The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-12-20


/ pecisiy entitled 10 all the advantages which this
\ great arn of the country confer. lie thought
I thAt they ~ho bear flag the sea. and they
who brave the dangers Of the field on the frontiers,
should not lie neglected.
Can any who appreciates the army and the
navy be unwilling to offer 10 them this pittanccg
Tbs an inopporiune time TO reduce the postage
ID will require "A drain the treasury To the
smount Of million and half Of dollars. We
have been told by the Secretary Of the Treasury
what is actual condition; that the public debt
10 not e.a than seventy millions, and that IN lo52
IL will be some eighty millions One of the
Of reyopue-tho public ands-has been parted WITH
u Will yield us nothing, and money will have To be
raised in sosne other way. Might not well
directly tax the transportation o lettors tax
indirectly Tor the payment Of the public debit II
10 not wholly immateral whether We draw the
money from the right or the left hand pocket. IL
comes ultimately from the people; and We are
only enactlng solemn farce when We propose 10
reduce the postage, aud make the treasury meet
the effect OF tho reduction, II the Department be
nourishing, let us confer iayors ON the most glo
riOus and mcriiorous portion Of our citizens; and
Let us manifest generosity, not mock philanthropy
towards those who are poor and needy and require
this al hands
Mr.. BiSSELL gave notice of an amendment
which he intended 20 offer. viz Provided, that
poet Office mail route shall be abolished or
discontinued In consequence OF any diminution OF
receipts resulting from the operation OF this law"
Mr.. AsHMuN said that he had given great at
tcntion 10 this matter and there was no danger Of
a curtailmcnt OF mail facilities, In four 1--WE
years thtrs womb DC an amount oil gross
receipts IA now, under the present rates. He ac
oepted the amendment Of the gentleman an adj
dition TO his own, offered yesterday, (Which pro-
poses uniform prepaid two cent postage on letters;
and one cent on drop eters 10 be delivered al the
Office and provdes-at the suggestion of Mr..
Caldwell Of kentucky--that IL shall be the duty of
| the Postmaster General To establish post
| offices, and place the mail service on new mail
routes established, or that may hereafter be estab
lished, in the manner a. though this act had
not been passed
MIR. CALDWELL, of Kentucky, gave notice of
amendment, which was subsequently accepted
as mobilization by Mr.. PoFrER to his own. IL is
az iolows.
"Prorided. That no post office now in existence
shall be discontinued, nor shall the mail service ON
any mail route in any State or Territory be discon
tnued, or diminished in consequence Of any dimi-
mutton of the revenue that may result from this act;
and provided further, that il shall be the duty of
the Postmaster General to establish post offices
and place the mail service on new mail routes
tsblished or that may hereafter be established, in
the same manner as though this act had not been
passed; and provided further, that the compcnsa-
| ton Of no postmaster shall be diminished in conse-
| quence Of the passage of this act"
Mr.. MEADE gave notice that he intended 10 Of
fer the following amendment:
at shall be the duty OF the Postmaster General
to establish poet office any established route
at any place desired by the inhabitants OF the
neighborbood; Prorided, There be post Office
| within five miles Of the proposed one"
He said IL was very evident that, II reduction of
postage operated inJurious!y TO any portion Of the
community. it would operate against those who
inhabit a country sparscly populated. Letter wri-
tiers in the city will be benefited. But few letters
| are written or received by farmers and planters,
who feel bu, little interest in this subject They
would as soon pay live or ten cents not, because
/ their postage amounts for each, 10 but trife in
\ the course OF year. He willing TO adopt the
five cent rate or To go as low any one, provided
/ IL does not cura the mail facilities In conside-
ration OF the benefits to TO The dcnsey set
tied portions OF the country, il but just that
corresponding benefit should be conferred on those
| in the spsrsoy populated districts, and hence he
/ had offered the amendment
! Mr.. CONGER remarked il seemed to be CONGO
ded that there should be reduction Of postage to
| the lowest possible amount; and the only differ
ence 10, what shall be the extent The cry, or ra-
| Their opposition 10 reduction, uttered on a
! former occasion. We heard il in 1916, when post.
| age was reduced TO its present rates. We hear
| II now, and he always expected TO hear il when
proposition to reduce postage was under considera.
ton. At that time gentlemen predicted, that if the
rates were reduced To what they are, the cost
on tn treasury and the country would be increased,
and y" ye''crday beard similar prediction made
| by til gentleman from Ohio, (Mr CARTTER.)
| They say that further reduction must bankrupt
the treasury, when experience has proven that the
| reduction made in 1874 has enabled post Office ia
ciltes to be increased and now, in 1850, we have
lar ge surplus revenue. He asked whether this
| perience should be disregarded. He was in favor
Of a uniform rate Of two cents, for the reason he
| confidently believed that this would be arevenue
| rate He believed that this would enable the De
| partment to sustain itself, and at the same time
give southern gentlemen and others the facilities
which the public interests demand. But in case II
should not, he frankly avowed he would be in favor
of making up the deficiency from the treasury He
then proceeded TO reply 10 gentlemen who had spo
ken Of the rural districts and who did not TO
know the settled convictions Of the people from
whom they come. Tens of thousands and hun
dreds of thousands have hither memorials ask
ing for reduction of postage. He contended that
the farmers and laborers of the country jealous
y interested in the proposed reform; and expressed
L inf If "A Of
country press, so that newspapers shall be circu.
lated free Of postage, TO actual subscribers, within
thirty five miles Of their place of publications. and
he advocated the abolition OF the iranking privi-
legee.
the following:
"Providsd, That no postage shall be charged on
newspapers when the same shall be mailed and de.
livercd 10 actual subscribers any post ofo within
the Congressional district, within thirty miles OF
| the place where the came may be printed and pub
/ li-hed"
! His object in Offering this amendment was TO
meet objections which have been made against the
free circulation Of newspapers In the county where
! they are printed, and this be did. With regard Ia
the general features Of the bill, he had only to say,
with his friend from Maryland, mir. Bswir,) that
the rural districts would not be benefited by Il;
and unless such an amendment such "a that which
! he had suggested should be adopted he should vote
against the measure. II the postage should hs
duoed for the advantage Of the commercial into
rests there ought 90 be counterpart for that IL the
| Agricultural community IN the Tree circulation OF
! newspapers; and he would say TO the Representa-.
tiycs from the rural districts that they should
permit this reform 10 90 without its counterpart
the only way wss 20 take both together, and
equality 10 but justice. And he would further
remark that the bill II came from the Committee
on the Poet Office and Poet Roads. never aud
never shall receive his vote, unle-s there be added
discrimination In favor Of the free circulation of pa
pers printed within the Congressional districts.
| The country press should not bc broken down by
the city papers. lie had nothing 10 say against the
character of the latter; he did not JOIN In dcnunca
| tons against them ne To corruption. No far AZ he
own State IL CONCERNED, he was a constant reader
| They pure and high-toned In morals NJ
| any papers OF the country az general thing and
he might say as much foe tho-c Of the nsigbboring
| Atlantic States.
Mr.. THURsToN earnestly objected b. that part
Of the bill which charges ON letters b. the Pacific
four times, and ON newspapers thfes umes, the
rates enacted tho-c received by citizens n other
psr,s of the country. living any where THE sids II
the Salt LAKE and Santa W. " a unitorm rate ~
adopted let IL apply to all alike. N the sauis gag
waves over our heads, and citizens sotject
ed TO the same laws, why should there 10 the dis
tinction' He spoke in favor u uniiorm rate II