Post Office Reform

Laet week we stnfrd as lirïHïyas pofsiblc, tho different plans for the arrangrwnt of Letter Postale that had been proposod; and we expressed our preference for a uniform rato of TVVÜ CENTS, to be pre-paid on all letters weighing less thun half ouounce. for all distances. We preferred this plan, because ii would supersede all opposition by private mails -because it would open the Post Office facilities to a greaier nimiber of persons- because it would highly.prornote intelligence and good moráis- because. by rating the letters by weight,all kinds of seeds, samples of goode, and otlier arlicles could be forwarded at a littlo expense - becauee oxperience had shown a eimüar plan to work wél) in England,nnd because the rate of Two Centwhen once adopted, would place the Post Offi -e system on a permanent basis. We were slow in coming to the support of a poeition so entirely radical in its nature: but our reflections have more fully convinced u's that the Two Cents postóge is just the thing thnt is needed. We now proceed to the coniicleration of the POSTAGK ON NEWÍPAPERS. The fir3t thoupht thai strikes the mind is, that Letters and Newspapers ehtmld pay each lheir own expenses, as much as thouijh they were carried by different mails. We have no exact data by which lo measure the ielative cost of transporting letters and papers: bui the genera! impression is, that at the pres ent ralee, letters pay mre than their just proportion of the whole expenses. The receipts for postage on Lettere, in 1343, were f8,712,769 The receipts for postag-e on Newspapere, &c. ín 1345, were 536, 538Total receipts, $4,249,807 Thus it will be seen that the postage on Newapapers amounts to only about one seventh of the'whole, whilethe papers consiitute at least nine-tenths of the en'ire bulk tnd weight of the mails. The ratcs of transportbig each article should be proportioneel to the cosl of its transportation. It is not just Jo tax the letter-writer for the benefit of the newspapcr subscriber, nor to assese the cost of transporting letters on the circulation of newspapers. The law now provides tbat every newspaper carried out of the State sba!I pay one and a half cents: if delivered within the State, one cent. The iaquality of this rule, in reference to dislahce, is obvious. The New Vork city paperp, after being carried to the borders of the Lakes, a dista nee of five or six hundred miles, are taxed but one cent; while those which are carried but five or six miles, if into another State, f pay one and a half cents. As the State unes make no difference in the cost of iransporüng dr dülivering a newspaper,we are unable to sec any gond reason for making them a standard for graduating the rate of postale. Another inequality, which is obvious to every one, is found in the faet that the sizk of newspapers is aot taken into account in fixing the rates of poflage. A little sheet not much larger than your two hands, pays the same tax aa one about the size of a blanket, the weighc and bulk of which are ten or twelve times asgreat. The propositjons for the improvement of thïs braneh of the Post Office business have been vnrious. The Committee of the House of Represenlatives Ia6t winter reporíed a bilí charging for every paper carried not over 50 miles, half a cent: not exceeding 150 miles, or in the earoe State, one cent rover 150 miles, one and a haff cents. For larger papers, one quarter of a cent for each additronal 250 superficial square inches. Pubüsiiers might send by the Government earriere, ent of the mail, by paying half the preeeding rates to the Post master General. Pamphlets of T6 pages, under 100 miles, one cent: over 100, two cents. The minority of the eame Committee reported a bil) by which all newspapers containing less than 1,000 square incbes, should be Bent to subscribers in the county where they are pubnshed, f ree: if not sent out of the State, or over 100 miles,, half a cent: not over S00 miles, one cent r over SöO miles, one and a half cents tprovided thal the postagebe prepaid; otherwiee, half a cent more to becharg ed. If over i,000 square inche?, one quarter of a cent for each additional 250 inches. - PamphJet postage to be two cente, and prepaid in all cases. Printed circulare, hand bilis, 8cc. to be taxed two cents for all dis tances less than 300 miles r thïee cents for al greater distances.The New York Tribune has proposcd ibat all newspnpers sent from a ptiblishing office 6hall bo rated by the povnd, as weight is the principal item of expense.. The publisher is to pre pay thepostage on lus popers befbre maiüng, and he must charge enough more for the pricO of his paper to reimburse himeelf frurrr the subecrifoers. All papers are niailed from the printing offices icel; and it is argued that if tbe postage were rated by weiglit, publishers woul'd dry their papers, ond thus reduce their weight of the mails about one thirdv This proposal appears feaeible and equitable to up; and 6ave much Ibbor in the cojlection of postage bilis, froni indi viduals, aud much loss to the Government for it is well known.thot in many of the coun Iry offices but little and sometimes nolhin ia realized for the newspapers that pa as ihro the office. The conclusión to which wc arrive, is tha each newspaper and painphlet should poy th cost of its transporlation nnd delivnry, discrimina ting occording to the distance, and the size or weight of the sheets.. Some of the miiJor details of thé law respecting nev6papers may doubtless be oorrecled by national legialnltiori) nnd the proper discrimina - tion made in the cost oK transporting large ano Etnall papers. Bevond this, there seenis lo be but Jittiö-occasicn for the interfcrence ofgresd, imiess il be deemed just ond equitnble that newspapers should be inade to eontribote a larger share tovvarda ihe transport ation of the w liólo mails. We wou Id noí, however, wish theGovernme.H to prohibit the transportaron of newspapers by individuals out of Ü13 mail. We vvouid let every one consult hie own convenienccy tosend by tnnil, or otherwise. If individimis monopolized the whole business of rarrying the errt re umoiint of newspopers pubislied, ihc M&ib wouíd be propofiionately ghlened, and Jttfo of no losa fiistained. In all nrdintirv oases, the Gorernment can parry jopers and letters clieaper thnn individuáis, and t thev do not do it, (he peopie should bc eft free to select nny other mode vf conveyance that they niighi derm elipible.