north america-2-第58章
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ur great internal mail routes and any of theirs。 Consequently the expense of conveyance to them is； per letter； very much greater than with us； and the American post…office is； as a matter of necessity； driven to an economy in the use of railways for the post…office service which we are not called on to practice。 From New York to Chicago is nearly 1000 miles。 From New York to St。 Louis is over 1400。 From New York to New Orleans is 1600 miles。 I need not say that in England we know nothing of such distances； and that therefore our task has been comparatively easy。 Nevertheless the States have followed in our track； and have taken advantage of Sir Rowland's Hill's wise audacity in the reduction of postage with greater quickness than any other nation but our own。 Through all the States letters pass for three cents over a distance less than 3000 miles。 For distances above 3000 miles the rate is ten cents； or five pence。 This increased rate has special reference to the mails for California； which are carried daily across the whole continent at a cost to the States government of two hundred thousand pounds a year。 With us the chief mail trains are legally under the management of the Postmaster…General。 He fixes the hours at which they shall start and arrive； being of course bound by certain stipulations as to pace。 He can demand trains to run over any line at any hour； and can in this way secure the punctuality of mail transportation。 Of course such interference on the part of a government official in the working of a railway is attended with a very heavy expense to the government。 Though the British post…office can demand the use of trains at any hour； and as regards those trains can make the dispatch of mails paramount to all other matters； the British post… office cannot fix the price to be paid for such work。 This is generally done by arbitration； and of course for such services the payment is very high。 No such practice prevails in the States。 The government has no power of using the mail lines as they are used by our post…office； nor could the expense of such a practice be borne or nearly borne by the proceeds of letters in the States。 Consequently the post…office is put on a par with ordinary customers； and such trains are used for mail matter as the directors of each line may see fit to use for other matter。 Hence it occurs that no offense against the post…office is committed when the connection between different mail trains is broken。 The post…office takes the best it can get； paying as other customers pay； and grumbling as other customers grumble when the service rendered falls short of that which has been promised。 It may； I think； easily be seen that any system； such as ours； carried across so large a country； would go on increasing in cost at an enormous ratio。 The greater is the distance； the greater is the difficulty in securing the proper fitting of fast…running trains。 And moreover； it must be remembered that the American lines have been got up on a very different footing from ours； at an expense per mile of probably less than a fifth of that laid out on our railways。 Single lines of rail are common； even between great towns with large traffic。 At the present moment； February； 1862； the only railway running into Washington； that namely from Baltimore； is a single line over the greater distance。 The whole thing is necessarily worked at a cheaper rate than with us； not because the people are poorer； but because the distances are greater。 As this is the case throughout the whole railway system of the country； it cannot be expected that such dispatch and punctuality should be achieved in America as are achieved here in England； or in France。 As population and wealth increase it will come。 In the mean time that which has been already done over the extent of the vast North American continent is very wonderful。 I think； therefore； that complaint should not be made against the Washington post…office； either on account of the inconvenience of the hours or on the head of occasional irregularity。 So much has been done in reducing the rate to three cents； and in giving a daily mail throughout the States； that the department should be praised for energy； and not blamed for apathy。 In the year ended June 30； 1861； the gross revenue of the post… office of the States was； as I have stated； 1；700；000l。 In the same year its expenditure was in round figures 2；720；000l。； consequently there was an actual loss； to be made up out of general taxation； amounting to 1；020；000l。 In the accounts of the American officers this is lessened by 140；000l。 That sum having been arbitrarily fixed by the government as the amount earned by the post…office in carrying free mail matter。 We have a similar system in computing the value of the service rendered by our post…office to the government in carrying government dispatches； but with us the amount named as the compensation depends on the actual weight carried。 If the matter so carried be carried solely on the government service； as is； I believe； the case with us； any such claim on behalf of the post…office is apparently unnecessary。 The Crown works for the Crown； as the right hand works for the left。 The post…office pays no rates or taxes； contributes nothing to the poor； runs its mails on turnpike roads free of toll； and gives receipts on unstamped paper。 With us no payment is in truth made； though the post…office in its accounts presumes itself to have received the money； but in the States the sum named is handed over by the State Treasury to the Post…office Treasury。 Any such statement of credit does not in effect alter the real fact that over a million sterling is required as a subsidy by the American post…office； in order that it may be enabled to pay its way。 In estimating the expenditure of the office the department at Washington debits itself with the sums paid for the ocean transit of its mails； amounting to something over one hundred and fifty thousand pounds。 We also now do the same； with the much greater sum paid by us for such service； which now amounts to 949；228l。； or nearly a million sterling。 Till lately this was not paid out of the post…office moneys； and the post…office revenue was not debited with the amount。 Our gross post…office revenue is； as I have said； 3；358；250l。 As before explained； this is exclusive of the amount earned by the money order department； which； though managed by the authorities of the post…office； cannot be called a part of the post…office； and exclusive also of the official postage； which is； in fact； never received。 The expenditure of our British post…office； inclusive of the sum paid for the ocean mail service； is 3；064；527l。； we therefore make a net profit of 293；723l。 out of the post…office； as compared with a loss of 1；020；000l。 on the part of the United States。 But perhaps the greatest difficulty with which the American post… office is burdened is that 〃free mail matter〃 to which I have alluded； for carrying which the post…office claims to earn 140；000l。； and for the carriage of which it might as fairly claim to earn 1；350；000l。； or half the amount of its total expenditure； for I was informed by a gentleman whose knowledge on the subject could not be doubted； that the free mail matter so carried equaled in bulk and weight all that other matter which was not carried free。 To such an extent has the privilege of franking been carried in the States！ All members of both Houses frank what they pleasefor in effect the privilege is stretched to that extent。 All Presidents of the Union； past and present； can frank； as also； all Vice…Presidents； past and present； and there is a special act； enabling the widow of President Polk to frank。 Why it is that widows of other Presidents do not agitate on the matter； I cannot understand。 And all the Secretaries of State can frank； and ever so many other public officers。 There is no limit in number to the letters so franked； and the nuisance has extended itself to so huge a size that members of Congress； in giving franks； cannot write the franks themselves。 It is illegal for them to depute to others the privilege of signing their names for this purpose； but it is known at the post…office that it is done。 But even this is not the worst of it。 Members of the House of Representatives have the power of sending through the post all those huge books which； with them as with us； grow out of parliamentary debates and workings of committees。 This； under certain stipulations； is the case also in England； but in England； luckily； no one values them。 In America； however； it is not so。 A voter considers himself to be noticed if he gets a book； he likes to have the book bound； and the bigger the book may be； the more the compliment is relished。 Hence it comes to pass that an enormous quantity of useless matter is printed and bound； only that it may be sent down to constituents and make a show on the parlor shelves of constituents' wives。 The post…office groans and becomes insolvent and the country pays for the paper； the printing； and the binding。 While the public expenses of this nation were very small； there was； perhaps； no reason why voters should not thus be indulged； but now the matter is different； and it would be well that the conveyance by post of these congressional libraries should be brought to an end。 I was also assured that members very frequently obtain permission for the printing of a speech which has never been deliveredand which never will be deliveredin order that copies may be circulated among their constituents。 There is in such an arrangement an ingenuity which is peculiarly American in its nature。 Everybody concerned is no doubt cheated by the system。 The constituents are cheated； the public； which pays； is cheated； and the post…office is cheated。 But the House is spared the hearing of the speech； and the result on the whole is perhaps beneficial。 We also； within the memory of many of us； had a franking privilege； which was peculiarly objectionable； inasmuch as it operated toward giving a free transmission of their letters by post to the rich； while no such privilege was within reach of the poor。 But with us it never stretched itself to such an extent as it has now achieved in the States。 The number of letters for members was limited。 The whole address was written by the franking member himself； and not much was sent in this way that was bulky。 I am disposed to think that all government and congressional jobs in the States bear the same proportion to government and parliamentary jobs which have been in vogue among us。 There has been an unblushing audacity in the public dishonestywhat I may perhaps call the State dishonestyat Washington； which I think was hardly ever equaled in London。 Bribery； I know； was disgracefully current in the days of Walpole； of Newcastle； and even of Castlereagh； so current； that no Englishman has a right to hold up his own past government as a model of purity； but the corruption with us did blush and endeavor to hide itself。 It was disgraceful to be bribed； if not so to offer bribes。 But at Washington corruption has been so common that I can hardly understand how any honest man can have held up his head in the vicinity of the Capitol or of the State
