act political ideas
only, or whether they could be made actual living things. The English
Commonwealth had failed. The French Revolution had come after their own
and was still in doubtful case. They could therefore neglect no means
likely to strengthen the foundation of their own Republic, and in this
view must consider seriously the question of providing effective means
for the enlightenment of the sovereign people on all matters pertaining
to the executive Government and the Legislature.[159] In order to secure
the dissemination of such intelligence members of Congress were given
extensive powers of franking both letters and newspapers.

On the question of rates, opinion in Congress was divided. Although at
the time the gross revenue of the Post Office was small, some members
anticipated an increase sufficient to yield a net revenue, as in England
and most other European countries; whilst others, with more wisdom,
pointed out the vital difference in the case of America on account of
"its great extent and uncultivated state, as well as from a thousand
other causes."[160] The new rates were based on eight zones of distance.
For distances under 30 miles the charge for single letters was 6 cents;
for distances over 450 miles the charge was 25 cents; every double
letter, double rates; every triple letter, triple rates; and every
packet weighing 1 ounce avoirdupois, the rate of four single letters for
each ounce.

The rates for letters fixed by the Act of 1792 continued some thirty
years, except for slight modifications in 1799 and 1816, and except for
a brief period at the time of the war of 1812-14 with Great Britain. The
Government then attempted to obtain an increased revenue from the Post
Office, and the rates of postage were increased 50 per cent. The effect
on the revenue and on the business of the country was, however, so
disastrous that the increased rates were maintained only for about a
year.[161]

In 1825 the laws relating to the Post Office were codified. The
codifying Act placed on the Postmaster-General the duty of establishing
such post offices, and appointing such postmasters on the post roads as
should appear to him expedient, and of providing for the carriage of the
mail on all post roads that were or might be established by law,[162]
with such frequency as he should think proper, "_having_ _regard to the
productiveness_" of the routes, the means of the department, and other
circumstances. Errors and i