The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-12-26

tors OF lhe mints IN the United States nre autho.
rized and required TO coin pieces Of the value Of
three cents, composed Of three parts silver and
one part alloy which shall be lawfultender for All
| debts due TO the Government of the limited
States, and to individuals, persons, and corpora
| tions.
Sc. 4. dHd be Il Jlrtler eRdcieJ It shall be the
duty of the Postmaster General to provide and
| furnish to all deputy postmasters aud other per-
sons applying aud paying therefor, suitable
stamps Of the denomination Of three cents to
facilitate the prepayment Of the postage provided
for in this act. And TO any person who shall
desire to purchase Of the Postmaster General or
Of any deputy postmaster at any one time an
amount of stamps to the value Of fifty dollars or
upwards, such stamps shall be furnished at a
| discount Of ten per cent upon their par value
| All deputy postmasterl who shall receive at any
one time stamps TO the amount Of fifty dollars
shall be allowed deduction Of ten per cent upon
the par value.
Sec. 5. AUTH IL further eaac,ed, That there is
hereby appropriated out Of any money in the
Treasury not otherwise appropriated the sum Of
one million five hundred thousand dollars to sup
ply any deficiency that may arise in the Post
Office Department
Mr.. Potter moved to amend the bill by striking
out all thereof after the enacting clause, and in
sorting the following
Sec |. That letters carried in the mail Of the
United States shall be charged with postage, as
follows
Upon each letter not weighing over one.half
| ounce three cents and for each additional half
ounce OF fraction Of half an ounce, three cents.
Sec. ?. Aad b. i further eRdo,ed, There shall be
charged upon each newspaper pamphlet, periodi-
cal, magazine, book, and every other description
Of printed matter which shall be unconnected with
any manuscript or written matter, and which it
may be lawful to transmit through the mail, If no
| greater weight than two ounces, one cent; and
for each additional ounce or fraction of an ounce,
one cent. Bound books not weighing over thirty
ounces shall be deemed mailable matter under
the provisions of this section Pr0rided, That
newspapers delivered in the State where printed
shall be chargable with only one-half the forego-
ing rates:
Sec 3. Aad be- Il fpriler enacted, That the direc-
tors Of the mints in the United States are au-
thorized and required to coin pieces Of the value of
three cents, composed of three parts silver and
one part alloy, which shall be a lawful tender for
! all debts of thirty dollars, or under, due to the
United States, and to individuals, persons, and
corporations.
Sections and are the Gsme as those sections
in the original bill, printed above
| Sec 6 AAd be Il f,ntler enacted, There shall be
charged upon all letters transported in the mails
I from any VI eD~ Mantle ports in the United
States to any of the ports in the United States
upon the Pacific, or from any of the ports in the
! United Statss ppon, The Pacific, TO any Of the
Atlantic ports in the Un$Uk States, four times
the usual rates, and upon all newspapers, pamph-
let's periodicals, magazines books, or other print
ed matter herein provided for, three times the
usual rates.
Mr.. Potter showed how low rates had increased
the revenues of the Department and argued
strongly in favor Of uniform rate for oil dis
tances as the cost of transportation was trihing,
the principal expense being in mailing and de-
livering letters
Mr. Carter thought the Eastern and Atlantic
cities would be more benefited by a reduction OF
postage than the interior-denied that even I'M
der the present rates the Department supported
itself being indebted to the General Treasury for
carrying the mail to Oregon and California-said
that the present bill, In providing sixteen hun
bred thousand dollars out of the Treasury to sup.
. ply deficiency the first year, contemplated the
bankruptcy Of the Department. He was in favor
of reduction just 80 far as the Department could
be sustained
Mr. Ashmun moved to strike out the irst sec.
ton of the original BILL and insert the following
"That from and after the first day Of July next
the postage on all letters shall be rs follows: All
letters not exceeding half an ounce in weight
conveyed any distance within the United States
like sum for every additional half ounce, or frac
tonal part thereof, the postage being prepaid in
all cases and all drop letters, or letters to be de
livered at the office where deposited, shall be
charged with one cent postage to be prepaid"
Mr. Venable thought that il was right and
proper that postage should be reduced. lie though,
it an error that the Post Office Department,
should sustain itself He was willing to vote fol-
n postal reduotion--to make uniform rate of fv
f,utk Ca Hoo
too low, it would deprive the country Of peces
e sary mail facilities. lie called upon free-trader
$ to show their faith by their votes liza low tart
> made an increase of the revenue, would a 10,
>, tariff on letters make increase of the revenu
and an increase of facilities If this doctrine wa
true as regarded the necessaries of life il was
v also in respect to the comforts Of life He was il
favor Of allowing the circulation Of newspaper
r free of postage in the county where they wer
: published, because they gave light and knowledg
to the people, &c.
Q Mr. Sackett said, that in order to bring thu
papers issued by the country press into the mail
it was necessary to reduce the postage Oh them
AS the matter now stands, not more than i've per
cent. of the weekly newspapers of the whole
country pass through the mails. In fact nearly
the whole circulation Except exchanged arc sent
by carriers or by others than the mail service
This is prejudical both to the people and the
revenue of the Department. The whole circula-
ton of the country press does not now pay
500 900 With n reduction TO ten cents year,
or two mills per paper, more than 600 600 papers
will be thrown into the mails, and at least $50 900
secured to the Government and what is Of vastly
more consequence, the community will be far bet
ter served, A great increase Of newspaper cir
culation will be secured, aud all the beneficial in
influences of widely circulated, healthy, vigor-
Gus, wel-sustaned, domestic, local paper will be
permanently established There are now about
one thousand five hundred papers TO be affected
! by this alteration of postage. The circulation is
not less than seven, eight or nine hundred thou
sand per week. The benefits Of such press are
| incaoulable and it Is TO be encouraged by all
proper legislation. It is now practically desired
for the benefit Of the mails The postage now
charged is more than fifty per cent on the cost OF
the paper He concluded by proposing the fol-
lowing amendment; and in proposing 1t, said he
would be glad to go lower, but be believed this as
low proposition ss the House would sustain 1t
should be substituted for that part of the second
section which relates to newspapers
| "To any place, out Of the State where pub
lished, one cent postage and for every such news.
paper transmitted through the mails out of the
county where published, in the same State, there
shall be charged one half cent postage and for
every newspaper transmitted through the mails
in the county, or within thirty miles Of the place
where published two mills POSTAGE
| The Chair ruled the amendment out Of order,
as the first section only was now under consider
| alton.
Mr. Brown desired TO offer an amendment,
making five cents tho uniform rate for half an
ounce and over, but was ruled out Of order, Ms
there was an amsudment already pending TO the
first section.