But The Average
Rate Of Postage In The States Is In Fact Higher Than It Is In
England.
The ordinary single rate of postage there is three cents,
or three half-pence, whereas with us it is
A penny; and if three
half-pence might be taken as the average rate in the United States,
the number of letters would be reduced from 300,000,000 to
200,000,000 a year. There is, however, a class of letters which in
the States are passed through the post-office at the rate of one
half-penny a letter, whereas there is no rate of postage with us
less than a penny. Taking these half-penny letters into
consideration, I am disposed to regard the average rate of American
postage at about five farthings, which would give the number of
letters at 250,000,000. We shall at any rate be safe in saying that
the number is considerably less than 300,000,000, and that it does
not amount to half the number circulated with us. But the
difference between our population and their population is not great.
The population of the States during the year in question was about
27,000,000, exclusive of slaves, and that of the British Isles was
about 29,000,000. No doubt in the year named the correspondence of
the States had been somewhat disturbed by the rebellion; but that
disturbance, up to the end of June, 1861, had been very trifling.
The division of the Southern from the Northern States, as far as the
post-office was concerned, did not take place till the end of May,
l861; and therefore but one month in the year was affected by the
actual secession of the South.
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