Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-03-24

of The Post Office Department were becoming uhequui
IN the charges upon il, and Mr. w. knew of no way
N WHICH Congress- could more efficiently act to reme-
DIV this evil than in changing the laws upon this sub
cct rs either to diminish the weight of the mails, and
the cost Of transportation or to make that
weight contribute more just proportion towards the
expense of its transportation Ihs, he thought,
would be efTectuay done by Withdrawing the ranking
mower of members of Congress from this printed mat.
Ter and by regulating the charges of postage upon il,
bv weicht and no, by the sheet lie would not tax II
heavily with postage, but there was as much reason
that should pay fair charge as that letters should pay
high as they do at present 10 support the OBJ
Office establishment.
The honorable Senator, in his orig na resolution had
EXPRESSED the opinion that the postage letters ought
to be reduced. This Mr.. w. could not suppose would
be done, while were approprating money from the
Treasury TO pay for the transportation OF the mails
That was done at the late Extra Session to the amount
of abou, half million ofdollars, and he believed done
for the first time since the establishment of the Post
Office Department 1t certainly could not be the policy
of gentlemen TO throw this vast Department over upon
the Treasury and draw from the whole people, IN taxes,
We or six Millions of dollars per annum to meet lis ex-
penses. He could not Think therefore, mat TINS was
the time TO reduce the postage letters, but when that
postage as now charged insufficient to pay the cost
of mail transportation it did appear to him to DC the
proper time TO relieve the mails from the immense mass
of free matter which they were made to carry, and to
arrange equitably the charges OF postage upon
printed packages.
There were other reasons which operated upon his
mind for Withholding the franking privileges OF mem
bers Of Congress from printed matter altogether. lie
had before referred to those connected with proper
retrenchment in the contingent expenses OF the Two
Houses of Congress- such the dImnuton OF the pub
lie printing and the saving in the cost OF wrapping pa
per and other articles of stationery used for enveiopng
the documents as also the labor of the messengers EN-
pIoyed in folding them These had all come 10 be
heavy items in the contingent expenses of Congress,
triang the mention of them mig seem to be to the
casual reader.
Another and still more important consideration
weighed heavily with him. The practice OF sending
Congressional speeches had increased within the last
few years to enormous extent, and had come to be
n matter expected by the constituent and demanded
from the representative as par. OF his official duty
1t had gone TO such within the last few years as
in his judgment, 10 have become injurious instead of
being beneficial 10 The constituent body, and most
palpably so to the business of legislation here The
great of Congressional speeches now take their
character from this practice They are made, not to be
listened by the body to which they addressed
but TO be read by the constituents to whom they were
Hence they necessarily political and parti
zan TO much too great extent and much beyond
what they would be, simply intended for the legisa.
tive body. The debates protracted in length loo
by this practice for the speaker we'll that the
debates upon the question can never CHI those whom
he wishes 10 address, and hence he is compelled in his
single speech, TO give full view of the whole
ground Of debate to enable the reader to appreciate
the force of his remarks and his views This too must
be repeated by each speaker because his speech to
90 10 different class of readers. Mr. w. had not for
long time entertained doubt that this practice OF cir
cuatng the Congressional speeches under the franks
of the members had contributed more than any one
single 10 the constant increase OF the duration
Of the long sessions.
The evils of the practice had not stopped here. The
country press was deeply injured by it. The people
longer look to their village county ne @spaper for
information the proceedings OF Congress, and the
conduct of their immediate representatives., but rely
upon their being furnished with such speeches and pub
lie documents those representatives may choose to
select for their information. The information cIrcu
lated in this way, though perhaps more full upon few
points than they would obtain from well conducted
newspaper much less general and much more partial
and partisan in lis character. And while the public
mind is thus kept less we'll Informed and made less
sound strong, active, and well supported country
newspaper press, the safest reliance TOR institutions
such ours is deeply aud almost fatally injured and
its support Withdrawn in consequence of the flood of
matter gratuitousy furnished under the franks OF men,
Der of Congress. Still the practice has become es
and all follow it in seldefence, unless
all are prohibited by the limitation of the power to
frank
This was called "the ranking privilege, but to him
il had become back handed privilege His State was
large and his correspondents necessarily hume
rons and every hour he could command from his legs.
lalve duties ought TO be devoted to the business and
wishes of those correspondence and even then the time
allowed would be far from sufficient TO enable him to rem
der them that service and clvliiy which were their
due and his duty. Still he was compelled, or he had
been during former sessions, to devote large portion
of that time to the sending off Of his proportion OF
Congressional speeches and other documents. IL was
slight labor to superscribe and frank several thou
sand documents; and to accomplish it when it seemed
10 be required he had often been induced TO give TO it
q portion of that time which would have been more
devoted to the public business He did
not suppose he had acted differently from 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 purchased during each for this
distribution he believed would exceed in amount what
the postage upon his letters would have been if the
ranking privilege had not existed at all. He hoped
he should not be supposed TO mention this matter of
expense in grudgIng spirit Far fromit. de owed TO
the constituents whom he had sent but lean supply
Of documents than he could ever repay, either in
or gratitude and he had referred to the fact
ly to show that while this practice was, in his judgment
rather harmful That beneficial to the country, it was in
fact tax upon the pockets of The members of Congress-
we'll upon their time, than equal TO the benefits
they dervefrom the ranking privilege out of which il
has grown.
Complaints had also been made Of the abuse of The
ranking privilege by deputy postmasers and the mum.
Der of those officers large, and their in. |
crease so rapid that he had mentioned this subject
thy of careful examination by the appropriate
mttees of Congress- to whether the privilege itself
would bear to be brought within narrower limits, and
whether there we're existing abuses which ought to be
corrected.
The eleventh resolution of The honorable Senator
he did not propose TO amend. II in these words
H. Rsove That the Secretaries of State, Treasury
the War; Of the Navy Departments, and the Postma-ere
neral severay directed practicable report what
abolished and what reenments of public expen
made without public de,riment in Tie respective
N
AS carrying out through the aid of the various Exc
cutve de pariments and within their several organiza
,ions the system of rerenchment which the previous
resolutions proposed Congress should begin, this call
upon those departments was manifestly proper.
The resolutions of the honorable Senator, taken TO.
gether covered too much ground TO be carefully exa-
mined within the reasonable limits of speech, and the
amendments he had felt it TO be his duty TO offer to
them had rather extended than limited the views he
was thus called upon to present. They were now
closed and he would resume his seat, with pleasure
second ony To that which must be felt by those who