UNCLE SAM'S FARM. 203 



its available funds $1,132,026. Sixteen Mail Steam- 

 ers are employed in communication between the At- 

 lantic and Pacific. The whole number of Post Offices 

 is 18,647. Different mail routes, 167,703 miles. It 

 is estimated that letters and packages to the amount 

 of $800,000 are sent and received free through 

 the mail. This is owing to the franking privilege ; 

 members of the Legislature being allowed free 

 postage. 



The new postage law comes into operation on the 

 first of July, 1851, when letters are to be carried 

 throughout the length and breadth of the United 

 States at a uniform, pre-paid rate, of three cents, and 

 newspapers circulated free of postage within a circuit 

 of 30 miles from the place where they are printed ; 

 half a cent within 100 miles, and one cent for all dis- 

 tances beyond. In order to make the postal system 

 complete, the ocean postage should be reduced to one 

 penny. We hope this great desideratum will soon be 

 conceded. 



In Great Britain, under the penny postage system, 

 the letters increased from seventy-six millions, under 

 the old system, to 359,000,000, being nearly a mil- 

 lion letters a day ; besides this, there were issued 

 within the year no less than 4,203,727 money orders. 



