UNITED STATES. 



751 



The history of the reduction of postage in 

 this country may be briefly stated. In 1792 

 the first postage act was passed. It introduced 

 a highly-complicated system. The lowest post- 

 age was six cents to places within thirty miles ; 

 eight cents to places within sixty miles; ten 

 cents to places within one hundred miles; 

 twelve and a half cents to places within one 

 hundred and fifty miles ; fifteen cents to places 

 within two hundred miles; seventeen cents 

 to places within two hundred and fifty miles ; 

 twenty cents to places within three hundred 

 and fifty miles; twenty-two cents to places 

 within four hundred and fifty miles, and twen- 

 ty-five cents to places more than four hundred 

 and fifty miles distant. In 1810 the rates were 

 changed. The lowest rate was changed to 

 eight cents, and the shortest distance to forty 

 miles. Instead of nine rates there were but 

 six ; twenty cents carried letters five hundred 

 miles, and twenty-five cents was charged for 

 still greater distance. In 1816 the minimum 

 rates were again reduced to six cents, nnd the 

 distance to thirty miles; only five rates were 

 iished; eighteen and a half cents carried 

 letters four hundred miles; and for longer 

 distances twenty-five cents was charged still. 



These rates, with a single exception, where 

 the postage was increased, continued nntil 

 1845, when the first material reduction took 

 place. Five cents became the postage for let- 

 ters carried a distance less than three hundred 

 miles; ten cents for all greater distances. At 

 the same time the drop-letter system was in- 

 troduced, such letters being charged two cents. 

 Previous to this time the rule had been that 

 the above rates were for " single " letters on 

 one sheet of paper, large or small, and without 

 reference to weight. In 1845 the half-ounce 

 weight wns mode the standard, instead of the 

 number of sheets. In 1851 the single rate 

 was made three cents for all distances under 

 three thousand miles and six cents for greater 

 distances, if prepaid, this being the first in- 

 ducement held out to prepay letters. Unpaid 

 letters were charged five nnd ten cents, accord- 

 ing to the distance. In 1855 prepayment was 

 required, three cents being still the rate for dis- 

 tances underthree thousand miles, and ten cents 

 charged for greater distances. In 1863 the pres- 

 ent rate of three cents prepaid by stamp, for 

 nil distances, was established. The history of 

 these reductions shows also that no material 

 loss of revenue has been their immediate re- 

 sult, and that no loss at all has been permanent. 

 Since 1851, when substantially the present rate 

 was fixed, the revenue of the post-office has 

 increased from $15,500,000 for that year to 

 $22.900,000 in 1872. 



The disturbances in some of the Southern 

 States, arising from the violent acts of mem- 

 bers of secret organizations, entirely ceased 

 during the year. This is chiefly ascribed to 

 the lenient course pursued by the Government. 

 On the request of certain citizens of South 

 Carolina, a public expression of the policy of 



the Government in relation to the prosecutions 

 and prisoners under the enforcement acts, 

 was made through Attorney-General \\ illiams. 

 Under date of July 31st, he wrote in reply as 

 follows : 



I have to say in answer, as indicated in his conver- 

 sation with you, the President has communicated to 

 me what I have heretofore understood to be his wish 

 that the persons accused and convicted of offenses 

 under said acts should be treated with as much lenity 

 as possible, without prejudice to the ends for which 

 they were passed. It must, however, be distinctly 

 understood that this action of the Government is not 

 prompted by any doubt as to the necessity or validity 

 of said acts, or of the necessity and justice of the 

 convictions already had under them to prevent and 

 punish high crimes, but by the belief that the Ku- 

 klux klans have, through said convictions, been 

 almost, if not altogether, broken up, and that those 

 who were concerned in or sympathized with them, 

 have come to see the folly, wickedness, and danger 

 of such organizations. 



You have been pleased to say to me, and similar 

 assurances have been given by others seeking the 

 same object, that Executive clemency at this time in 

 the Ku-klux cases would tend to remove many causes 

 of uneasiness and irritation now existing, and con- 

 duee generally to the public peace and tranquillity, 

 and the proposed action is taken in reference to such 

 cases with the full expectation that these assurances 

 will be verified. 



You are informed that the prosecutions row pend- 

 ing in the courts for violations of the enforcement 

 acts will be suspended or discontinued, and instruc- 

 tions to that effect have already been given to several 

 district attorneys ; but there may be exceptional 

 coses of great aggravation where the Government 

 will insist upon conviction and punishment. There 

 are, however, Lut few such cases now within my 

 knowledge. Persons who have absented themselves 

 on account of their complicity, or supposed com- 

 plicity, in Ku-klux offenses, are at liberty to return ; 

 and, unless their crimes bring them within the above- 

 named exceptional cases, they will not be prosecuted. 

 Many of those sentenced to imprisonment for such 

 offenses have been already pardoned, and the cases 

 of the others are under consideration, nnd will prob- 

 ably be disposed of in like manner, keeping in view 

 the proper relation between their pumeliment and 

 the nature of their guilt. 



To avoid any misconstruction of these proceed- 

 ings, it is perhaps necessary for me to say that all 

 conspiracies and outrages in violation of said acts 

 hereafter committed will be prosecuted with all pos- 

 sible energy and vigor, and it is to be understood 

 that the Government does not intend to abandon said 

 acts, but to induce, if possible, a willing obedience 

 to their reasonable requirements. Substantially they 

 are intended to protect citizens of the United States 

 in the possession and enjoyment of their political 

 and civil rights guaranteed to them by the late amend- 

 ments to the Constitution ; and the President, whose 

 duty it is to see that the laws are faithfully executed, 

 would be recreant to that duty if he did not so admin- 

 ister the Government as to afford to all citizens the 

 equal protection of its laws. 



I have added these suggestions to the information 

 for which you ask, with a sincere hope that by the 

 exercise of a mutual recognition of each other's rights 

 by all classes of people, no further necessity will 

 arise for their protection and enforcement under said 

 acts through the action of the General Government. 



By a report of the same officer, it appears 

 that the number of civil suits to which the 

 United States was a party, in progress on July 

 1, 1873, was as follows: Customs' suits, 3,759; 

 internal revenue suits, 1,482 ; post-office suits, 



