duced the single rate of inland letter
postage (from and after the 30th of June in that year), for any distance
not exceeding three thousand miles, to 3 cents, when prepaid, and 5
cents when not prepaid; and for any distance over three thousand miles
to 6 cents when prepaid and 10 cents when not prepaid. Drop letters and
also unsealed printed circulars for any distance not exceeding five
hundred miles were, by the same Act, to be charged 1 cent each. This, it
is believed, was an average reduction of about fifty per cent. on the
reduced rates of inland letter postage established by the Act of 1845.
These rates did not apply to foreign letters, for which different
provision was made.

The Postal Treaty with Great Britain made in 1848, the postal
arrangements made in 1851 for direct and frequent postal communication
with the Canadas and other British Provinces, and the postal
arrangements soon after made with Prussia and other foreign countries,
increased to a considerable extent the amount of postages received at
the Buffalo offices on letters sent to and received from foreign
countries.

In 1855 an Act was passed under which all inland postage was required to
be prepaid and which fixed the single rate of inland letter postage for
any distance not exceeding three thousand miles at 3 cents, and for any
distance exceeding three thousand miles at 10 cents.

In 1863 the single uniform rate of inland letter postage was fixed at 3
cents, without regard to distance, and was required to be prepaid by
stamps; the postage on drop letters was increased to 2 cents the half
ounce; and all letters reaching their destination without prepayment of
postage were to be charged with double the rate of prepaid postage
chargeable thereon, thus allowing letters to be sent without prepayment
and leaving the general rate of inland letter postage when prepaid as it
was fixed for distances under three thousand miles by the Act of 1851,
but increasing it 1 cent beyond the rate of 1851 when sent unpaid; also
increasing the rate of 1851 on unsealed printed circulars from 1 to 2
cents, and on drop letters from 1 cent the letter to 2 cents the half
ounce; and reducing the rates of postage to and from California and
Oregon from 6 to 3 cents when prepaid and from 10 to 6 cents when not
prepaid.

That the revenues of the Department have been perennially diminished by
these reductions cannot be denied; but it is believed that this
diminution has been s