declared itself unable to do? +</p> + +<p> +The correspondence, of the manufacturing towns, it appeared, was +carried on almost entirely in private and illicit channels. In Walsall, +it was testified that, of the letters to the neighboring towns, not one-fiftieth +were sent by mail. Mr. Cobden said that not one-sixth of +the letters between Manchester and London went through the post-office. +Mr. Thomas Davidson, of Glasgow, stated the case of five +commercial houses in that city, whose correspondence sent illegally +was to that sent by post in the ratio of more than twenty to one; one +house said sixty-seven to one. +</p> + +<p> +In Birmingham, a system of illicit distribution of letters had been +established through the common-carriers to all the neighboring towns, +in a circuit of fifteen miles, and embracing a population of half a +million. The price of delivering a letter in any of these places was +1<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi>, and for this the letters were both collected and delivered. +Women +<pb n='012'/><anchor id='Pg012'/> +were employed to go round at certain hours and collect letters. They +would collect them for 2<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. per hundred, and make a living by it. +The regular postage to those towns was 4<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>., besides the trouble +of taking letters to the post-office. Hence there was both economy and convenience +in the illicit arrangement. The practice had existed for +thirty years, and when it was brought in all its details to the notice of +parliament, no man seems to have dreamed that it was in the power of +the government to suppress it by penal enactments. +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +An individual, whose name and residence are, for obvious reasons, suppressed, +gave the committee a full description of these private posts. He said that, in the +year 1836, he kept an account of his letters; that the number sent by the post-office +was 2068, and those sent by other means were 5861. Of these, about 5000 were to +places within twenty miles, all of which were sent for 1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. each. +Some carriers made it their sole business to carry letters. Some of them travelled on +foot; others went by the stage coach to the place, and then distributed their letters. +He found the practice prevailing when he began his apprenticeship in 1807. The population +of the district thus accommodated was from 300,000 to 500,000. The practice was +notorious, and used by all persons engaged in business. The object of a great deal +of the correspondence was to convey orders, notes of inquiry, and other information +to and from the small manufacturers, to whom it would be a tax of twenty-five per +cent. on their earnings, if the letters were sent through the post-office at +4<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. The letters were commonly wrapped up in brown paper, or tied +with a string, some directed and some not. Very few persons thought about the practice +being illegal. He had never heard of an attempt by the post-office to institute legal +proceedings. It would absorb the whole revenue of the post-office to carry on the +prosecutions that would be required to stop it, and without any effect, as most of the +carriers were worth nothing. To suppress it by law, would be very injurious to the trade +of the place. The only way to supersede it is to reduce the postage to +1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. Were this done, the post-office would be preferred, for its +greater certainty, even though the carriers would go for a halfpenny. The post-office +would unquestionably receive more money by the change. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>E. F.</q>, a manufacturer, described what he called the +<hi rend='italic'>free-packet</hi> system. Those manufacturers who did much business +with London, in forwarding parcels through the stage coaches, were allowed by the coach +proprietors to send a <q>free-packet,</q> without any charge, except +4<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. for booking; and this package contained +not only the letters and patterns of the house itself, but of others, who thus evade +the postage. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>G. H.</q> had been a carrier, from a town in Scotland to other towns. There +were six carriers, and they all carried letters, generally averaging fifty a day, and +realizing from 6<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>. to 7<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>. per day, although +there were four mails a-day running from the town. The business was kept in a manner +secret. Reducing the postage to 2<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. would not stop the practice, +because the carriers would still take the letters for 1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>.; but a +penny postage would bring all the letters into the post-office, and then +the post-office would beat the smuggler. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Mr. John Reid, of London, formerly an extensive bookseller in Glasgow said his +house used to send out twenty to twenty-five letters a day, and scarcely ever through +the post. Of 20,000 times of infringing the post-office laws, he was never caught +but once, and then the government failed in proof, and he had the matter exposed as +a grievance in the house of commons. He had seen a carrier in Glasgow have more +than 300 letters at a time, which he delivered for 1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. Nearly all +the correspondence between Glasgow and Paisley, was by carriers. There were 200 carriers +came to Glasgow daily. There was as regular a system of exchanging bags, as in the +post-office. There was not much attempt at concealment; sometimes we got frightened, +and sometimes we laughed at the postmasters. Of his own letters, about one in +twenty of those sent, and one in twelve of those received, passed through the +post-office. The only way to put an end to the smuggling of letters was to remove the +inducement. He said he could send letters to every town in Scotland. He could +do it in more ways than one. He declined to state in what ways he would +do it, because the disclosure would knock up some convenient modes he had +of ending his own letters, and those of others. He said he would never use +the post-office in an illegal manner, as by writing on newspapers and the like, +because that would be dishonestly availing himself of the post-office, without +<pb n='013'/><anchor id='Pg013'/> +paying for it. But he considered <emph>he had a right to send his letters as he +pleased</emph>. +He did not feel it his duty to acquiesce in a bad law, but thought every good man +should set himself against a bad law, in order to get it repealed. Some of the +methods of evading postage, practised in Scotland, are amusing. One was through +what he called <q>family boxes.</q> When a student from the country comes to Glasgow +to attend the college, he usually receives a box, once or twice a week, from his +family, who send him cheese, meal, butter, cakes, &c., which come cheaper from +the farm-house than he can purchase them in town. Probably, also, his clean linen +comes in this way. The moment it was known that any family had a son at the +university, the neighbors made a post-office of that farm-house. +</quote> + +<p> +The committee, in their report, concur in the opinion expressed by +almost all the officers of the department, that it was not by stronger +powers to be conferred by the legislature, nor by rigor in the exercise +of those powers, that illicit conveyance could be suppressed. The +post-office must be enabled <emph>to recommend itself to the public mind</emph>. +It must secure to itself a virtual monopoly, by the greater security, +expedition, punctuality, <emph>and cheapness</emph>, with which it does its work, +than can be reached by any private enterprise. +</p> + +<p> +With this nearly all the witnesses also agree, although some of +them thought it possible that a less extreme reduction of the rate +of postage might have kept out the private mails, if it had taken +place earlier, before these illicit enterprises had obtained so firm a +footing. +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +Lord Ashburton, who was examined before the committee, said that had a uniform +rate of 2<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>., or even 3<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. been adopted +heretofore, most persons would sooner pay it than look out for the means of evading it. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Mr. Cobden, of Manchester, said a 6<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. rate between Manchester and +London would increase but slightly the number of letters, since the sending of letters +clandestinely has become a trade, which would not be easily broken down. The railroads +which are now opening to all parts of the country will so increase the facilities +for smuggling, as <emph>to counteract any reduction</emph> of from twenty to fifty per +cent. on the postage. No small reduction will induce the people to write more. A +reduction to one half of the present rates would certainly be a relief to his trade, as +far as it went, that is, to all such as now pay the full rate; but he thinks it would not +induce the poorer classes to use the post-office. It would occasion a loss to the revenue +of fifty per cent. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Mr. W. Brown, merchant of Liverpool, was sure a reduction to half the present +rates would give satisfaction to the public, but would not meet the question, and +would not prevent smuggling. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +I. J. Brewin, of Cirencester, one of the Society of Friends, considered the effect of +a two penny rate would be, that the post-office would get the long jobs, but not the +short ones. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Lieutenant F. W. Ellis, auditor of district unions in Suffolk, under the poor law +commissioners, said that 2<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. would not have the effect of +1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. in bringing correspondence +to the post-office, because by carriers, and in other ways, letters are now conveyed +for 1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. +</quote> + +<p> +The evidence seems to have produced a universal and settled conviction, +that as far as the contraband conveyance of letters was an +evil, either financial or social, there was no remedy for it but an absolute +reduction of the postage to 1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. There were large portions of the +country in which the government could control the postage at a higher +rate, 2<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. or even 3<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>.; but in the densely +populated districts, where the greatest amount of correspondence arises, and where are +also the greatest facilities for evading postage, no rate higher than +1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. would secure the whole correspondence to the mails. They +therefore +<pb n='014'/><anchor id='Pg014'/> +left the penal enactments just as they were, because they might be of +some convenience in some cases. Mr. Hill declared his opinion that it +would be perfectly safe to throw the business open to competition, for +that the command of capital, and other advantages enjoyed by the +post-office, would enable it to carry letters more cheaply and punctually +<emph>than can be done</emph> by private individuals. And the result shows +that he was right; for the contraband carriage of letters is put down. +The Companion to the British Almanac, for 1842, says, <q>The illicit +transmission of letters, and the evasions practised under the old system +to avoid postage, <emph>have entirely ceased</emph>.</q> +</p> + +<p> +All this experience, and all these sound conclusions, are doubtless +applicable in the United States, with the additional considerations, of +the great extent of country, the limited powers of the government, the +entire absence of an organized police, and the fact that the federal +government is to so great a degree regarded as a stranger in the States. +Shall a surveillance, which the British government has abandoned as +impracticable, be seriously undertaken at this day by the congress of +the United States? +</p> + +<p> +III. <hi rend='italic'>The Postage Law of 1845.</hi> +</p> + +<p> +The Postage Act, passed March 3, 1845, which went into operation +on the 1st of July of that year, was called forth by a determination to +destroy the private mails; and this object gave character to the act as +a whole. The reports of the postmaster-general, and of the post-office +committees in both houses of congress, show that the end which +was specially aimed at was to overthrow these mails. The Report of +the House Committee, presented May 15, 1844, says: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>Events are in progress of fatal tendency to the post-office department, and its +decay has commenced. Unless arrested by vigorous legislation, it must soon +cease to exist as a self-sustaining institution, and either be cast on the treasury for +support, or suffered to decline from year to year, till the system has become impotent +and useless. The last annual report of the postmaster-general shows that, notwithstanding +the heavy retrenchments he had made, the expenditures of the department +for the year ending June 30, 1843, exceeded its income by the sum of $78,788. +The decline of its revenue during that year was $250,321; and the investigations +made into the operations of the current year, indicate a further and an increasing +decline, at the rate of about $300,000 a year.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>This illicit business has been some time struggling through its incipient stages; +for it was not until the year commencing the 1st July, 1840, that it appears to have +made a serious impression upon the revenues of the department. It has now assumed +a bold and determined front, and dropped its disguises; opened offices for the reception +of letters, and advertised the terms on which they will be despatched out of +the mail.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>The revenue for the year ending June 30, 1840, was $4,539,265; for the last +year it was $4,295,925; and indications show that for the present year it will not +be more than $3,995,925.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>The number of chargeable letters in circulation, exclusive of dead letters, during +the year ending June 30, 1840, may be assumed at 27,535,554. The annual number +now reported to be in circulation, is 24,267,552. Thus, 3,268,000 letters a +year and $543,340 of annual revenue, are the spoils taken from the mails by +cupidity.</q> +</quote> + +<pb n='015'/><anchor id='Pg015'/> + +<p> +The Report of the Senate Committee has this remark: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>We have seen in the outset that something <emph>must</emph> be done; that the revenues +of the department are rapidly falling off, and a remedy must in some way be found for +this alarming evil, or the very consequences so much dreaded by some from the +reduction proposed, will inevitably ensue; namely, a great curtailment of the service, +or a heavy charge upon the national treasury for its necessary expenses. It is +believed that in consequence of the disfavor with which the present rates and other +regulations of this department are viewed, and the open violations of the laws before +adverted to, that not more than, if as much as one half the correspondence of the +country passes through the mails; the greater part being carried by private hands, +or forwarded by means of the recently established private expresses, who perform +the same service, at much less cost to the writers and recipients of letters than the +national post-office. It seems to the committee to be impossible to believe that there +are but twenty-four or twenty-seven millions of letters per year, forwarded to distant +friends and correspondents in the United States, by a population of twenty millions of +souls; whilst, at the same time, there are <emph>two hundred and four millions</emph> and +upwards of letters passing annually through the mails of Great Britain and Ireland, +with a population of only about twenty-seven millions.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +The Senate Report recommended the reduction of the rates of postage +to five and ten cents, an average of seven and a half cents, +with a very great restriction of the franking privilege, on which it was +confidently estimated that the revenues of the department, for the first +year of the new system, would be $4,890,500; and that the number +of chargeable letters would be sixty millions. The House Report +recommended stringent measures to suppress the private mails, with +the abolition of franking, without any reduction of postage, except to +substitute federal coin for Spanish. It estimated the increase of letters to +be produced by reducing the rates to five and ten cents, at only thirty +per cent. in number, thus reducing the postage receipts at once to +two and a half millions of dollars. It will be seen that each of these +calculations has been proved to be erroneous. +</p> + +<p> +The great postage meeting in New York, held in December, 1843, +had asked for a uniform rate of five cents. After stating the advantages +of the English system, their committee still hung upon the length +of the routes in this country as a reason against the adoption of the +low rate of postage. They said, +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">It is plain that a similar system may be introduced with equally +satisfactory results in the United States. On account, however, of the vast distances to +be traversed by the mail-carriers, and the great difficulties of travel in the unsettled +portions of our country, our petition asks that the rate be reduced to five cents for +each letter not more than half an ounce in weight—which is more than double the +uniform postage in Great Britain. It is a rate which would not only secure to the +post-office the transport of nearly all the letters which are now forwarded through +private channels, but it would largely increase correspondence, both of business and +affection.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>Above all, the <emph>franking privilege</emph> should be abolished. Unless this is +done, nothing can be done. It will be impossible, without drawing largely upon the +legitimate sources of the national revenue, to sustain the post-office by any rates +whatsoever, if this franking privilege shall continue to load the mails with private +letters which everybody writes, and public documents which nobody reads.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +The bill was passed, but the franking privilege was continued, and +yet the Postmaster-General has told us that the current income of the +department is equal to its expenses. The predictions to the contrary +were very confident. Some of the gloomy forebodings then uttered, +are worthy of being recalled at this time. +</p> + +<pb n='016'/><anchor id='Pg016'/> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>The post-office department estimates that the deficiency in the revenue of the +department, under the new law, will be about $1,500,000, this +year.</q>—<hi rend='italic'>Boston Post.</hi> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>An additional tax of $1,500,000, to be raised to meet the deficiencies of the +department, in a single year, must principally come from the pockets of farmers, +(who write few letters, and are consequently less benefited by the reduction of postage,) +in the shape of additional tariff duties upon articles which they +consume.</q>—<hi rend='italic'>New Hampshire Patriot.</hi> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q><hi rend='smallcaps'>A Caution.</hi>—Some people may be deceived on the subject +of cheap postage, unless they take a <q>sober second thought.</q> A part of those who are +so strenuous for cheap postage are not quite so disinterested as would at first appear. +They are seeking to pay their postage bills out of other people's pockets. Look at this +matter. I am an industrious mechanic, for example, and I have little time to write +letters. My neighbor publishes school-books, and he wishes to be sending off letters, +recommendations, puffs, &c., by the hundred and by the thousand. This is his way of +making money. Now, he wishes the expenses of the post-office department to be +paid out of the treasury, and then I shall have to help him pay his postage, while he +will only pay his national tax, according to his means, as I do mine. If he is +making his money by sending letters, he should pay the whole cost of carrying those +letters. I ought not to pay any part of it, in the way of duties on sugar, &c. Let +every man pay his own postage. Is not this fair? But this will not be the case if +the post-office department does not support itself. The cheap postage system may +injure the poor man, instead of helping him.</q>—<hi rend='italic'>Philad. North +American.</hi> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">As for the matter of post-office reform, and reduction of the rates of +postage, there are not <emph>one thousand</emph> considerate and reflecting people, in +the Union, who desire or demand anything of the kind.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>The commercial and mercantile classes have not desired <q>reform;</q> and the rural +and agricultural classes, the planters of the South, and the corn and wheat growers +of the West, the mechanics and laboring classes, are not disposed to be +<emph>taxed</emph> enormously to support a post-office department to gratify the avarice +and cupidity of a body of sharpers and +speculators.</q>—<hi rend='italic'>Madisonian.</hi> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre"><hi rend='smallcaps'>The New Postage Law.</hi>—The following +statement has been furnished us of the amount of postage chargeable on letters forwarded +by the New York and Albany steamboats:</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +The last thirteen days of June, $99.66<lb/> +First thirteen days of July, (same route,) 53.90<lb/> +Decrease, $45.76. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<hi rend='italic'>Albany Argus.</hi> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>I inquired at the post-office to-day for information. One of the gentlemanly +clerks of that establishment said to me, <q>Well, Mr. Smith, I can't give you all the +information you desire, but I can say thus much. I this morning made up a mail for +Hudson; it amounted to <emph>seventy cents</emph>; the same letters under the old law, +and in the same mail, would have paid <emph>seven dollars</emph>. Now you can make your +own deductions.</q> I then inquired of the same gentleman, if the increase of letters +had been kept up since the 1st of July. He replied <q><emph>no</emph>,</q> but added, +<q>the increase of numbers is somewhat encouraging, but not sufficiently so to justify +the belief that the new law will realize the hopes of its +advocates.</q></q>—<hi rend='italic'>N. Y. Correspondent of Boston Post.</hi> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>From the city post-office we learn that the number of letters, papers, and packages, +passing through their hands, unconnected with the business of the government, +has increased about 33 per cent., when compared with the business of the month of +June. The gross amount of proceeds from postage on these has fallen off nearly 66 +per cent., while the postage charged to the government for its letters, &c., received +and sent, is enormous. For the post-office department alone, it is said to reach near +$40,000 for the month just past.</q>—<hi rend='italic'>Washington Union, Aug. +2.</hi> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">We observe in the Eastern papers some paragraphs about the working of the +new law, in which they suppose it will work well. Unquestionably it will work +well for those who have to pay the postage; but as to the <emph>revenue</emph>, it will +not yield even as much as the opponents of the system supposed. We do not believe the +receipts will equal one half received under the old system. We are told that the +experience of the first week in Cincinnati does not show more than <emph>one +quarter</emph> the receipts.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">Private correspondence is increased a little; but the falling off in the +mercantile increase is immense. It cannot be otherwise; for many letters now pay 10 cents +which formerly paid a dollar. Double and treble letters pay no more than single +letters. In large cities three-fourths of the postage is paid by <emph>business +letters</emph>. These +<pb n='017'/><anchor id='Pg017'/> +letters are nearly all double and treble. A double letter from Cincinnati to New +York, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, or New Orleans, before, paid 50 cents; +now it pays 10 cents. The largest portion of postage is reduced to <emph>one-fifth</emph> +part of the former postage.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">We are well pleased, however, that it will turn out as it will. The law +will be too popular with the people to be repealed; and it will oblige Mr. James K. +Polk's administration to provide ways and means out of the tariff to meet a deficiency of +two millions in the postage. This will work favorably to the tariff.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>All things will come right in the end. The lower the postage the more economical +the post-office department must be, and the more money the government must +raise from the tariff.</q>—<hi rend='italic'>Cleveland Herald.</hi> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>Mr. McDuffie is reported to have made the following correct and just remarks, +showing he understands well the operations of that Department. If the bill shall +become a law, our word for it, that in less than six months one-fourth the offices in +the Union will be discontinued, because nobody will be found who will keep them. +But let the bill go into operation, and in less than twelve months the very clamorers +for low rates of postage will become so sick of it, that they will be the first to unite +in demanding its repeal. If we supposed our advice would have any influence, we +would recommend to the Department and all Postmasters to hold on to the old books, +arrangements and fixtures, even if the bill does pass, because in two weeks after +Congress shall meet next year, it will be repealed and the old order +restored.</q>—<hi rend='italic'>Kentucky Yeoman.</hi> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre"><q rend="pre">Mr. McDuffie rose, evidently much excited, and after +expressing his regret that bodily infirmity disabled him to give the strength of his +convictions in regard to the evils which would flow from the bill, he protested against +its passage, as a measure more radical and revolutionary than anything that had ever been +done by Congress. He denounced it as most unjust. It removes the burden from those who +ought to have it, the manufacturers and merchants of the North, and throws it upon the +farmers of the South and West, who are already oppressed by the tariff, and who will +have to pay the expense by a tax on their necessaries.</q></q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q><q>You will sacrifice the intelligence of the people to the rapacity of the +manufacturers. He could not imagine that the agriculturist anywhere could feel postage as +a burden; it is but a moderate compensation for services rendered by the government. +A poor man pays $10 duty on his sugar, salt and iron, and now you make +him pay the postage. You will break up one half of the smaller offices, you will in +ten years make the post-office the greatest organ of corruption the country has ever +seen, and the man who wields its patronage can command the sceptre. By throwing +it on the treasury, you destroy the responsibility of the head of the department, and +in ten years you will have it cost you ten millions of dollars.</q></q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Instead of a revenue of nearly four millions, it is therefore probable that the revenue +of the first year of the experiment will not much exceed a million and a half. +It will be remembered that Congress appropriated $750,000 to make up the +expected deficiency; but this will fall far below the necessities of the service; and +it is very probable that this sum will be consumed in the payments of the contracts +for the two first quarters. They are very busy at the Department sending off letter +balances, the postage of which will of course constitute a charge on the Treasury; +and as the postage on each of these packets will amount to about three times as +much as the first cost of the balances, the Department will make money out of this +transaction.—<hi rend='italic'>Charleston Mercury.</hi> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>I voted against this act. It is probable that a reduction might have been made in +the rates of postage which would not have diminished the amount of revenue; but the +reduction made by this act is too great, and will have the effect of throwing the +Post-Office Department as a heavy charge on the general treasury, which has not been +the case heretofore. The post-office tax was the only one in which the North and +the East bore their share equally with the South and the West. We would all +like to have cheap postage; and if that were the only consideration involved, I +would have voted for the act; but there were others which influenced me to oppose +it. The reduction of postage will cause a diminution in the post-office revenue, +which must be supplied by the <emph>general treasury</emph>. The treasury collects the +revenue which must supply this deficiency, by a duty levied on imports; so that the tax +taken off of the <emph>mail correspondence</emph> will have to be collected on +<emph>salt</emph>, <emph>iron</emph>, <emph>sugar</emph>, +<emph>blankets</emph>, and other articles which we buy from the stores. The manufacturing +States profit by this, because it aids the <emph>protective</emph> policy. I might add +other objections, but deem it unnecessary at present.</q>—<hi rend='italic'>Letter +of Hon. D. S. Reid, of ——, to his constituents.</hi> +</quote> + +<pb n='018'/><anchor id='Pg018'/> + +<p> +The Postmaster-General, in his report made Dec. 1, 1845, says: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>So far as calculations can be relied on, from the returns to the department, of the +operation of the new postage law, for the quarter ending 30th September last, the +deficiency for the current year will exceed a million and a quarter of dollars; and +there is no reasonable ground to believe that, without some amendment of that law, +it will fall short of a million of dollars for the next year.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +The actual deficiency for the year ending June 30, 1846, was only +$589,837; and for the second year above alluded to, ending June 30, +1847, it was but $33,677. And the Postmaster-General's report for +December, 1847, estimates the resources of the department for the +year ending June 30, 1848, at $4,313,157, and the expenditures at +$4,099,206, giving an actual surplus of $213,951. If this expectation +should be realized, (and there is hardly a possibility but that it should +be exceeded), the income will exceed the annual average receipts for +the nine years before the reduction of postage, $51,467. The Postmaster-General +ascribes the increase solely to <q>the reduction in the +rates of postage,</q> while nearly a million of dollars are saved in the +expenditures by the provision of the law of 1845, directing the contracts +to be let to the lowest bidder, without reference to the transportation +in coaches. So far, therefore, the triumph of the law of +1845 has been complete. It has proved that the same economic law +exists here as in England, by which reduction of price leads to increase +of consumption. +</p> + +<p> +On the other point, however, of meeting the wants of the people, so +as to bring all the correspondence of the country into the mails, its +success is very far from being equally satisfactory. The five and ten +cents' postage does not have the effect of suppressing the private mails +and illicit transportation of letters. +</p> + +<p> +The report of the House Committee in 1844, showed beforehand +that such a reduction could not have the effect here, just as the parliamentary +report had shown in 1838, that nothing but an absolute +reduction to 1<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi> could suppress the private mails in England. +<q>Individuals can prosecute on all the large railroad and steamboat routes +between the great towns, as now, a profitable business in conveying +letters at three and five cents, where the government would ask the five +and ten cents postages.</q> Hill's New Hampshire Patriot said, shortly +after the act went into operation: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>Private expresses <emph>have not</emph> been discontinued in this quarter. Far from +it. They are now doing as large a business as ever, carrying letters at half the +government rates. And, strange as it may appear, they appear to be sustained by public +opinion. The new postage act did not abate what is called <q>private enterprise,</q> +and the act itself, it is thought, will soon be found to be insufficient.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +The report of the Postmaster-General in 1845, speaks of a practice +of enveloping many letters, written on very thin paper, in one enclosure, +paying postage by the half-ounce, and thus reducing the postage +on each to a trifle. +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>An incident recently occurred which will forcibly illustrate the injurious effects +of such a practice upon the revenues of the department. A large bundle of letters +was enveloped and sealed, marked <q>postage paid, $1.60.</q> By some accident in the +transportation, the envelope was so much injured as to enable the postmaster to see +<pb n='019'/><anchor id='Pg019'/> +that it contained one hundred letters to different individuals, evidently designed for +distribution by the person to whom directed, and should have been charged ten dollars. +The continuance of this practice would, in a short time, deprive the department +of a large proportion of its legitimate income. The department has no power +to suppress it, further than to direct the postages to be properly charged, whenever +such practices are detected. This has also introduced a species of thin, light paper, +by which five or six letters may be placed under one cover, and still be under the +half-ounce.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +He adds: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>The practice of sending packages of letters through the mails to agents, for +distribution, has not entirely superseded the transmission of letters, over post roads, +out of the mails, by the expresses. The character of this offence is such as to render +detection very uncertain, full proof almost impossible, conviction rare. The penalties +are seldom recovered after conviction, and the department rarely secures enough to +meet the expenses of prosecution. If the officers of the department were authorized +in proper cases to have the persons engaged in these violations of the law arrested, +their packages, trunks, or boxes, seized and examined before a proper judicial officer, +and, when detected in violating the law, retained for the examination of the +court and jury, it is believed that the practice could be at once suppressed.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +In his last report, December, 1847, he also says that, <q>Private +expresses still continue to be run between the principal cities, and +seriously affect the revenues of the department, from the want of adequate +powers for their suppression.</q> The complaint is continually, of +a want of adequate powers to suppress the practice. The law of 1845 +has gone as far as could be desired in the severity of penalties and the +extent of their application, involving in heavy fines every person who +shall send or receive letters; and every stage-coach, railroad car, +steamboat, or other vehicle or vessel—its owners, conductors and +agents, which may knowingly be employed in the conveyance of letters, +or in the conveyance of any person employed in such conveyance, +under penalty of $50 for each letter transported. What the post-office +department would deem <q>adequate powers</q> for the suppression +of illicit letter-carrying, may be seen in the following extract of a bill, +which was actually reported by the post-office committee of the House +of Representatives, and <q>printed by order of the House:</q> +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>And it shall be lawful for the agents of the post-office, or other officers of the +United States government, upon reasonable cause shown, to arrest such person or +persons, and seize his or their boxes, bags, or trunks, supposed to contain such +mailable matter, and cause the same to be opened and examined before any officer of +the United States; and if found to contain such mailable matter, transported in violation +of the laws of the United States, shall be held to bail in the sum of five thousand +dollars, to appear and answer said charge before the next United States Court +to be held in said State, or district of said State; and upon conviction thereof, shall +be fined as aforesaid, one hundred dollars for each letter, newspaper, or printed sheet +so transported as aforesaid, and shall be held in the custody of the marshal until the +fine and costs are paid, or until otherwise discharged by due course of law.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +The report of 1845 thinks there is <q>no just reason why individuals +engaged in smuggling letters and robbing the department of its legitimate +revenues should not be punished, in the same way and to the +same extent, as persons guilty of smuggling goods; nor why the same +means of detection should not be given to the Post-office Department +which are now given to the Treasury.</q> That is, the power of detention +and search in all cases of suspicion by the agent, that a person is +carrying letters. What would be the effect of carrying out this system, +<pb n='020'/><anchor id='Pg020'/> +in breaking up the practice complained of, or what would be the +amount of inconvenience to travellers and to business, of a thorough +determination in the department to execute such a law in the spirit of +it, all can judge for themselves. The British government, as we have +seen, dared not entertain such a proposition. I have no hesitation in +saying, that such a system of coercion can never be successfully executed +here. It is better to meet the difficulty, as the British government +did, in a way to make the post-office at once the most popular +vehicle of transmission, and the greatest blessing which the government +can bestow upon the people. The New York Evening Post said, +years ago: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>Congress yields, and passes such a law. What then? Is Hydra dead? By no +means, its ninety-nine other heads still rear their crests, and bid defiance to the +secretary and his law. In Pearl street, there will yet hang a bag for the deposit of +the whole neighborhood's letters,—at Astor House, and at Howard's, at the American, +and at the City Hotels, still every day will see the usual accumulation of +letters,—all to be taken by some <q>private,</q> trustworthy, obliging wayfarer, +and by him be deposited in some office at Boston, Philadelphia, Albany, Baltimore.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +I have no doubt that the cheap transmission of letters, out of the +mails, is now becoming systematized and extended between our large +cities, and an immense amount of correspondence is also carried on +between the large cities and the towns around. The Boston Path-Finder +contains a list of 240 <q>Expresses,</q> as they are called, that is, +of common carriers, who go regularly from Boston to other towns, +distant from three miles to three hundred. Most of these men carry +<q>mailable matter</q> to a great extent, in their pockets or hats, in the +shape of orders, memorandums, receipts, or notes, sometimes on slips +of paper, sometimes in letters folded in brown paper and tied with a +string, and not unfrequently in the form of regularly sealed letters. If +we suppose each one to carry, on an average, ten in a day, a very low +estimate, there are 750,000 letters brought to Boston in a year by this +channel alone. Everything which calls public attention to the subject +of postage, every increase of business causing an increase of correspondence +between any two places, every newspaper paragraph +describing the wonderful increase of letters in England, will awaken +new desires for cheap postage; and these desires will gratify themselves +irregularly, unless the only sure remedy is seasonably applied. +In the division of labor and the multiplication of competitions, there +are many lines of business of which the whole profits are made up of +extremely minute savings. In these the cost of postage becomes material; +and such concerns will not pay five cents on their letters, when +they can get them taken, carried and delivered for two cents. The +causes which created illicit penny posts in England are largely at work +here, with the growth and systematization of manufactures and trade; +and they are producing, and will produce the same results, until, on +the best routes, not one-sixth of the letters will be carried in the mail, +unless the true system shall be seasonably established. The evils of +such a state of things need not be here set forth. One of the greatest, +which would not strike every mind, is the demoralization of the +public mind, in abating the reverence for law, and the sense of gratitude +and honor to the government. +</p> + +<pb n='021'/><anchor id='Pg021'/> + +<p> +In this respect, of bringing all the correspondence into the mails, in +furnishing all the facilities and encouragements to correspondence which +the duty of the government requires, in superseding the use of unlawful +conveyances, and in winning the patriotic regards of the people to +the post-office, as to every man's friend, the act of 1845 has entirely +failed. It has not only falsified the predictions of us all in regard to +its productiveness, on the one hand, but it has even convinced the +highest official authority that it has failed to prove itself to be <emph>the</emph> +<hi rend='smallcaps'>CHEAP POSTAGE</hi>, which the country needs and will support. In his +last annual report, the Postmaster-General says: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">The favorable operation of the act of 1845, upon the finances of this +department, leads to the conclusion that, by the adoption of such modifications as have +been suggested by this department for the improvement of its revenues, and the +suppression of abuses practised under it, the present low rates of postage will not only +produce revenue enough to meet the expenditures, but will leave a considerable surplus +annually to be applied to the extension of the mail service to the new and rapidly +increasing sections of our country, or would justify a still further reduction of the +rates of postage. In the opinion of the undersigned, with such modifications of the act +of 1845 as have been suggested, an uniform less rate might, in a few years, be made to +cover the expenses of the department; but by its adoption the department would be +compelled to rely upon the treasury for a few years. At this time, during the existence +of a foreign war, imposing such heavy burdens upon the treasury, it might not +be wise or prudent to increase them, or to do anything which would tend to impair +the public credit; and, <hi rend='smallcaps'>ON THIS ACCOUNT</hi> alone, recommendation +for such a reduction is not made.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">Postage is a tax, not only on the business of the country, but upon the +intelligence, knowledge, and the exercise of the friendly and social feelings; and in the +opinion of the undersigned, should be reduced to the lowest point which would +enable the department to sustain itself. That principle has been uniformly acted on +in the United States, as the true standard for the regulation of postage, and the +cheaper it can be made, consistently with that rule, the better.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>As our country expands, and its circle of business and correspondence enlarges, +as civilization progresses, it becomes more important to maintain between the different +sections of our country a speedy, safe, and cheap intercourse. By so doing, +energy is infused into the trade of the country, the business of the people enlarged, +and made more active, and an irresistible impulse given to industry of every kind; +by it wealth is created and diffused in numberless ways throughout the community, +and the most noble and generous feelings of our nature between distant friends are +cherished and preserved, and the Union itself more closely bound together.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +Nothing can be more true than the position, that <q>postage is a +tax,</q> and that it is the duty of the government to make this <q>tax</q> as +light as possible, consistent with its other and equally binding duties. +Nothing more sound than the doctrine that it is utterly wrong to charge +postage with <emph>anything more</emph> than its own proper expenses. Nothing +more just than the estimate here given of the benefits of cheap postage. +The blessings he describes are so great, so real, so accordant +with the tone and beneficent design of civil government itself, and +especially to the functions and duties of a republican government, that +I do not think even the existence and embarrassments of a state of war, +such as now exists, are any reason at all for postponing the commencement +of so glorious a measure. If it could be brought about under +the administration of an officer who has expressed himself so cordially +and intelligently in favor of cheap postage, and whose ability and +fidelity in the economical administration of affairs are so well known, +it would be but a fitting response to the statesmanlike sentiments +quoted above. +</p> + +<pb n='022'/><anchor id='Pg022'/> + +<p> +I am now to show that, on the strictest principles of justice, on the +closest mathematical calculation, on the most enlarged and yet rigid +construction of the duty imposed on the federal government by our +constitution, two cents per half ounce is the most just and equal rate +of postage. +</p> + +<p> +IV. <hi rend='italic'>What is the just Rule to be observed in settling the Rates of +Postage?</hi> +</p> + +<p> +The posting of letters may be looked at, either as a contract between +the government and the individuals who send and receive letters, or as +a simple exercise of governmental functions in discharging a governmental +duty. The proper measure of the charge to be imposed should +be considered in each of these aspects, for the government is bound to +do that which is right in both these relations. +</p> + +<p> +Viewed simply as a contract, or a service rendered for an equivalent, +what would be the rate to be charged? Not, surely, the amount it +would cost the individual to send his own particular letter. The saving +effected by the division and combination of labor is a public benefit, +and not to be appropriated as an exclusive right by one. In this view, +the government stands only in the relation of a party to the contract, +just as a state or a town would do, or an individual. No right or +power of monopoly can enter into the calculation. We can illustrate +the question by supposing a case, of a town some thirty miles from +Boston, to which there has hitherto been no common-carrier. The +inhabitants resolve to establish an express, and for this purpose enter +into negotiations with one of their neighbors, in which they agree to +give him their business on his agreeing to establish a reasonable tariff +of prices for his service. If the number of patrons is very small, they +cannot make it an object for the man to run his wagon, unless they +will agree to pay a good price for parcels. And the more numerous +the parcels are, the lower will be the rate, within certain limits, that is, +until the man's wagon is fairly loaded, or he has as much business as +he can reasonably attend to. This is on the supposition that all the +business is to come from one place. But if there are intermediate or +contiguous places whose patronage can be obtained to swell the amount +of business, there should be an equitable apportionment of this advantage, +a part to go to the carrier for his additional trouble and fair +profits, and a part to go towards reducing the general rate of charge. +If, however, the carrier has an interest in a place five miles beyond, +which he thinks may be built up by having an express running into it +from Boston, although the present amount of business is too small to +pay the cost, and if, for considerations of his own advantage, he +resolves to run his wagon to that place at a constant loss for the present, +looking to the rise of his property for ultimate remuneration, it would +not be just for him to insist, that the people who intend to establish an +express and support it for themselves, shall yet pay an increased or +exorbitant price for their own parcels, in order to pay him for an +appendage to the enterprise, for which they have no occasion, and +as such he himself undertakes for personal considerations of is own. +</p> + +<pb n='023'/><anchor id='Pg023'/> + +<p> +And if he should be obstinate on this point, they would just let him take +his own way, and charge prices to suit himself, while they proceeded +to make a new bargain with another carrier, who would agree to accommodate +them at reasonable prices adjusted on the basis of their patronage. +And if an appeal should be made to their sympathy or charity, +to help the growing hamlet, they would say, that it was better to give +charity out of their pockets than by paying a high price on their parcels; +for then those would give who were able and willing, and would +know how much they gave. This covers the whole case of arranging +postage as a matter of equal contract. The just measure of charge is, +the lowest rate at which the work can be afforded by individual enterprise +on the best self-supporting routes. Plainly, no other rate can be +kept up by open competition on these routes. And if these routes are +lost by competition, you must charge proportionably higher on the rest, +which will throw the next class of routes into other hands, and so on, +until nothing is left for you but the most costly and impracticable portions +of the work. +</p> + +<p> +The only material exception to this rule would be, where there is +an extensive and complicated combination of interests, among which +the general convenience and even economy will be promoted by establishing +a uniformity of prices, without reference to an exact apportionment +of minute differences. +</p> + +<p> +It can be easily shown, that all these considerations would be harmonized +by no rate of postage on letters, higher than the English 1<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi>, +or with us two cents for each half ounce. Considered as a business +question, unaffected by the assumed power of monopoly by the government, +the reasonings of the parliamentary reports and the results of +the British experiment abundantly establish this rate to be the fair +average price for the service rendered. A moderate business can live +by it, if economically conducted, and a large business will make it +vastly profitable, as is seen in the payment of four or five millions of +dollars a year into the public treasury of Great Britain, as the net +profits of penny postage. +</p> + +<p> +If we look at the post-office in the more philosophical and elevated +aspect of a grand governmental measure, enjoined by the people for +the good of the people, we shall be brought to a similar conclusion. +The constitutional rule for the establishment of the post-office, is as +follows: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">Congress shall have power to—</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>Establish post-offices and post-roads.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +This clause declares plainly the will of the people of the United +States, that the federal government should be charged with the responsibility +of furnishing the whole Union with convenient and proper +mail privileges—according to their reasonable wants, and the reasonable +ability of the government. This is one point of the <q>general +welfare,</q> for which we are to look to congress, just as we look to +congress to provide for the general defence by means of the army +and navy. It imposes no other restrictions in the one case than the +other, as to the extent to which provision shall be made—the reasonable +wants of the people, and the reasonable ability of the government. +It limits the resources for this object to no particular branch of the +<pb n='024'/><anchor id='Pg024'/> +revenue. It gives no sort of sanction to the so oft-repeated rule, +which many suppose to be a part of the constitution, that the post-office +must support itself. Still less, does it authorize congress to +throw all manner of burdens upon the mail, and then refuse to increase +its usefulness as a public convenience, because it cannot carry all +those loads. The people must have mails, and congress must furnish +them. To reason for or against any proposed change, on the ground +that the alternative may be the discontinuance of public mails, the +privation of this privilege to the people, and the winding up of the +post-office system, is clearly inadmissible. When the government +ceases to give the people the privileges of the mail, the government +itself will soon wind up, or rather, will be taken in hand and wound +up by the people, and set a-going again on better principles. The sole +inquiry for congress is, what is the best way to meet the reasonable +wants of the people, by means within the reasonable ability of the +government? +</p> + +<p> +The objects of the post-office system, which regulate its administration, +are well set forth in the Report of the House Committee in +1844: <q>To content the man, dwelling more remote from town, +with his homely lot, by giving him regular and frequent means of +intercommunication; to assure the emigrant, who plants his new home +on the skirts of the distant wilderness or prairie, that he is not forever +severed from the kindred and society that still share his interest and +love; to prevent those whom the swelling tide of population is constantly, +pressing to the outer verge of civilization from being surrendered +to surrounding influences, and sinking into the hunter or savage state; +to render the citizen, how far soever from the seat of his government, +worthy, by proper knowledge and intelligence, of his important privileges +as a sovereign constituent of the government; to diffuse, throughout +all parts of the land, enlightenment, social improvement, and +national affinities, elevating our people in the scale of civilization, and +binding them together in patriotic affection.</q> +</p> + +<p> +These are the objects for which congress is bound to maintain the +post-office, and it is impossible that congress should ever seriously consider +whether they will not abandon them. The maintenance of convenient +mails for these objects is therefore to be regarded as a necessary +function of the government of the United States. In the infancy +of that government, while the government itself was an experiment, +when the country was deeply in debt for the cost of our independence, +and when its resources for public expenditure were untried and +unknown, there was doubtless a propriety in the adoption of the principle, +that the post-office department should support itself. But that +state of things has long gone by, and our government now has ample +ability to execute any plans of improvement whatever, for the advancement +of knowledge, and for binding the Union together, provided +such plans come within the acknowledged powers conferred by the +constitution. +</p> + +<p> +The post-office being, then, like the army and navy, a necessary +branch of the government, it follows that the charge of postage for the +conveyance of letters and papers is of the nature of a tax, as has been +well expressed by the present Postmaster-General, in his last annual +<pb n='025'/><anchor id='Pg025'/> +report, quoted above. <q><emph>Postage is a tax</emph>, not only on the business +of the country, but upon intelligence and knowledge, and the exercise +of the friendly and social affections.</q> The question before us is, +How heavy a <q>tax</q> ought the government of a federal republic to +impose on these interests? Every friend of freedom and of human +improvement answers spontaneously, that nothing but a clear necessity +can justify any tax at all upon such subjects, and that the tax +should be reduced, in all cases, to the very lowest practicable rate. +The experience of the British government, the prodigious increase of +correspondence produced by cheap postage, and the immense revenue +accruing therefrom, demonstrate that <hi rend='smallcaps'>TWO CENTS</hi> is not below the +rate which the government can afford to receive. Let the people +understand that all beyond this is a mere <q>tax,</q> not required by any +necessity, and they will soon demand that the government look for its +resources to some more suitable subjects of taxation than these. +</p> + +<p> +Another rule of right in regard to this <q>tax</q> is well laid down in +the Report of the House Committee, for 1844: <q>As the post-office is +made to sustain itself solely by a tax on correspondence, it should +derive aid and support from everything which it conveys. No man's +private correspondence should go free, since the expense of so conveying +it becomes a charge upon the correspondence of others; and the +special favor thus given, and which is much abused by being extended +to others not contemplated by law, is unjust and odious. Neither +should the public correspondence be carried free of charge where such +immunity operates as a burden upon the correspondence of the citizen. +There is no reason why the public should not pay its postages as well +as citizens—no sufficient reason why this item of public expenses +should not be borne, like all others, by the general tax paid into the +treasury.</q> These remarks are made, indeed, with reference to the +franking privilege, which the committee properly proposed to abolish +on the grounds here set forth. But it is plain that the principle is +equally pertinent to the question of taxing the correspondence of the +thickly settled parts of the country for the purpose of raising means +to defray the expense of sending mails to the new and distant parts of +the country. There is no justice in it. The extension of these mails +is a duty of the government; and let the government, by the same +rule, pay the cost out of its own treasury. <q>Postage,</q> says the same +report, <q>in the large towns and contiguous places, is, in part, a +<emph>contribution</emph>.</q> It is a forced contribution, levied not upon the +property of the people, but upon their intelligence and affections. +</p> + +<p> +Our letters are taxed to pay the following expenses: +</p> + +<p> +1. For the franking of seven millions of free letters. +</p> + +<p> +2. For the distribution of an immense mass of congressional documents, +which few people read at all, and most of which might as well +be sent in some other way—would be seen the moment they should +be actually subjected to the payment of postage by those who send or +receive them. +</p> + +<p> +3. For the extension of mails over numerous and long routes, in the +new or thinly settled parts of the country, which do not pay their own +expenses. I do not believe these routes are more extensive or numerous +than the government ought to establish; but then the government +<pb n='026'/><anchor id='Pg026'/> +ought to support them out of the general treasury. Many of them are +necessary for the convenience of the government itself. For many of +them the treasury is amply remunerated, and more, by the increased +sale of the public lands, the increase of population, and the consequent +increase of the revenue from the custom-house. And the rest are +required by the great duty of self-preservation and self-advancement, +which is inherent in our institutions. +</p> + +<p> +4. For the cost of about two millions of dead letters, and an equal +number of dead newspapers and pamphlets, the postage on which, at +existing rates, would amount to at least $175,000 a year, and the +greater part of which would be saved under the new postal system. +</p> + +<p> +Why should these burdens be thrown as a <q>tax upon correspondence,</q> +or made an apology for the continuance of such a tax? It is +unreasonable. All these expenses should be borne, <q>like all others, +by the general tax paid into the treasury.</q> This would leave letters +chargeable only with such a rate of postage as is needed for the prevention +of abuses, and to secure the orderly performance of the public +duty. And a postage of two cents would amply suffice for this. +Some have suggested that <emph>one cent</emph> is all that ought to be required. +</p> + +<p> +There is another view of the matter, which shows still more strongly +the injustice of the present tax upon letters. <q>It is not matter of +inference,</q> says Mr. Rowland Hill, <q>but matter of fact, that the +expense of the post-office is practically the same, whether a letter is +going from London to Burnet (11 miles), or from London to Edinburgh +(397 miles); the difference is not expressible in the smallest +coin we have.</q> The cost of transit from London to Edinburgh he +explained to be only one thirty-sixth of a penny. And the average +cost, per letter, of transportation in all the mails of the kingdom, did +not differ materially from this. Of course, it was impossible to vary +the rates of postage according to distance, when the longest distance +was but a little over one-tenth of a farthing. The same reasoning is +obviously applicable to all the <emph>productive</emph> routes in the United States. +And we have seen the injustice of taxing the letters on routes that are +productive or self-supporting, to defray the expense of the unproductive +routes which the government is bound to create and pay for. +</p> + +<p> +Another view of the case shows the futility of the attempt to make +distance the basis of charge. The actual cost of transit, to each letter, +does not vary with the distance, but is inversely as the number of letters, +irrespective of distance. The weight of letters hardly enters into +the account as a practical consideration. Ten thousand letters, each +composed of an ordinary sheet of letter paper, would weigh but one +hundred and fifty-six pounds, about the weight of a common sized +man, who would be carried from Boston to Albany or New York for +five dollars. The average cost of transportation of the mails in this +country, is a little over six cents per mile. For convenience of calculation, +take a route of ten miles long, which costs ten cents per mile, +and another of one hundred miles long at the same rate. There are +many routes which do not carry more than one letter on the average. +The letter would cost the department one dollar for carrying it ten +miles. On the route of one hundred miles we will suppose there are +one thousand letters to be carried, which will cost the government for +<pb n='027'/><anchor id='Pg027'/> +transportation just one mill per letter. How then can we make distance +the basis of postage? +</p> + +<p> +The matter may be presented in still another view. The government +establishes a mail between two cities, say Boston and New York, +which is supported by the avails of postage on letters. Then it proceeds +to establish a mail between New York and Philadelphia, which +is supported by the postage between those places. Now, how much +will it cost the government to carry in addition, all the letters that go +from Boston to Philadelphia, and from Philadelphia to Boston? +Nothing. The contracts will not vary a dollar. In this manner, you +may extend your mails from any point, wherever you find a route +which will support itself, until you reach New Orleans or Little Rock, +and it is as plain as the multiplication table, that it will cost the government +no more to take an individual letter from Boston to Little +Rock than it would to take the same letter from Boston to New York. +The government is quite indifferent to what place you mail your letter, +provided it be to a place which has a mail regularly running to it. +</p> + +<p> +This brings us to the unproductive routes. An act was passed by +the last Congress to establish mail routes in Oregon territory. An +agent is appointed to superintend the business, at a salary of $1000 a +year and his travelling expenses; contracts are made or to be made, +mails carried, postmasters appointed and paid. This is doubtless a +very proper and necessary thing, one which the government could not +have omitted without a plain dereliction of duty. The honor and +interest of the nation required that as soon as the title to the country +was settled, our citizens who were resident there, and those who shall +go to settle there, should enjoy the benefits of the mail. And as it +was the nation's business to establish the mail, it was equally the +nation's business to pay the expense. No man can show how it is +just or reasonable, that the letters passing between Boston and New +York should be taxed 150 per cent. to pay the expense of a mail to +Oregon, on the pretext that the post-office must support itself. +</p> + +<p> +A mail is run at regular periods to Eagle River, Wisconsin, for the +accommodation of the persons employed about the copper mines on +Lake Superior. Without questioning the certainty of the great things +that are to be done there hereafter, it is no presumption to express the +belief that the expenses of that mail are hardly paid by the postage on +the letters now carried to and from Lake Superior. Nor, after making +all due allowances for the liberal distribution of copper stock at the +East, is it rational to believe that all the people who write letters here, +are so directly interested as to make a tax upon letters the most equitable +mode of assessing the expense. +</p> + +<p> +During the debates in Congress on the act of 1844, an incident was +related by Senator Crittenden, of Kentucky, to this effect. He said +he was travelling in the mail stage somewhere in the State of Tennessee. +At a time of day when he was tired and hungry, the stage +turned off from the road a number of miles, to carry the mail to a certain +post-office; it was night when they reached the office, the postmaster +was roused with difficulty, who went through the formality of +taking the mail pouch into his hand, and returned it to the driver, saying +there was not a letter in it, and had not been for a month. I will +<pb n='028'/><anchor id='Pg028'/> +not inquire whose letters ought to be taxed to sustain that mail route, +but only remark, that whatever consideration caused its establishment, +ought to carry the cost to the public treasury, and not throw it as a +burden upon our letters. +</p> + +<p> +The Postmaster-General, in his late report, says that <q>the weight +and bulk of the mails, which add so greatly to the cost of transportation, +and impede the progress of the mail, are attributable to the mass +of printed matter daily forwarded from the principal cities in the Union +to every part of the country;</q> and <q>justice requires that the expense +of their transportation should be paid by the postage.</q> I would add +to this the qualifying phrase, <q>or by the government, out of the public +treasury,</q> and then ask why the same principle of justice is not as +applicable to long mail routes as to heavy mail bags. There is and +can be no ground of apprehension, that mails will ever be overloaded +or retarded by the weight of paid letters they contain. It was found +by the parliamentary committee, that the number of letters, which was +then nearly fifty per cent. greater than in all our mails, might be +increased twenty-four fold, without overloading the mails, and without +any material addition to the contracts for carrying the mails. They +also found that the whole cost of receiving, transporting and delivering +a letter was 76-100ths of a penny, of which the transit cost but +19-100ths, and the receipt and delivery 57-100ths. The cost of +transit, per letter, is of course reduced by the increase of correspondence. +</p> + +<p> +I have dwelt so long on this part of the subject, because I find that +here is the great difficulty in the application of the principles and +results of the British system to our own country—ours is such a +<q>great country,</q> and we have so many <q>magnificent distances.</q> +But disposing as I have of the unproductive mail routes, and showing +as I have, the injustice of taxing letters with the expense of any public +burthens, this whole difficulty is removed, and it is made to appear that +two cents is the highest proper rate of postage which the government +can justly exact for letters, on the score either of a just equivalent +for the service rendered, or of a tax imposed for the purposes of the +government itself. +</p> + +<p> +This is the conclusion to which the parliamentary committee were +most intelligently and satisfactorily drawn—that <q>the principle of a +uniform postage is founded on the facts, that the cost of distributing +letters in the United Kingdom consists chiefly in the expenses incurred +with reference to their receipt at and delivery from the office, and that +the cost of transit along the mail roads is comparatively unimportant, +and determined rather by the number of letters carried than the distance;</q> +that <q>as the cost of conveyance per letter depends more on +the number of letters carried than on the distance which they are conveyed, +(the cost being frequently greater for distances of a few miles, +than for distances of hundreds of miles,) the charge, if varied in proportion +to the cost, ought to increase in the inverse ratio of the number +of letters conveyed,</q> but it would be impossible to carry such a rule +into practice, and therefore the committee were of opinion, that <q>the +easiest practicable approach to a fair system, would be to charge a +medium rate of postage between one post-office and another, whatever +<pb n='029'/><anchor id='Pg029'/> +may be their distance.</q> And the committee were further of opinion, +<q>that such an arrangement is highly desirable, not only on account of +its abstract fairness, but because it would tend in a great degree to +simplify and economize the business of the post-office.</q> +</p> + +<p> +Waterston's Cyclopedia of Commerce says, <q>the fixing of <emph>a low rate</emph> +flowed almost necessarily from the adoption of a <emph>uniform</emph> rate. It was +besides essential to the stoppage of the private conveyance of letters. +The post-office was thus to be restored to its ancient footing of an +institution, whose primary object was public accommodation, not +revenue.</q> +</p> + +<p> +The adoption of this simple principle, of Uniform Cheap Postage, +was a revolution in postal affairs. It may almost be called a revolution +in the government, for it identified the policy of the government +with the happiness of the people, more perfectly than any one measure +that was ever adopted. It prepared the way for all other postal +reforms, which are chiefly impracticable until this one is carried. We +also can have franking abolished, as soon as cheap postage shall +have given the franking privilege alike to all. We can have label +stamps, and free delivery, and registry of letters, and reduced postage +on newspapers, and whatever other improvement our national +ingenuity may contrive, to the fullest extent of the people's wants, +and the government's ability, just as soon as we can prevail upon +the people to ask, and congress to grant, this one boon of Uniform +Cheap Postage. +</p> + +<p> +V. <hi rend='italic'>Franking.</hi> +</p> + +<p> +The unanimity and readiness with which the franking privilege was +surrendered by the members of parliament—men of privilege in a +land of privilege—is proof of the strong pressure of necessity under +which the measure was carried. It is true, a few members seemed +disposed to struggle for the preservation of this much-cherished prerogative. +One member complained that the bill would be taxing him +as much as £15 per annum. Another defended the franking privilege +on account of its benefits to the poor. But the opposition melted +away, like an unseasonable frost, as soon as its arguments were placed +in the light of cheap postage. And the whole system of franking was +swept away, and each department of the government was required to +pay its own postage, and report the same among its expenditures. +The debates in parliament show something of the reasons which +prevailed. +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<hi rend='italic'>July 22, 1848.</hi> The postage bill came up on the second reading: +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Sir Robert H. Inglis, among other things, objected to the abolition of the franking +privilege. He could not see why, because a tax was to be taken off others, a tax +was to be imposed on members. It would be, to those who had much correspondence, +at least £15 a year, at the reduced rate of a penny a letter. To the revenue +the saving would be small, and he hoped the house would not consent to rescind +that privilege. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +The Chancellor of the Exchequer said the sacrifice of the franking privilege +would be small in amount. But at the same time, be it small or great, he thought +there would be not one feature of the new system which would be more palatable to +the public, than this practical evidence of the willingness of members of this house, +<pb n='030'/><anchor id='Pg030'/> +to sacrifice everything personal to themselves, for the advantage of the public +revenue. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +Sir Robert Peel did not think it desirable that members of this house should retain +the franking privilege. He thought if this were continued after this bill came into +operation, there <emph>would be a degree of odium</emph> attached to it which would +greatly diminish its value. He agreed that it would be well to restrict in some way the +<emph>right of sending by mail the heavy volumes of reports</emph>. He said there were +many members who would shrink from the exercise of such a privilege, to load the mail +with books. He would also require that each department should specially pay the postage +incurred for the public service in that department. If every office be called upon to pay +its own postage, we shall introduce a useful principle into the public service. There is +no habit connected with a public service so inveterate, as the privilege of official +franking. +</quote> + +<p> +On a former day, July 5, the Chancellor of the Exchequer had said +concerning the abolition of the franking privilege: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +Undoubtedly, we may lose the opportunity now and then, of obliging a friend; +but on other grounds, I believe there is no member of the house who will not be +ready to abandon the privilege. As to any notion that honorable gentlemen should +retain their privilege under a penny postage, they must have a more intense appreciation +of the value of money, and a greater disregard for the value of time, than I +can conceive, if they insist on it. +</quote> + +<p> +All the peculiarities which distinguish British institutions from our +own, might naturally be expected to make public men in that country +more tenacious of privilege than our own statesmen. In a land of +privilege, we should expect mere privilege to be coveted, because +it is privilege. This practical and harmonious decision of British +statesmen, of all parties, in favor of abolishing the franking privilege, +in order to give strength and consistency to the system of cheap postage, +shows in a striking light the sense which they entertained of the +greatness of the object of cheap postage. The arguments which convinced +them, we should naturally suppose would have tenfold greater +force here than there; while the arguments in favor of the privilege +would have tenfold greater influence there than here. Can there +be a doubt that, when the subject is fairly understood, there will +be found as much magnanimity among American as among British +legislators? +</p> + +<p> +The moral evils of the franking system are far more serious than the +pecuniary expense, although that is by no means undeserving of regard. +It is not only an ensnaring prerogative to those who enjoy it, and an +anomaly and incongruity in our republican institutions, but it is an +oppressive burden upon the post-office, which ought to be removed. +</p> + +<p> +The parliamentary committee ascertained, by three distinct calculations, +(of which all the results so nearly agreed as to strengthen each +other,) that, reckoning by numbers, one-ninth of the letters passing +through the post-office in a year, were franked. And, reckoning by +weight, the proportion was 30 per cent. of the whole. Of seven millions +of franked letters and documents, nearly five millions were by +members of parliament. If all the franks had been subject to postage, +they would have yielded upwards of a million sterling yearly. This +was after the parliamentary franks had been restricted to a certain +number (ten) daily for each member, and limited in weight to two +ounces. The amount of postage on parliamentary franks would be +yearly £350,000, averaging about £310 to each member. But there +<pb n='031'/><anchor id='Pg031'/> +were a number of official persons, whose franks were not limited, +either in number or weight. These franks were obtained and used, by +those who could get them, without stint or scruple. +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +The celebrated Dr. Dionysius Lardner, who then occupied a prominent place +among men of letters in Great Britain, testified before the parliamentary committee +in 1838, that he was in the practice of sending and receiving about five thousand +letters a year, of which he got four-fifths without postage—chiefly by franks. +While he lived in Ireland, his correspondence was so heavy, not only as to the number +of letters, but their bulk and weight, that he was obliged to apply to the +Postmaster-General of Ireland, Lord Rosse, who allowed them to go under his franks. From +the year 1823, or soon after he quitted the university, until the year 1828, his letters +went and came under the frank of Lord Rosse, who had the power of franking to +any weight. Since he came to England, his facilities of getting franks were very +great. Without such means, he would have found it very difficult indeed to send +his letters by post. His heavy correspondence was chiefly sent through official persons, +who had the power of franking to any weight; and his correspondents knew +that they could send their letters under care to these friends; so that he received +communications from them in the same way. He endeavored to save as much +trouble as he could, by dividing the annoyance among them, and by enclosing a +bundle of letters for the same neighborhood under one cover. He said that, to +obtain these privileges a man must be connected or known to the aristocratic classes, +and that it was certainly unfair, as it gave unfair advantages to those who happened +to have friends or connections having that power. His foreign correspondence was +carried on through the embassies; and in this way the letters came free. He got +his letters from the United States free in that way. Any man who was a Fellow +of the Royal Society, or who lived among that class, could avail himself of these +means of obtaining scientific communications. +</quote> + +<p> +The number of franked letters posted, throughout the kingdom, in +two weeks in January, 1838, is stated in the following table. +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{2cm} p{2cm} p{2cm} p{2cm} p{2cm}'"> +<row><cell>Week ending</cell><cell>Country to London.</cell> + <cell>London to country.</cell><cell>Country to country.</cell> + <cell>Total</cell></row> +<row><cell>15 January,</cell><cell>41,196</cell><cell>43,345</cell> + <cell>36,361</cell><cell>122,902</cell></row> +<row><cell>29 January,</cell><cell>46,371</cell><cell>51,046</cell><cell>37,894</cell> + <cell>135,311</cell></row> +<row><cell></cell><cell>———</cell><cell>———</cell> + <cell>———</cell><cell>———</cell></row> +<row><cell>Total,</cell><cell>87,567</cell><cell>96,391</cell><cell>74,255</cell> + <cell>258,213</cell></row> +<row><cell>Proportion,</cell><cell>.339</cell><cell>.373</cell><cell>.287</cell> + <cell>1.</cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +It was stated in the debates, that before the franking privilege was +limited, it had been worth, to some great commercial houses, who had +a seat in parliament, from £300 to £800 a year; and that after the +limitation it was worth to some houses as much as £300 a year. +The committee spoke of the use of franks for scientific and business +correspondence, as <q>an exemplification of the irregular means by +which a scale of postage, too high for the interests and proper management +of the affairs of the country, is forced to give way in particular +instances. And like all irregular means, it is of most unfair and +partial application; the relief depends, not on any general regulation, +known to the public, and according to which relief can be obtained, +but upon favor and opportunity; and the consequence is, that while +the more pressing suitor obtains the benefit he asks, those of a more +forbearing disposition pay the penalty of high postage.</q> It also keeps +out of view of the public, <q>how much the cost of distribution is +exceeded by the charge, and to what extent therefore the postage of +letters is taxed</q> to sustain this official privilege. The committee +<pb n='032'/><anchor id='Pg032'/> +therefore concluded in their report, that <q>taking into the account the +serious loss to the public revenue, which is caused by the privilege of +franking, and the inevitable abuse of that privilege in numerous cases +where no public business is concerned, it would be politic in a financial +point of view, and agreeable to the public sense of justice, if, on +effecting the proposed reduction of the postage rates, the privilege +of franking were to be abolished.</q> Only the post-office department +now franks its own official correspondence; petitions to parliament +are sent free; and parliamentary documents are charged at one-eighth +the rate of letters. Letters <emph>to</emph> the Queen also go free. +</p> + +<p> +In our own country, the congressional franking privilege has long +been a subject of complaint, both by the post-office authorities and the +public press. There are many discrepancies in the several returns +from which the extent of franking is to be gathered. +</p> + +<p> +From a return made by the Postmaster General to the Senate, Jan. +16, 1844, the whole number of letters passing through the mails in a +year is set at 27,073,144, of which the number franked is 2,815,692, +which is a small fraction over 10 per cent. +</p> + +<p> +The annual report of the Postmaster-General in 1837, estimates the +whole number of letters at 32,360,992, of which 2,100,000, or a little +over 6 per cent, were franked. +</p> + +<p> +In February, 1844, the Postmaster-General communicated to Congress +a statement of an account kept of the free letters and documents +mailed at Washington, during three weeks of the sitting of Congress +in 1840, of which the results appear in the following table. +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{2cm} p{2cm} p{2cm} p{2cm}'"> +<row><cell>Week ending</cell><cell>Letters.</cell><cell>Public Doc.</cell> + <cell>Weight of Doc.</cell></row> +<row><cell>May 2,</cell><cell>13,674</cell><cell>96,588</cell> + <cell>8,042 lbs.</cell></row> +<row><cell>June 2,</cell><cell>13,955</cell><cell>108,912</cell><cell>9,076</cell></row> +<row><cell>July 7,</cell><cell>14,766</cell><cell>186,768</cell><cell>15,564</cell></row> +<row><cell></cell><cell>———</cell><cell>———</cell> + <cell>———</cell></row> +<row><cell>Total,</cell><cell>42,395</cell><cell>392,268</cell><cell>32,689</cell></row> +<row><cell>Average,</cell><cell>14,132</cell><cell>140,756</cell> + <cell>10,896</cell></row> +<row><cell>Session 33 weeks,</cell><cell>466,345</cell><cell>4,314,948</cell> + <cell>359,579</cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +Whole number of Letters and Documents in a session of thirty-three +weeks, 4,781,293. +</p> + +<p> +Average weight of Public Documents, 1-⅓ oz. +</p> + +<p> +Of the 42,375 free letters, 20,362 were congressional, and 22,032, +or 52 per cent. were from the Departments. +</p> + +<p> +In the month of October, 1843, an account was kept at all the +offices in the United States, of the number of letters franked and received +in that month by members of Congress. The number was +18,558, which would give 81,370 for 19 weeks of vacation. To these +add 223,992 mailed in 33 weeks of session, and four-fifths as many, +179,193, for letters received, and it gives a total of 484,555 letters +received and sent free of postage by members of Congress in a year, +besides the Public Documents. The postage on the letters, at the old +rates, would have been $100,000. +</p> + +<p> +From the same return of October, 1843, it appears that the number +<pb n='033'/><anchor id='Pg033'/> +of letters franked and received by national and state officers, was +1,024,068; and by postmasters, 1,568,928; total, 2,592,998, the +postage on which, at 14-½ cents, would amount to $376,073. +</p> + +<p> +These calculations would give the loss on free letters, at that time, +$476,073. This is besides the postage on the public documents, +359,578 pounds, the postage on which, at 2-½ cents per ounce, would +come to $147,581. +</p> + +<p> +Total postage lost by franking, $623,654. +</p> + +<p> +Document No. 118, printed by the House of Representatives of +Massachusetts, 1848, gives $312,500 as the amount of postage on +franked letters, and $200,000 for franked documents, making a total +of $512,500. +</p> + +<p> +The report of the Post-office Committee of the House of Representatives, +May 15, 1844, contains a return of the number of free letters +mailed and received at the Washington post-office, during the week +ending February 20, 1844, with the corresponding annual number, +and the amount of postage, at the old rates—allowing the average +length of a session of Congress to be six months. From this I have +constructed the following table. +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{2cm} p{1.5cm} p{1.5cm} p{1.5cm} p{1.5cm}'"> +<row><cell>Departments</cell><cell>Letters</cell><cell>Letters</cell> + <cell>Total No.</cell><cell>Postage.</cell></row> +<row><cell></cell><cell>received</cell><cell>sent</cell><cell>Annually.</cell> + <cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>House of Representatives</cell><cell>1,882</cell><cell>1,505</cell> + <cell></cell><cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>Senate</cell><cell>7,510</cell><cell>10,271</cell> + <cell></cell><cell></cell></row> +<row><cell></cell><cell>——</cell><cell>——</cell> + <cell></cell><cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>Total of Congress</cell><cell>9,392</cell><cell>11,776</cell> + <cell>550,368</cell><cell>$114,697</cell></row> +<row><cell>President U. S.</cell><cell>304</cell><cell>174</cell> + <cell>24,856</cell><cell>4,895</cell></row> +<row><cell>Post Office</cell><cell>6,041</cell><cell>3,615</cell> + <cell>502,112</cell><cell>102,474</cell></row> +<row><cell>State Department</cell><cell>1,989</cell><cell>2,253</cell> + <cell>220,584</cell><cell>41,600</cell></row> +<row><cell>Treasury Department</cell><cell>6,800</cell><cell>2,405</cell> + <cell>478,660</cell><cell>100,949</cell></row> +<row><cell>War Department</cell><cell>2,592</cell><cell>2,626</cell> + <cell>271,336</cell><cell>61,475</cell></row> +<row><cell>Navy Department</cell><cell>1,709</cell><cell>2,082</cell> + <cell>197,132</cell><cell>39,809</cell></row> +<row><cell>Attorney-General</cell><cell>52</cell><cell>816</cell> + <cell>45,136</cell><cell>10,678</cell></row> +<row><cell></cell><cell>——</cell><cell>——</cell> + <cell>——</cell><cell>——</cell></row> +<row><cell>Total</cell><cell></cell><cell></cell><cell>2,290,184</cell> + <cell>$476,577</cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +Whole number of letters franked at Washington: 2,290,184<lb/> +Add, franked by members at home: 111,348<lb/> +Franked by postmasters: 1,568,928<lb/> +Total of free letters: 3,970,450<lb/> +Add, franked documents: 4,314,948<lb/> +General total number: 8,285,398<lb/> +The postage on all which, at the old rates, would be at +least: $1,000,000 +</p> + +<p> +The annual report of the Postmaster-General, December, 1847, estimates +the number of free letters at five millions, the postage on which, +at present rates, would be at least $375,000, to which the postage on +the documents should be added. +</p> + +<p> +The conclusion of the whole matter is, that the postage due on the +free letters and documents, if reckoned according to the old rates, +would be at least one million, and under the present rates above half a +million of dollars annually; equal to 12 per cent of the whole gross +income of the department. +</p> + +<pb n='034'/><anchor id='Pg034'/> + +<p> +When our present postage law was under consideration, the committees +of both Houses recommended the abolition of the franking +privilege, for reasons of justice, as well as to satisfy the public mind. +The report of the House Committee has this passage: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>As the post-office is made to sustain itself solely by a tax on correspondence, it +should derive aid and support from everything it conveys. No man's private correspondence +should go free, since the expense of so conveying it becomes a charge +upon others; and the special favor thus given, and which is much abused by being +extended to others not contemplated by law, is unjust and odious. Neither should +the <emph>public</emph> correspondence be carried free of charge, where such immunity +operates as a burden upon the correspondence of the citizen. There is no just reason why +the public should not pay its postages as well as citizens—no sufficient reason why +this item of public expenses should not be borne, like all others, by the general tax +paid into the public treasury.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +The report of the Senate Committee goes still more fully into the +argument, leading to the same conclusion. In explaining the reasons +for the dissatisfaction with the post-office, then so widely felt by the +people, and the consequent diminution of its revenues, it argues thus: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>The <emph>immediate</emph> benefits of the post-office establishment accruing to that +portion of the people only who carry on correspondence through it, and these enjoying +those benefits in very unequal degrees, according to their various pursuits, habits, or +inclinations, it has seemed to be required by the principles of equal justice that the +expenses of the establishment should be defrayed by contributions collected equally +from each person served by it, in proportion to the amount of service rendered. +The obvious justice of this rule, admitting as it does of so near an approximation to +exact justice in its practical application to the business of this department, has +commended it to all: and, accordingly, the department has always been +<emph>professedly</emph> governed by it: but, unfortunately, so wide has been the +departure from this just and equitable rule in the actual practice, that it has become a +word of promise, kept only to the ear, and broken to the sense. Far from exacting of all +equal contributions towards meeting the necessary expenses of this department in +proportion to the amount of service rendered to each, about one-eighth part numerically, +and probably not less than one sixth part in weight and bulk of the whole correspondence, +has been privileged to pass free of all charge—to say nothing of the immense amount +of public documents conveyed under similar privilege, while the expense of the whole +has been borne by high charges upon the non-privileged part of the correspondence. +It may be said this privilege was granted, and has been extended, from time to time, +for the public service, and in furtherance of the public interest. Admitted; but is +it not perceived that it still involves a palpable violation of the principle of equal +justice, before shown to be at the foundation of all our institutions, and an adherence +to which is indispensable in the conduct of all our affairs? How can it be made +to comport with any just conceptions of right, for the Government to levy so +large a tax, for the common purposes of all, upon a portion only of its citizens? As +well might the post-office be used as a source of general revenue, as to be taxed +specially with the expenses of this branch of the public service—a mode of raising +revenue for general purposes universally admitted to be so unequal and unjust that it has +never been resorted to in this country but in a single instance of extreme necessity, and +then only for a very short time. It is true, the post-office may be, and is in other +countries, successfully resorted to as a means of extorting money from the people; but +this must be where the principles of government are widely different from ours, and +the leading policy being not the promotion of the happiness and welfare of the many, +but the advancement of the few, justifies the use of any means which may subserve +that end. There force and fear, not justice and mutual good will, are the controlling +influences. According to the nature of our government, it might with much more +propriety be asked, by those who use the post-office establishment, that its whole +expense be borne by the general treasury, than that they should be required to +defray the expense of the public service performed in this or any other department; +because it may with truth be urged, that although the advantages of this department +accrue <emph>immediately</emph> to them, yet mediately at least they inure to the great +benefit of the whole country.</q> +</quote> + +<pb n='035'/><anchor id='Pg035'/> + +<p> +These objections are of great weight, even under the old or the +present postage. With cheap postage, they ought to be conclusive. +In the language of the English Chancellor of the Exchequer, men who +would then wish to retain the franking privilege <q>must have a more +intense appreciation of the value of money, and a greater disregard for +the value of time, than I can conceive, if they insist on it.</q> The only +other reason for retaining the privilege would be, that honorable gentlemen, +in the receipt of eight dollars per day for attending to the business +of the nation, would be willing to spend their time in writing +franks at two cents a-piece, for the sake of having their names circulate +through the post-office with the letters M. C. attached to them. +</p> + +<p> +A serious objection to the franking system is, that it unavoidably +tends to constant strife and altercation between members of congress +and the department. The head of the department, naturally and +properly careful of the income of the post-office, sees with pain the +vast encroachment upon the revenue made by the franking system. +He becomes rigid in the construction of the law; he deems every +frank that does not come within its letter an abuse; he adopts the +assumption that franks were only designed for the personal accommodation +of the individual, and not for his family or friends. He watches +to detect some unwarranted stretch, he finds a plenty; he examines a +franked letter, he stops it; complaint is made to the member whose +signature has been treated with disrespect, an explosion follows, the +public service is hindered, and the honor of law is lowered. At this +moment there is a bill pending in congress, to protect the franks of +members, in consequence of a franked letter having been stopped, on +the ground that the direction was not in the handwriting of him who +gave the frank. Any espionage upon men's letters, is plainly an +intolerable grievance in a republican government. The British government +were compelled to allow franks of members to cover all that +was under them, and they therefore restricted them in weight and +number. The only available method for us is to abolish the privilege +itself. The experience under the present postage law proves that it is +impossible to abolish the privilege, except by establishing cheap postage. +The act of 1844 attempted greatly to restrict the franking privilege, +but in three years every material restriction has been practically +done away. There is no middle ground between boundless franking +and no franking. The bill above referred to has passed the senate, in +spite of the most earnest remonstrances of the Postmaster-General, so +that now the frank of a member of congress covers all that is under it, +within the prescribed limit of two ounces weight. Those members +who are so disposed can frank envelopes for their friends, in any number, +and send them in parcels of two ounces, to be used anywhere, +without any more meddling of the post-office clerks. The remedy will +be, to reduce the rate of postage so low, that it will be worth no person's +while to use the franking privilege, or to seek its benefits from +those who hold it; or so that, if it is retained, those who use it will at +least show that they <q>have a more intense appreciation of money, +and a greater disregard for the value of time,</q> than ordinary persons +can conceive! +</p> + +<p> +It has been said that it will be impossible to secure the services of +<pb n='036'/><anchor id='Pg036'/> +postmasters, without giving them the franking privilege. But it will +be found that the cheap and uniform postage, always prepaid, will so +greatly diminish the labor of keeping the post-office, as to remove the +objection in most cases to taking the trouble. And for the rest, it is +only for the department to demand that, if the people of any neighborhood +wish a post-office they must furnish a postmaster, and this difficulty +is annihilated. +</p> + +<p> +With regard to the transmission of public documents, printed by +order of the two houses of congress, it is undeniable that very much +of the printing itself, and the circulation of them through the mail, is +a sheer abuse and wanton waste. And it is probable that a great +check would be given to these abuses, if there were an account required +and a charge made on the public treasury of all this circulation, at the +same rate with other pamphlet postage. The circulation, even if kept +up at its present rate, would in fact cost no more than it does now; +but the burden would be taken from the letter correspondence of the +country, and placed where it ought to be, on the general treasury. +The statement of 1844, that four millions of public documents are +circulated in a single session, attracted much attention of the public +press at the time. One influential paper, the New York Journal of +Commerce, has the following remarks under the head of <q>National +Bribery:</q> +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">It has just been stated in congress, that the two houses had ordered +<emph>fifty-five thousand copies</emph> to be printed, of the Report of the Commissioner +of Patents: and that the cost to the country would be $114,000. This Report is a huge +document, printed in large type, with a large margin, containing very little matter of +the least importance, and that little so buried in the rubbish, as to be worth about as +much as so many <q>needles in a hay-mow.</q> Then, this huge quantity of trash, created +at this large expense, is to be <emph>franked</emph> for all parts of the country, by +way of <emph>currying favor and getting votes next time</emph>, lumbering the mails, and +creating another large expense. We have taken the trouble to weigh the copy of this +document, which was forwarded to us, and find its ponderosity to be 2 lbs., 14 ozs., or, +with the wrapper, about <emph>three pounds</emph>! The aggregate weight of the 55,000 +copies, is therefore <hi rend='smallcaps'>eighty-two and a half tons</hi>! Eighty-two and +a half tons of paper spoiled; and the nation taxed $114,000 for spoiling it; and then +compelled to lug it to all parts of the Union through the monopoly post-office and the +<emph>franking</emph> privilege! Poor patient people!</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>Such taxes, to be defrayed by high postage on letters and newspapers, grow +out of this <emph>franking</emph> privilege; and the power which congress reserve to +themselves, of distributing free, as many documents as they choose to print at the public +expense! These documents, it seems, are the grand means resorted to by many +members, of <q><emph>currying favor</emph></q> with the influential, and thus +<q><emph>getting votes next time!</emph></q></q> +</quote> + +<p> +A late number of the Boston Courier contains the following humorous +but not untruthful description of this franking business, written by +a correspondent at Washington: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">The object of assembling the representatives of the people is +<emph>discussion</emph>, not business; or at least, no other business to speak of. And +this is labor enough for any man. Why, one gentleman of the house informed me that he had +2700 names on his list of persons to whom he must send documents, and he is +<emph>not</emph> a candidate for re-election.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">Now, let us suppose that the average number of each member's +<emph>document</emph> constituency is but 2500, and that each gets <emph>four</emph> +favors only from his servant in congress. This would throw upon the shoulders of each +member the labor of procuring, and franking, and directing <emph>ten thousand</emph> +speeches in the course of a session. What more +<pb n='037'/><anchor id='Pg037'/> +business than this should be expected of a man? especially, when we consider that the +representative must receive and answer, at length, all sorts of letters, from all sorts +of people, upon all sorts of topics, from Aunt Peg's pension to Amy Dardin's horse. +If each member requires 10,000 speeches to his constituents, somebody has got to +make them. And as there are something over 280 members of both branches there +must be a supply of about <emph>three millions</emph> of this kind of <q>fodder.</q> How +can it be otherwise than that the congressional talking-mill must be kept constantly +going? And what a famine would there be should it stop grinding? Going into a Western +member's room the other day, and seeing him with his coat off in the middle of the +apartment, up to his middle in documents, and speeches, and letters, laboring lustily +with his pen, I alluded to his press of private business.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q><q>Stranger,</q> said he, <q>I never came to congress before, and I never want to +come again. I tell <emph>you</emph> that this office of member of congress is not what it +is cracked up to be. I calculated to have a good time here this winter, after racing all +over my district, and making more than five hundred stump speeches in order to get +elected. But the fact is you can see the way I enjoy myself. It is what I call the +enjoyments horribly. Why, sir, I never began to work in this way before in all my +life.</q> I asked, <q>How comes on the loan bill in your branch?</q> <q>O, they are +spouting away, sir, and here I am franking the speeches. The Lord only knows what is +in them.</q> <q>And the Ten Regiment Bill?</q> <q>I know nothing about it, and don't +want to. Look at them thar letters,</q> pointing to a two bushel basket of private +correspondence—<q>not one half of them answered; look at these speeches, not a +quarter of them franked. What attention can I give to loan bills and regiment +bills? Sir, I must attend to my <emph>constituents</emph>.</q> And we left him to his +labors. Our impression is, that it takes all day Saturday, and Sunday too, to bring up +the franking and letter writing business of the week, for the members seldom get out to +church.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +VI. <hi rend='italic'>Letter Postage Stamps, for Prepayment.</hi> +</p> + +<p> +In England, as a part of the system devised by Mr. Rowland +Hill, the prepayment of letter-postage is greatly facilitated, and, of +course, the tendency to prepayment is increased, while the management +of the post-office itself, in all its departments, is simplified to +the highest degree, by the use of adhesive postage-stamps. The +stamp is a small oblong piece of paper, with a device upon it, (Queen's +head) so skilfully engraved and printed as almost to defy counterfeiting, +against which indeed the small value of each one, the danger of +speedy detection, and the high penalty for counterfeiting a royal +signet, are equally effective safeguards. The stamp is coated on the +back with an adhesive gum, which securely fastens the stamp to the +letter, by being slightly wet and pressed down with the finger. +These are printed in sheets, and are sold at all post-offices, at precisely +their postal value; 1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>., 2<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>., +or 1<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>., as the case may be. The +postmasters purchase them for cash, of the general post-office, and are +allowed a deduction of one per cent for their trouble. The small +shop-keepers of all descriptions, who buy from the post-offices without +discount, generally keep postage-stamps to sell for the accommodation +of their customers and neighbors, just as they would give small change +for a larger piece of money with the same view. Such a shop would +lose favor by refusing to keep stamps to sell. +</p> + +<p> +Each individual buys stamps for his own use, in as great or small +numbers as he pleases, always at the same rate. You keep them on +your writing-desk, along with wafers and wax. You carry a few in +your wallet, ready for use at any place. You seal your letter, and +<pb n='038'/><anchor id='Pg038'/> +direct it, and then attach one of these stamps, drop it into the letter-box, +or send it to the post-office, and that wonderful machinery takes +it up, passes it about, finds the owner, and delivers it into his hand, +without any additional charge. Nothing can exceed the simplicity of +the process but the perfection of its working. +</p> + +<p> +As the current value of these stamps is the same in every part of +the country, and is precisely identical with that of the coin they represent, +they serve as a currency to be used in payment of small sums at +a distance. This is more useful in England than in the United States, +because there they have no bank notes of small denominations. But +even in this country, as soon as they are in general use, they will be +found vastly convenient in making small payments at a distance. +</p> + +<p> +Besides the label stamps, the English post-office manufactures and +sells stamped envelopes, which will at once enclose the letter and pay +the postage. The price of the envelope is half a farthing, in addition +to the 1<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi> for postage; that is, eight stamped envelopes are sold +for 9<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi>, or 24 for 2<hi rend='italic'>s.</hi> +3<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi> +</p> + +<p> +Stamped half sheets of paper are also furnished by the post-office, a +farthing being charged for the paper, besides the 1<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi> for postage. +These are much used for printing circulars, for which they are +very convenient. They are also bought by the poor to write brief +letters on. +</p> + +<p> +It is a common practice, in writing to another person on your own +business, to enclose a postage stamp to prepay the letter in reply. +Some persons, who have much correspondence, procure their own +address printed in script on the back of stamped envelopes, and then +send these enclosed to bring back the expected return. Persons doing +a great deal of business with each other, through the post-office, keep +each other's envelopes on hand. The child at school or the son +in college, is furnished with his father's envelopes, stamped and +directed. +</p> + +<p> +The postage stamps are cancelled, by an obliterating stamp in the +office where they are received, so that no postage stamp can ever be +used a second time. Each post-office is furnished with a cancel +stamp, and an ineffaceable ink for this purpose. There are five different +forms of cancel stamps, one used for London letters, deliverable +within the London District, one for letters mailed in London for places +elsewhere, one for all other places in England and Wales, one for +Scotland, and one for Ireland. Thus it is seen at a glance, from what +section a letter comes. Sometimes the stamp denoting the place at +which a letter is mailed, is not sufficiently plain. To meet this, and +to serve some other conveniences, the cancel stamps have a blank in +the centre, in which is inserted the number belonging to that office. +Thus the shape tells the district, and the number the office from which +each letter comes. +The London stamp has a circular blank for letters that are mailed +within the London circle, and deliverable also within it, and a +diamond-shaped blank for letters going out of London. +</p> + +<pb n='039'/><anchor id='Pg039'/> + +<p> +The post-offices in each section are all numbered consecutively, +and each office is permanently known in all other offices by its number +as well as its name. Each office has its number engraved in the +blank space of its cancel stamp, as in the first and last above, so that +the place from which the letter comes is known at a glance. +</p> + +<p> +The total number of Label Stamps issued in the year ending +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{3cm} p{2cm} p{2cm}'"> +<row><cell></cell><cell>1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. Stamps.</cell> + <cell>2<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. Stamps.</cell></row> +<row><cell>5th January, 1841,</cell><cell>74,856,960</cell><cell>7,587,960</cell></row> +<row><cell>5th January, 1842,</cell><cell>110,878,344</cell><cell>3,391,800</cell></row> +<row><cell>5th January, 1843,</cell><cell>121,648,080</cell><cell>2,866,080</cell></row> +<row><cell></cell><cell>———</cell> + <cell>———</cell></row> +<row><cell>First three years,</cell><cell>307,383,384</cell><cell>13,845,840</cell></row> +</table> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{4cm} p{2cm}'; tblcolumns: 'lw(40) r'"> +<row><cell>321,229,224 stamps, nominal value,</cell><cell>£1,396,146</cell></row> +<row><cell>Expense of manufacture and distribution,</cell><cell>42,763</cell></row> +<row><cell>———</cell><cell>———</cell></row> +<row><cell>Net proceeds,</cell><cell>£1,353,382</cell></row> +<row><cell>Average yearly,</cell><cell>451,127</cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +The present cost of Label Stamps is reported, July 16, 1846, thus: +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{4cm} p{2cm}'; tblcolumns: 'lw(40) l'"> +<row><cell>Paper for a million labels,</cell> + <cell>£5 11<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>.</cell></row> +<row><cell>Printing and gumming,</cell><cell>25 --</cell></row> +<row><cell>Salaries, proportion of,</cell> + <cell>46 10<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>.</cell></row> +<row><cell>Contingencies, poundage, &c.</cell><cell>46 + 10<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>.</cell></row> +<row><cell>—————</cell> + <cell>———</cell></row> +<row><cell>Cost per million,</cell><cell>£79 --</cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +The entire cost of the Stamped Envelopes is thus stated: +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{4cm} p{1.5cm} p{1.5cm} p{1.5cm}'; + tblcolumns: 'lw(30) r r r'"> +<row><cell>Year Ending.</cell><cell>Cost.</cell><cell>Sold for.</cell> + <cell>Profit.</cell></row> +<row><cell>5th January, 1841,</cell><cell>£4,268</cell><cell>£4,292</cell> + <cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>5th January, 1842,</cell><cell>5,530</cell><cell>5,470</cell> + <cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>5th January, 1843,</cell><cell>5,290</cell><cell>5,415</cell> + <cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>5th January, 1844,</cell><cell>6,190</cell><cell>6,540</cell> + <cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>5th January, 1845,</cell><cell>6,948</cell><cell>7,261</cell> + <cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>Total, five years,</cell><cell>£28,229</cell><cell>£28,978</cell> + <cell>£749</cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +The original cost of the machinery, £435, is divided and apportioned on six years.<lb/> +The whole number of envelopes issued is 83,694,240.<lb/> +The present cost per million is £359; proceeds, £371; profits, £12.<lb/> +</p> + +<p> +Whether it would be advisable for our own post-office to go into the +<pb n='040'/><anchor id='Pg040'/> +manufacture of envelopes, may be doubtful. Probably it will be +judged that the Label Stamps would afford all needed convenience, so +far as the government is concerned, and the rest would be left to private +enterprise. From the returns of the actual expense of manufacturing +envelopes, £359 per million—about a mill and three quarters +apiece, it will be seen that there is yet room for individual competition +among us, to bring down the current price to the rate of only a +reasonable profit. +</p> + +<p> +The third assistant Postmaster-General remarks, in his late report, that +the demand for Label Stamps has not been as great as was anticipated, +the amount sold being but $28,330, which would only pay for about +500,000 stamps. This is indeed a very great falling off from the +number purchased in England, which must be not less than two hundred +millions of stamps in the year. He says that <q>many important +commercial towns have not applied for them, and in others they are +only used in trifling amounts. But it should be borne in mind, that +people are more likely to invest a dollar in stamps, when they get fifty +for their money, than when they only get ten or twenty. And when +purchased, they are likely to use them up a great deal more freely, +when they look at each one as only two cents. With so great a convenience +afforded at so cheap a rate, it is not possible but that the +demand must be immense, and the use abundantly satisfactory to the +people and to the department.</q> +</p> + +<p> +These stamps would obviate the practical difficulty apprehended in +the administration of the cheap postage system, in those parts of the +country where the use of copper coin is not common; as it will always +be easy to purchase stamps with dimes. I do not believe any persons +in this country would be so fastidious on this point, as to be unwilling +to send five letters for the same money that it now costs to +send one. +</p> + +<p> +VII. <hi rend='italic'>New Arrangement of Newspaper Postage.</hi> +</p> + +<p> +The principles of cheap postage have been recognized from the +beginning of our government, in reference to the postage on newspapers—the +charge being regulated, neither by weight nor distance, +but, with a single exception, by the rule of simple uniformity. The +postage on newspapers is one cent for each paper, within 100 miles, or +within the state where printed, and a cent and a half for greater distances. +The act of 1844 allowed all newspapers within 30 miles +of the place where issued, to go free, but this militated so directly +against every principle of equity, that it has been repealed. But cheap +postage on newspapers, for the sake of the general diffusion of +knowledge of public affairs, has always been the policy of our government. +Even during the war of 1812, when it was attempted to raise +a revenue by letter postage, the postage on newspapers was not +raised. No proposition whatever, to increase the cost, or lessen the +facility of the circulation of newspapers by mail, would be sanctioned +by the people, under any conceivable exigency of the government. +</p> + +<p> +Yet it has never been stated, to my knowledge, by any administration, +<pb n='041'/><anchor id='Pg041'/> +that the postage of newspapers was any help to the department, +or even that it paid for itself. Many of the unproductive routes, +which add so much to the expense, and so little to the income of the +department, are demanded chiefly for the facility of getting the newspapers, +rather than for letters. We are a nation, of newspaper readers. +It is possible, indeed, that the prodigious increase in the number of +newspapers circulated by mail, which has taken place within twenty +years, and especially within ten years, may have reduced the average +cost of each, so that now the newspapers may be productive, or at +least remunerative. The Postmaster-General states the postage on +newspapers and pamphlets, for the year ending June 30, 1847, at +$643,160, which is an increase of $81,018, or 14-½ per cent. over the +preceding year, and an increase over the annual average of the nine +preceding years, of $114,181, or 21 per cent. +</p> + +<p> +The newspapers passing through the mails annually, are estimated +at 55,000,000. In 1843, they were estimated at 43,500,000, of which +7,000,000 were free. If the calculation is made on the whole number, +the increase is 20 per cent. in four years. But if, as is probable, +the 55,000,000 in 1847 are chargeable papers, the increase is 33-½ per +cent. If anything can make the newspaper postage pay for itself, it +will be the multiplication of newspapers, as it is well known that a +great reduction of cost of individual articles is produced by the great +number required. What fortunes are made by manufacturing cotton +cloth, to be sold at six or eight cents per yard; and by making pins +and needles, which pass through so many processes, and yet are sold +at such a low rate. Each yard of cloth, each needle, each pin, is subjected +to all those several steps, and yet the greatness of the demand +creates a vast revenue from profits which are so small upon each individual +article as to be incapable of being stated in money; the cheapness +of production extending the sale, and the extent of sale favoring +the cheapness of production. An establishment like the post-office +requires a certain amount of expenditure and labor, to keep the machinery +in operation, though the work be but little, not half equal to +its capacity, and it can often enlarge its labors and its productiveness, +without requiring, by any means, a corresponding increase of expense; +and enlarged to a considerable extent, perhaps, without any increase +at all. Thus the cost of the British post-office, which was £686,768 in +1839, when the number of letters was only 86,000,000, was increased +only to £702,310, but little more than 10 per cent. in the following +year, when the number of letters was increased to 170,000,000. +That is, the quantity of business was doubled, while the expense was +only increased one-tenth. And in 1846, when the letters were +322,000,000, or nearly fourfold the former number, the expense was +only £1,138,745, an increase of but 65 per cent., and the greater +part of this—almost the whole—was for increased facilities given, +and not owing to the increased number of letters. Had the cost kept +pace with the increase of business, it would have been, in 1847, nearly +£3,000,000 sterling. +</p> + +<p> +There is one difficulty, however, in the case of newspapers, arising +from their weight. The Postmaster-General says, in his last report: +<pb n='042'/><anchor id='Pg042'/> +<q>The weight and bulk of the mails, which add so greatly to the cost +of transportation, and impede the progress of the mail, are attributable +to the mass of printed matter daily forwarded from the principal cities +of the Union to every part of the country.</q> Some of these newspapers, +he says, weigh over two and a half ounces each. For more than +twenty years, the weight of newspapers has been a cause of complaint +in the department, for which no remedy has yet been devised, neither +has any man been bold enough to propose to exclude them from the +mails. At one time, rules were made, allowing mail carriers to leave +the newspaper bags, to be carried along at another time. But this +produced too serious a dissatisfaction to be continued. The newspapers +must go, and they must go with the letters, for people are quite +as sensitive at the delay of their newspapers as at the delay of their +letters. Seven or eight years ago, there was a clamor at the weight +of certain mammoth sheets, as the New World and the Brother Jonathan, +weighing each from a quarter to half a pound. But this extravagant +folly of publishers has in a great measure cured itself, and the +grievance has ceased. The law of 1845 undertook to make a discrimination +against papers of exorbitant size, by charging extra postage +on all that were larger than 1900 square inches. I cannot learn +that any papers are taxed at this extra rate, and I venture to predict +that, whenever the public convenience shall be found to require newspapers +of a larger size than 1900 inches, the postage rule will have to +be altered to meet the public demand. The people have so learned +the benefits of uniformity and cheapness of postage on newspapers, +that they will never relinquish it. +</p> + +<p> +In Great Britain no difference is made among papers on account of +their weight, although their paper is almost twice as heavy as ours. +And even when a supplementary sheet is issued, the whole goes as one +newspaper, covered by one stamp. I have a copy of the London +Herald, with three supplements, the whole weighing half a pound, +which passed free in the mail, with only the principal sheet stamped. +And the whole comes by the steamer's mail, the postage prepaid by a +single 2<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. stamp. In that country, however, it is not compulsory +to send newspapers or supplements by mail, and a very large proportion are not +sent in that way, but for convenience by carriers. Their method of circulating +newspapers, by sale instead of yearly subscription, has led to a +difference in this respect. I believe there is no restriction upon the +carriage of newspaper packages out of the mail, by the same contractors, +and the same carriages that convey the mails. It is probable +that the interests of the department would be promoted, rather than +injured, by such a rule, liberally interpreted, in this country. +</p> + +<p> +Twenty years ago, when our mails were all carried in coaches drawn +by horses, there were some routes on which the weight of the newspaper +mails was a serious incumbrance. But at present, so great has +been the extension of steam power, that I question if there is a single +route to which the number of newspapers sent would be a burden, +unless, perhaps, it may be the route by the National Road, from Cumberland +to Columbus. +</p> + +<p> +So great are the advantages of uniformity of rate, in facilitating the +administration of the post-office, that there would be a greater loss +<pb n='043'/><anchor id='Pg043'/> +than gain in attempting to introduce any rule of graduation in the +postage of newspapers. It is easily seen that the difference of distance +is no ground for such graduation, for the same reasons which +are conclusive in regard to letters. And as to the difference of +weight, if you deduct from the one cent postage what it costs to +receive and mail and deliver each paper, and to keep the accounts and +make the returns, the difference in the actual expense is too small to +be made of any practical account, between a newspaper weighing two +ounces and one weighing half an ounce. The Journal of Commerce +and papers of that size weigh less than two ounces. And the number +of newspapers printed on a sheet weighing over two ounces, is too +small to be of any account. +</p> + +<p> +The only point respecting the postage on newspapers, on which the +Cheap Postage Association are inflexibly fixed, is that the postage shall +be uniform, irrespective of distance, and not exceed one cent per +paper, prepaid. If not prepaid, the postage is to be doubled. +</p> + +<p> +It is supposed that a practical rule will obtain, like that which now +prevails, of allowing regular subscribers to pay their postage quarterly +in advance, at the office where they receive their papers. Only, the +rule of prepayment will be enforced, because double postage is to be +exacted in all cases where there is not actual prepayment. +</p> + +<p> +It will follow that all occasional papers will pay two cents postage, +that is the same as a letter, unless the postage is prepaid by the sender, +at the office where the paper is mailed. +</p> + +<p> +In Great Britain, newspapers are required to be stamped at the +Stamp Office, for which they pay 1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. each sheet. And all such +stamped papers are carried in the mails postage free. Whatever be +their date, or how many times soever they may have been mailed, they +always go free by virtue of the stamp. Some attempts have been +made by the post-office to limit the time after date, in which stamped +papers are transmissible free of postage. But the restrictions have all +been borne away by the public convenience and the public will. The +amount received for newspaper stamps, in the year ending January 5, +1844, was £271,180. This goes to the treasury, and not to the +post-office, although the 1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. stamp duty was retained solely with +a view to the postage. This sum ought, therefore, in strictness, to be +added to the gross annual receipts of the post-office; and indeed, to +the net income of the post-office, for the whole expense of mailing, +transporting and delivering is included in the yearly expenditures of +the post-office, so that the amount of stamp duty is all gain to the +treasury, saving the trifling cost of stamping. +</p> + +<p> +The cost of stamping paper for the newspapers was stated before +the Parliamentary Committee, by John Wood, Esq., Chairman of the +Board of Stamps and Taxes. He says, <q>A great deal of time is employed +in attaching the stamp to each sheet of paper, because each has +to be separated from the quire or bundle, and the stamp separately +applied to it. I calculate that sheets of paper might be stamped and +delivered in London, at an expense not exceeding 1<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>. per +thousand. In that I include what is called the telling out and telling in, the counting +the paper before it is stamped, the stamping it, the counting it after it +is stamped, and the packing and delivery of it in London.</q> As to the +<pb n='044'/><anchor id='Pg044'/> +question of the liability to forgery, he said that <q>the newspaper proprietors +are all registered at Somerset House, they are all under bond, +and the use of the stamps is confined to comparatively a small number +of persons, so that they are very much under our eye.</q> This stamp +duty is paid by the publisher, who of course charges a price accordingly +to his subscribers. There is no law against sending newspapers +through any other channel, and no rule requiring them to be sent only +by mail. +</p> + +<p> +It is thought that a practice something like this might be introduced +in this country. The plan proposed, is to allow any publisher of a +newspaper to have the paper stamped before printing, for his whole +issue, by paying therefor at the rate of half a cent per sheet. This +would be but half the rate paid by subscribers, at the office of delivery. +But as an offset to this, many sheets would be stamped which would +never be carried by mail. In Boston there are above thirty millions of +newspapers printed yearly. The stamps on all these, if paid in +advance by the publisher, would come to $150,000. I do not suppose +the Post-office Department realizes from all the Boston papers one +hundred thousand dollars. The cost of stamping, even in the British +mode, would be less than a quarter of a mill per sheet. And Yankee +ingenuity would soon devise some labor-saving plan, to reduce the +cost of stamping to ten cents per thousand, or one-tenth of a mill per +sheet. +</p> + +<p> +This plan would secure the department against losses. It would +greatly increase the business of the post-office, and its income from +newspapers. It would lessen the number of dead newspapers with +which our offices are now lumbered. It would aid in inducing and +helping the publishers of newspapers to get into the cash system of +publication; and thus assist in training the whole community to the +habit of prompt payment. All newspapers, weekly or daily, that have +or expect any thing like a wide circulation by mail, would soon find it +for their interest to fall in with this plan. A weekly paper would pay +26 cents for each yearly subscriber. In what way could he do so +much with the same money to extend and consolidate his subscription +list? A daily paper would cost $1.55 a year for postage. Most daily +papers would find their advantage in paying this, to have their papers +go free, even though they might economize or retrench in something +else. It would greatly facilitate the circulation of intelligence, the +diffusion of knowledge, the settlement and harmonizing of public +opinion, and all in a manner to produce no burden in any quarter +which would be felt. +</p> + +<p> +It is demonstrable that the post-office, under its present regulations, +receives but a small part of the papers which are printed. The +Postmaster-general, in his last report, estimates the whole number of +newspapers mailed yearly at 55,000,000, and of pamphlets 2,000,000, +total 57,000,000, yielding to the department only the sum of $653,160. +I have never seen any calculation of the cost of circulating newspapers, +to determine whether the business is profitable to the department +or not. If it pays to circulate newspapers at a cent apiece, surely two +cents apiece is enough to pay on letters, which do not weigh on the +average a quarter as much as newspapers. If it does not pay the cost +<pb n='045'/><anchor id='Pg045'/> +to carry newspapers in the mail, then the loss on newspapers ought to +be a tax upon the treasury, and not a tax upon correspondence. +</p> + +<p> +The following table of newspapers and periodicals issued annually +from the Boston press, is given in Shattuck's <q>Census of Boston,</q> +published by the city in the year 1846. +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{2.4cm} p{1.8cm} p{2.4cm} p{1.7cm}'; + tblcolumns: 'lw(25) r r r'"> +<row><cell>Class of Publications.</cell><cell>Number.</cell> + <cell>Square inches.</cell><cell>Value.</cell></row> +<row><cell>Daily subscription</cell><cell>5,075,320</cell> + <cell>4,786,029,240</cell><cell>$106,076</cell></row> +<row><cell>Daily penny</cell><cell>11,408,000</cell> + <cell>7,018,617,000</cell><cell>110,400</cell></row> +<row><cell>Semi-weekly</cell><cell>1,460,448</cell> + <cell>1,442,010,336</cell><cell>58,748</cell></row> +<row><cell>Weekly</cell><cell>11,610,040</cell> + <cell>8,738,546,856</cell><cell>334,895</cell></row> +<row><cell>Semi-monthly</cell><cell>458,400</cell> + <cell>216,314,000</cell><cell>31,700</cell></row> +<row><cell>Monthly</cell><cell>2,583,600</cell> + <cell>1,522,477,200</cell><cell>127,100</cell></row> +<row><cell>Two months and quarterly</cell><cell>37,200</cell> + <cell>143,076,800</cell><cell>24,500</cell></row> +<row><cell>Annual</cell><cell>255,500</cell> + <cell>265,045,300</cell><cell>31,565</cell></row> +<row><cell></cell><cell>————</cell> + <cell>————</cell> + <cell>————</cell></row> +<row><cell>Total</cell><cell>32,890,508</cell> + <cell>24,132,117,132</cell><cell>$825,074</cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +Here are 32,890,508 publications issued annually, averaging 109,098 +daily, and containing 3847 acres of printed sheets, or about twelve +acres per day. The newspapers alone, daily, semi-weekly and weekly, +are 29,555,808, producing $610,119 per annum. Add the semi-monthly +issues, which are mostly newspapers, and you have thirty +millions of newspapers issued in Boston alone, being nearly fifty-five +per cent. of the whole number mailed throughout the union. +</p> + +<p> +A newspaper of the common size, say 38 by 24 inches, or 912 +square inches, will weigh from 1-¼ to 1-⅓ oz. with the wrapper, in the +damp state in which it is usually mailed. The New York Journal of +Commerce, 28 by 46 inches, that is, 1288 square inches, weighs a little +short of 2 oz. as mailed. A lot of 100 papers received in exchange +by a publisher, weighed 1.2 oz., that is less than an ounce and a quarter. +The average weight of all the newspapers published in the +country is believed to be one ounce and a half; which would give +1066 newspapers to every 100 lbs. weight. +</p> + +<p> +The number of newspapers sent by mail was estimated in 1837, by +Postmaster Kendall, as follows: +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{4cm} p{3cm}'; + tblcolumns: 'lw(30) r'"> +<row><cell>Newspapers paying postage</cell><cell>25,000,000</cell></row> +<row><cell>Free and dead papers</cell><cell>4,000,000</cell></row> +<row><cell>————</cell> + <cell>————</cell></row> +<row><cell>Total</cell><cell>29,000,000</cell></row> +</table> + +<pb n='046'/><anchor id='Pg046'/> + +<p> +The report in 1847, by Postmaster Johnson, estimates the paying +newspapers at fifty-five millions, dead papers two millions, and the +pamphlets two millions, being fifty-nine millions in all; paying postage +to the amount of $643,160, being an increase over the preceding +year, of $81,018. The increase of newspapers in seven years, from +1837 to 1844, by these estimates, was eighty-nine per cent., or at the +rate of about eight and one half per cent. a year. The increase from +1844 to 1847 was about twenty-four per cent. in three years, or eight +per cent. a year. This may be considered the natural rate of increase +of newspapers, without any increase of facilities. It may be reasonably +calculated that the increased facilities offered by this plan will +make the increase of numbers much more rapid. +</p> + +<p> +And this increase of numbers will by no means be attended with a +corresponding increase of expense to the department. In 1837, when +the number of papers was twenty-nine millions, there were 11,767 +post-offices, and mails were carried 36,228,962 miles. In 1844, the +post-offices were 15,146, an increase of twenty-nine per cent., and the +mail transportation was 38,887,899 miles, an increase of seven per +cent., while the increase of newspapers was eighty-nine per cent.; and +yet the expenditure was $3,380,847 in 1837, and $3,979,570 in 1847; +an increase of less than eighteen per cent. Deducting the necessary +additional expense of adding twenty-nine per cent. to the number of +post-offices, and seven per cent. to the distance of transportation, and +it will be fair to conclude that doubling the number of newspapers +would not add above ten per cent. to the cost of transportation. Make +any reasonable allowance, even fifty per cent. for the labor in the post-offices, +and you have still a net profit of forty per cent. on all the +newspaper postage that shall be added. And this in addition to the +benefits of the diffusion of knowledge, increasing the mutual acquaintance +of the people of this wide republic, and thus increasing the stability +of our government, the permanence of our union, the happiness +of the people, and the perfection of our free institutions. +</p> + +<p> +VIII. <hi rend='italic'>Pamphlet and Magazine Postage</hi>. +</p> + +<p> +The postage on pamphlets was regulated on the principles of cheap +postage, with a special discrimination in favor of those pamphlets +which were published periodically. This latter distinction was construed +so liberally, that it was allowed to include among periodicals +all pamphlets published annually, such as almanacs, college catalogues, +reports of societies, and the like. The law of 1845 abolishes the distinction +between periodical and occasional pamphlets, but makes a +difference in favor of large pamphlets, by charging two and a half +cents on all pamphlets weighing less than one ounce, and one cent for +each additional ounce. +</p> + +<p> +I have a letter from the proprietor of a quarterly review, stating the +effect which this change in the mode of rating pamphlet postage had +upon its own circulation. Before the act of 1845, the post-office +charged 14 cents per number, or 56 cents a year. Now +it is 10 cents per number, or 36 cents a year. The consequence is, +<pb n='047'/><anchor id='Pg047'/> +that where he formerly sent 100 copies by mail, yielding $56 postage, +he now sends 500 copies, paying $180, increasing the income of the +department $124. As there has been a material reduction in the +expenditure of the department, notwithstanding a great extension of +the mail routes, it is plain that the expense to the department is not at +all enhanced by this additional service. As the labor of management +is much diminished in the case of such large pamphlets, it is possible +that future experience may show the practicability of a still greater +reduction in the case of such periodicals—perhaps allowing publishers' +to <hi rend='italic'>prepay</hi> at four cents for each half-pound. +</p> + +<p> +In Great Britain, there has hitherto been no separate rate of postage +for pamphlets, but they have been charged at the rate of letter postage, +1<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi> per half-ounce. This is about double the present rate of +pamphlet postage in the United States. The delivery of parcels by stage-coaches, +railroads, and common carriers, is much more thoroughly +systematized in that old country, with its dense population and limited +extent, than it can be with us, on our vast territory, so new and so +unfinished. Consequently, there is less necessity there for sending +pamphlets by mail, and the thing is rarely done except in the case of +small pamphlets, of an ounce or two weight, or in cases where despatch +in transmission is important. Within the present year, however, a +new rule has been introduced into the British post-office, by which +<q>any book or pamphlet, exceeding one sheet, and not exceeding two +feet in its longest dimensions, may be transmitted by post between any +two places in the United Kingdom, at the uniform rate of sixpence, +prepaid in stamps affixed, for each pound weight and fraction of a +pound. Except in the extreme length of two feet, and that, of course, +no envelope shall contain more than one copy, there is no restriction +whatsoever. Families residing in the remote parts of Scotland, Wales, +and Ireland, where perhaps there is no good bookseller within forty or +fifty miles, may henceforward procure for themselves, direct from London, +Edinburgh, or Dublin, within four or five days at furthest, any +work they may happen to require, from the largest sized Bible or +Atlas, to the most trifling pamphlet or school-book. A delay of twenty-four +hours in the despatch, after posting, is rendered indispensable +by the possibility there is of an overplus of such bulky packages on +particular occasions.</q> +</p> + +<p> +A rate of 6<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi> per pound, is at the rate of .75, or ¾ of a cent +per ounce, being prepaid in all cases. The rate I have proposed for large +periodicals, prepaid, is one-fourth of a cent below this, or less by one-third +of the English rate. It is doubtful whether a lower rate would +be consistent with a due regard to the necessary speed of the mails, +until railroad conveyance shall be more generally extended than it +now is. +</p> + +<p> +There is one class of pamphlets of extensive circulation, which come +within a liberal construction of a newspaper. But the Postmaster-General, +always vigilant to take care of the pecuniary interests of the +department, has ruled out most of them, to the inconvenience of the +publishers, and the lessening of the income of the post-office. At the +time when there was an attempt to compel the sending of all publications +through the mail, a statement was made in regard to one of +<pb n='048'/><anchor id='Pg048'/> +these periodicals, the Missionary Herald, that the postage on 2500 +copies which are regularly sent to New York, would be $1050 a +year; while they are carried by Express for one dollar a month. At this +rate the difference on all the routes would be more than $3000 a year. +The rule was soon altered, and these periodicals were allowed to be +carried through private channels. I think, considering the great numbers +of these publications, and the many important interests connected +with them, there ought to be a rule allowing all periodical pamphlets, +published as often as once a month, and weighing not over three +ounces, to be mailed, if prepaid by the publisher, for one cent each. +This will include, I believe, that highly valuable publication, Littell's +Living Age, and I hope give it a circulation as wide as it deserves. +Almost all the religious denominations in the country have one or more +magazines, cherished by them with much interest, which will obtain +greatly increased circulation and influence in this way. I need not +speak of the desire which every patriot must feel, to secure for our +federal government, by whomsoever administered, the respect and affection +of the religious portion of the people. +</p> + +<p> +I do not know that any complaint is made against this rate of postage, +as regards pamphlets in general. But the fraction of a cent is an +absurdity, on account of the great additional labor it occasions in +keeping accounts and making returns, and settling balances. Few +persons can realize the labor and perplexity occasioned to clerks in the +General Post-Office, by having a column of fractions in every man's +quarterly return which they examine. The simplification of business +would probably save to the department all they would lose by striking +out this paltry fraction, so that the general pamphlet postage will stand +at two cents for the first ounce, and one cent for each additional +ounce. At this rate, the president's annual message, with the accompanying +documents, weighing as sent out about four pounds, would be +65 cents, and the 10,000 copies circulated by congress would bring +the department, if the postage was paid as it ought to be, the pretty +sum of $6500, for only one of the hundreds of documents now sent from +Washington by mail, as a tax upon the letter correspondence of the +country. The postage on the report of the patent-office, in 1845, +mentioned on page 36, would have yielded $27,500 if the postage had +been paid. This is to be added to the $114,000 which it cost to +print the document. +</p> + +<p> +IX. <hi rend='italic'>Ocean Penny Postage.</hi> +</p> + +<p> +For the word and the idea here set down, the world is indebted to +Elihu Burritt, the <q><hi rend='smallcaps'>Learned Blacksmith</hi>,</q> and +will be indebted to him +for the inexpressible benefits of the thing itself, whenever so great a +boon shall be obtained. Having visited our mother country, on an +errand of peace, he soon saw the value of the blessing of cheap postage, +as it is enjoyed there; and by contrast, through the object of his mission +he say how great is the influence of dear postage, in keeping cousins +estranged from each other, and in perpetuating their blind +hatred, and thus hindering the advent of the days of +<pb n='049'/><anchor id='Pg049'/> +<q>Universal Brotherhood.</q> By putting all these things together, he +wrought out the plan of <q>Ocean Penny Postage,</q> by which all ship +letters are to pay 1<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi> sterling, instead of paying, as they now +do in England, 8<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi> when sent by a sailing vessel, +and 1<hi rend='italic'>s.</hi> when sent by a +steam packet. +</p> + +<p> +He proposes that each letter shall pay its postage penny in advance +for the service it may receive inland, and a like sum, also in advance, +for its transmission by sea, until it shall arrive at its port of destination. +To this should be added, as fast as penny postage shall be propagated +in other countries, an international arrangement for prepaying the +inland postage of the country to which the letter is sent. Nothing can +be more simple in theory than such an arrangement, nothing easier +or more unerringly just in execution. It would make the postage +stamps of the cheap postage nations an international currency, better +than gold and silver, because convertible into that which gold and +silver cannot buy, the interchange of thought and affection among +friends. +</p> + +<p> +In pressing his project first on the British nation, both because he +happened to be then commorant in England, and because that government +and not ours had already adopted cheap postage as the rule +for its home correspondence, he is not chargeable with any lack of a +becoming respect for his own country. I confess, however, that I feel +strongly, what he has not expressed, the desire that my own country +should have both the honor and the advantage of being the first to +carry out this glorious idea. +</p> + +<p> +Mr. Burritt states the number of letters to and from places beyond +sea in 1846, through six of the principal seaports of England, at +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{4cm} p{2cm}'; + tblcolumns: 'lw(30) r'"> +<row><cell></cell><cell>8,640,458</cell></row> +<row><cell>Number of newspapers</cell><cell>2,698,376</cell></row> +<row><cell>Gross revenue from letters and papers,</cell><cell>£301,640</cell></row> +<row><cell>Letters sent to and from the United States,</cell><cell>744,108</cell></row> +<row><cell>Newspapers</cell><cell>317,468</cell></row> +<row><cell>Postage on letters and papers,</cell><cell>£46,548</cell></row> +<row><cell>Whole expense of packet service,</cell><cell>£761,900</cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +In addition, he has been so fortunate as to enlist the cöoperation of +a distinguished member of parliament, of whom he says: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>At my solicitation he readily moved for a return of all the letters, newspapers, +magazines, pamphlets, &c., transmitted from the United States in 1846, and which +have been refused on account of the rates of postage, and are consequently lying +dead in the English post-office; also for a return of the amount of postage charged +upon this dead mail matter. I am pretty confident that this return will startle the +people and government with some remarkable disclosures with regard to the amount +of mail matter conveyed across the ocean, for which John Bull does not get a +farthing, because he asks too much for the job.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +By the arrangement of the British Post-office, the postage on letters +by the mail steamers to the United States is now 1<hi rend='italic'>s.</hi> per half +ounce; and on newspapers 2<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi> each paper. On all letters and +papers sent from Great Britain the postage must be prepaid. If not prepaid, they are +not sent; but in the case of letters, it is the practice of the post-office +to notify persons in this country to whom letters are addressed, that +cannot be forwarded for the want of prepayment, that they can have +<pb n='050'/><anchor id='Pg050'/> +their letters on procuring the prepayment of the required shilling. I +have more than once received a printed notice of this kind, designating +the number by which my letter could be called for. No additional +charge is made for this piece of attention. This fact is significant of +the spirit of the cheap postage system. No provision is made by +which postage can be prepaid in this country, and consequently, the +whole expense of correspondence falls upon the parties in England. +</p> + +<p> +Mr. Burritt enumerates some of the inconveniences of the present +system, in addition to the positive evil of a burdensome tax upon the +letter correspondence between the two countries—a tax which +amounts to a suppression of intercourse by letter, to a sad extent. +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +1. The present shilling rate of postage, being exacted on the English side, too, +in all cases, and thus throwing the whole cost of correspondence upon the English +or European correspondents, greatly diminishes the number of letters which would +otherwise be transmitted to and from America, through the English mail. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +2. In consequence of the present high rate of postage on letters, newspapers, +pamphlets, magazines, &c., a large amount of mail matter conveyed across the +ocean, lies <emph>dead</emph> in the English post-office—a +dead loss to the department—the persons +to whom it is addressed, refusing to take it out on account of the postal charges +upon it. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +3. Under the present shilling rate, it is both legal and common for passengers to +carry a large number of <emph>unsealed</emph> letters, +which are allowed as letters of introduction, +and which, at the end of the voyage, are sealed and mailed in England or America, +to persons who thus evade the ocean postage entirely. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +4. In consequence of the present shilling rate, it is common, as it is legal, for +persons to enclose several communications, addressed to different parties, under one +envelope, which, on reaching America or England, are remailed to the persons +addressed, thus saving to them the whole charge of Ocean Postage. Paper is manufactured +purposely to <emph>save postage</emph>, and, for this quality, is called <q>Foreign +Post.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +He also tells the people of England very plainly what will be the +effect if <emph>they</emph> first adopt the Ocean Penny Postage. <emph>Some</emph> of +the same considerations ought to have weight with American citizens and American +philanthropists, and especially with American statesmen, in producing +the conviction, that it is better for the United States to lose no +time in adopting this system. +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +1. It would put it into the power of every person in America or England to write +to his or her relatives, friends, or other correspondents, across the Atlantic, as often +as business or friendship would dictate, or leisure permit. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +2. It would probably secure to England the whole carrying-trade of the Mail +matter, not only between America and Great Britain, but also between the New +World and the Old, forever. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +3. It would break up entirely all clandestine or private conveyance of Mail matter +across the ocean, and virtually empty into the English mail bags all the mailable +communications, even to invoices, bills of lading, &c.; which, under the old system, +have been carried in the pockets of passengers, the packs of emigrants, and in +the bales of merchants. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +4. It would prevent any letters, newspapers, magazines, or pamphlets, from lying +dead in the English post-office, on account of the rates of postage charged upon them, +and thus relieve the department of the heavy loss which it must sustain, from that +cause, under the present system. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +5. It would enable American correspondents to prepay the postage on their own +letters, not only across the ocean, but also from Liverpool or Southampton to any +post town or village in the United Kingdom; to prepay it also, to <emph>England</emph>, +by putting two English penny stamps upon every letter weighing under half an ounce. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +6. It would bring into the English mail all letters from America directed to +France, Germany, and the rest of the continent, and <hi rend='italic'>vice versa</hi>. +</quote> + +<pb n='051'/><anchor id='Pg051'/> + +<quote rend="display"> +7. It would not only open the cheapest possible medium of correspondence +between the Old World and the New, but also one for the transmission of specimens +of cotton, woollen, and other manufactures; of seeds, plants, flowers, grasses, +woods; of specimens illustrating even geology, entomology, and other departments +of useful science; thus creating a new branch of commerce as well as correspondence, +which might bring into the English mail bags tons of matter, paying at the +rate of 2<hi rend='italic'>s.</hi> 8<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi> per lb. for carriage. +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +8. It would make English penny postage stamps a kind of international currency, +at par on both sides of the Atlantic, and which might be procured without the loss +of a farthing by way of exchange, and be transmitted from one country to the other, +at less cost for conveyance than the charge upon money orders in England from one +post-office to another, for equal sums. +</quote> + +<p> +One of the strongest recommendations of this measure, and a +weighty reason also in favor of the immediate adoption of the whole +system of cheap postage, is found in the present derangement of postal +intercourse between Great Britain and the United States. These two +great nations, the Anglo-Saxon Brotherhood, are at this moment <q>trying +to see which can do the other most harm,</q> by a course of mutual retaliation, +which may be known in future history as the <hi rend='italic'>war of posts</hi>. +It is the opinion of some philosophers, that in wars in general, the party +most to blame is the one which gives the heaviest blows; but in this +case there arises a new problem, whether each particular blow does the +most damage to the party which receives or to the one that gives it. +The principal points in the contest I suppose to be these. The American +government charges Great Britain five cents postage on all letters +in the British packet mails, borne across our country at the expense of +Great Britain, to and from the province of Canada. Great Britain in +return, charges the United States the full rate of ship postage on all +letters in the American packet mails, which touch at a British port on +their way to and from the continent of Europe. Then the Postmaster-General +of the United States suspends the agreement by which a mutual +postage account is kept between his department and the post-office +in Canada. And now a bill is before Congress, having actually +passed the House of Representatives in one day, by which our own citizens +are to pay 24 cents postage on every letter, and 4 cents on +every newspaper, brought by the British mail steamers, as a tax to our +own post-office, although the same postage has already been prepaid +by the sender in England. The tax thus imposed on our own people, +in the prosecution of this postal war, will amount to $178,586 a year, +no small burden upon a subject of taxation so sensitive as postage, and +no trifling obstruction to the intercourse between the two countries, +and between the emigrants who find a refuge on our shores and the +friends they have left behind. Such a stoppage is peculiarly to be +regretted at this juncture, when the number of emigrants is so rapidly +increasing, and all the interests of humanity seem to require the utmost +freedom and facility of intercourse between the United States and the +European world. +</p> + +<p> +The proposed bill is intended as a retaliatory measure, and perhaps +nothing can be devised more severe in the way of retaliation. It is +worthy of inquiry, however, whether there may not be found <q>a more +excellent way,</q> by means of cheap postage on the ocean as well as on +the land. It does not appear but that Great Britain can stand the +<pb n='052'/><anchor id='Pg052'/> +impost of double postage as easily and as long as we can. But let our +government open its mails to carry letters by steam packet between +Europe and America for TWO CENTS, and I do not see how Great +Britain can stand that. She must succumb. A man who thought he +had been injured and was meditating plans of revenge, happened to +open his Bible and read the counsel of the wisest of human rulers,—<q>If +thine enemy hunger, feed him, and if he thirst, give him drink, for +in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.</q> The man +mused a few minutes, and then rose and clapped his hands, and said, +<q>I'll burn him.</q> Without touching the merits of the controversy as +to which did the first wrong, I must say that the course of the British government, +in exacting 1<hi rend='italic'>s.</hi> per letter on the mails of the American +steamers bound to Germany, for barely touching at the port of Southampton, +is the most <emph>gouging</emph> affair of any governmental proceeding +within my knowledge. It seems to me that our own government +would do itself honor by adopting almost any expedient, rather than +imitate so bad an example, in this age of the world, as to lay a tax +amounting to a prohibition, upon the interchange of knowledge and the +flow of the social affections among mankind. It is submitted that the +establishment of Ocean Penny Postage by our mail steamers, with an +offer of perfect reciprocity to all other countries adopting the same +policy, will be quite consistent with our national honor. With the +interest which this subject has already acquired in the British nation, +and the apparent disposition of that government to yield to the well-expressed +wishes of the people, there can be no doubt that this would +lead to an immediate adjustment of the pending controversy. +</p> + +<p> +The only remaining question respecting Ocean Penny Postage is the +statesmanlike and proper one, <emph>How is the expense to be paid?</emph> In the +first place, the government would not be required to pay any more +money for the transportation of its mails than they pay now. This +great boon can be given to the people without a dollar's additional +cost. Our own experience under the postage act of 1845, proves this. +While the number of letters is doubled, the whole expense of the post-office +is diminished—especially that part which might most naturally +be expected to increase, that is, the transportation of the mails. The +freight of a barrel of flour, weighing 200 pounds, is about fifty cents. +Of course, the equitable price of ten thousand letters added to any +given mail, which would not weigh so much as a barrel of flour, would +make no assignable difference in the cost upon a single letter. As +both sailing ships and steam packets are becoming multiplied, individual +competition may now be relied on to keep the price of transportation +of mails from ever rising above its present standard. The +increase of the number of letters makes but very little addition to the +aggregate expense of the post-office. In the first year of the penny +postage in England, there were ninety-three millions of letters added +to the mails, and only £70,231 to the whole expenditure of the department, +including the cost of introducing the new system, with all its apparatus. +This amounts to 0.181<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi>; less than two-tenths of a penny +each for the added letters. In 1844, there were 21,000,000 letters +added to the circulation, and not a farthing added to the cost. These +letters yielded about £90,000 in postage, every penny of which went +<pb n='053'/><anchor id='Pg053'/> +as net gain into the treasury. I have no means of stating how much +of the £450,000 added to the yearly expenditure of the British Post-office, +is chargeable to the great increase of facilities and accommodations, +both of the public and of the department; but have understood +that by far the greater part of it arises from this, and not properly +from the mere increase of letters. It may be safely assumed that, for +any number of letters now added to the mails in Great Britain, the +additional expense will not exceed half a farthing each letter, and the +rest will be clear profit to the post-office. As the plan of Ocean +Penny Postage includes also the inland postage prepaid in each +country, it follows that each country would realize from three-quarters +to seven-eighths of a penny advantage on every letter added to the +present ocean mails. +</p> + +<p> +In addition to all this, there is just as much reason to expect Ocean +Postage to increase, as to expect land postage to increase. And as it +is proved that, on land, the reduction of price will increase the consumption, +so as to produce an equal income, there can be no doubt +that, in a little while, if the sea postage is reduced to the cheap standard, +the letters and papers sent will increase sufficiently to yield an equal +income. And if so, the consequent increase of inland postage and the +profits on the same will be clear gain. +</p> + +<p> +Add to the immense number of Europe-born people now living in +the United States, the children of such, who will retain for two or +three generations, their relationship to kindred remaining in the Old +World: Add to the half million of European emigrants, who by ordinary +calculation would be expected every year, the numbers whom +passing events will drive to seek an asylum from European revolutions +under the peaceful and permanent government of the American Union: +Add to the increase of transatlantic intercourse arising from the +increase of commerce, the growth also of advancing civilization and +intelligence: Add to the interest which emigration of neighbors and +the growth of the country gives to European residents in a correspondence +with America, the eager desire which the new times now +begun must create to become more familiarly conversant with the new +world, whose path of freedom and equality the old countries are all +striving to follow: How long will any man say it would take, with a +rate of postage across the Atlantic not exceeding two cents per half +ounce, before there would be ten millions of letters yearly, instead of +three-quarters of a million, the number now carried by the British +packet mails? And these would yield more postage than can now be +collected at a shilling a letter, besides the profit they would yield on +the inland postage. With our own experience under the act, of 1844, +and the experience of Great Britain under the act of 1839, it would +be unphilosophical to set a longer time than five years as the period +that would be required to bring up the product of Ocean Postage to +its present amount. And the healthy spring which such a reform +would give to commerce, and to every source of national prosperity, +and its consequent indirect aid to the public revenues, would justify +any government, on mere pecuniary considerations alone, in assuming +a heavy expenditure, not only for five years, but permanently, to secure +so great an object. I address to my own country, as the nation +<pb n='054'/><anchor id='Pg054'/> +whom it more appropriately belongs to take so great a step towards +universal brotherhood, the fervid appeal which my friend Burritt has +made to England: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">The irresistible genius and propagation of the English race are fast +<hi rend='italic'>Anglicizing</hi> +the world, and thus centering it around the heart of civilization and commerce. +Under the sceptre of England alone, there live, it is said, one hundred and forty +million of human beings, embracing all races of men, dwelling between every two +degrees of latitude and longitude around the globe. And there is the Anglo-American +hemisphere of the English race, doubling its population every twenty-five years, +and propelling its propagation through the Western World. And there is the +English language, colonized, not only by Christian missions, but by commerce, in +every port, on every shore, accessible to an English keel. The heathen of China +or Eastern Inde, whilst buying sandal wood for incense to their deities from English +or American merchantmen, or trafficing for poisonous drugs; the sable savages that +come out of the depth of Africa, to barter on the seaboard their glittering sand, +their ivory, ostrich feathers or apes, for articles of English manufacture; the Red +Indians of North and South America, as they come from their hunting grounds in +the deep wilderness, to sell their spoils to English or American fur companies; the +swarthy inhabitants of the ocean islands, as they run to the beach to greet the American +whale ship or the English East Indiaman, bringing yams and curious ware to +sell to the pale-faced foreigners; all these carry back to their kind and kindred rude +lessons in the English language—the meaning of home and household words of the +strong, old Saxon tongue, each of which links its possessor to the magnetic chain of +English civilization.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">What then, should England do, to bring all nations of men within the +range of the vital functions of that heart-relation which she sustains to the world?</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>Answer—let her establish an <hi rend='italic'>Ocean Penny Postage</hi>.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +X. <hi rend='italic'>The Free Delivery of Letters and Papers in Large +Towns</hi>. +</p> + +<p> +The simple adoption of Uniform Cheap Postage would hardly fail +of securing, in the end, all other desirable postal reforms. An act of +congress, in five lines, enacting that <q>hereafter the postage on all letters +prepaid, not exceeding half an ounce in weight, shall be two +cents; and for each additional half ounce, two cents; and if not prepaid +the postage shall be doubled,</q> would at no distant period, bring +in all the other desired improvements. The adoption of cheap postage +in Great Britain, greatly improved the system of local delivery of letters +and newspapers in the large towns. Formerly, an additional charge of +1<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi> was made for the delivery of letters by carriers, in the case +of letters that had been mailed; and for <q>drop letters,</q> or letters delivered +in the same town where they are posted, the price was 2<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi> Now +all drop letters are charged at the uniform rate of 1<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi> the same +as mail letters; and the mail letters are delivered by carriers without +additional charge—the penny postage paying all. The Postmaster-General +prescribes what places shall have the free delivery, and how +far it shall extend around each post-office. +</p> + +<p> +Beyond those limits, and in places where the free delivery is not +judged practicable, the local postmasters are at liberty, on their own +discretion, to employ penny-post carriers to deliver letters at the houses +of the people, charging 1<hi rend='italic'>d.</hi> each for delivery, which is a private +perquisite—the department taking neither profit nor responsibility +in the case. Persons who do not choose to pay the penny-post can +refuse to receive letters in that way, and obtain them by calling at the +post-office. +</p> + +<pb n='055'/><anchor id='Pg055'/> + +<p> +To facilitate this local free-delivery, there are <q>receiving houses</q> +established at convenient distances in the town, where letters are +deposited for the mails, without a fee, and thence are taken to the +post-office in season for the daily mails, or for distribution through the +local delivery. These receiving houses are generally established in a +drug or stationery store, grocery, or some retail shop, where the nature +of the business requires some one to be always in attendance, and +where the increase of custom likely to arise from the resort of people +with letters is a sufficient consideration for the slight trouble of keeping +the office. The letters are taken to the post-office at stated hours, +by persons employed for that purpose; those which are to be mailed +are separated, and those which are for local delivery sorted and delivered +to the carriers to go out by the next delivery. I have not a +list of the number or size of the cities and towns within which the free +delivery is enjoyed. Its necessary effect in increasing the number of +letters sent by mail, and benefiting the country and the government +by the aid it furnishes to trade and general prosperity, would seem to +be a guaranty that the department would be likely to extend the free +delivery as far as it could possibly answer, within the reasonable +ability of the government, to meet the reasonable wants of the people. +</p> + +<p> +The London District Post was originally a penny post, and was +created by private enterprise. One William Dockwra, in the reign of +Charles II., set up a private post for the delivery of letters in the city of London, +for which the charge was 1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>., payable invariably in advance. +It was soon taken possession of by the government, and the +same rate of postage retained until 1801, when, for the sake of +revenue, the postage was doubled, and so remained until the establishment +of the general penny postage. Its limits were gradually extended +to include the city of Westminster and the borough of Southwark, +then all places within a circle of three miles, and finally to twelve +miles from the General Post-Office. +</p> + +<p> +Within the three miles circle there are 220 receiving houses, of +which 180 are within the town portions of the district. At these +offices, letters are despatched to the post-office, ten times daily, viz. +at 8, 10, and 12, in the morning, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8, in the afternoon. +Letters are required to be left at the receiving house a quarter +of an hour previous to the hour. The letters so left may be expected +to be delivered within the three miles circle in about two hours from +the hour at which they are sent to the post-office; that is, the 8 o'clock +letters are delivered by 10, and so on. +</p> + +<p> +There are now ten deliveries daily, within a circle of three miles +from the post-office; five deliveries in a circle of six miles, and three +deliveries to the circle of twelve miles distance. In the three miles +circle, the delivery is completed in one hour and a quarter from the +time the carrier leaves the office; in the six miles circle, in two hours, +and in the twelve miles circle, in three hours. +</p> + +<pb n='056'/><anchor id='Pg056'/> + +<p> +In 1839, the estimated average of letters passing through the London +district post was about one million every four weeks, of which +800,000 or four-fifths were unpaid. In 1842, the average was two +millions in four weeks, of which only 100,000, or one-twentieth, were +unpaid—ninety-five per cent. being prepaid. In 1847, the number +was nearly three millions. These do not include the <q>General Post;</q> +that is the country and foreign letters to London, but only those that +originate as well as end within the twelve miles circle. +</p> + +<p> +The General Post letters, however, are distributed on the same +principle of free delivery, without extra charge, and the utmost +diligence is used by the letter-carriers to find out the persons to whom +letters are directed. I was witness to this, in the case of a gentleman +from Ohio, who went to England in a merchant ship, without having +taken the precaution to give his family any instructions as to the +direction of letters. His voyage was somewhat long, and before he +had been three days in London, the carrier brought to his lodgings a +letter from his wife, which had come in the mail steamer, and the +people at the post-office had sought him out, an entire stranger among +two millions of people! The General Post letters passing through the +London office, were estimated in 1839 at 1,622,147, each four weeks, +of which only one-sixth were prepaid. In 1847, they were 8,500,000, +of which above ninety-four per cent. were prepaid. This makes the +whole number of letters mailed and delivered in London, equal to +above 146,000,000 a year; of which it is reasonable to calculate that +about 75,000,000 are distributed by the letter-carriers by Free +Delivery. +</p> + +<p> +As nineteen-twentieths of the letters are prepaid, the delivery is +accomplished with great despatch. The greater proportion of them, +of course, go to those who are in the habit of receiving numbers of +letters daily, and with whom the carriers are well acquainted. A +large proportion are delivered at counting-rooms and shops, which are +open. Most houses where letters are received daily, have letter-boxes +by the door, fitted with an ingenious contrivance to guard against robbery, +into which prepaid letters can be dropped from the street, to be +taken out by a door that is locked on the inside. Thus the great +bulk of the letters are delivered with little more trouble or loss of time +to the carrier, than it takes to serve the daily newspaper. The cases +are also much more numerous than with newspapers, where many +letters are deliverable at one place, which of course lessens the amount +of labor chargeable to each one. +</p> + +<pb n='057'/><anchor id='Pg057'/> + +<p> +There are ninety-five bell-men, who call at every door in their several +districts once a day, and take letters to the post-office in time for +the evening mails. Each one carries a locked bag, with an aperture +large enough to drop in a letter, which can only be opened at the +post-office. Any person having letters to go by mail, may drop them +into this bag, pay the bell-man his fee of 1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>., and be quite sure +they will be despatched the same evening. +</p> + +<p> +All these carriers are required to assist, at stated times, in the +sorting of letters, both for the free delivery and for the mails. They +are paid by a stipulated salary, and have a permanent business, with +chances for advancement in business and wages, according to length +of service and merit. +</p> + +<p> +A letter was addressed through the newspapers to the Postmaster-General +of the United States, by Barnabas Bates, Esq., of New York, +one of the most able and efficient advocates of postal reform, bearing +date February 7, 1847, urging the adoption of a similar system for the +city of New York, and other cities—the postage to be in all cases +prepaid. The advantages to be anticipated are thus set forth by Mr. +Bates: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">The adoption of this plan will ultimately be a source of revenue +to the post-office department.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">1. It will be the means of diminishing the number of dead letters and +newspapers, which is increasing every day to an incredible amount. The carriers will not +carry out letters or papers where there is any doubt of getting their pay, consequently +the number of advertised letters is daily increasing, and as for dead newspapers, +they are sold by cart loads. Half a cent is not a sufficient inducement to carry +out newspapers, especially if there be any doubt of getting the postage; hence the +many complaints of editors that their subscribers do not get their papers.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">2. It will reduce the list of advertised letters which has increased +within a few years more than three hundred per cent. The Sun and Tribune of last +Saturday, advertised 1700 letters, which cost sixty-eight dollars; if this be the +average weekly number, the post-office department or the people must pay for advertising, +the sum of three thousand five hundred and thirty-six dollars per annum! The list of +advertised letters of the Boston post-office, which is semi-monthly, averages from +fourteen to sixteen columns of the Boston Times. If efficient carriers were appointed to +deliver these letters to their address free of expense, this list would be reduced more +than one half; thus a saving would be made in advertising, besides the collection of +a large amount of postage. I would further remark, that requiring <emph>four +cents</emph> to be paid for advertising, in addition to the postage, frequently deters +poor people from taking out their letters, and thus the cost of advertising, as well as +the postage, are lost to the General Post-office. An efficient free delivery would save +the department thousands of dollars every year.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q rend="pre">3. A free delivery of letters would increase the revenue by causing the +greater portion of the drop letters to be sent through the post-office, instead of the +private offices now established in different parts of the city. The only reason why the +City Despatch Post failed was, that they charged more than the private penny post +offices. But if these letters were delivered free, charging only two cents as drop +letters, nearly all the city correspondence would be conveyed through this medium. The +increased income from this source alone would in a short time be amply sufficient to +pay the salaries of all the carriers.</q> +</quote> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>4. The post-office would not only command all the drop letters, but afford such +easy, safe, and cheap facilities for the conveyance of letters, that it would be the +means of increasing the city and country correspondence to an extent which can +hardly be estimated. Thousands and tens of thousands of letters which are now +sent by private hands, or through the private penny post, would then be deposited +in the United States sub post-offices, both for city delivery and to be forwarded by +the mails.</q> +</quote> + +<pb n='058'/><anchor id='Pg058'/> + +<p> +The extent to which such a system of Free Delivery could properly +be introduced in this country, can only be determined by experiment. +That is, to decide in how many and what towns there shall be a Free +Delivery, and how far from the post-office the Free Delivery shall be +carried, experience must be the guide. A city and its suburbs might +all be included in one arrangement, as New York with Brooklyn, +Williamsburg, and Jersey City; Boston with Charlestown, Cambridge, +Chelsea and Roxbury; and as population increases and intercourse +extends, other places might be included. +</p> + +<p> +Such a system would make a vast amount of business for itself, as +people learned the advantages of so easy a correspondence—especially +in those places which may admit of two or more deliveries a day. +It would also tend to facilitate and stimulate and increase the general +business of the place, and this would in turn increase the business of +the post-office. The establishment of Free Delivery in any city or +large town, would tend to increase the correspondence of the country +with such town. Every addition to the number of letters delivered, +would lessen the average cost of delivery of each letter, and thus +increase the net profits of the institution. In these ways the department +would feel its way along, in the extension of Free Delivery from +one class of towns to another, until, at no distant day, it would be +found that its benefits were far more widely diffusible than the most +sanguine could now anticipate. +</p> + +<p> +On the subject of the cost of delivery, the parliamentary committee +obtained many valuable items of information. Mr. Reid, of London, +said he got a thousand circulars delivered lately, for a foreigner. The +gentleman had intended to send them through the post-office, paying +the postage. Mr. Reid told him he would get them delivered a great +deal cheaper. He gave them to a very trusty person, who delivered +them all in the course of a week, at the expense of £1 +2<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>. 3<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. They +were certain he delivered them; for nearly every time they sent him +out, they took care to misdirect two or three, taking an account of the +false direction, and he invariably brought back these letters, because +he could not find the persons to whom they were directed. The postage +of these circulars, at 1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. would have been +£4 3<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>. 4<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. Here was +a saving of £3 1<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>. 1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. +in one job. The expense of delivery was 1-1/14 farthing +per letter. Of course, regular carriers, in their accustomed +routes, could deliver prepaid letters at a much cheaper rate than +this. +</p> + +<p> +During the parliamentary investigations on the subject of cheap +postage, a plan was suggested, of establishing what were called +secondary mails, to reach every village and hamlet in the country. +These secondary mails were to run from each post-town to the surrounding +places, and deliver letters for an additional charge of 1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. +But on consideration it was found impracticable to clog the general +system with this addition. Uniformity was everything, to the system. +And they could not establish any uniform rate which would answer +both for the post-towns and for the hamlets. The rate which would +pay for the towns, would not pay for mails to the hamlets. And the +rate which was necessary for the hamlets, was too high for the towns, +and <emph>the contraband conveyance would still continue</emph>. Consequently, +<pb n='059'/><anchor id='Pg059'/> +the post-office would have to distribute the letters to the smaller +places, where the distribution is attended with the greatest cost and +the smallest profits. In the end, the rule of uniformity was left unbroken, +and it was left to future experience or local arrangement to +meet the wants of the smaller places, not now reached by the mails. +The local postmasters are to make such arrangements as they deem +proper in their respective neighborhoods, as to the employment of +penny-post carriers to distribute the letters at the houses of the +people. +</p> + +<p> +To show the working of multiplication and division in the increase +of profits, and the very low rate at which a service similar to that of +free delivery can be performed, let us look at the newspapers. The +principal daily papers in Boston are served to subscribers by carriers, +at the expense of the publishers. Deducting Sundays and holidays, +there are 310 papers in a year. These are served at the cost +of 25 to 50 cents for each subscriber. Taking the highest cost, and +you pay 1.6 <hi rend='italic'>mills</hi> for each paper delivered—less than +one-sixth of a cent. +</p> + +<p> +The penny papers are served to subscribers by carriers, who have +regular beats or districts; and who furnish their patrons for six cents +per week. These carriers purchase the papers of the publisher, at +62 to 75 cents per 100; so that their profits on each paper are from +one-quarter to three-eighths of a cent. For this they deliver the paper +promptly every morning, and collect the money on Saturday, running, +of course, some risk of losses by bad debts, &c. And yet this business +is found to be so profitable that some routes in New York have +been sold, that is, the good will transferred, for at least $500, just for +the privilege of serving that district. +</p> + +<p> +The two-cent papers from New York are regularly served to customers +in Boston. A person engaged in this business used to buy the +New York Express, Tribune, and Herald, for 1¼ to 1½ cents each. +He paid the cost of bringing them by express from New York. +To guard against failures, he divided his bundles, and had a part sent +by way of Norwich, and a part by Stonington. He then served them +to subscribers all over Boston for 12 cents per week, making his collections +on Saturday. This man made money, so that in a few years +he sold out his route and business in the New York papers, and purchased +an interest in a flourishing penny paper in Boston, of which he +is now one of the publishers. +</p> + +<pb n='060'/><anchor id='Pg060'/> + +<p> +XI. <hi rend='italic'>The Expense of Cheap Postage, +and how it is to be paid.</hi> +</p> + +<p> +It is quite important to have it understood, in all parts of the country, +that the friends of postal reform have no desire to curtail the public +accommodations now enjoyed, in the slightest degree—unless in +cases of manifest abuse. Neither do they consider that too much +money is paid by our government to furnish the people with the privileges +of the mail. We desire rather to see the benefits and conveniences +of the post-office greatly increased, as well as brought more +within the reach of all the population. The bill for establishing cheap +postage should therefore contain a distinct declaration that the mail +facilities of the country shall not be curtailed, but shall be liberally +extended, with the spread and increase of population, so as to give, as +far as the ability of the government will admit, the best practicable +accommodations to every citizen of the republic. +</p> + +<p> +It ought also to be provided that the Postmaster-General shall have +it in his power, according to his discretion, whenever justice may +require, to continue the compensation of all postmasters equal to their +present rates, in proportion to the amount of services rendered, or +labor performed. It is not easy, at present, to decide how much +the labor of keeping the post-office will be lessened, by the adoption +of uniform rates, and prepayment. Certainly, the reduction +will be very considerable. And experience will hereafter suggest a +new scale of compensations adapted to the new methods of doing the +business. +</p> + +<p> +The falling off in the gross receipts of the British post-office, on +the first adoption of the new system, was upwards of a million sterling, +being nearly 43 per cent. on the whole amount. A corresponding +reduction from the income of our own post-office would amount to +$1,696,734. But the falling off would not be so great. The reduction +of postage in that case was from 7-½<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. +on an average, to 1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>., while in +ours it would barely prove an average of 6-½ cents to 2 cents. On the +other hand, it is reasonable to expect a very rapid increase of letters, +because the partial reduction in 1845 has already given the people a +taste of the advantages of reduced rates of postage. The whole number +of letters now sent by mail is 52,000,000. The number would, +without doubt, be doubled in one year, which would give a revenue of +above $2,000,000; $2,080,000 from letters. There would also be +a very considerable increase of income from papers and pamphlets, +and a great saving in the article of dead letters and newspapers. It +is safe to estimate the revenue of the post-office, under the new +system, at $3,000,000 for the first year, $3,500,000 for the second, +$4,000,000 for the third, and $4,500,000 for the fourth, which will +bring it up to what will then be the wants of the service, making the +most liberal allowance for improved facilities. +</p> + +<p> +As an illustration of the capability of retrenchment in expense, let it +be remembered that the present Postmaster-General has effected a +reduction of nearly <emph>a million dollars per annum in the cost of transportation +alone</emph>. He says in his Report: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>The direction to the Postmaster-General to contract with the lowest bidder, +without the allowance of any advantage to the former contractor, as had been the +<pb n='061'/><anchor id='Pg061'/> +case before its passage, had the effect of enlarging the field of competition, and +reducing the price of transportation, except on railroads and in steamboats, to the +lowest amount for which the service can be performed; and will reduce the cost of +transportation, when the other section is let to contract under it, but little less than +a million of dollars per annum from the former prices.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +In other words, our letter postage is no longer taxed as it used to be, +to give the people of other sections of the country, stage coaches which +they do not support, as well as mails which they do not pay for. There +will doubtless be still further reductions in this branch, in proportion +as the knowledge becomes diffused among the people, of the profits of +this business and the freeness of the competition for it. As Mr. Dana +suggested in his valuable Report in 1844: +</p> + +<quote rend="display"> +<q>The difference must arise from want of competition, and a reluctance to engage +in the business of transporting the mail. When the attention of the North shall be +called to the subject, and the difference in price pointed out, we cannot doubt that +contracts will be made nearly as cheap for transportation at the South as at the +North. If southern men will not engage in the business, let it be generally known +that such increased pay can be had, and an abundance of yankee enterprise will be +ready to engage in the business.</q> +</quote> + +<p> +<hi rend='smallcaps'>Railroad Transportation</hi>. One of the most difficult points in +the administration of the post-office, has been the dealing with railroad +corporations. As these are bodies without souls, they can only be +dealt with on the footing of pecuniary interest. And as they are state +institutions, and local favorites, public opinion has been generally predisposed +to take sides with the railroad, and against the department. +And thus the railroads have been able to exact exorbitant allowances +for services which cost them next to nothing. Were the whole mails +of the country to be sent at once by a single railroad, what would be +the amount? The average number of letters mailed in a day is +142,857; which, at the average weight of ⅓ ounce, would weigh 2976 +pounds. The average number of newspapers in a day is 150,685, +which, at the average weight of 2 ounces, would give 18,834 pounds. +The whole together make 21,815 pounds, equal to 109 passengers, +averaging, with their baggage, 200 pounds each. These passengers +would be carried by railroad 200 miles, from Boston to Albany for +$545. The daily cost of railroad service is $1637, which shows that +it is distance, not weight, that is chiefly regarded. Or, in other +words, that the weight of the mails is of very little account to railroads. +It is well known that the corporations regard the carriage of the mail +as almost clear profit. The whole daily mails of the United States +could be carried by the inland route from Boston to New Orleans, by +the established expresses, at their regular rates on parcels, for a little +over $3000; while the whole daily expense of mail transportation is +$6,594. The expresses will carry from Boston to New York, for +$1.50, an amount of parcels, which the post-office would charge $150 +for carrying as letters, or $18.40 as newspapers—and all go by the +same train, of course involving equal cost of transportation to the company. +The inference is unavoidable, that the government is charged +exorbitantly by these companies, from the entire absence of competition +on almost every railroad route. While human nature remains the +same, it is to be expected that corporations will take this advantage +<pb n='062'/><anchor id='Pg062'/> +unless some counteracting interest can be brought to bear upon them +as a restraint against extortion. +</p> + +<p> +Now, let the post-office present itself to the people as a system of +pure and unmingled beneficence, studying not how it can get a little +more money for a little less service, but how it can render the greatest +amount of accommodation with the least expense to the public treasury, +and it will at once become the object of the public gratitude and +warm affection; men will study how to facilitate all its transactions, +will be conscientiously careful not to impose any needless trouble upon +its servants, and will generally watch for its interests as their own. +Such is the benign effect upon all the considerate portions of society in +England. Then the government will be fully sustained in insisting +that all railroads shall carry the mail for a compensation which will be +just a fair equivalent for the service performed, in reasonable proportion +to other services. And if the corporations are perverse in throwing +obstacles in the way, the people will expect that such coercive +measures should be employed, as wisdom may prescribe, to make these +creatures of their power subservient to the public good, and not to +mere private aggrandisement. +</p> + +<p> +In January, 1845, a document was communicated to congress by +the Postmaster-General, containing replies by the British post-office to +certain queries which he had proposed to them. This document gives +the distance travelled daily by mail trains on railways at 1601 miles, +at a cost per mile of 1<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>. +1-18/32<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. per mile. But this <q>distance</q> is the +number of miles between place and place. The total number of +miles that the mail travels by railroad daily is 5808, which would +make the real cost per mile of travel about 5-¼<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. The number of +miles travelled by railroad in this country is 4,170,403, at the cost of +$597,475, which is about 12 cents per mile. But the English trains +are driven at much greater speed than ours, the expense of running is +much greater in all respects, the cost of the roads is vastly higher, the +weight of mails is much greater, and therefore the price of transportation +might be higher than with us. But it is lower. The average +weight of mails sent daily from London alone is 27,384 pounds, which +is 5569 pounds more than the whole daily mails of the United States. +By act of parliament, the Postmaster-General is authorized and empowered +<q>to require of every railway company that they shall convey +the mail at such times as he may deem proper; and the amount paid +for such services is settled by a subsequent arbitration.</q> Railroad +service is performed in New Hampshire for a fraction over 4 cents per +mile. The average in New England is 10-½ cents per mile. The average +price of passenger fares, for short distances or long, is but 3 cents per +mile. There can be no doubt that it is within the constitutional and +proper prerogative of congress to take the use of a railroad for the +public service, leaving the just compensation to be awarded by arbitration. +Neither can it be doubted that enlightened arbitration would +greatly reduce the price from what is now paid. +</p> + +<p> +<hi rend='smallcaps'>Comparative Cost of other Transportation with Letter +Postage.</hi> The following table shows the cost of passage from Boston +to the places named, and the cost of transportation of parcels of usual +weight by Express, with the price per half ounce at the same rates. +</p> + +<pb n='063'/><anchor id='Pg063'/> + +<p> +The average weight of passengers with their baggage is set at 230 +pounds. This would be equal to the weight of 7360 letters, at half +an ounce each, the postage on which, at two cents, would be $147.20, +irrespective of distance. +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{2cm} p{1.5cm} p{1.5cm} p{1.5cm} p{1.5cm}'; + tblcolumns: 'lw(20) r r r r'"> +<row><cell>From Boston</cell><cell>Passenger</cell><cell>Per half oz.</cell> + <cell>Express</cell><cell>Per half oz.</cell></row> +<row><cell></cell><cell>Fare.</cell><cell>Mills.</cell> + <cell>Freight.</cell><cell>Mills.</cell></row> +<row><cell></cell><cell></cell><cell></cell><cell>230 pounds.</cell><cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>To New York,</cell><cell>$4.00</cell><cell>5-10ths</cell> + <cell>$1.50</cell><cell>2-10ths</cell></row> +<row><cell>To Philadelphia,</cell><cell>7.00</cell><cell>9-10ths</cell> + <cell>3.50</cell><cell>5-10ths</cell></row> +<row><cell>To Baltimore,</cell><cell>10.00</cell><cell>1 3-10ths</cell> + <cell>5.50</cell><cell>7-10ths</cell></row> +<row><cell>To Cincinnati,</cell><cell>25.00</cell><cell>3 2-10ths</cell> + <cell>10.50</cell><cell>1 4-10ths</cell></row> +<row><cell>To St. Louis,</cell><cell>35.00</cell><cell>4 7-10ths</cell> + <cell>12.00</cell><cell>1 6-10ths</cell></row> +<row><cell>To New Orleans,</cell><cell>45.00</cell><cell>6 1-10th</cell> + <cell>14.00</cell><cell>1 9-10ths</cell></row> +<row><cell>To Liverpool,</cell><cell>120.00</cell><cell>16 3-10ths</cell> + <cell>7.20</cell><cell>9-10ths</cell></row> +<row><cell>per Cunard Steamers</cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +Rowland Hill discovered that the cost of transporting a letter from +London to Edinburgh was 1-36th of a penny; and the Parliamentary +Committee ascertained by a different calculation, that this was the +average cost per letter of all the mails in England. +</p> + +<p> +<hi rend='smallcaps'>Penny Papers</hi>. The establishment of penny papers in this country +is a very striking illustration of the principles here involved. It is +now just fifteen years since the New York Sun was commenced by a +couple of journeymen printers, one of whom had just been in my +employ. They were intelligent and enterprising, and began by writing +their editorials and police reports, which they then set up in type, and +worked from an old Ramage press, with their own hands. They +printed seven hundred papers, of a very small size, which they sold to +boys at 62-½ cents per hundred, and the boys sold them in the streets +at one cent each. Soon their editions increased, and they enlarged +their sheet, and hired it printed on a Napier press which I owned. +Again their business increased, so much that it became necessary for +them to have a press of their own, driven by steam power. One of +the partners then sold out his interest for $10,000, went to the West, +studied law, and has been twice a candidate for Congress, with strong +prospects of success. The concern has since passed into other hands, +and has continued to prosper. For many years it has been printed on +a sheet larger than could be bought for a cent, making a constant loss +on the paper alone; besides which, it has cost $25 a week to the +editor for the leading articles alone; and I know not how much for +other editorial labor, market and commercial reports, ship news, foreign +news, lightning expresses, correspondence, &c. And yet the amount +received for advertising has covered all these expenditures, and enabled +the present proprietor to realize, as is supposed, a splendid fortune. +</p> + +<p> +A man in Boston buys 200 copies of the New York Tribune and +other papers daily, for which he pays 1-¼ cents each. The Express +brings him the parcel for 50 cents, which is one quarter of a cent for +each paper. The post-office would charge $3.00 for postage alone. +For the half cent remaining to him after expenses paid, the carrier delivers +his papers to subscribers all over the city, collects his pay once +a month, and runs all the risk of loss of bundles and bad debts. Each +paper weighs about an ounce and a half—equal to three single letters +of full weight, the postage on which would be fifteen cents, making +$30 in all. It is impossible to doubt the practicability of cheap postage. +</p> + +<pb n='064'/><anchor id='Pg064'/> + +<p> +In Scotland, with but 2,628,957 inhabitants, and no great commercial +centre, no political metropolis, and but little foreign commerce, +such is the effect of cheap postage that 28,669,169 letters are sent in +a year. Even in <emph>poor</emph> Ireland, where the people die of hunger by +thousands, where there are millions of people who never taste of bread, +and where the majority of the people are said to be unable to read or +write, with a population of 8,175,124, less than half the population of +the United States—there are 28,587,996 letters mailed under the +influence of penny postage. The population of Scotland and Ireland +together is 10,804,081, not half the present population of the United +States; the number of letters in a year is 57,257,165, being more than +<emph>all</emph> that are sent in the United States, franks included. +</p> + +<p> +<hi rend='smallcaps'>Concluding Remarks</hi>. I am brought to the close of this essay, +with only a brief space left to be filled, and with many subjects of +remark untouched—the Exclusive Right of the Post-office—the +History of Postage in this country—the Sectional Bearings of Cheap +Postage—the Postage Bill now before Congress—the Moral and Social +Benefits of Cheap Postage. This pamphlet has been wholly +written since the vote of the Publishing Committee, which must be my +apology for some repetitions. The main arguments cannot be overthrown, +until men disprove arithmetic. +</p> + +<p> +Who can doubt that cheap postage would bring three times as +many letters as are now sent by mail in this country. And that would +give a greater revenue to the post-office than it now receives. It is +impossible to doubt the success of cheap postage, when once it is +established. +</p> + +<p> +Now is the favorable time for its adoption. The astonishing success +of cheap postage in Great Britain is opening people's eyes. The +rapid progress which public opinion has made in the last six months in +favor of cheap postage, creates a confident expectation that congress will +yield to the first resolute motion that shall be made, and adopt a well-considered +system, of which two cents letter-postage shall be the +basis, with a general provision for prepayment. The details will be +easily adjusted when the principle is adopted. Let us have no evasions, +no half-way measures, to delude with false hopes, and to stand +as obstacles in the way of the only true system. +</p> + +<p> +Why should I enlarge upon the benefits of cheap postage? The +only question to be asked is—What shall every man do to obtain it? +The answer is, You must understand its merits; you must talk with +your neighbors, and get them interested in its favor; you must write, +if you can, for the papers; you must unite, without delay, in signing +and forwarding the following petition to congress: +</p> + +<p> +<hi rend='italic'>To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, in +Congress assembled</hi>: +</p> + +<p> +The undersigned, Citizens of: +</p> + +<p> +respectfully petition Congress to pass a Law to establish <hi rend='smallcaps'>a uniform +rate of Postage</hi>, not to exceed <hi rend='smallcaps'>one cent on +Newspapers</hi>, and <hi rend='smallcaps'>TWO +CENTS</hi> on each <hi rend='smallcaps'>pre-paid Letter</hi> +of half an ounce, for all distances; +and for other corresponding reforms. +</p> + +</div> + +<pb n='065'/><anchor id='Pg065'/> + +<div rend="page-break-before: always"> +<index index="toc"/> +<index index="pdf"/> +<head>APPENDIX.</head> + +<p> +I. TABLES FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY RETURNS. +</p> + +<p> +The parliamentary return, obligingly sent to Dr. Webb by Mr. Hume, +M. P., bears date the 11th of June, 1847, and was made in pursuance of an +order of the House, passed April 22, 1847. The tabular statements contained +in this important paper will be examined with great interest by those +who are accustomed to statistical inquiries, and are here presented for their +use. Taken in connection with Mr. Hume's table, on page 4, they will +present the most convincing evidence of the unparalleled success of cheap +postage. +</p> + +<p> +A comparative statement of the <hi rend='smallcaps'>Number of Letters</hi> delivered in +the United Kingdom, in one week of the month of November, 1839, and of each +subsequent year, taking a week in the month of April, 1847. (Condensed from +the parliamentary document.) +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{1cm} p{1.5cm} p{1.5cm} p{1.5cm} p{1.5cm}'; + tblcolumns: 'l r r r r'"> +<row><cell>Years.</cell><cell>England and Wales.</cell><cell>Ireland.</cell> + <cell>Scotland.</cell><cell>United Kingdom.</cell></row> +<row><cell>1839<note place='foot'>The number of franks was ascertained for each of +the weeks ending January 11, January 21, and February 4, 1838; and the mean of these +three gives 126,212 as the estimated number for one week, which is 8 per cent. of +the whole, and leaves 1,459,761 as the number of chargeable letters.</note></cell> + <cell>1,252,977</cell><cell>179,931</cell><cell>153,065</cell> + <cell>1,585,973</cell></row> +<row><cell>1840</cell><cell>2,685,181</cell><cell>385,672</cell><cell>385,262</cell> + <cell>3,456,115</cell></row> +<row><cell>1841</cell><cell>3,029,453</cell><cell>403,421</cell><cell>413,248</cell> + <cell>3,846,122</cell></row> +<row><cell>1842</cell><cell>3,282,021</cell><cell>474,031</cell><cell>446,494</cell> + <cell>4,202,546</cell></row> +<row><cell>1843</cell><cell>3,401,595</cell><cell>478,941</cell><cell>468,677</cell> + <cell>4,349,213</cell></row> +<row><cell>1844</cell><cell>3,744,011</cell><cell>527,630</cell><cell>511,663</cell> + <cell>4,783,304</cell></row> +<row><cell>1845</cell><cell>4,467,619</cell><cell>597,425</cell><cell>601,715</cell> + <cell>5,666,759</cell></row> +<row><cell>1846</cell><cell>4,629,324</cell><cell>649,324</cell><cell>621,850</cell> + <cell>5,890,704</cell></row> +<row><cell>1847<note place='foot'>Week ending April 21, 1847. The whole number in the +week ending February was 6,569,696. The number 6,148,876, for one week, multiplied by 52, +gives 319,741,552, the total number for the year 1847.</note></cell> + <cell>4,823,854</cell><cell>698,313</cell><cell>626,709</cell> + <cell>6,148,876</cell></row> +</table> + +<pb n='066'/><anchor id='Pg066'/> + +<p> +II. An account, showing the <hi rend='smallcaps'>Gross</hi> and +<hi rend='smallcaps'>Net Post Office Revenue</hi>, and the <hi rend='smallcaps'>Cost +of Management</hi>, for the United Kingdom, for the year ending the +5th day of January, 1839, and for each subsequent year. +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{2cm} p{2cm} p{2cm} p{2cm}'"> +<row><cell>Year ending</cell><cell>Gross Revenue.<note place='foot'>Namely, the +gross receipts, after deducting the returns for refused letters, &c.</note></cell> + <cell>Cost of Management.<note place='foot'>Including all payments out of the +revenue in its progress to the Exchequer, except advances to the Money Order Office; +of these sums £10,307 10<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>. per annum is for pensions, and forms +no part of the disbursements on account of the service of the Post Office.</note></cell> + <cell>Net Revenue.</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1839</cell> + <cell>£2,346,278 —<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>. 9½<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>.</cell> + <cell>£686,768 3<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>. 6¾<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>.</cell> + <cell>£1,659,509 17<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>. 2¾<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>.</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1840<note place='foot'>This year includes one month of the +Fourpenny Rate.</note></cell> + <cell>2,390,763 10 1½</cell><cell>756,999 7 4</cell> + <cell>1,633,764 2 9½</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1841</cell><cell>1,359,466 9 2</cell><cell>858,677 —5¼</cell> + <cell>500,789 11 4¼</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1842</cell><cell>1,499,418 10 11¾</cell><cell>938,168 19 7½</cell> + <cell>561,249 11 4¼</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1843</cell><cell>1,578,145 16 7½</cell><cell>977,504 10 3</cell> + <cell>600,641 64½</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1844</cell><cell>1,620,867 11 10</cell><cell>980,650 7 5¾</cell> + <cell>640,217 4 4¼</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1845</cell><cell>1,705,067 16 4</cell><cell>985,110 13 10¾</cell> + <cell>719,957 2 5¼</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1846</cell><cell>1,901,580 10 2¾</cell> + <cell>1,125,594 5 —</cell><cell>775,986 5 2¾</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1847</cell><cell>1,978,293 11 10¼</cell><cell>1,138,745 2 4¼</cell> + <cell>839,548 9 6</cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +III. Return of the <hi rend='smallcaps'>Payments</hi> made by the +<hi rend='smallcaps'>Post Office</hi> during each of the +years ending the 5th of January, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1845, 1846, +1847, for the <hi rend='smallcaps'>Conveyance</hi> of the +<hi rend='italic'>Mails</hi> by <hi rend='italic'>Railway</hi> in Great Britain. +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{4cm} p{2cm}'"> +<row><cell>5th January, 1839,</cell><cell>£12,380 5<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>. +7<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>.</cell></row> +<row><cell>5th January, 1840,</cell><cell>52,230 1 2</cell></row> +<row><cell>5th January, 1841,</cell><cell>51,301 6 8</cell></row> +<row><cell>5th January, 1842,</cell><cell>94,818 7 10</cell></row> +<row><cell>5th January, 1843,</cell><cell>77,570 5 7</cell></row> +<row><cell>5th January, 1844,</cell><cell>96,360 10 5</cell></row> +<row><cell>5th January, 1845,</cell><cell>89,809 4 6</cell></row> +<row><cell>5th January, 1846,</cell><cell>179,257 4 1</cell></row> +<row><cell>5th January, 1847,</cell><cell>107,890 14 2</cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +IV. An account of the Number and Amount of <hi rend='smallcaps'>Money Orders</hi> +issued (and paid) in England and Wales (London included), from the 5th April, 1839, to +5th April, 1847, inclusive. +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{3.8cm} p{1.8cm} p{2.4cm}'; + tblcolumns: 'lw(30) r l'"> +<row><cell>For the Quarters ended</cell><cell>Number.</cell><cell>Amount.</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 April, 1839</cell><cell>28,838</cell> + <cell>£49,496 5<hi rend='italic'>s</hi>. 8<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>.</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 July, 1839</cell><cell>34,612</cell><cell>59,099 9 5</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 October, 1839</cell><cell>38,510</cell><cell>64,056 7 8</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1840</cell><cell>40,763</cell><cell>67,411 2 7</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 April, 1840</cell><cell>76,145</cell><cell>119,932 12 1</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 July, 1840</cell><cell>94,215</cell><cell>151,734 15 8</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 October, 1840</cell><cell>122,420</cell><cell>196,507 14 3</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1841</cell><cell>189,984</cell><cell>334,652 14 8</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 April, 1841</cell><cell>275,870</cell><cell>567,518 12 3</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 July, 1841</cell><cell>289,884</cell><cell>608,774 11 2</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 October, 1841</cell><cell>334,071</cell><cell>661,099 9 —</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1842</cell><cell>390,290</cell><cell>820,576 11 10</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 April, 1842</cell><cell>419,530</cell><cell>890,575 17 1</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 July, 1842</cell><cell>422,452</cell><cell>885,803 4 5</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 October, 1842</cell><cell>432,205</cell><cell>901,549 5 5</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1843</cell><cell>493,439</cell><cell>1,031,850 5 3</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 April, 1843</cell><cell>512,798</cell><cell>1,080,249 2 2</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 July, 1843</cell><cell>495,723</cell><cell>1,032,643 5 11</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 October, 1843</cell><cell>515,458</cell><cell>1,060,023 8 7</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1844</cell><cell>562,030</cell><cell>1,196,428 8 2</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 April, 1844</cell><cell>582,056</cell><cell>1,212,094 4 9</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 July, 1844</cell><cell>555,561</cell><cell>1,166,161 12 3</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 October, 1844</cell><cell>574,250</cell> + <cell>1,184,178 — 5</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1845</cell><cell>621,826</cell><cell>1,296,451 17 4</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 April, 1845</cell><cell>656,452</cell><cell>1,372,405 18 8</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 July, 1845</cell><cell>613,539</cell><cell>1,279,050 2 4</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 October, 1845</cell><cell>637,369</cell><cell>1,316,164 12 1</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1846</cell><cell>719,813</cell><cell>1,495,832 17 6</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 April, 1846</cell><cell>716,618</cell><cell>1,490,626 12 5</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 July, 1846</cell><cell>679,236</cell><cell>1,399,789 17 2</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 October, 1846</cell><cell>706,055</cell><cell>1,447,507 17 2</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 January, 1847</cell><cell>779,790</cell><cell>1,588,549 7 2</cell></row> +<row><cell>5 April, 1847</cell><cell>810,603</cell><cell>1,654,278 7 —</cell></row> +</table> + +<pb n='067'/><anchor id='Pg067'/> + +<p> +The Commission on Money Orders was, on and from the 20th November, 1840, +reduced as follows: +</p> + +<p> +For any sum not exceeding £2, from 6<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. to +3<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>.<lb/> +For any sum above £2, and not exceeding £5, from 1s. +6<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. to <hi rend='italic'>6</hi>d. +</p> + +<p> +V. Return of the Number of <hi rend='smallcaps'>Chargeable Letters</hi>, +which is passed through the London General Post, inwards and outwards, in the +first four weeks of each year, beginning with 1839, distinguishing the Unpaid, +Paid with Coin, Stamped, and Total.<note place='foot'>By multiplying any of +these numbers by 13, you get the number for 62 weeks, which is, for +all practical purposes, the number for a year; as 20,087,971 in 1839, +to 109,362,997 in 1847</note> +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{1.4cm} p{1.8cm} p{1.8cm} p{1.8cm} p{1.8cm}'; + tblcolumns: 'l r r r r'"> +<row><cell>Years.</cell><cell>Unpaid.</cell><cell>Paid.</cell> + <cell>Stamped.</cell><cell>Total.</cell></row> +<row><cell>1839<note place='foot'>Estimated from an enumeration for four +several weeks in that year.</note></cell> + <cell>1,358,651</cell><cell>263,496</cell><cell></cell><cell>1,622,147</cell></row> +<row><cell>1840<note place='foot'>The Penny Rate commenced Jan. 10, 1840; Stamps, +May 6, 1840.</note></cell><cell>787,139</cell><cell>2,217,127</cell><cell></cell> + <cell>3,004,266</cell></row> +<row><cell>1841</cell><cell>370,080</cell><cell>2,204,419</cell> + <cell>2,108,074</cell><cell>4,683,073</cell></row> +<row><cell>1842</cell><cell>351,134</cell><cell>2,166,960</cell> + <cell>2,760,757</cell><cell>5,278,851</cell></row> +<row><cell>1843</cell><cell>312,839</cell><cell>2,431,231</cell> + <cell>2,972,828</cell><cell>5,716,898</cell></row> +<row><cell>1844</cell><cell>433,270</cell><cell>2,524,270</cell> + <cell>3,079,418</cell><cell>6,037,526</cell></row> +<row><cell>1845</cell><cell>504,519</cell><cell>2,613,648</cell> + <cell>3,681,026</cell><cell>6,800,293</cell></row> +<row><cell>1846</cell><cell>551,461</cell><cell>2,899,306</cell> + <cell>4,435,966</cell><cell>7,886,733</cell></row> +<row><cell>1847<note place='foot'>The increase of the total, since 1839, +is 418 per cent.; of paid in coin, since 1840, 39 per +cent.; of unpaid, since 1841, 21 per cent.; of stamps, since 1841, +183 per cent.</note></cell><cell>448,838</cell><cell>3,057,257</cell> + <cell>4,905,674</cell><cell>8,411,769</cell></row> +</table> + +<pb n='068'/><anchor id='Pg068'/> + +<p> +VI. Return of the Number of <hi rend='smallcaps'>Chargeable Letters</hi> which passed +through the London District Post, excluding all General Post Letters, in the first four +weeks of each year, beginning with 1839. +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{1.4cm} p{1.8cm} p{1.8cm} p{1.8cm} p{1.8cm}'; + tblcolumns: 'l r r r r'"> +<row><cell>Years.</cell><cell>Unpaid.</cell><cell>Paid.</cell> + <cell>Stamped.</cell><cell>Total.</cell></row> +<row><cell>1839</cell><cell>800,573</cell><cell>220,813</cell> + <cell></cell><cell>1,021,286</cell></row> +<row><cell>1840</cell><cell>331,589</cell><cell>1,207,985</cell> + <cell></cell><cell>1,539,574</cell></row> +<row><cell>1841</cell><cell>157,242</cell><cell>926,264</cell> + <cell>752,134</cell><cell>1,835,640</cell></row> +<row><cell>1842</cell><cell>118,101</cell><cell>820,835</cell> + <cell>980,694</cell><cell>1,919,630</cell></row> +<row><cell>1843</cell><cell>113,293</cell><cell>837,624</cell> + <cell>1,020,091</cell><cell>1,971,008</cell></row> +<row><cell>1844</cell><cell>98,712</cell><cell>859,776</cell> + <cell>1,181,314</cell><cell>2,139,802</cell></row> +<row><cell>1845</cell><cell>99,005</cell><cell>947,660</cell> + <cell>1,337,132</cell><cell>2,383,697</cell></row> +<row><cell>1846</cell><cell>119,165</cell><cell>1,055,717</cell> + <cell>1,573,603</cell><cell>2,748,485</cell></row> +<row><cell>1847</cell><cell>108,158</cell><cell>1,079,378</cell> + <cell>1,685,105</cell><cell>2,872,641</cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +The Penny Rate took effect on this route Dec. 5, 1839. +</p> + +<p> +The increase of the total, since 1839, is 181 per cent.; showing that the greatest +increase is out of the London District. +</p> + +<p> +VII. Table by Mr. Hill, showing the loss of Revenue by the Post Office, compared +with the Increase of Population. +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{1.4cm} p{1.8cm} p{1.8cm} p{1.8cm} p{1.8cm} p{1.8cm}'; + tblcolumns: 'l r r r r r'"> +<row><cell>Years.</cell><cell>Population.</cell><cell>Postage.</cell> + <cell>Postage due by</cell><cell>Loss.</cell><cell>Pr. ct.</cell></row> +<row><cell></cell><cell></cell><cell></cell><cell>Population.</cell> + <cell></cell><cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>1815</cell><cell>19,552,000</cell><cell>£1,557,291</cell> + <cell>£1,557,291</cell><cell></cell><cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>1820</cell><cell>20,928,000</cell><cell>1,479,547</cell> + <cell>1,677,000</cell><cell>£194,553</cell><cell>11.6</cell></row> +<row><cell>1825</cell><cell>22,362,000</cell><cell>1,670,209</cell> + <cell>1,789,000</cell><cell>118,781</cell><cell>6.6</cell></row> +<row><cell>1830</cell><cell>23,961,000</cell><cell>1,517,952</cell> + <cell>1,917,000</cell><cell>399,048</cell><cell>20.</cell></row> +<row><cell>1835</cell><cell>25,605,000</cell><cell>1,540,300</cell> + <cell>2,048,000</cell><cell>507,700</cell><cell>24.8</cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +VII. Table by Mr. Hill, showing the loss of Revenue by the Post Office, compared +with the Increase of the Stage-Coach Duty. +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{1.4cm} p{1.8cm} p{1.8cm} p{1.8cm} p{1.8cm} p{1.8cm}'; + tblcolumns: 'l r r r r r'"> +<row><cell>Years.</cell><cell>Stage Coach</cell><cell>Postage.</cell> + <cell>Post due by</cell><cell>Loss.</cell><cell>Pr. ct.</cell></row> +<row><cell></cell><cell>Duty</cell><cell></cell><cell>Coach Duty.</cell> + <cell></cell><cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>1815</cell><cell>£217,671</cell><cell>£1,557,291</cell> + <cell>£1,557,291</cell><cell></cell><cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>1820</cell><cell>273,477</cell><cell>1,479,547</cell> + <cell>1,946,000</cell><cell>£466,453</cell><cell>24.</cell></row> +<row><cell>1825</cell><cell>362,631</cell><cell>1,670,209</cell> + <cell>2,585,000</cell><cell>914,781</cell><cell>35.</cell></row> +<row><cell>1830</cell><cell>418,598</cell><cell>1,517,952</cell> + <cell>2,990,000</cell><cell>1,472,048</cell><cell>49.</cell></row> +<row><cell>1835</cell><cell>498,497</cell><cell>1,540,300</cell> + <cell>3,550,000</cell><cell>2,009,700</cell><cell>57.</cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +The revenue from the stage coach duty had increased 128 per cent. in twenty +years. There was no reason why the natural demand for the conveyance of letters +should not have increased at least as much as the demand for the conveyance of persons. +It was evident that the postage revenue fell short by at least two millions +which was lost by the high rate of postage. +</p> + +<pb n='069'/><anchor id='Pg069'/> + +<p> +NEWSPAPERS. +</p> + +<p> +[From Porter's Progress of the British Nation.] +</p> + +<p> +Owing to the great craving of the people for information upon political subjects +during the agitation that accompanied the introduction and passing of the bill <q>to +amend the representation of the people,</q> commonly known as <q>The Reform Bill,</q> +a great temptation was offered for the illegal publication of newspapers upon unstamped +paper, many of which were sold in large numbers in defiance of all the preventive +efforts made by the officers of government. The stamp duty of fourpence +per sheet was therefore taken off in 1836, leaving a stamp of +1<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>., as an equivalent +for free postage. +</p> + +<p> +IX. Table showing the Number of Newspapers at different periods, and the +Revenue derived from the same. +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{2cm} p{2cm} p{2cm}'; + tblcolumns: 'l r r'"> +<row><cell>Years.</cell><cell>Newspapers.</cell><cell>Revenue.</cell></row> +<row><cell>1801</cell><cell>16,085,085</cell><cell>£185,806</cell></row> +<row><cell>1811</cell><cell>24,421,713</cell><cell>298,547</cell></row> +<row><cell>1821</cell><cell>24,862,186</cell><cell>335,753</cell></row> +<row><cell>1826</cell><cell>27,004,802</cell><cell>451,676</cell></row> +<row><cell>1830</cell><cell>30,158,741</cell><cell>505,439</cell></row> +<row><cell>1831</cell><cell>35,198,160</cell><cell>483,153</cell></row> +<row><cell>1835</cell><cell>33,191,820</cell><cell>453,130</cell></row> +<row><cell>1836</cell><cell>35,576,056</cell><cell>359,826</cell></row> +<row><cell>1837</cell><cell>53,496,207</cell><cell>218,042</cell></row> +<row><cell>1838</cell><cell>53,347,231</cell><cell>221,164</cell></row> +<row><cell>1839</cell><cell>55,891,003</cell><cell>238,394</cell></row> +<row><cell>1840</cell><cell>60,922,151</cell><cell>244,416</cell></row> +<row><cell>1841</cell><cell>59,936,897</cell><cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>1842</cell><cell>61,495,503</cell><cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>1843</cell><cell></cell><cell></cell></row> +<row><cell>1844</cell><cell></cell><cell></cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +X. Table showing the Increase of Expense in the British Post Office, consequent +upon the Increase of the Number of Letters under the new System; the Rate +per Letter of the Cost of additional Letters, and the Profits realized from such +Increase, expressed in decimals of a penny. +</p> + +<table rend="latexcolumns: 'p{2cm} p{2cm} p{2cm} p{2cm} p{2cm}'; + tblcolumns: 'l r r r r'"> +<row><cell>Years.</cell><cell>Increase of Letters.</cell><cell>Increase of Cost.</cell> + <cell>Additional Cost.</cell> + <cell>Additional Profit.</cell></row> +<row><cell>1840</cell><cell>93,000,000</cell><cell>£70,231</cell> + <cell><hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. 0.181</cell> + <cell><hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. 0.819</cell></row> +<row><cell>1841</cell><cell>27,500,000</cell><cell>101,678</cell> + <cell>0.887</cell><cell>0.113</cell></row> +<row><cell>1842</cell><cell>12,000,000</cell><cell>72,256</cell> + <cell>1.445</cell><cell><note place='foot'>Cost diminished by £364, +equal to <hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. 0.004 per letter.</note></cell></row> +<row><cell>1843</cell><cell>12,000,000</cell><cell>35,826</cell> + <cell>0.716</cell><cell>0.284</cell></row> +<row><cell>1844</cell><cell>21,500,000</cell><cell><note place='foot'>Cost increased +equal to <hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. 0.445 per letter.</note></cell> + <cell>—</cell><cell>1.004</cell></row> +<row><cell>1845</cell><cell>29,500,000</cell><cell>6,870</cell> + <cell>0.055</cell><cell>0.945</cell></row> +<row><cell>1846</cell><cell>28,000,000</cell><cell>140,576</cell> + <cell>1.205</cell><cell><note place='foot'>Cost increased equal to +<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>. 0.205 per letter.</note></cell></row> +<row><cell>1847</cell><cell>2,2500,000</cell><cell>23,879</cell> + <cell>0.257</cell><cell>0.746</cell></row> +</table> + +<p> +N. B. The increase of letters since 1839 is 246 millions, and cost of the increase is +.347 of a penny; so that every letter now added to the circulation yields a net profit +to the government of .625<hi rend='italic'>d</hi>., or nearly two thirds of the penny +postage. +</p> + +</div> + +</body> + +<back rend="page-break-before: right"> + <div id="footnotes"> + <index index="toc" /> + <index index="pdf" /> + <head>Footnotes</head> + <divGen type="footnotes"/> + </div> + <div rend="page-break-before: right"> + <divGen type="pgfooter" /> + </div> +</back> +</text> +</TEI.2> |