The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-08-18
Mr.. Calhoun, Mr.. King of Georgia, Mr..
Mangum, Mr.. Davis, and Mr. Linn.

Mangum, Mr.. Davis, and Mr.. Linn.
On the 18th of February following, Mr..
CALHOUN, from the Select Committee, to
whom that part of the message of the
President was referred, made report at
much length, accompanied by a bill,
which was read and ordered to second
reading, entitled GA bill prohibiting depu-
ty postmasters from receiving or transmit
ting through the mail, to any State, Ter
ritory, or District, certain papers therein
mentioned, the circulation of which, by
the laws Of said State, Territory, or Dis
trict, may be prohibited, and for other
purposes"
The first section of this bill provided
that it should not be lawful for any de-
putty postmaster, in any State, Territory,
or District, knowingly to receive and put
into the mail any pamphlet, newspaper,
handful, or other paper, printed or aorit-
ten, or pictorial representation, touching
the subject Of Slavery, addressed to any
person or post Office in any State, Terri
tory, or District, where, by the laws Of
the said State, Territory, or District, their
circulation is prohibited; nor for any de-
putty postmaster in said State, Territory,
or District, knowingly to deliver any such
pamphlet, newspaper, handful, or other
paper, to any person whatever, except to
such person or persons as were duly au-
thorized by the proper authority of such
State, Territory, OF District, to receive the
same.
The second section provided for the dis
missal Of any deputy postmaster offending
against the act, and subjected him to pc
cuniary fine. The third section made it
the duty Of deputies, mail carriers, agents,
and other officers in the mail service, to
cooperate to prevent the circulation of the
various papers enumerated in the first sec
ton. The fourth section made it the duty
of the Postmaster General to furnish his
deputies, in each State, copies of the State
laws prohibiting the publication or circu-
lation Of such pamphlets or papers, and to
make regulations and instructions for car
rying the act into effect. The fifth sec
ton provided that the deputy postmasters
of the Offices where the publication in
question should be deposited should, from
time to time, give notice of the same to
the person depositing them, that they might
be withdrawn, and, if not withdrawn
within month, they might be burned or
otherwise destroyed.
On the I'd Of June, on motion of Mr..
CALHOUN, the Senate took up the bill for
consideration; and Mr.. GRUMPY moved
to amend it by striking out all after the
enacting clause and inserting a substitute.
The first section of Mr.. GRUNDY's bill
made it unlawful for any deputy postmas-
ter to deliver to any person any pamphlet,
newspaper, handbiH, or other printed paper
or pictorial representation touching the
subject of slavery, where, by the laws Of
the State, their circulation was prohibited,
On the pain of immediate removal for the
offence. The second section provided
that nothing in the post-otfice acts should
protect any deputy, mail carrier, or other
officer who should knowingly circulate
any such pamphlet, printed paper, sc.
The third section contained a similar pro-
vision to that of Mr.. CALHoUN's bill for
the notice, withdrawal, and burning of the
Objectionable matter.
1t will be observed that the main differ
ence of Mr.. GRUNDY'S amendment con-
sisted in the withdrawal of Uriften matter
from the operation of the act. Mr.. CAL
HoUN's act embraced letters and all writ
ten papers; the substitute excluded them.
After some debate, the question being
taken on the substitute, al was agreed TO
without a division. 1t was obvious, what
ever might be the fate of the bill, so far
as it related to papers and pamphlets, the
idea of extending it to letters and written
papers must be abandoned. The bill, as
amended, was reported to the Senate, and
i tie IOuIuIItu III, dDO tile
question on ordering the bill to be en-
crossed for third reading was car
ried by the casting vote of the present
leader of the Free-Soil Democracy, Mr.
VAN BUREN-for this very act and many
similar acts at that time the ''sweet little
fellow" of the settle of the distinguished
Democrats of Richmond" The following
is list Of the yeas and nays on this ques-
ton:
"YEAs-Messrs. Black, Brown, Buchanan, Cal
houn, Cuthbert, Godsborough, Grundy King Of
Alabama, King Of Georgia, Moore, Nicholas, Pres
ton, Rives, Robinson, Talmadge, Walker, White
Wrght-l6.
"NAYs-Messrs. Benton, Clay, Davis, Ewing
of Illinois, Ewing Of Ohio, Hendricks Hubbard
Kent, Morris, Niles, Prentiss, Ruggles, Shepley
Southland, Swift, Tomlinson, Wall, Webster-l5'
IN tho oh of Iuna The o,as,,or -.