The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1848-09-01

Old Documents are Dangerous IhingS
We invite the attention Of every lover
offreedom, and opponent TO the extension
of human slavery to the following an;hen-
ticared copy of the bill which was passed
in the Senate of the United States, by
the CASTING VoTE oF MARTIN VAN b.
Rem, then Vice President, To legaize the
robbery of The mail, by the Southern
Postmaslers,f for the purpose of suppress
ing free soil documents. And yet this is
the man who now puts himself before the
people as free soil candidate" Here
is the law:
IAN ACT prOh,biting deputy postmas-
tiers from receiving or transmitting
through the mail to any State, Territo-
ry, or District, erlain papers therein
mentioned. the circulation of which, by
the laws of said State. Territory or
District, may he prohibited, and for
other purposes"
"Beitenacted by the Senate and House
Of Representatives of the United States
of America in Congress assembled. that
it shall mt be iaWf1l for any deputy
postmaster in any State. Territory or Dis
lrict of the United States, knowingly to
deiirer 10 any person wha'erer, any pam
Phiet, ne,0spaper Or handbW or other Prin.
ted or pictured represeniation 70 TOUCH
ING THE SUBJECT or SLAVERY, where. by
the laws of said State, Territory or Dis
trict, their circulation is prohibited: and
any deputy postmaster who shall he gua.
IN thereof shall be FORTHWITH remOced
from o6fce."
SEC. 2, And he ii further enacted.
That nothing in the acts ST Congress to
establish and regulate the Post Office De-
partment, shall be construed to protect
any depliy postmaster, mail carrier. or
agent of said Department, who shall cir
culate, in any State, Territory. or Dis
trict, as aforesaid. any such pamphlet.
newspaper, handbilI. or other printed or
pictorial representation, forbidden by the
laws of such State, Territory or District.
Sec. 8 And be it further enacted.
That the deputy postmasters ofthe office
where the pamphlets, newspapers, hand
bills. or any othe printed papers or pic
torial representations aforesaid, may ar
rive for delivery, shall under the instruc-
tions of the Postmaster General. from
lime to time give notice of the same, so
that they may he withdrawn by ths per
son who deposited them originally to be
mailed, and if the same shall not be with
drawn in one mouth thereafter. CV they
shall be burnt or Othercjse destroyed"
The following extract from the journal
of the proceedings of the Senrte of June
I'd, 1886, page 399. shows that the above
bili ras ordered 10 be engrossed for a third
reading by the casting rOte Of Martin Van
Buren,, then Vice President. viz:
"The Vice President having resumed
the chair on the question shall this bill
be engrossed andread the third time"
ali was decided in the affirmative
"Yeas Is
"Nays. lS
"On motion by Mr. Morris. the yeas
and nays being desired by one-hth of the
Senators present;
"The Senate being equally divided
LWthe Wee President rOted in The AIGrm-
atics.-So It, tcds ordered that M,s bill be
engrossed and read Third time"
"Ofce Of Sec'ry Of Senate q, S.
August Sd, 1S4S.
81 certify that the above extract is truly
copied from the Journal ofthe Senate of
the United States. w. PATTON, Eug.
Clerk"
No word of comment can be needed.
The same old fox is at his ancient tricks.