federal
government, by whomsoever administered, the respect and affection of the
religious portion of the people.

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.

IX. _Ocean Penny Postage._

For the word and the idea here set down, the world is indebted to Elihu
Burritt, the "LEARNED BLACKSMITH," 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 "Universal Brotherhood." By putting all these things
together, he wrought out the plan of "Ocean Penny Postage," by which all
ship letters are to pay 1_d._ sterling, instead of paying, as they now do
in England, 8_d._ when sent by a sailing vessel, and 1_s._ when sent by a
steam packet.

He proposes that each letter shall pay its postage penny in advance for
the service it may receive inland,