British Provinces, that we are ready for free trade with them, and with Great Britain too, and with the whole world too;—and not only in the productions of nature, but in the productions of art also. Let the high and honorable position of commercial America be, that she shrinks not from competition with any nation, but courts the competition of every nation. Very respectfully, yours,

GERRIT SMITH. WASHINGTON, July 17, 1854.

SPEECH

ON

POSTAGE BIL L.

JULY 18, 18 5 4

MR. WASHBURN, of Maine, had moved to refer to the Committee of the Whole on the State of the Union the bill to amend an act entitled "An act to reduce and modify the rates of postage in the United States,". passed August 30, 1852.

Mr. SMITH said:

I have risen to reply to the question put by the honorable gentleman from Virginia, [Mr. Smith,] when this bill was under discussion, a few days ago ; and when I had no opportunity to reply to it. That question was put to the opponents of the bill; and its words were: “Are you not willing to have the PostOffice Department sustained ?" For one, I answer, that I am not.

Government establishes a Post-Office Department; and arrogates the exclusive right to carry our letters. It establishes its prices for the work; and then, if we hesitate to pay, it scolds us with the inquiry: “But are you not willing to have the Post-Office Department sustained ?" We think it wrong to be compelled to pay these prices—first, because Government cannot do the work economically, and for reasonable prices, second, because Government has no right to undertake the work; and is guilty of usurpation in undertaking it. I hold that Government is a usurper,

I whenever it assumes a work which the people can do.

Suppose Government should establish a "Clothes Department;" and should undertake to clothe all the people, young and old, male and female; and should claim the exclusive right to do so ? Along with the dresses it sends the bills. The people grumble at both the bills and the usurpation ;-at the bills because they are twice as great as would be the cost, were the work done by themselves; and at the usurpation, because it is so flagrant. But Government insultingly replies: “ Are you not willing to have the ‘Clothes Department' sustained ?" Would this be borne with? It would not:nor should the Post-Office usurpation and extravagance.

I ask the gentleman from Virginia, if he believes that Government can carry our letters and newspapers at as small expense as the work can be done for by

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private enterprise? If he does, why then, in the name of consistency, is he not in favor of our making Government the carrier of our merchandise and provisions and persons ?—of passengers and property? But that gentleman is a practical man. He is not, as in the public esteem I am- a mere theorist. He knows, better than I can tell him, that it would not cost private associations one half as much to carry the mail as it costs Government.

But, he may say, that private associations would, nevertheless, charge higher rates of postage than would Government. Again, I would say, that the gentleman from Virginia is a practical man; a man, too, of many ideas; and not laboring under the reproach, as does my own unhappy reputation, of being a man of one idea. The gentleman must, therefore, know that when a work is thrown open to unlimited competition, the charge for it will be brought down to the neighborhood of the cost of it. But, the gentleman will perhaps say, that if Government gives up the Post-Office Department, individuals who live in remote and inaccessible portions of the country will not be able to get their letters and newspapers, save at great cost. But pray, what has Government to do with such a fact ? Suppose a man should perch himself on the top of the Rocky Mountains, and should complain to the Government, that it costs him ten dollars to get a letter to his mountain home; and should call on Government to deliver his letters at ten cents apiece. Would Govern. ment be bound to listen to his call? Certainly not. If he will receive his letters under a ten cents rate of postage, let him come down from his eyrie, and live among the comforts and accommodations of civilized life. Government is no more bound to indemnify him for the disadvantages of his home, in respect to postage, than in respect to other things. Nay, I insist that Government is no more bound to carry letters cheap for its citizens, than it is to make a poor man rich, a sick man well, or an old man young. If people are tempted, by the advantages of it, to take up their home in the wilderness, let them bear its disadvantages patiently, as well as enjoy its advantages gratefully.

The gentleman from Virginia professed his willingness to encourage private enterprise to come into competition with the Post-Office Department. He told us that the bill provides for a virtual increase of newspaper postage: and that, hence, private enterprise could sustain an easier competition with the Post-Office Department. But the competition, which he would encourage, is in carrying newspapers only. Newspapers, the price for carrying which is but a few pennies a pound, private associations may carry. But letters, the price for carrying which is a dollar a pound, Government alone shall have the right to carry. Surely the gentleman was not in earnest. He was but joking. He was making experiments upon