Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1848-04-29

of Westmoreldnd CountY.
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POSTAGE AND THE FRANKING PRIVILEGE.
The Senate of the United States has pass
ed bill to enlarge their privileges decla-
ring that Senators have right to frank
when they please as much as they please
and where they please, whether endorsed
by them or not.
Now it seems these Senators who get
eight dollars day, and their postage free,
can act very promptly when they are per-
sonally interested, but the outrageous law
of last session, which re-enac ted the charge
of postage on newspapers under 80 miles,
for the benefit of the editors of city papers,
who carry most of their papers free on the
rail roads, they can find no time to act on.
Now it is time and high time for country
editors TO take this matter into serious con-
sideration and pledge themselves neither to
countenance or support any Senator or
member of Congress who will neglect, or
refuse to act in favor of the repeal of the
present odious law. We see that in Wash
ington city, and in the large cities, an eff
fort is making to repeal the postage on pa
pers, for any distance. To this, the whole
country press is opposed. The city press
have already too great monopoly of the
business. We are willing however that
papers should circulate free of postage,
within the bounds of each congressional
district. Let our members of Congress, at
tend, little more promptly, to the inter-
ests of their constituents, instead of their
own, or they may find that their constitu-
ents may attend to them. And let the
Press speak out boldly and unanimously
upon this subject and they will be heard.
The Washington correspondent of the
Ledger has the following on this subject:
The bill which has lately passed the Sen.
ate declares the right of the person to use it
at any place whatever, whether present or
not. If this becomes law, what is to pre-
vent the distribution and use of franked en-.
velopes in every part of the Union nay,
what is to prevent the sale Of Jranked en-
relopes for half price, and thus in a great de.
gree destroy the Pos,-ollice revenues.
1t is somewhat remarkable in the laws,
whether made to ''limit the use" or 'correct
the abuse" of the franking privilege, or 0to
prevent frauds Oh the revenues" of the De.
parment, each one, from the first TO the pre-.
sent day, has enlarged the privilege, and, what
is still more strange, there is no penalty i'm
posed for a false certificate of ''publie doeu-
ment," by a person entitled to it. "Chps
and whetstones'' may be franked as public
documents, and no penalty attaches for the
falsehood, but Postmaster, in the best exer.
else of his judgement, honestly attempting
to enforce the law and to guard the revenues
against fraud, is, by this law to be sued in
the Federal Court for penalty of 500, if he
makes mistake, and charges postage on a
letter which he believes not to have been
properly franked. The franking privilege
had better be at once extended to every body
The extensive Use ofthis privilege is now the
great impediment TO still further reduction
in the rates of postage. The Postmaster Gen.
eral, we understand, does not hesitate to de-
clare that an uniform rate of five cents may
be established, if this privilege, is dispensed
with. Instead of enlarging the privilege, and
removing all restraints imposed to prevent
frauds, would tnot be better to restrict theright
and regulate its use, so as soon to give to the
people at large the real benefits of the cheap
postage system! The Presidential election
is now approaching, and the passage of such
law would give to each party the use of the
mails free of postage during the canvass, and
probably consume half its revenues.
OBSERVER.