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their money difficulties； because they are born of England； and are not born of Austria。 What！ Shall our eldest child become bankrupt in its first trade difficulty； be utterly ruined by its first little commercial embarrassment！ The child bears much too strong a resemblance to its parent for me to think so。
CHAPTER XIII。 THE POST…OFFICE。
Any Englishman or Frenchman residing in the American States cannot fail to be struck with the inferiority of the post…office arrangements in that country to those by which they are accommodated in their own country。 I have not been a resident in the country； and as a traveler might probably have passed the subject without special remark； were it not that the service of the post…office has been my own profession for many years。 I could therefore hardly fail to observe things which to another man would have been of no material moment。 At first I was inclined to lean heavily in my judgment upon the deficiencies of a department which must be of primary importance to a commercial nation。 It seemed that among a people so intelligent； and so quick in all enterprises of trade； a well…arranged post…office would have been held to be absolutely necessary； and that all difficulties would have been made to succumb in their efforts to put that establishment； if no other； upon a proper footing。 But as I looked into the matter； and in becoming acquainted with the circumstances of the post…office learned the extent of the difficulties absolutely existing； I began to think that a very great deal had been done； and that the fault； as to that which had been left undone； rested not with the post…office officials； but was attributable partly to political causes altogether outside the post…office； and partlyperhaps chieflyto the nature of the country itself。 It is I think undoubtedly true that the amount of accommodation given by the post…office of the States is small； as compared with that afforded in some other countries； and that that accommodation is lessened by delays and uncertainty。 The point which first struck me was the inconvenient hours at which mails were brought in and dispatched。 Here in England it is the object of our post…office to carry the bulk of our letters at night； to deliver them as early as possible in the morning； and to collect them and take them away for dispatch as late as may be in the day； so that the merchant may receive his letters before the beginning of his day business； and dispatch them after its close。 The bulk of our letters is handled in this manner； and the advantage of such an arrangement is manifest。 But it seemed that in the States no such practice prevailed。 Letters arrived at any hour in the day miscellaneously； and were dispatched at any hour； and I found that the postmaster at one town could never tell me with certainty when letters would arrive at another。 If the towns were distant； I would be told that the conveyance might take about two or three days； if they were near； that my letter would get to hand 〃some time to…morrow。〃 I ascertained； moreover； by painful experience that the whole of a mail would not always go forward by the first dispatch。 As regarded myself this had reference chiefly to English letters and newspapers。 〃Only a part of the mail has come；〃 the clerk would tell me。 With us the owners of that part which did not 〃come；〃 would consider themselves greatly aggrieved and make loud complaint。 But in the States complaints made against official departments are held to be of little moment。 Letters also in the States are subject to great delays by irregularities on railways。 One train does not hit the town of its destination before another train； to which it is nominally fitted； has been started on its journey。 The mail trains are not bound to wait； and thus； in the large cities； far distant from New York； great irregularity prevails。 It is I think owing to thisat any rate partly to thisthat the system of telegraphing has become so prevalent。 It is natural that this should be so between towns which are in the due course of post perhaps forty…eight hours asunder； but the uncertainty of the post increases the habit； to the profit of course of the companies which own the wires； but to the manifest loss of the post…office。 But the deficiency which struck me most forcibly in the American post…office； was the absence of any recognized official delivery of letters。 The United States post…office does not assume to itself the duty of taking letters to the houses of those for whom they are intended； but holds itself as having completed the work for which the original postage has been paid； when it has brought them to the window of the post…office of the town to which they are addressed。 It is true that in most large townsthough by no means in alla separate arrangement is made by which a delivery is afforded to those who are willing to pay a further sum for that further service； but the recognized official mode of delivery is from the office window。 The merchants and persons in trade have boxes at the windows； for which they pay。 Other old…established inhabitants in town； and persons in receipt of a considerable correspondence； receive their letters by the subsidiary carriers and pay for them separately。 But the poorer classes of the community； those persons among which it is of such paramount importance to increase the blessing of letter writing； obtain their letters from the post… office windows。 In each of these cases the practice acts to the prejudice of the department。 In order to escape the tax on delivery； which varies from two cents to one cent a letter； all men in trade； and many who are not in trade； hold office boxes； consequently immense space is required。 The space given at Chicago； both to the public without and to the official within； for such delivery； is more than four times that required at Liverpool for the same purpose。 But Liverpool is three times the size of Chicago。 The corps of clerks required for the window delivery is very great； and the whole affair is cumbrous in the extreme。 The letters at most offices are given out through little windows； to which the inquirer is obliged to stoop。 There he finds himself opposite to a pane of glass with a little hole； and when the clerk within shakes his head at him； he rarely believes but what his letters are there if he could only reach them。 But in the second case； the tax on the delivery； which is intended simply to pay the wages of the men who take them out； is paid with a bad grace； it robs the letter of its charm； and forces it to present itself in the guise of a burden： it makes that disagreeable which for its own sake the post…office should strive in every way to make agreeable。 This practice； moreover； operates as a direct prevention to a class of correspondence which furnishes in England a large proportion of the revenue of the post…office。 Mercantile houses in our large cities send out thousands of trade circulars； paying postage on them； but such circulars would not be received； either in England or elsewhere； if a demand for postage were made on their delivery。 Who does not receive these circulars in our country by the dozen； consigning them generally to the waste… paper basket； after a most cursory inspection？ As regards the sender； the transaction seems to us often to be very vain； but the post…office gets its penny。 So also would the American post…office get its three cents。 But the main objection in my eyes to the American post…office system is this； that it is not brought nearer to the poorer classes。 Everybody writes or can write in America； and therefore the correspondence of their millions should be； million for million； at any rate equal to ours。 But it is not so； and this I think comes from the fact that communication by post…office is not made easy to the people generally。 Such communication is not found to be easy by a man who has to attend at a post…office window on the chance of receiving a letter。 When no arrangement more comfortable than that is provided； the post…office will be used for the necessities of letter writing； but will not be esteemed as a luxury。 And thus not only do the people lose a comfort which they might enjoy； but the post…office also loses that revenue which it might make。 I have said that the correspondence circulating in the United States is less than that of the United Kingdom。 In making any comparison between them； I am obliged to arrive at facts； or rather at the probabilities of facts； in a somewhat circuitous mode； as the Americans have kept no account of the number of letters which pass through their post…offices in a year； we can； however； make an estimate； which； if incorrect； shall not at any rate be incorrect against them。 The gross postal revenue of the United States for the year ended June 30th； 1861； was in round figures 1；700；000l。 This was the amount actually cashed； exclusive of a sum of 140；000l。 paid to the post…office by the government for the carriage of what is called in that country free mail matter； otherwise； books； letters； and parcels franked by members of Congress。 The gross postal revenue of the United Kingdom was in the last year； in round figures； 3；358；000l。； exclusive of a sum of 179；0