The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-02-10
CONGRESSIONAL
sPE ECH OF MI. ALLEN,
OF OHIO,

SPEECH OF NH. ALLEN,
OHIO,
Ia Senate of the United States January 24h, lsl9-On
the post olhce bill.
An ameniment to allow newspapers to circulate free
,,ourh the mail to the distance OF thirty miles from the
nont of publication being under consideration
Mr. ALLEN and said
Mr. PRESIDENT; am in favor OF this proposition,
and shall very briefly and with AL simplicity of Ian
guage may be able to employ, express my reasons TO
tbe Senate.
By the constitution of the United States the power to
ssev upon Congress fhe necessity Of post Offices
being obvious, and the power to establish Them being
thus conferred exclusively upon Congress, the
has exercised it by the establishment OF routes and
offices throughout the republic. And, sir, such would
have been the case and the number of routes and Of
fees would have been great they are had
not single newspaper been published in the country
Upon this fact wish to fix the attention of the Senate
for it is of fundamental importance in this discus
sion. Whether there be newspapers not the Obliga-
ton equally rests upon Congress TO keep the postoce
establishment and 10 incur its consequent expense
der transmit the private correspondence OF the people
The newspapers therefore, adds but little to this expense
nasnuch without them your post Offices would have
to be equally numerous. and your mail have to pass
over an equal number OF miles WE'LL sir, such being
the fact and you being under the necessity for the
mission OF the letters of the people, of sending your mail
from Office to office all over the country, ask you by
this amendment to allow newspapers to go in it for
few miles free of charge. We ask you to do but that
which any neighbor does for another and who, when
his wagon has to go to particular point will always
take along little bundle for his friend We ask this,
sir not as favor to the publishers OF newspapers merely
but as favor to the immense number of persons who
take and read the local press.
shall come now to the question, What will be the
loss to the public treasury by the grant of this right and
what proportion does the loss bear the anticipated ben
eft And first, as to the loss
The postage all printed matter during the last year
was seven hundred and sixtyseven thousand dollars.
desire say here, sir that shall disregard and throw
off fractions in all the references shall make figures,
for the sake OF more easy and simple computation in
my statements. On printed matter-ncluding newspa-
pers pamphlets, and circulars of all kinds and descp-
iions-ihe postage of last year seven hundred and
syy-seven thousand dollars In order TO ascertain what
will be the loss to the public by the proposition
before the Senate, it becomes necessary TO inquire
what proportion OF this postage was paid on other printed
matter than public newspapers We have not. SIR in the
Post Office Department. nor in the archives, any data
upon which to predicate positive conclusion on that
point. But, in conversation with perhaps
competent than any other living man to solve such
computation say that fourth Of the whole of the
printed matter that passed through the mail might be
compehended under the name of pamphlets; leaving,
therefore, of all the derive from
the transmission of printed matter to be derived from
new spaper circulation and threeourths OF the whole
amour. of revenue would be five hundred and seventy
five thousand dollars That sir includes the entire post
aye upon newspapers of every kind and description Cir
cuated through the republic:
Another question here arises, to wit what proportion
of the revenue, the law now stands Is collected for
me thirty miles' and that y question upon which we
have no data to calculate; have, however, from my
knowledge OF the general state OF affairs IN the interior
of the conny-from my acquaintance with newspapers,
and the description of persons who are subscribers to
newspapsrs-formcd what conceive very reasonable
conclusion upon this subject suppose, SIR that three
fourths of the whole revenue now paid tor the trans
mission OF newspapers is paid within the circle of thirty
miles, within which is the proposition now that these
papers shall! circulate frees and this amount OF ihree'
iourhs will come to four hundred and thirty one thou
sand dollars | am giving the adversares OF this propo;
sion all the advantages Of the lirgest computation
giving those figures, from which they readily may
show the largest imaginable loss to the public treasury
and sir feel assured, with all these advantages, they
carry beyond four hundred and thirty thou
sand dollars per annum
the public treasury and the saving TO the peoples Tor 1t
shoul be borne in mind that that which Is loss TO the
public fire asury in this respect is saving TO the people
no, in expen ure but barely omission to collect nat
much taxes which collect from the people II Is
the diminuton of the the privilege On reading IN TINS
country to the extent OF four hundred and thou-
sand dollars n,
Now, let us see what is the benefit likely TO be dis
pensed to the people from the dimnuton of their taxes
TO the extent and in the way in which this proposition
seeks to reduce them The newspapers 81 me onltea
States perhaps number about 2,loo. have some
data upon which think may fairly draw the conclu-
sion that they about in number 2.4oo; but, in order
keep within probability, or rather to keep within
positive fact in my estimate put the number a, 900.
Now sir, these 900 newspapers have various crcula
ton TO number and as to time The large city papers
publish An immense euitl0n daily uie Sd COUNTY r."
ers publish limited edition weekly. The papers OF the
int mediate owns-those between villages and cities
publish larger circulation than the village presses and
publsh tem two three times a week. There IS,
therefore no possibility OF doing more than striking IN
the mind fair average aaeto Inc eXent anu NUMBER VI
the papers circulated have attempted to 40 mat AS.
Stunning the number of the papers to ne s,oo1 aSslHe
the circulation of the whole to be once weekTnohe OF
them less, and many of them are daiy-aEd assume
the number OF the copies issued by each to be or
average There are then circulated IN the United
copes-rnaking in ALL weekly average OF two millions
of circulated in the United States But all OF
these papers do circulate through the mails many oil
them distributed in the towns and cities where they
are published.
have made calculation to the probable proportion
of those that do go through the mail and those that 40
not have supposed that three fourths OF the whole
number do go through the mails and are transported to
point from the point OF pubcaton-that IS TO say
would be the proportion between the number circulated
within and the number circulated without this circle OF
sixty miles.
have supposed that about half of the whole OF the
two thirds of all that go IN the mails
circulated within this circle of sixty miles; that IS
10 say, million of newspapers The proposition be-
fore therefore, to evying this tax upon one
million of newspapers circulated weekly within circle
of sixty miles from the central point OF publication.
That sir, is the proposition.
And now, sir, let me see who it is that would derive
benefit from this prvlege-who ii is that would be
emm from this taxation now imposed, and how many
there are All the newspapers that pass through the
mails. but go within the circle OF sixty miles, are one
million ia number. They are taken by one million of
men; and il may fairly be supposed that each news
paper thus taken entering family Is read and dis
penses its benefits to three members OF that family
which will show aggregate OF three millions OF people
who Will be benefited by this notion
Now sir, do not look upon the repeal OF thus tax or
the If readinufOr that all II S-aS