Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1840-06-18

several hundred citizens Of New York
city, on the subject Of the bankrupt bill
now in progress in the Senate. The
Inemoriulis,s Mr.. w. said, remonstrated
in warm and decisive terms against the
princip pies and opinions contained IN The
memorial Of the Boaro Of Trade OF the
city of New York on this subject
Mr.. w. said he concurred IN The sen,
timeni of the memorial altogether -
N othing, in his opinion, in the present
excited state Of public feeling, so much
demanded the serious attention oi Con-
gress as the passage Of q bankrupt bill.
And if il should be found impractic able
TO pass it at this SC cssion, If the cup OF
relief was thus to be dashed from the
lips of thousands, they aud Mr. W..
must submit. But if the bill should be
presented in form not unconstitutional
it could hardly be SO bad that MIR. w.
would not give his vote for it.
Mr.. w. moved that the memorial be
printed and referred TO the select com
mitiee on the bankrupt bill, which was
ordered accordingly.
II line Vdr 81 me uep0tHson.
Mr.. Southart presented the memorial
Of the ministers, elders, and trustees OF
the First Presbyterian Church in Eliza
beth,own, New Jersey, asking from
Congress compensation tor the destruc-
ton Of their property by the enemy dur.
ing the war Of the Revolution.
On presenting this petition, Mr.. Soutl-
| ard addressed The Senate at consdera-
bic length in favor of the menorialists,
ard finally moved that the papers be
printed, and referred TO the committee
on evolutionary claims.
Reduction of Posioge.
Mr.. Webster submitted the following
resolutions
Resolred, That tho rates Of postage
charged on letters transported by mail
of the United States ought to be re-
duced.
Resolved, That it is expedient to in
quire into the utility Of 30 altering tho
present regulations ol the Post Otiice
DEPARTMENT as to connect the use OF
stamps or stamped covers with large
reduction of the rates of postage.
Mr. w. said it was not his wish that
this subject should be acted upon ut the
present session of Congress, but he de-
sired that it might be presented ior the
consideration OF the country at large,
He believed there was general opinion
in the country that the present rates OF
postage ought to be reduced. Many
petitions to this effect had been hereto
fore presented to Congress, and the
opinions Of members Of Congress had
come TO the same result. TO this might
be added the experience Of England,
in the lsvying Of penny postage, by
the use Of stamped covers. These
things, in Mr. W's opinion, rendered 1t
well worth while for Congress to give
their attention to the subject, at least so
far as changes mig ht be made effective
to secure the revenue from defalcations.
10 England, any letter or package, not
" eighiDg over an ounce, was conveyed
to any part Of the kingdom for penny
and the covers for the purpose were
stamped, and purchased by those who
desired 10 use them. There the reduc-
ton Of postage was found to increase
the revenue ; and though this country
was different from that in extent and
population, events within the last ten
years, (such as the rapidity and cheap
ness of private correspondence render.
ed it well worth lnquirlng whether the
reduction of postage here also would
not increase the sum total OF the re-
ceipts.
MIR. w. moved the printing of the
resolutions, and Of an engraved copy ol
the British penny stamp, which was ac-
cordingly ordered.
i Standing .4rmy.
/ A prelude to the regular debate COM
menced upon this subject. MIR. Clay
Of Kentucky, and Mr.. Preston Of S.
G. advocated farther postponement, be-
cause certain papers connected with the
subject, and ordered to be printed on
Monday, were not yet laid upon the ta-
BILE. MIR. Roane and MIR. Clay Of Ala
bama, opposed further post pons n,ent,
and being in the majority, farther oppo
sition was deemed useless
\ Mr.. Preston, in commencing his reg
ular speech, desired to remind the Sen
ate Of the following facts That the
committee on the militia had presented Il
report last week, that without being read
at the table it was ordered to be printed
for the use of the Senate-that it was
not laid before the Senate until Monday
laSt-then in five minutes after the
meeting Of the Senate on Monday, a
motion was made to print 10000 extra
copies.
So much for the preliminary facts {:
and now, said Mr. Preston, | wish TO
remind the Senate and the country of
another set of facts. From the moment
that the report Of the Secretary of War
was sent out until the time that the re-
port upon the report Of the Secretary OF
War has been laid upon'our tables, not
a single extra copy of Mr.. Poinsett's
document had been sent out by the two
houses Of Congress. Again, from that
time to the present, not q single Admin
istration newspaper has published the
report of an Administration Secretary
Of War-not one. The Wings Of the
country-the anti-Admpistration pres.
ses or the country-haye been chilled