Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-02-22

And any person shall attempt use, in prepayment
any postage stamp which anal nave oeen oe,Ire
of y dollars for every such offence be recovered in the
OF the United States in court OF competent uris
diction. 4. .t4
Sec T. ind be further enacted That lists Of letters
manning uncaled Tor in any post office In any own or
village where shall De pr'n'eu sha os
weekly or oener shall have the largest circulation within
the range delivery Of said Office, to be decided by the post
master such Office such times and under such regulations
"a the General shall prescrbe aud at charge OF
cent tor each advertised And the postmaster at
such Office hereby directed to post IN place N
location tereo and the publisher OF any such paper snail
refuse to publish list OF letters provided in this section
the NAV designate other paper Tor such pur
nose Sueh s of letters shall be published every
six weeks and much oener, not exceeding once week.
Postmaster General may specially direct rspiasd
That the General his discretion direct the
publication German and other foreign letters In any news
paper printed the German any other foreign language,
which Justification shall be either in lieu OF in addition to
the publication of the list of such letters in the first
in this section provided the Postmaster General shall direct
Sec. s. ind be IL further enacted That the Postmaster
be authorized contract make other arrange
ments for the transportation OF mails OF the United States
through any foreign country and also for the transportation
by such other vessels be running between
norts Of the United and foreign ports between for
eipn ports where there arrangements therefor
and 10 provide for the collection of such hostages on such let
tiers other maabe matter be sent under such ar
contracts may be due to the United States
either by prepayment at such foreign port aud tor that
to use and employ agents the several consus Of
he United States or such other as he may think fit
po1ad That no arrangement shall be made which will
laws prevailing in such foreign ports or countries or
Sec g. Ind be IL further enacted That any postmaster
whose may reduced below the amount allowed
at hi, Office for the year ending the hsn Gay 2.
authorized his discretion to allow such additional comms
he may deem just and proper: routded That the
whole amount allowed such postmaster during
any year shall exceed by than twenty cent
Of commissions at such ofce Tor the year ending
the hirtieh day june eighteen hundred and fy-one.
Sec To- Ind be il further enacted That post Office
in existence shall discontinued shall the mail service
any mail any Of the States Territories be dis.
continued Diminished consequence OF any dminuon oil
the that may result from this act and shall De the
duty General establish new post ofces
and place the mail service new mail routes
or that may be established in the as
though this act had not passed.
Sec H. find be further enacted That there shall be
paid to Post Office Department. in further payment and
tor the mail service the two Houses
of Congress and the other and officers OF the Gov
ernmsn the transportation OF free matter the sum OF hve
hundred thousand dollars per year, which shall be paid quar-
ter out of in the treasury not otherwise appro
priated
Sec IL find be it further enacted That there is hereby
appropriated money in the treasury not otherwise
appropriated the sum of one million Of dollars to supply any
deficiency that may arise in the Post Office Department.
Sec Is. And be further enacted That the Secretary Of
the Treasury shall be and he hereby authorized to appoint
employ the Office the Auditor for the Post Office De-
parment such additional clerks shall be found necessary in
such Office in consequence OF the passage OF this act not
ceedng eight all and such salaries he may think pro-
per- exceeding fourteen hundred dollars per for
such clerks and twelve hundred dollars per
for residue thereo which salaries until the close Of the
fiscal year. shall be paid quarterly out Of any money in
the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
Sec. IA. find be further enacted That the Postmaster
General shall be and he is hereby authorized appoint and
employ such additional clerks in the Post Office Department
exceeding eight in ALL shall be found necessary in such
department consequence of the passage of this such
not exceeding hundred dollars per for
oneha of such clerks and twelve hundred dollars per
the other half appear to said Postmaster General
Just and expedent which salaries until the close of the
fiscal year. shall be paid quarterly out Ct moneys
The treasury mo- otherwise appropriated.
Mr. CLAY. l beg leave to make suggestion, with
view facilitate business Let us by general consent adopt
he substitute with the power of amending afterwards and
let it be considered if it were the original bill
The PRESIDENT If such is the pleasure of the Senate
hat will be pursued
Mr. GWIN. am entirely in favor of the original bill
md opposed the amendment. hope the original bill will
lot be stricken out. e#u ~
MI. SEWARD / think with the Senator from Calfor-
ala. OF the bills am decidedly in favor of the House
,iI.
The PRESIDENT. Then the question will be on the
amendment
Mr. RUsK / will modify my amendment by striking out
he following provision from the first section
And the Postmaster General shall be and he is hereby
whenever the Of the Post Office Depart
ment shall exceeded expenditures by than FIVE
per for fiscal year. reduce the postage letters
conveyed any distance within the United States
the single rate, when such postage shall be prepaid"
has been objected that this clause gave too much power
the Postmaster General and power rather of Legislative
character And has also been suggested that he might
duce the mail service in order to reduce the postage have
fears that at all; but modify my amendment in
this way to obviate all objections of that sort.
Mr.. SEWARD. desire to submit amendment to the
amendment in the second section. II is to which pre-
there will be objection This section adopts two
in weight the weight of newspapers which the
lowest of postage is to be paid. have doubt
was supposed by the committee that that would allow the
Transmission through the mail of the daily commercial
papers have asceaned that the effect of the provision
will be to cut off commercial papers, and as presume
the desire of the committee to be equal and just move
to strike out two ounces and insert three ounces"
The amendment agreed to.
Mr.. SEWARD. move to make the same alteration in
the second section Of the bill it from the House.
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr.. SEWARD. move to amend the proposed substitute
in the first section by striking out the words three cents
when the postage upon such letter shall have been prepaid
and five when the postage thereon shall not have
and Inserting the words two cents to be in all cases before
the word "prepad That brings before the Senate the idea
desired to submit that postage upon letters should in all
be required be prepaid, and should be fixed for all
distances The House of Representatives have
adopted the rate of for all distances in the United
States, without discriminating between prepaid and unpaid
letters The proposition of the committee of the Senate is
adopt three the Of postage prepaid and five
cents the rate unpaid letters shall not detan the
Senate with argument upon my proposition, because
phase of postage REFORM it Called has been
ned and considered wish barely say that suppose the
adoption Of either principle this subject will make the
Post Office Department burden the treasury for some
time But if the principle which this postage reform
be sound believe il be- and has proved itself be-
then that burden the treasury would shortly disappear, and
the of postage would produce and believe
that ultimately more revenue will be produced by adopting the