Ocean Penny Postage.

Mr. Editor:—Let me beg you to admit into some corner of your paper, a few thoughts on the Ocean Penny Postage; a subject which must interest, directly and deeply, many of our readers, and millions on both sides of the Atlantic. Perhaps you are aware that the project of reducing the transit charge on letters, from any port of Great Britain to any port beyond the sea, to one penny or two cents, has been mooted in this country for several years. It has now assumed the character of a measure of urgent necessity, and vast importance; and is about to be brought forward in Parliament, backed by almost the unanimous sympathy and suffrage of all political parties, and of all classes of society. In fact, no opposition to this great postal reform has manifested itself in any quarter. It seems at once to conciliate and win to its advocasy all interests. The sudden and immense emigration to Australia, within the last few months, with the old gulf stream of human beings, flowing with undiminished current toward America, has brought the subject home to millions, during the last year, who thought it did not effect them before. The poorer and industrial classes of society, who supply the largest tributaries of this swift running river of emigration, look for the realization of Ocean Penny Postage as a boon of inestimable value. The commercial class of community begin to understand its importance, and to urge its adoption. Every interest, every influence, every disposition and tendency of the times, is in its favor. But, to make an Ocean Penny Postage universal, co-extensive with the globe, the sympathy and concurrence of the people and governments of all maritime countries in Christendom are requisite. For, to realize completely the system proposed, whatever be the distance or direction, or under whatever flag a letter may be conveyed, the single service of its mere transit, from any port of one country to any port of another, must be performed for one penny. If the British mail packets perform this service on a letter from any port of Great Britain to any port beyond the sea at which they touch for one penny, the American mail packets, must do the same. The French steamer that conveys a letter across the Mediterranean, or the German across the Baltic, or the Danish across the sound to Sweden, must each perform this single service for a penny. Several Governments and nations, then, must move in this matter, before the whole scheme is consummated. But, Great Britain and the United States, can establish this system over more than three fourths of the globe, without the aid or concurrence of any other governments whatever. England can alone establish it between Liverpool and Halifax, and will do it, doubtless, ere long, and between her and all her colonial ports beyond the sea, in every direction, and to every distance. And, if she can convey a letter from Liverpool to Halifax, or to Hong Kong, or to Australia, for a penny, cannot the United States transport one from New York to Liverpool, Havre, Bremen, or Havana for the same? What a singular anomaly it would be, if the transit charge on a letter from Liverpool to Quebec should be two cents, and the same service on one from Boston to Liverpool should be three cents! It is probably the fact, that nine-tenths of all the correspondence of the world that crosses the sea, is conveyed in British and American vessels. If, therefore, these two Governments can be brought, by a pressure of public opinion, to unite in establishing an Ocean Penny Postage, so far as it lies in their united power, they could alone confer the boon, almost to the full extent of its blessing and beneficence, upon the family of man.

Yours sincerely,

Elihu Burritt.

London, 35 Broad St. Buildings, Nov. 5, '52.