The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-27

charged and paid Al the Time Of the delivery Of he same IN
10 ht post Office adj before the same - sent In the mails
two cents
cula other printed or Autographed matter containing
any writing marks signs on the same by which intsl
Rence may be conveyed other than the address, OF
hieh shall be deposited In the Cice sealed shall be rated
with letter postagej
For pamphlets periodicals magazines for any distance
not exceeding hundred miles cent per sheet and
for any distance over hundred miles two cents p
sheet a, a,
be taken to be sheet Of printed matter containing intel
Bgence Of passing events Of not mere than nineteen hun
printed OF thogrsphed or engraved folded stitched
covered shall be taken to be pamphlet magazine OF PERI
odcai ana lated wh possss a. anu H. Iii snail
be estimated by the route over which letters newspapers
alter first day Of January eighteen hundred and forty
the hostages on all printed matter passing through
mails shall be prepaid at the oiee in which the same de-
posted and the shall be transmitted by mail
sro .fndbs further enacted That in lieu OF the com
missions allowed by law TO deputy Postmasters the
Postmaster General be- and he hereby authorized to allow
each postmaster such commissions shall be adequate to
his services and expenses not exceeding the following rates
ton such for any period less than to wit:
On not exceeding hundred dollars, forty per
cenum;
On sum over one hundred dollars and not exceeding four
hundred dollars, thirty per eentumi
On four hundred dollars and not exceeding
two thousand hundred dollars twenty five per centumj
On any sum over two thousand four hundred dollars
twelve per centumi
And on arising from the postage newspapers,
magazines, and pamphlets, nifty per centumi
And the amount Of postage on letters and packets re-
ceyed for distribution seven per centun; Prorded That
all allowances, commissions and other emoluments shall
be subject the provisions OF the section Of the
passed the third Of March eighteen hundred and forty
and that the annual compensation therein limited shall
be computed for the hseal commencing on the hrt OF
ending the thtlet of June and that for
period less than year the restrictions contained in said
section shall be held 70 apply in due proportion for such
from and after the passage Of this shall have the prvi
Iege receiving through the mails free any latter packet
exceeding two In weight addressed to them and
also daily paper or its equivalent and may send free
through the mails any letter packet the business OF
their respective Offices Of the Post Once Department
Sac fnd be the.enaetrd That the sixth section of
the act Of the third March, hunred and forty
which this intended amend shall be- and the same is
hereby repealed and in lieu Of money directed by it to
be paid to the Post Once Department from the contingent
funds allowed the officers entitled TO the ranking privilege
there shall be paid quarterly from the treasury the Uhit
ed states, to the Post Once Department seventy five
sEc g. .ladBs IL further enacted That the privilege Of
ranking shall in future, be allowed to the several officers
who entitled TO the prior to the Of the
VI the third Of March eighteen hundred and forty FIVE
subject the following resrctons 10 wit; That said priv
ege shall be allowed to the Vice President and members
OF the two houses Of Congress for thirty days before the
commencement Of Congress- amer thr respective elections
and be allowed during their continuance in Office and for
thirty days after the expiration Of their commissions and TO
az other officers entitled to the privilege the shall
and with their commission Prorided
That this restriction shall not be construed apply to
Presidents exPresdents, the widows Of exPTesidens
Madison and Harrison; aud during such time the aforesaid
officers Of the government may receive free through the
any letter packet addressed them exceeding
two ounces In weight any newspaper other printed
matter not exceeding our ounces In weight and doc
ument printed by the order of either house Congress
not exceeding three pounds in weight Prnuidsd That
o. be ansmissble in the mails; and may send through
the mails free any letter packet not exceeding two
in weight on the business OF their respective Offices
any newspaper other printed matter not exceeding
two ounces in weight, and any document printed by
der Of either house Of Congress- exceeding three
pounds weight
SIC. I. .4nd be further enacted That upon the trial
Osny person or persons charged with violation of the
from giving evidence in behalf Of the United States upon
any petext that in doing the person called
connected with the commission of the offence: Pro
ridsd That nothing said done by such person wit.
ness shall afterwards be used against him for any par
tinipston connection which he may have had with the
Commission OF said offence,
The bill having been read through, was taken up
by sections.
And the first section being under consideration,
Mr.. McCLELLAND moved to strike out the
seventh, eighth, and ninth lines, as follows:
"And for any distance miles and less than
miles, ten cents.
And for any distance over 600 miles fifteen cents"
Mr. DOUGLASS moved to amend the said sec
ton, by striking out from the following item, to
witt ."
ounce or less convey ed 400 nile. or less Ave eens
The words folio wing;
Conveyed 900 miles or less"
And also to amend by striking out the following
words: a.. -
"And for any distance 800 hundred miles, and less
than 600 miles, ten cents. .s...
And for any distance over 600 miles, fifteen cents"
And to insert the following ......
For every letter or package weighing quarter of an
ounce less, for any distance, Ave cents
Mr.. BRlNKERHOFF. That is not ad valo-
rem.
Mr.. DOUGLASS said that he believed if the
change contemplated by this amendment should be
made, the Post Office Department would be able to
support ITSELF He believed that the simplest and
best system that could be adopted, would be to
make postage uniform throughout the Union. A
fair trial would, he doubted not, amply justify this
assertion.
He would also move amendment making the
other provisions of the bill conform to that he had
proposed He would retain the provision that when
ever letter should be on one sheet of paper, and
weigh quarter of ounce less than half an
ounce, then the letter should be charged only five
cents.
Mr.. HOPKINS hoped the gentleman from Ill
nos would not press his amendment until an amend.
ment he was instructed to bring forward from the
Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, which
would be to strike out the proposed rate of Is cents
from the bill, offered, leaving the present rates of
and 10 cents. If the bill passed, the expected In
of revenue to result from the decrease of
weight in the single letter--the bill reducing it from
one-half ounce to one-quarter ounce. lie appealed
to his friend from Illinois not to press his amend
ment at this time Mr.. HI. estimated that the result
OF Such an enactment WOulu ne 10 create ueHClency
in the revenues of the department OF more than
million Of dollars, and this on the hypothesis of an
increase of correspondence of 100 per cent.
He referred to the deficiency Of revenue under the
existing law, which he said might be fairly estima-
ted at very nearly 81 900 O0O although, from saw
ngs in the lettings of contracts effected by the Post
master General, it would be reduced to something
like $4,000. Were gentlemen, in the face of these
facts, prepared to go for further reduction thus
throwing the department as charge on the treasury,
at a time when il was so lily able to sustain it,
Remarking that he did not intend to debate this
question at all, it being subject with which all gen.
tlemen were familiar, he proceeded briefly to ex-
plain and defend the provisions Of the bill and of
amendments which he intendedto offer, yielding, in
the of his remarks, for explanation inqui-
|ry, to Messrs. JACOB THOMPSON, FARAN,
McCLELLAND, and WOOD. .,
Mr.. THOMASSON Ia member Of the post Office
|commiltee) opposed the bill, particularly the
grounds of its oppressive operation on the com
merce Of the west and the photographers Of
the western country, and advocated a uniform
rate for all distances at cents. Judging from the
|greaer increase ofleters at the rate of cents than