The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-02-25

cases by those who were directly interested in
| called upon to pay Tor benefits enjoyed only by
I individuals The present laws on the subject Che
sad were crude and consdered They had been passed
under pressing circumstances, without sufficient deibera
ton He would remedy the evils OF which the gentle
man compained-not in the manner which had been pro-
posed but BY eSmpensang h aSsy Iaequas io
ward them literally; but as the Post Office Department
was now regulated, it could hardly sustain itself He
hoped, therefore, that ioodgates OF expenditure
would be opened TO drain ii OF It's MEANS and make il
still greater burden upon the government He hoped the
gentleman would withdraw his amendment.
After some remarks by Mr.. COTTRELL--which the
reporter could not hear, great was the confusion
Mr. RIPLEY rose a point OF order, and maintained
that the amendment out of order for rrelevancy
| The CHAIR then ruled the amendment out OF order,
| for the stated,
Mr. COOKE appealed; but the decision of the Chair
WI Mr. s'I W. W CAMPBELL submitted the following
anne ndment
.44nd be it further enacted That the Postmaster Gen
era be directed report Congress- the
of the next session. whether deputy postmaster
elected by the electors OF the respective towns and cities
consistent with the best interests OF the Post Office Depart
ment, Acays provided, That such election may
hct with the provisions in section TWO OF the constitution
! Mr. McCLELLAND suggested that the amendment
irrelevant
The CHAIR ruled the amendment out Of order.
| Mr.. CAMPBELL appealed and proceeded 10 state his
reasons for submitting the amendment He said he had
several times attempted offer the provision in the
form OF resolution OF inquiry but without success
Post Office Department had been used for the diffusion
not only of pubic documents, but had been used the
great organ for the diffusion OF political matter
! MIR. McCLELLAND again rose to order. The debate
Mr. CAMPBELL said he would not attempt to thrust
anv remarks upon the House
The question was then taken on the appeal and the
| Chair sustained.
| The bill was then laid aside to be reported to the
| House,
THE FRANKING PRIVILEGE.
| Mr. HOPKINS, from the Committee the Post Office
and Post Roads, reported original bill to amend the act
entitled An act to reduce the rates OF postage to limit
the and correct the abuse of the ranking privilege
and for the prevention OF frauds the Of the
Post Office Department which was read
! Mr.. WHITE moved the following amendment to the
/ bill:
Tha the privilege of ranking by members of the Sem
and House of Representatives be construed
members, as well as letters written by them said privilege
extending to the meeting fthe succeeding Congress"
| Mr.. HOPKINS expressed the hope that the disputed
subject involved in the amendment would not be pressed,
| to the embarrassment of the bill
Mr.. G. w JONES submitted the following amendment
to the amendment by the gentleman from New York
viz:
egates from Territories the Vice President Of the United
States Secretary of the Senate, and the Clerk Of the
receive public documents free of postage during their
Of office and that the said members and delegates shall
have the power send and receive public documents free
of postage mp the LIST Monday Of December following the
expiration OF their term of office
and be further enacted, That the Secretary Of the SEN
ate and Clerk House Representatives shall
the power receive well to send all letters and pack
ages, weighing Two ounces, Tree OF postage during
Ind be it further enacted That members of Congress shall
have the power receive well send all letters and
packages weighing two free of postage,
TO the first Monday in December following the expiration OF
their of office
Mr. JONES briefly supported his amendment 1t was
very necessary that some action should be taken in the
case. By the present law the ranking privilege of men,
bers ceased thirty days after the expiration OF the
sion of Congress What would become of all the public
documents already ordered by the House, if the present
law upon this point was TO be enforced He had just
been informed that the Postmaster General construed the
law to provide for the cessation of the franking
privilege of members upon the 4th OF March Ii either
of these constructions of the law should be enforced,
what would be the result 1t would be simple this: All
that of matter would be mailed and sent to the post
Offices and as but very small part OF il would be
taken out and the postage paid, il would come back TO
the dead letter Office and the government would be
charged with the expense of transmission both ways
Either the law should be extended or the House should
not order the printing The one without the other was
useless.
Mr. WHITE accepted the amendment of the gentle
man from Georgia as a modification OF his own
MIR. CHAPMAN moved to amend the amendment as
follows
4nd prordsd further, That the Postmaster General may
in his discretion increase the compensation Of deputy post
masters in where mails are in fact distributed 10
amount not exceeding IN any given case the sum OF one
hundred dollars"
This amendment rejected
The question recurring upon agreeing to Mr. WHITES
amendment as modified by Mr. G. w JONES, ii was de-
cided in the affirmative
Mr. LYON submitted the following as an amendment
to the bill
ng all advertisements made under orders of the Postmas
ter General in newspaper or newspapers OF letters I'M
paper newspapers shall be designated by the post
of the town place where the office advertising
situated the nearest newspaper thereto provided the
editor editors OF such papers shall to in
the same for price moi greater than that now fixed by
law"
Upon division, it appearing doubtful whether there
was aquorum present, the amendment was withdrawn,