Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-03-26
THE NEW POSTAGE LAWS.

THE NEW POSTAGE LAWS.
We lay before our readers to-day the Post
Master Generals digest Of the several laws, rela-
tive to postage passed by Congress at its late ses-
sion. The provisions of these laws, if correctly
stated by the head Of the Post Office Department,
(and we have no reason TO suppose that he over
stepped his authority) will sartle our readers as
much as they astonished ourselves. When we
seen it stated in our exchanges that amendments
10 the postage law were under consideration in
Congress, we took it for granted that nothing
more was intended than trivial alterations in its
details; and, the synopsis Of the bill, published
in eastern papers, and stated by correspondents
wiring from Washington, favored this conclu-
sion. Indeed, the first intmaIion thatwe receiv-
ed Of radical change in the postage laws was
the receipt of the Post Master Generals circular
The general principles of the late postage law
were so manifestly just, and gave so universal
satisfaction that we fa,tered ourselves with the
belief thatno man, or set of men, however much
opposed to the law at heart, would have the har-
dihood,--the brazen effrontery, to breast the
storm that the agitation of its repeal would bring
upon them. In this we have been disappointed,
grossly deceived. The best provisions of that
law have been repealed; its most popular features
abolished. If the people of the United States
were called upon to decide, at the baot-box, (and
90 that tribunal the question will yet be carried')
upon the provision in nthelate law, allowing news
papers to circulate through the Post Office, free
of postage, within thirty miles OF the othce oil
publication, we hazard the assertion that nine
ten,hs of the freemen in this Republic would vote
in its favor. Yet this provision has been repeal
ed;-repealed without solicitation ffom any quar-
ter;--repeaed without giving its friends any op-
portunity to exert themselves in its defence;-re'
peaed on the eve Of adjournment, when thePress
of other business prevented members from exam
lining the details Of the bill upon which they were
called to vote;--at the hour OF midnight SNUG
gled through Congress without one-halt OF the
members having any knowledge of the fact!--
Do gentlemen suppose that victory won in such
manner will be lastingl Do they suppose that
the people will submit to such summary proceed
inps longer than until they have an opportunity
10 correct theml Do they suppose thatthe voice
of an overwhelming majority is to be forever s'l'
fled by this act Of subtle minortyl Do they
suppose that because they have, maneuVerng
.overreadhed the friends of the measure, that they
will now suocumbl Let them Danish such vain
.delusions. Let them prepare for the contest
they have brought about Let them prepare tc
weather the storm they have courted. There is
"bam in, Gilead, and dtheyshaH feel its influ
ence. We now raise the banner of REPEAL, and
shall not ''strike our eolors" until this unrghte
GUS act is blot;ed from the statute. We calluPor
our brethren Of the press to speak out boldly up
on this suBject--to speak, as become ireemen
in defence Of their rights.
We do not speak of this subject as partisan
It's one of those important questions upon which
politicians can meet upon common ground ant
unite their efforts in advocating measures essen
4ial to their own prosperity, and to the Interests
OF the great mass Of the American people
Is tH6E6 Indu III tue OuitOu S'"'0SS S"O~f -
connected with newspaper press in the easter
cities, who will say that the newspaper carrle
five miles through the Post Office, ought to pa
two.,hirds as much postage as apaper of double
and frequently quadruPle its size, carried fiv
hundred or thousand miesl-that the eight b
ten sheet published in the vest should pay nea'
ly as much postage for being carried B
mail through it's own immediate neighborhooc
as the "easterp blanket" pays for being carrie
to the remotest corners Of the Union! Such
position is SO palpably absurd that no man WI
hazard his character for sanity by advocating
Yet such is the effect of the law passed at tt
late session Of Congress.
There is another feature of the law that v
cannot pass over in silence. We refer to th
clause relative to transient newspapers, or pape
sent from other places than the office Of public
ton. BY this provision, if person desires
send newspaper to friend, either regular
occasionally, he must before the paper can