The Democratic pioneer. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1845-1853, 1849-12-21

First. what is the nature and smount of
this franked matter?
The heads of different departments frank
all the mail matter sent from their rcspec-
tive departments, and an account was kept
by thepost Office of the city of Washing
ton of all such matter received by the de-
partments for the year ending June 80,
I846, but no account of the matter sent
from them. The postage on that received,
at the present rate, was $250,3o3 %, and
the amount as then estimated at the treas
ury on the matter sent, would be fully
equal; SO that the same then amounted to
$500, 767 sc. Ex doc. Ga, Cd sess 29th
Cong1 In 1S47 this mode Of payment
was abolished, and the only provision since,
for this service rendered to the executive
departments is an appropriation of 5000
900 per annum. Its always to be recol-
lccted that no amount Of appropriation,
however large, to pay for franked matter,
will ever in any degree relieve the letter
or paper postage, SO long as such postage
actually pays the whole expense of the de-
partmcat, whereby such appropriation re-
mains as surplus withdrawn from the treas
ury,
But the principal part of the franked
matter for which no payment is made tc
the department, consists in the letters, pa
pers, and documents frankcd by the mem
bers of the Senate and House of Represcn-
tatvcs. The amount of this matter can
not be ascertaned with entire accuracy
as much is forwarded of which no account
is kept By a report from the Clerks Of
fec of the House of Representatives, it ap
pears that during the two sessions of tho
3Oth Congress, ending in March last, the
extra number of public documents for dis
tribution was 37O,35o, and their weigh
was 467, ,762 pounds. Printed speeches
! folded for members to frank, 6,582, 500
which are estimated at one ounce each
411,53l pounds. The one half of this
shows the annual amount of this matter
from the Honse of representatives the tw.
past years. This does not include the
written correspondence of the members
or the mail matter by them received. Nc
report direct from the Senate has been re-
ceived but by arcport from the post Office
in this city, it appears that during the ycal
ending June 80, 1849,
The number of free written mail matter sem
The number of free written mail mat
ter received was -ol9,293
Making l,3O3,503
Printed Senate speeches 391 $50
Printed Senate documents l7O,7l5-56S, ,S2.
House documents 3,44e,23'
5,32o,ost
The letter postage and pamphlet postage
to which this matter would have been sub
iect, if not franked, is computed hy that
report at $792, 100.
1t should be rccollectcd that the Post
Office Department is not only required tc
mail and transport this matter, often requl-
ring the hire of additional coaches and
teams, but is also subject to the actual pay,
mcnts of money contributed entirely by
the letter postage in this manner: By law
two cents each is allowed every postmas-
ter for the delivery Off free letter or pack
age if his income does not exceed $4,000
per annum. The proportion of these free
papers delivered by postmasters of w, ,00O
income, will not exceed one-tenth,. Two
cents each on the foregoing number, de-
ducting one-tenth, was $95, 161, which is
actually paid to postmasters for delivering
this free matter, out of money received for
letter postage. Thus it appears that for
the delivery of ninetenths of the millions
of printed speeches, franked and transpor-
ted in the mails, without compensation,
1.-THE printing of which cost about one cent
each, there is paid two cents each, not by
the person who sends, or by the person
who receives it, or by the country as for a
public service, but by those who pay post
age on their private correspondence
Congress is to decide whether the franking
by its members is valuable public rervice
proper to. continue; and it is not intended
to make any remark on that topic. Were
| it abolished, there would propably be very
much less of such matter printed. But
the postage on the remainder, together
with that on the correspondence of the
l. nnJ f1,, ,.a1saf .,f tho axrapca of