FOREIGN POSTAGE.
Chicago, Ill.
Please state the rates of postage between this country and Europe as far back as possible, but particularly the rates in force twenty years ago.
J. M.
Answer.—It is not easy to ascertain the rates of postage between the United States and each of the States of Europe for the whole period of our history, nor would the information repay the research. The Whig Almanac for 1849 gives the following rates of foreign postage prevailing at that time: Letters, per half ounce, to Bremen, paid or unpaid, if mailed at New York, 24 cents; within 300 miles of New York, 29 cents; over 300 miles, 34 cents. If to Prussia, 12 cents additional; to Hamburg, 6 cents additional; to Austria, 18 cents; Bavaria, 22 cents; Switzerland, 21 cents; Egypt, 37 cents—each additional, per quarter-ounce letter. To Denmark, 22 cents; Sweden, 39 cents; St. Petersburg, Russia, 24 cents—each additional, per half ounce. To British West India Islands, by British West India mail steamers, 25 cents per half ounce; to Martinique, Havana, Porto Rico, St. Thomas, or other islands not British, 50 cents; to Chagres, Panama, Valparaiso, or any port on the Pacific coast, 75 cents. The same year the postal difficulties with Great Britain and her colonies were adjusted by the adoption of a uniform rate of sea and port postage not to exceed 24 cents, the inland rates (5 cents to 10 cents here and 2 cents to 4 cents in Britain) being added. In 1860 the following foreign postal rates prevailed for one-half ounce; to France and Algeria, by French mails, 30 cents; to the German states, 30 cents; to Great Britain, 24 cents, except from Washington, Oregon, and California, (29 cents); to Bremen, 10 cents; to Hamburg, 10 cents; to Frankfort or Wurtemburg, 22 cents; to Luxemburg, 25 cents; to Holland and the Netherlands, 42 cents; to Austria, 30 cents; to Russia, 29 cents; to Prussia, 30 cents; to the Papal States and Tuscany, 35 cents; to Spain, 42 cents; to Portugal, 42 cents; to Denmark, 35 cents; to Sweden, 42 cents; to Norway, 46 cents; to the West India Islands, (not British) 34 cents for less than 2,500 miles, and 44 cents for more than 2,500 miles: to the British West India Islands, 10 cents for 2,500 miles or less, and 20 cents for any greater distance; to the two Sicilies, 30 cents; to Parma and Modena, 33 cents; to Lombardy, 33 cents; to the Sardinian States, 38 cents. In 1865 the postage was about the same; but after the formation of the postal union, in 1874, an uniform postage was adopted of 5 cents on prepaid, and 10 cents on unpaid letters, weighing not more than one-half ounce, between all members of the union; newspapers not exceeding 4 ounces, 2 cents; books and all other printed matter and patterns of merchandise, not exceeding 8¾ ounces, at the rate of 2 cents per 2 ounces; postal cards, 2 cents.
HIGH TARIFF AND CHEAP GOODS.
Oskaloosa, Iowa.
In a recent political dispute the free-trader declared that the consumer pays all the tariff. How can the protectionist answer this?