The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-03-17
TIL E UNION.
wAsHrscros. March IS. lsas,

IN Auiou o. l3th inst there an sruce
the specious Signature OF Justice" which comments
gpon remarks made BY in the Senate the 18th OF
February. The partial extract from the law OF ls4o,
st.niing Aone = calculated 10 produce uniasoraole iu
psessons regard 10 my intelligence and judgment on
le.si sshscs mp- therefore ask YOU 10 allow me to
sggca hsoie your readers in yindeaiing my opinions
insisi thar had the night 10 frank, as member Of
Congress. from the OF my election, but iIom
and alter ths tine my Official term senator con-
menoed-io MI. iron the sth OF March, isa7 Jus
h some degree, UPON ms taking seat IN the Senate, ana
ihs oath VI o1ee. December last There is nothing to
BE- iOund IN th- Post otos Laws which in any, the re-
moisst desfee. oonnees members right 20 frank win
be tssina seal or he oath OF Office The language
Of tbs lac =, "ssrh member OF the Senate may
send and receive thruuFh The mail, free OF postage
Those members 81 the Senate who have been
duly elected and whose terms al service have commenced
wheihsf hey have taken their seais not, and 80 the
than twenty YEAR,. deicrmine What . the meaning oil
that part II the sh section 81 the act Of i-i5 quoted by
-Jasioe Which son'efs GA members Of The Senate ana
members Of She House 81 Representatives 1he night 10
send and receive through the mail free Of postage, any
letter, &c -f0r PERIOD Of thirty days before The eom
oi each and srerg session Of Congress How
can tbs privilege esis unless those elected and whose
terms OF service have commenced allowed To frank
before taking their seats and the oath 81 ONCE Ibe
matter = too plain for srsument Those who have been
duly elected. ana whose Of service have con-
meneed, are senators and representatives within Tue
meaning Of the law.
Jusce has thong popsr 10 suppress the most mate
rial part Of the sth section OF the act Of -ia Had he iary
presented extracts from all the acts Of Congress bearing
upon the question: should not have noticed hs article.
But he has only gwen much a would, admit make
out clear agaIns, me, there was nothing behind
Justice" exhibits himself IN the attitude OF witness
who voluntarily proaer- b.. testimony against 'he ac
cused, and then refuses 70 tell the usoie truth.
The following extracts contain all the law necessary
to be considered IN deciding whether ] am night or
wrong.
The first section Of the act OF sl5 is in these words
Be enacted Sc THAT from and after the fret day Of
July neat members OF Congress and delegates bon Terri
tore. may receive letters, not exceeding two OUNCES va
ght free OF postage, during the OF Congress, any
thing 10 the contrary Ia this notahstaudng,' Ae
Here is very important qualif caion of the eih sec
ton OF the act quoted By Justice" That seehon,
If II stood alone, would limit the members rghl IN the
10 thirty days before and after each session Out
the first section gives the right during the entire recess
! notwithstanding anything 10 the contrary "a inc IN
seet.on Now. ask has a member night TO receive
letters during the free OF postage and when he an
the letters received mus, he pay postage upon ms
answer or leave II for his correspondent TO pay con
tend the member may frank his answer and then At goes
free OF postage The law governs, and Is respected by
postmasers. The sth section OF the act OF ls4o must
settle the point ], reads thus;
Be it enacted &c Tha, each member OF the Senate Ne
may dnung each session of Congress- end Tor period Of
thirty days before the commencement aud thirty days amer
The end oil each and every 'ession Oh congress e h
receive through the mail free of postage, any letter. news
Ne and they shah have the right to iank written leers
from hems. YES during the whole year, rs now an'oi
lied by law
This last and important sentence conferng "he RICH,
10 frank written letters from themselves during the
whole year," is kept entirely out OF view by Justce
Now when the first section OF the act OF isi3 gives the
right to members OF Congress to receive letters Tree OF
postage during the whole and the las, sentence IN
the eighth section confers authority to frank rrien letters
from Themselves during the whole year. is II not prepos-
ferrous TO contend that members right to frank ms
written letters not exceeding two ounces IN weight is
limited TO period within thirty days OF the commence
men and close OF session OF Congress Suppose the
present session OF Congress should adjourn on the Isl
day OF August next where will members OF Congress
find authority for ranking etterswr'ten by them in The
month of October thereafer II is only 10 be found IN
the concluding sentence Of the sth section Where did
members OF Congress-senators, who have been IN once
the last three or four yearshnd authority 10 frank then
written letters in May, lSi7 Nowhere but IN the con-
Guiding sentence of the sih section. And yet while the
franks of senator's who had taken their seats pnor to
May s47, were respected, mine was dlsegaried there
is ground of distinction in the law. so far as can
perceive between senator before and after he takes his
seat in reference The ranking privilege The postmaster
such distinction, and to that extent violated his duty
and the law. | legal provision or reason Tor
placing senator upon favored position than
another because the may have taken his seat and
the other has not far their right 10 frank is con
cerned They senator's after their ofhcia terms com
mence and being senators, all have an equal rght 10
two in weight during the session, and for thirty
days before and after; and letters of the same weight
written by themselves. during the remainder OF the year
Justice apologies for the postmaster, who, when
member OF the House OF Representatives obtera,
ted my frank upon some five hundred speeches, ana
charged my constituents with one dollar twenty i've
cents postage on EACH upon the ground that might
have left bundles of franks in the city, to cover the cor
respondence OF the citizens during the recess OF Con-
gress" and told that il is notorious that franks
have been thus left with bankers vendors OF lottery tick
cts, and others, engaged nther own private affairs, and
in instances, transmitted large bundles TO other
cities in fraud of the law" II certainly strange
idea for the postmaster to entertain, that the citizens
of Washington or Georgetown, bankers" or "venders
of lottery tickets" awaiting themselves OF my frank
TO correspond with my constituents, seven hundred mes
distant, on their private affairs. The depose OF hve
hundred letters in his Office the day, or within
few days. all franked by me-all directed IN the same
handwriting folded and enveloped alike-al OF the
same szeand all to be sent TO post offices in my con,
gressional dsrct-were facts that would have satisfied
any mind, except whose suspicious spring from
source that ought be suspected that there was nothing
! improper. Well when members OF Congress charge
posmasters with violating the law and they and others
retor by charging members with acts OF fraud said TO
be 'notorious" and these things are published to the
world, il is high time to revise the laws and make them
plain and Ineligible if their ambiguity be the cause OF
the difficulty and TO prescribe severe penalties Tor their
! violation
| In conclusion, desire to say that did not begin 10
frank until had we'll examined and considered the sub.
ject; and that "Justce" is wrong when he supposes
may have fallen into because did not =" trouble
myself to inquire into my rights before exercising them
admit that did not inquire" of postnasters- I'M
dertook to constme the law for myself.
Respectfully j. H. UNDERWOOD.