Part 4

In 1863 the single uniform rate of inland letter postage was fixed at 3 cents, without regard to distance, and was required to be prepaid by stamps; the postage on drop letters was increased to 2 cents the half ounce; and all letters reaching their destination without prepayment of postage were to be charged with double the rate of prepaid postage chargeable thereon, thus allowing letters to be sent without prepayment and leaving the general rate of inland letter postage when prepaid as it was fixed for distances under three thousand miles by the Act of 1851, but increasing it 1 cent beyond the rate of 1851 when sent unpaid; also increasing the rate of 1851 on unsealed printed circulars from 1 to 2 cents, and on drop letters from 1 cent the letter to 2 cents the half ounce; and reducing the rates of postage to and from California and Oregon from 6 to 3 cents when prepaid and from 10 to 6 cents when not prepaid.

That the revenues of the Department have been perennially diminished by these reductions cannot be denied; but it is believed that this diminution has been slight in comparison with the public benefits which have followed the adoption of rates of postage, which (the cost of transportation consequent upon the vast extent over which our more remote settlements are scattered, the general sparseness of our population and the high prices of clerical and other labor being considered) are believed to be the cheapest which have ever been adopted by any Government of ancient or modern times.

FOOTNOTES:

Respectively Postmaster-General and Postmaster of Buffalo.--ED.

Succeeded in 1866 by Joseph Candee (died Nov. 20, 1884); succeeding Postmasters of Buffalo have been: Isaac M. Schermerhorn; Thomas M. Blossom (appointed in 1869, died Feb. 10, 1882); Isaac M. Schermerhorn (second appointment, April, 1871); John M. Bedford (appointed April 1, 1879); John B. Sackett (appointed March 7, 1887); Bernard F. Gentsch (appointed May 28, 1890, died Aug. 3, 1894); Howard H. Baker (appointed June 7, 1894), present incumbent.--ED.

Predecessor of the Academy of Music, east side of Main, between Seneca and Swan Streets.--ED.

Last quarter only.

Stamps sold for currency $18,000 more, furnished from Buffalo P. O.

AUTHOR'S NOTE--This is probably erroneous as it will be seen that the post-road from Whitestown to Canandaigua was established and service thereon advertised for in 1794. It is quite certain that there was mail service on this route as early as 1795.

AUTHOR'S NOTE.--This was stated on the authority of Turner's "History of the Holland Purchase" and it was supposed there could be no doubt of its accuracy. But in Vol. 1., Miscellaneous, of the American State Papers, published by Gales & Seaton, is a list of post-offices in 1800 (p. 289), and of those established in 1801 (p. 298), and in the latter is "Batavia, N. Y., Sanford Hunt, Postmaster." It may be that Mr. Hunt did not accept the appointment and that Mr. Brisbane was appointed in 1802.

Transcriber's Note:

Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note.