The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1849-03-13

what | conceive q very reasonable conclu-
sion upon this subject. ! suppose, sir, that
three -ioupihs oi The whole revenue now paid
for ihetransmission Of newspapers is paid
within the circle se thirty miles. within
which il Is The proposition now that these
papers shall circulate free; and this amount
&c ,hree-fourhs will come 10 four hundred
and thirly-onc thousanr dollars.
Now, sir, lei us assume mat this IS 10 be
The loss TO the public treasury and ,he Say-8
ing TO the people; for il should be borne in
mind that that which IS loss 10 the public
treasury in iIiis respect is a saving to the
people--not in expenditure, bu, barely an
nmission 10 collect thai much taxes which
we now collec, from the people i is the
diminution Of the Tax ON the privilege Of
reading inihis country, 10 the extent oi four
hundred and ihirty-one thousand dollars.
Now, lei US see what is the benefit likely
to be dispensed TO the people from the difni-
mutton OF then taxes 10 the extent and 10
the way in which this proposition seeks 10
reduce them. The newspapers Of the
United Stales are perhaps in nun Der about
24O0. have some daia upon which ]
think may fairly draw the conclusion thai
they arc about In number 2400, bn', in or
der 70 keep within probability, or rather TO
keep within positive fact in my estimate, |
pui tho number at 1000. Now, sir, these
1000 newspapers have a various circulation
as 10 number add as 20 time. The large
city papers publish an immense edition daily {;
The small country papers publish limited
edition weekly. The papers ofthe intefme.
diaie towns---ilIose IctWccn villages and
ciiics--poblsh a.hrger circulation than the
village presses, aud publish them two o.
three times awcek. There is, therefore,
no possibility of doing moro than striking in
The mind a ialr avernge as TO the extent and
number of the papers circuluted. lihsve
attempted TO do that. Assuming the nun
Der of the papers to be 1000, assume ,he
circulation OF tho whole 10 be once week
none Of them afe less, and many Of them
are daily--snd assume the number ofihe
copies issued by each 10 be 1000 on an
average. There are then calculated in the
United States 1000 newspapers, each, cir.
culsting weekly 1000 copies--making, IN
all, a weekly average OF two milIions OF
newspapers circulated IN the United States.
But all ofihese papers do moi circulate
through the mails; smaay of them are Dis
tribu,ed IN the towns and cities whore they
are published, II ise g' lsSi
/ have made calculation as 10 the pro-
babIc proportion Of those that do GO through
the mail and those that do not. | have sup.
posed that ihrce-fourths Of the whole NUN.
her do 20 through The mails and are trans.
ported TO some puint from the print OF pub
l,caiion--ihat is to say i 800, 900 newspa.
pers--and | have also supposed whatwonld
be the proportion between the number cir.
culaied within, and the number Circulated
without this circle Of sixty niles,
| have supposed that about half Of the
whole oftte misrepresentation atwodllirds
Of all that 90 in the nails -are calculated
within this circle of sixty miles; that is 10
say, one million of newspapers The pro.
position before US is, therefore, 10 cease
levying this tax upon one million oi news.
papers circulated weekly wilhrn circle Of
sixty miles from The central point Of publ
cation. That, sir, is the proposition.
And now, sir, lei me see who it Is thIl
would derive benefit from this privilege
who il is that would be exempt from this
taxation now imposed, and how many there
are. All The newspapers that pass through
the mails, but 60 within the circle Of sixt,
miles, are one million in number. They
are taken by one million Il men; and il
may fairly be supposed Tint each newspa
per thus taken entcting family is read ant
dispenses its benefits 10 three members 0
that family, which will show an aggregate o
three millions Of people who will bs benc
fted by this motion.
Now, sir, do not look upon the repeal O
this tax on lhe privilege ofreadng tha
is all II is--as an unrequired favor al The OK
pense Of tile government. In The frs
place, ] have shown you that your mail hal
10 travel between all these points, wheihe
you lake newspapers along or not. You
mail has to 60; aud as this prop s.ion i
confined 70 circle OF sixty miles from The
central point Of publication, The larger par
Of this matter goes in the otherwise einpty
mailbags that travel soh the cross-roads.---
Your mails will have to travel, as hav,
shown, even with empty mail-bags, whelhe
thare be newspaper or no newspaper pub
llshed in The country. The mail must go
You have incurred the, obligation by ,h,
consti,uiion Of sending mail and keeping
up the post Office establishment for tho &C
Recommendation Of the people; and you ar,
bound 10 do il, whether there are newspa
pers transmitted ornot. ~
ButI have said that do not look on thi
=, I. Lo,,, n, ha eytpnded hv fha uoyern