American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1844-12-03
For the American Republican
To The Honorable, the Senate and House Of K

To The Honorable, the Senate and House Of Re
PreSentatiUeS in Congress assembled:
The subscribers, citizens of the United States,
respectfully represent That they consider
themselves aggrieved, and their liberties inva-
ded, by the unjust eXactlons, and the manner
OF the administration, of the present fost Ot-
flee laws and department.
Your memorialists would respectfully ask
your attention to the following astounding fact,
yiz:-That the Post Office, under cover of the
franking privilege, has been prosttuted to sub
serve the interests Of political demagogues, as
piring to office and power; thereby converting
a department of the general government, insti-
tuted by our fathers to subserve the common
interests of the people of these United States,
into an engine of corruption.
Your memoralists would most respectfully
and seriously represent to your honorable body,
that, as descendants of pure Republican faith
ers, that were jealous of their liberties and
rights, they consider it their duty to demonstrate
with their Rulers, chosen to represent them in
the Legislature of their country, whenever they
believe that epits eriSt, that threaten the sub
version of their privileges and rights as free
men: and your memoriasts fully believe that
such evils do now exist as above set forth.
Your memoralists would further respectful
evil of which they Justly complain, viz:-Tax-
ing the people through mal-adminstration of
the Post Office department, to the amount of
the entire cost of the transportation in the
United States mail, of a mass of electioneering
papers, letters, and documents, greater in
amount of cost of transportation than all the
mailable matter of letter-postage within our
Union, is, as an item of Just animadversion,
f1llv canal tn cartair itans Of Rritieb aonroc-
sion, to redress which, our patriot sires perlled
their lives and fortunes.
Your memorialists would further respectful
ly represent to your honorable body, that the
present exactions of the Post Office department
aforesaid, as respects the transportation of
newspapers, is, in fact, waging a war against
the diffusion of knowledge in our country; and
that the evils i'll question, in all their bearings,
are without precedent in the annals of the
world.
Your memorialists would further respectful
ly represent to your honorable body, that, as
citizens of a glorious Republic, it is humliat-
ing in the extreme, to view our Representa-
tves, with the liberal per diem allowance of
Eight Dollars, contendng for the additional
perquislte of an abused Thanking privilege,
while the legislators of monarchcal England,
without any per diem allowance from the pub
lie purse for their services in Parliament, mag
unanimously pay the postage of their letters
from their own funds.
Wherefore, your memorialists most respect
fully request your honorable body, to correct
the evils in question: and thereby restore your
memorialists to their Just rights; and by re-
ducing the present exolbitant rates of letter
postage, remove dsgraceful reproach that
now hangs like foul incubus OH our free in
situations: and your memorialists, as in duty
bound, will ever pray.
The above memorial will be furnished our
fellow citizens throughout the State of Mary
land, for their signatures; and it is desirable.
that that portion of the newspaper press in the
United States that is not ridden to death by
political demagogues, shall give the above me-
mortal place in their columns, and aid in STIR
ring up the people to proper sense of the I'M
Just exactions of their would-be-masters.
FRANKLIN.