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5. Gross Amount of Letter Postage, and Newspapers and Pamphlets, for the two Quarters preceding the 1st of January, 1847, compared with the two Quarters preceding 1st of January, 1848.

[Furnished from the Post-Office Department, August 10, 1848.]

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Total,

3d Quarter, 1846, $752,718.64 $144,656.09 3d Quarter, 1847, $786,638.45183,426.06 784,792.14 144,261.28 4th

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794,258.08

185,295.45

$1,537,510.78 $288,917.37

Total,

$1,580,896.53 $368,721.51

6. Business of the Post-Office and Compensation of Postmasters.

From the best estimates, the number of letters and papers passing through the United States mail during the last year may be thus stated, to wit:

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in the mails, 2 cents additional to regular postage,

850,980

Dropped letters,

865,308

Printed circular letters,

1,025,304

Free letters, franked, and those sent to the army, not less than
Dead letters returned to the department, about

5,000,000

1,800,000

Total,.

58,973,480

The newspapers passing through the mails annually are estimated at 55,000,000; the pamphlets and magazines at 2,000,000. The number of transient newspapers, paying three cents each, cannot be ascertained with any accuracy, as the postage is usually returned with that on letters. The newspapers, circulars, and other printed sheets sent to offices and not taken out nor returned to the department will not, probably, fall short of 1,800,000.

In consequence of the increased labor in the offices, and the diminished compensation and privileges of postmasters, under the act of 3d March, 1845, nearly one third of the offices in the United States were voluntarily vacated after the passage of the act. The extra commissions allowed by the order of 9th July, 1845, arrested these resignations. Since the passage of the law of March 1st, 1847, which allowed postmasters higher rates of commission, and restored the franking privilege to those in the smaller offices, resignations have been less frequent. These rates are as follows, viz.:

1. On the amount of letter postage, not exceeding $100 in any one quarter,*

2. On any sum between $100 and $400 in any year,

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3. On any sum between $400 and $2,400 in a year, . 4. On any sum over $2,400 in a year,

5. On the amount of letters and packets received for distribution at offices designated by the Postmaster-General for that purpose,

6. On all sums arising from the postage on newspapers, magazines, and pamphlets, .

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7. Box rents not exceeding $2,000 per annum.

30 per cent.

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50

The postmasters at New Orleans and Washington have special allowances for extra labor. To the postmasters at offices where the mail is regularly to arrive between the hours of 9 o'clock at night and 5 in the morning, the commission on the first $100 collected in one quarter may be increased by the Postmaster-General to a sum not exceeding 50 per cent.

The term letter postage includes all postages received, except those which arise from newspapers sent from the offices of publication to subscribers, and from pamphlets and magazines.

7. Rates of Postage.

For a letter, not exceeding half an ounce in weight (avoirdupois),
sent not exceeding 300 miles,
Sent over 300 miles, .

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For every half-ounce, and any excess over every half-ounce, the same rates of postage; and when advertised, two cents on each letter, or four cents, if the advertising cost so much, additional. For drop letters (not to be mailed), each

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For all letters or packages, conveyed by any vessel not employed in carrying the mail, from one post or place to any other post or place in the United States,

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For any pamphlet, magazine, periodical, or other matter of every kind that is transmittible by mail, and has no written communication on it, of one ounce or less, or for a newspaper exceeding 1,900 square inches of surface, sent from the office of publication,

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For each additional ounce, or an excess greater than a half-ounce, 1 cent. For newspapers of 1,900 square inches or less, sent from the office of publication, not more than 100 miles, or any distance within the same State,

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Sent over such distance, For transient newspapers, or those not sent from the office of publication to subscribers, handbills or circular letters, printed or lithographed, not exceeding one sheet in size (sent any distance), to be paid upon delivery at the office and before they are put in the mails, As the postage on these articles is chargeable on each copy, postmasters will carefully examine all packets, and rate the postage accordingly. When the article to be mailed is a circular, pamphlet, or newspaper, it should be

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3 cents.

so enveloped or folded that it can be distinctly seen at the office to be such, and also that it contain no writing, marks, or signs, to serve the purpose of written communications. If not done up so as to open at the end, it is to be charged as a letter, by weight.

No packet can be mailed which weighs more than three pounds. Bound books of any size are not included in the term "mailable matter," except books sent by Governors of States, and those included under the term "Public Documents."

The establishment of private expresses for the conveyance of any letters, packets, or packages of letters, or other matter transmittible in the United States mail (newspapers, pamphlets, magazines, and periodicals excepted), from one city, town, or other place, to any other city, town, or place in the United States, between which the United States mail is regularly transported, is prohibited. Contractors may take newspapers out of the mails for sale or distribution among subscribers. A penalty of $5,000 is imposed on any person taking letters through or over any part of the United States for the purpose of being sent out of the United States without the payment of postage.

Letters addressed to different persons cannot be inclosed in the same envelop or package, under a penalty of ten dollars, unless addressed to foreign countries.

8. Privilege of Franking.

1. The President, ex-Presidents, Mrs. Madison, Mrs. Harrison, and Mrs. Adams, retain the franking privilege, as regulated by former laws.

2. Members of Congress and Delegates from Territories, from thirty days before the commencement of each Congress, until the meeting of the next Congress, the Vice-President, and the Secretary of the Senate, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, during their official terms, may send and receive free letters or packages not exceeding two ounces in weight, and public documents not exceeding three pounds in weight.

3. The governors of States may send free the laws, records, and documents of the legislature, to the governors of other States.

4. The Secretaries of State, Treasury, War, and Navy; AttorneyGeneral; Postmaster-General and Assistants Postmaster-General; Comptrollers, Auditors, Register, and Solicitor of the Treasury; Treasurer; Commissioners of the different Offices and Bureaus; Chiefs of Bureaus in the War and Navy Departments, General-in-Chief and Adjutant-General, may send and receive free all letters and packages upon official business, but not their private letters or papers.

5. The chief clerk in the State Department may send free public and official documents.

6. Deputy postmasters may send free all such letters and packages as may relate exclusively to the business of their respective offices; and those whose compensation did not exceed $200 for the year ending the 30th of June, 1846, may also send free, through the mails, letters written by them

selves, and receive free all written communications on their own private business, not weighing over one half-ounce, but not transient newspapers, handbills, or circulars.

7. Exchange newspapers between editors pass free.

Public documents are those printed by the order of either House of Congress, and publications or books procured or purchased by Congress, or either House, for the use of the members.

9. Postage by the New York, Southampton, and Bremen Line of Steamers. The following are the rates of postage prescribed by the act of the 3d of March, 1845, for mailable matter sent by this line to Europe : :

For all letters and packages not exceeding half an ounce in weight,

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For all letters and packages over half an ounce and under one

ounce,

For every additional half-ounce,

24 cents.

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For every letter, newspaper, pamphlet, and price-current, The United States postage will be charged in addition to the above upon all mailable matter sent through the mails of the United States to New York, whence the ships sail for Bremen. All mailable matter addressed to England, Ireland, or Scotland will be left at the British post-office in Cowes or Southampton; and all for France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, and Africa, will be sent to Havre, in France ; a separate bag will be made up for Hamburg and delivered at BremenHaven. Prepayment of the postage will be required at the office from which sent, upon all mailable matter directed to those countries. Upon mailable matter sent to other countries on the Eastern Continent, prepayment will not be required. It will be mailed for Bremen, where all unpaid postages will be collected for the United States by the Bremen office.

By the act of the 28th of June, 1848, letters coming or sent in the British steamers, or private British ships, are charged, by the packets, one shilling, or 24 cents; by private vessels, 16 cents; the same that is charged in Great Britain on American letters taken to or from England in packets and ships of the United States.

10. Postage to Europe.

[The following statement is from the official publication of the Post-Office notice in the National Intelligencer.]

1. Letters to any post-office in Bremen, Hamburg, Oldenburg, Hanover, Brunswick, Prussia, or Saxony, in Germany, may be sent by the United States mail steam-packets Washington and Hermann, postage unpaid, or prepaid to destination, or prepaid to Bremen only, at the option of the sender.

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2. Writers may prepay to the following places and countries, or send unpaid, or they may pay the United States postage only, which last is advised.

To Lubec,

Add to United States Postage (see above) if prepaid.

9 cts. sing. To Bavaria,

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22 cts. sing.

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Single letter limited to ounce, except to Lubec and Gotha, which is

limited to ounce (foreign).

3. In the following cases it is best to pay the United States postage only. Nevertheless, the writer may pay to destination, or may send unpaid.

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The single letter in Denmark, Sweden, and Russia is limited to the half-ounce; in the other countries on the last list, to the quarter-ounce. 4. On newspapers and pamphlets, the United States postage, and that only, is to be prepaid, - 3 cents per newspaper or pamphlet, with inland postage added if mailed elsewhere than at New York. Memorandum.— Newspapers will be rated abroad with foreign letter postage, if printed in any other language than the English, and if enveloped otherwise than with narrow bands.

5. Each letter is to be marked or stamped on the face with the name of the office mailing it, and on the back with the name of the New York post-office. If United States postage only is prepaid, it is to be marked or stamped “ Paid Part," in black. If postage through to destination is prepaid, it is to be stamped or marked in red, “Paid All"; and the amount

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