美国便士报与1845年邮资改革运动

American Penny Papers and Postage Reform in 1845

1845年,美国国会修订邮政法案,实行统一邮资制度,这得益于便士报的关注和推动。早在国会立法之前,便士报就已报道现行邮资制度存在公职人员免邮特权滥用、私人信件邮资过高以及妨碍书籍和杂志流通的弊端,向公民传递邮资改革新闻信息。便士报还介绍英国邮资改革经验、维护邮政部垄断通信地位以及发表邮资改革建议,不断引领邮资改革舆论的生成和发酵,塑造推行邮资改革共识。待国会讨论邮资议案时,便士报又动员公民写请愿信和参加公众集会,报道国会讨论邮资改革进展,为国会批准通过《1845年邮政法案》寻求合意性支持。便士报操纵邮资改革舆论,扩大了它的政治、经济和社会影响力。然而,便士报无法摆脱政治和商业利益的束缚,难以行使监督新邮资法案执行的职能。

In 1845,the United States Congress revised the postal act and implemented a unified postage system,which benefited from the attention and promotion of the penny papers.Before Congress legislated,the penny papers reported that the current postage system had the disadvantages of abusing the frank privilege of public officials,excessively high postage for private letters and hindering the circulation of books and magazines,so as to convey the news information of postage reform to citizens.The penny also reported the experience of British postage reform,safeguarding the monopoly communication position of the post office department and publishing postage reform suggestions,constantly leading the generation and fermentation of public opinion on postage reform and shaping the consensus on the implementation of postage reform.When the Congress discussed the postage bill,the penny paper mobilized citizens to write petitions and participate in public gatherings to report the progress of the Congress’s discussion on the postage reform and seek consensual support for the Congress’s approval of the 1845 postal act.The penny paper manipulated the public opinion of postage reform and expanded its political,economic and social influence.However,it can not get rid of the constraints of political and commercial interests,and it was difficult to exercise the function of supervising the implementation of the new postage bill.