The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-04-15

! the same if not even better time, with The letter
mail alone. This single fact will enable Senators
to estimate the increased expense OF mail trans
poralOn from the accumulation OF printed matter,
while from this city, especially, almost the whole
of that matter must 20 under frank. The re'e-
nues Of The Post Office Department were becom-
ing unequal 20 the charges upon it, and MIR w,
knew of no way in which Congress could more Ell
fcienIy act to remedy this evil than in so changing
the laws upon this subject us either to diminish
the weight of the mails and consequently the cost
of transportation, 10 make that weight contrib
! ute a more lust proportion towards the expense of
lis own transportation This, he thought, would
be etleclually done by Withdrawing the ranking
power of members of Congress from this printed
matter and by regulating the charges OF postage
upon it, by weight and not by the sheet lie would
Tax it heavily with postage, hut there was as
much reason that it should pay far charge as
that letters should pay so high one as they do
at present TO support the Post Office establish
ment.
The honorable Senator, in his original resou-
ton. had expressed the opinion that the postage on
letters ought to be reduced. This MIR w. could
not suppose would he done, while we were appro-
pralng money FROM the Treasury to pny for the
TRANSFORMATION Of The mails. That was done N the
late Extra Session To the amount Of about II half Il
million Of dollars, aud he believed done for the
first time since the establishment of the Post OF
fee Department. II certainly could not be the
policy of gentlemen 10 throw this vast Department
over upon the Treasury and draw from the whole
people, in taxes, five or SIX millions of dollars per
nnnum to meet it, expenses He could not think,
therefore, that This was the time 10 reduce the
postage on letters, but when that postage. rs now
charged is Insufficient to pay The cost of nHI tran
spOrtation, it did appear 10 him 10 be the proper
time 10 relieve the mails from the immense mas. Of
free matter which they made 10 carr, and 10
arrange more eQuilaby the charges Of postage up.
on printed packages
There were other reasons which operated upon
his mind for Withholding the (imnking privileges Of
members of Congress from printed matter alngelh-
er lie had before referred 10 those connected with
Il proper rerenchmcnt in the contingent expenses
of the two Houses of Congress, such as the dluiin
ulon Of the public printing, and The saving III the
cost of wrapping paper and other articles of STA
tonery used Tor enveloping the documents rs also
the labor of the messengers employed in folding
| them. These had all colue to be heavy items in
| the contingent expenses Of Congress, tring N the
mcn!ion OF them might seem to be tohe casual rea-
der.
Another and still more important consideration
weighed heavily with him. The practice Of SEN
ding Congressional speeches had increased within
the last few years TO an enormous extent, and had
came to be u matter expected by the constituent
aud demanded from The representative ,ns Il pant Of
his official duty. II had gone to such excess with
in the last few years as, in his Judgment to have
become injurious instead Of being beneficial to the
constituent body and most papubly so to the bust
ness of legislation here. The great nass Of Con-
gressional speeches now take their character from
this practice, They are made, not To be listened
to by the body to which they arc addressed, but 10
be read by the constituents TO whom the were sent,
Hence they are necessarily political part2an 10
much too great nm extent, aud much beyond what
they would he, if simply intended Tor the lcgis!u-
i've body The debates are prolraceG in length
too by this practice, for the speaker is well aware
tina: the debates upon the question can never reach
those whom he wishes 10 address, and hence he is
compelled, in his single speech, 10 give so fall II
view OfthG whole ground Of debate as TO enable
the reader 10 appreciate the force Of his remarks
and his views. This TOO must be repeated by each
speaker, because his speech is to 90 TO different
class Of readers Mr. W, had not for long time
entertained doubt that this Practice of Circulating
members had contributed molc than any ore single
canse 10 the constant increase Ufle duration oflhc
long sessions.
The evils Of the practice had not stopped here
The country press was deeply injured by it. The
people no longer look to their ngr or country
newspaper for information ms TO the proceedings Of
Congress, and the conduct Oi their immediate rep.
rrSenlalNcs hot rely upon their being furnished
with such speeches and public documents ms those
representatives may choose 10 select for their in!nr.
nation The information circulated in This WAY,
though perhaps more full upon few point, rhln
they would obtain from n well conducted ncwsp'.
per, is much less general aud much more plfm'
and partisan in l,S character And white he pub
lie mind is thus kept less well informed aud mude
T.,
country newspaper press. the safest reliance for IN
situations such ms ours is deeply and almost fatally
injured aud lis support Withdrawn in consequence
of the flood of matter gmiuilously furnished under |
the franks Of members of Congress. sill Ihr pgHr-
cc has become established aud all mus fu.'nw it |
in sell.doicnce, unless all are prohibited by the
limitation Of the power 10 frank
This was called 'ihe Thanking privilege" but to
him it had become a back handed privilege. His !
State was large and his CORES pnndcnis were nee
essarly numerous and every hour he could conf
nand from his legislative duties Ought 10 be de,o-
led 10 the business aud wishes Of Those correspon-
dents, and even then the time allowed, would be
EIr from sufficient 10 enable him 10 render them
that service aud cyilily which were their due and
his duty. Still he was compelled, OF he had heeh
during former sessions to devote large portion Of
that time 10 the sending of of his proportion Of
Congressional speeches and other documents. II
was 10 slight labor 10 supcrscrhe and frank several
thousand documents; and 10 accomplish il when il
seemed 10 be required, he had often been induced
10 give 10 it portion Of that time which wOud
have been moro appropriately devoted To the pub
lie business. lie aid not suppose he had acted diff
IeIeniy iion others in this respect, and he was
sure in sending documents he had not come up TO
the average Of the members generally. Yet the
private cost TO himself Of The speeches he had pur-
chased during each session for this distribution, he
bclle,ed would exceed in amour: what the postage
upon Lis letters would have been If the lrunkng
privilege had not existed at al lie hoped he
should not be supposed 10 mention this matter of
expense IN grudgirg spirit Far from it,
lie owed TO the constituents, 10 whom he had
sent bat Il lean supply of documents, more than he
could ever repay, either in money OF gratitude and
he had referred 10 the fact merely TO show that.
while this practice was, in his Judgement rather
harmful than beneficial TO the country, il was in
fact tax upon the pockets Of the members of Con