Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1849-12-27

with postage passing through the mails
the past year, reckoned on the postage
received, agreeably to basis hereto.
fore approved, amounted to six,y.two
millions.
On all these letters the postage COL
lected was ss,ss2, 7e2; on newspapers
and pamphlets ssl9,Ol6. 1t is well
known tina, the postage on the newspa.
pers and pamphlets in proportion to
their weight and numbers, is in very
great degree less than the letter postage;
so that they do not pay their proper
ton of the expense of the service. 1t
therefore follows that the letter postage
pays not only for its own cost, but also
for what the paper postage falls short
ofits proportion, and also for all the
other operations and services of the
Department, including the expense Of
all the matter carried for the public
without pay from Government. This
brings US to inquire what is the extent
of this class of service rendered without
pay from the employers.
First what is the nature and amount
of this franked matter? The heads OF
the differen, Departments frank all the
mail matter sen, from their respective
departments, and receive free all to
them directed. Under the act of IS45
an account was kept by the Post Office
of the city of Washington, of all such
matter received by the Departments for
the year ending June 3, 1916, but no
account of the matter sent from them.
The postage on that received at the
present rate was $3.50, 3s3 SO, and the
amount as then estimated al the Treas.
ury on the matter sent would be fully
equal, so that the same then amounted
to S550,767 &c; Elk. doc. 81, Cd. Sess.
Goth. Cong.] In ls47 this mode of
payment was abolished, and the only
provision since for this service rendered
to the Executive Departments, is an ap-
preparation of two hundred thousand
dollars per annum. 1t is always TO be
recolected that no amount Of appro.
priotion, however large, to pay for
ranked matter, will ever, in any degree
relieve the letter or paper postage, so
long as such postage actually pays the
whole expense of the Department,
whereby such appropriations remain
as surplus Withdrawn from the Treas
ury.
But the principle part of the ranked
matter for which no payment is made
to the Department, consists in the let
ters, papers and documents franked by
the members of the Senate and House
of Representatives. The amount of
this matter cannot be ascertained with
entire accuracy, as much is forwarded
of which no account is kept. By are.
port from the Clerks Office ofthe House
Of Representatives, it appears that du.
ring the two sessions Of the thirtieth
Congress ending March last. the extra
number of public documents for distri.
button was 37O,35O, and their weight
was 467.762 lbs; printed speeches, fol.
ded for members to frank, $3.50 500
which are estimated at one ounce each
All ,53l pounds. The one.half of thi.
shows the annual amount of this mat
ter from the House of Representative.
the two past years. This does not in
clude the written correspondence of The
members, or the mail matter by then
received. No report direct from tht
Senate is received; but by a repor
from the post Office in this city it ap
pears that during the year ending Jun'
3Otb, Is49.
The number of free written mail matter sen
was, 4S4,2l
Received, sl0,29
Making. 1908, so
Printed Senate speeches, 397,630
Do. do. documents l70,7l5
56s,34
House documents, 3,44s,25
i 5,3z0,O9
1 The letter postage and pamphlet poi
tage TO which this matter would hav
beeen subject, ifnot franked, is con
puted by that report at s792,7OO.
II should be recolected that the Pc,
!. ~ z.