The Postal Service of the United States in Connection with the Local History of Buffalo | Page 8

New York and Erie Railroad in 1851, gave us direct railroad
communication with New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and
Washington, and the completion of the Buffalo & State Line Railroad
and other roads in or before 1852, gave us further railroad service for
the supply of the Buffalo office.
As the receipts of our post-office are, to a large extent, determined by
the rates of postage charged, especially of letter postage, which
probably constitutes nine-tenths of those receipts, a very brief statement
in regard to the rates of letter postage since the post-office of Buffalo
Creek was established, will form the concluding portion of this paper.
From 1792 until 1845 the single rate of letter postage was charged on
each single letter, and an additional single rate on each additional piece
of paper; and if a single or other letter weighed an ounce or more it was
charged four single rates for each ounce. During this period of
fifty-three years--from 1792 to 1845--the changes in the rates of inland
letter postage were very slight. There were generally from five to eight
different single rates, according to the distance the letter was carried,
the lowest being, at different times, six or eight cents, and the highest
uniformly twenty-five cents, except for a short period, near the close of
the War of 1812, when, in consequence of the expenses of the war, the
rates were temporarily increased fifty per cent.
From 1816 to 1845 the rate for a single letter carried not over thirty
miles was 6-1/4 cents; over thirty and under eighty miles, 10 cents;
over eighty and under one hundred and fifty miles, 12-1/2 cents; over
one hundred and fifty and under four hundred miles, 18-3/4 cents; and
over four hundred miles, 25 cents.

By an Act of Congress passed in 1845, the rate of inland letter postage
(after the 1st of July in that year), was fixed, irrespective of the number
of pieces of paper contained in a letter, as follows: For a letter not
exceeding half an ounce in weight, carried under three hundred miles, 5
cents; over three hundred miles, 10 cents, and an additional rate for
every additional half ounce or fraction of half an ounce. Drop letters
and printed circulars were by the same Act, to be charged 2 cents each.
This was considered by the Post-office Department as an average
deduction of 53 per cent. from the previously existing rates.
In 1851 an Act was passed which reduced the single rate of inland letter
postage (from and after the 30th of June in that year), for any distance
not exceeding three thousand miles, to 3 cents, when prepaid, and 5
cents when not prepaid; and for any distance over three thousand miles
to 6 cents when prepaid and 10 cents when not prepaid. Drop letters
and also unsealed printed circulars for any distance not exceeding five
hundred miles were, by the same Act, to be charged 1 cent each. This,
it is believed, was an average reduction of about fifty per cent. on the
reduced rates of inland letter postage established by the Act of 1845.
These rates did not apply to foreign letters, for which different
provision was made.
The Postal Treaty with Great Britain made in 1848, the postal
arrangements made in 1851 for direct and frequent postal
communication with the Canadas and other British Provinces, and the
postal arrangements soon after made with Prussia and other foreign
countries, increased to a considerable extent the amount of postages
received at the Buffalo offices on letters sent to and received from
foreign countries.
In 1855 an Act was passed under which all inland postage was required
to be prepaid and which fixed the single rate of inland letter postage for
any distance not exceeding three thousand miles at 3 cents, and for any
distance exceeding three thousand miles at 10 cents.
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