Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-03-13
The Framking Privilege.

The Philadelphia Ledger asks why the privilege Of
sending and receiving letters free of postage should
be allowed to members of Congress, and answers the
question as follows:
1.-The usual excuse is that it dfuses important in
formation among the people, and enables the citizen
to transact business with the government through his
representative. But in reply to the first, say that
the people would obtain quite as much information
from Washington without the privilege with it );
for every public document sent abroad under the
ranking privilege, would be published in the newspa
pers if the people could obtain them in any other
mode. Without the privilege, members OF Congress,
instead Of publishing their speeches in Washington,
and sending them through their districts under the
frank would procure their publication In the newspa
pers Of their districts. The citizens transaction Of
business with the government through his representa-
tive is strictly private affair." the postage Of which
he ought to pay In such cases, he employs his re-
preventative as an agent, not legislator. And
even when petitions sent, praying for public legs
lation the postage ought th be paid by the petition
ers; and this improvement Of the law would prevent
many idle and ridiculous or unlawful petitions from
reaching Congress"
| The Chillicothe Democrat treats the subject with
more severity: 1t talks in this way:
''FREE LETTERs.-Congress in the bill before them,
has taken special exclude this privilege from
all but themselves. 1t is fortunate that they have
done So otherwise many of them would be heard
7
$1,000 free letters home in single session. The
compensation to Post Masters for merely delivering
those 30 eco letters (two cents each,) thou
sand dollars, besides the cost to government for pens
ink paper, transportation &c. &c. and all for what
To enable our honorable IN c. to say each voter
Sir, l am "Much Concerned for your vote. The
voter gets the thing wrapped up all nicely and ex-
/ claims Well WELT L didn't think he knec
me!!!" You didn't Old dad ? Nor does he We
will tell you how he came by your name. He got il
from the Auditors tar list, and the of some ne
groes along with it, to whom he has also written an
! C""Much Concerned" A first rate statesman needs
no such clap trap to make himself known. His mea-
sures if he originates any, the topic of general
conversation and newspaper comment all over the
country. Such sends but few letters, and nev-
er loads down the mail with false wrappers or that
which is the same thing the sending under costly
covering printed matter which no one desires tC
read'
L The Journal of Commerce says:
/ CHEAP PosTAGE.-Since the British Parliament had
the Inaghanimity entirely TO abolish their ranking
pririge (Which very similar political engine
and as heavy dead weight upon the mails, to that
claimed for themselves by our Republican Congress,
and to fix their letter postage, well that Of
the people, at the uniform rate Of penny and tC
carry newspapers throughout the realm, for nothing
there has been, might be expected, vast increase
in the lumber Of letters And as the result for seve
raj years past the Post Office has cleared to the Gov
eminent all expenses from three to four millions
of dollars annually. By the late arrival we learn
that the additional increase of revenue from thli
source, the past year, has been 1868 COO At thi:
ratio of annual increase, it may yet become one o
the largest sources of national revenue Genius o
Republicanism, awake 4! awake =