Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-01-18

Sec .and be further enacted That hereafter the Pre-
sdent and Vice President Of the United States and EXPIRE
Of Representatives, and Delegates from Territories from
thirty days before the each and every
on and the Secretary Of the Senate and Clerk of the House
Representatives during their term of Office send
free of charge all documents printed by order OF
House Of Congress- books purchased for distribution
letters written by themselves exceeding in
weight and all written addressed TO them
the weights and all members of Congress- and others
entitled to the rankng privilege, shall endorse the docu
ment or letter his or her proper name with the initials OF the
office. And any member OF Congress anking letter not
written by himself shall forfeit pay sum Of ten dollars
offence, TO be recovered information before any
magistrate OF the State, District Territory and the ma
gistrate shall Immediately the post
MASTER who shall charge himself with the sum 40
and add it in his quarterly return.
Mr. c. then spoke in favor of the cursment of the frank
ing privilege, and referred to the abuses committed in its
ercise.
tirely abolish or to chra the anking privilege He was
opposed to this amendment well to the substitute
ed by the gentleman from Indiana and he merely rose to
that after spending many days in peeciing the bill in
Committee of the Whole and having gone through with all
sections and voed upon all these principles over and
again. he rus ed the committee would wase further time
its details The amendment proposed by the gentleman
from Connecticut had been rejected twice. and for the sub
stute offered by the gentleman from Indiana had been
substantially voted down dozen times. He hoped the COM
would vote down all of every shape and
by the BILL which had been perfected section by section
The amendment of Mr.. CLEVELAND was rejected.
l.
BY adding thereto section providing that from and after
passage Of this free matter whatever shall be car
red through the ma and said that almost every postmaster
and every member of Congress- and the editors of newspa
received their matter free Of postage He thought that
while they were reducing POSTAGE they should reduce this
privilege deficiency Of two millions would be created by
this bill and he proposed cus this fankng privilege SO
that the loss might be avoided. He offered this amendment
| to show what he would do if he had the power.
Mr. BROWN, of Indiana, expressed himself in favor of
abolition Of the fankng privilege, and said that he had
offered his last amendment to this BILL He wished the
mttee to decide whether they would have uniform rate of
five cents POSTAGE provided in his substitute and which
would support the Department without throwing il on the
Treasury whether they would have uniform three
cents. and million and half Of dollars appropriated from
the Treasury, provided in the bill
The amendment Of Mr. Evans was rejected
Mr. CARTER, moving pro Jorma amendment, remark
ed that it had been said that the frankng privilege was
rupt but be considered privilege which belonged to
the people, and exercised for the benefit Of the people,
though great burden upon the members Of Congress There
was not member but who had realized this fact. |, was
exercised in disseminating among the the history
the proceedings Of Congress- and exercised in the only
way by which their constituents ceud be informed of what
anspired here He therefore, opposed to the abolition
Of this privilege. -"1
Mr. VENABLE was not disposed to interfere with the
ankng privilege, and said that he would for bill
which proposed uniform rate of three postage as he
believed this would throw the Post Office Department upon
the Treasury for support He willing to vote for bill
which made the postage five cents for long roues and three
Cents ior snot oneS genuemen made Uniform
three cents in this bill he regretted deeply that his views
would not permit him to give such proposition his vote
Gentlemen willing money for the benefit of for
eigner and for the establishment Of ebony line to Africa
for the benefit of the free blacks but when our own people
want mail facilities they unable to obtain them
The question then taken agreeing to the substitute
offered by Mr. BRows for the BILL and was rejected
ayes 50, noes 81.
Mr. PUTNAM moved to amend the bill bv adding ,bereto
the following section
"and be further enacted That for the purpose of en-
surfing the services OF competent and faithful un
DER the reduced rates OF postage provided for by this act
General be and hereby authorized and
powered by his written order increase their rates of COM
mission whenever he shall deem it lust and eouabIe and
again rescnd modify such when in his opnion less
rate OF commission shall be fair compensation for such
services" -
Mr. PUTNAM said that if the bill went into effect, the
commission Of postmastes would be reduced and the OBJ
ect OF his amendment to allow the Postmaster General
to increase the commissions of the postmasters a sufficient
amount so as to ensure competent administration of the
affairs Of his Department. a.
Mr.. STANTON of Tennessee said that he had observed
That the gentleman from North Caroline, occasions
ouins the a~-'o had shown hisa c~',eeiy to lug
into the debate, nopporuney be thought some remarks
in reference the proposition now pending before the House
for the establishment of line of mail steamers to Africa It
was not his intention say word upon that subject but he
desired TO say this to that gentleman that be was euger
for the fight he should the very earliest occasion when he
could so under the rules propose take that measure up
and the gentleman disposed to the question fairy
and fairly he hoped he would assist him to get it up
apu uieu ne would cnallenge hIm to the contest r.
The amendment of Mr. PUTNAM then rejected
There being no further amendments
On motion of Mr.. POTTER, the committee rose and re-
ported the bill to the House,
And the question beno agreeing to the amendments
reported from the Committee of the Whole
Mr. POTTER moved the previous question: which was
seconded.
Mr. HALL moved to lay the bill on the table, and de-
manded the and nays which ordered and being
taken were Yeas 81, nays l39 So the motion was dis
agreed 10. /.
The question then REQUIRED upon agreeing to the amend
ments as reported from the committee
The first amendment strike out from the ORIGINAL
bill the first section, and insert in lieu thereof the following
That from and after the 3Oth day of June 1885, all let
ers carried in the mail shall be charged with postage as fol-
cens and for each additional half ounce or fraction of half
an ounce, three eents'
This section was agreed to by the following vote
fEAS-Mesrs Alexander, Allen, Aston Andrews Ash
num- Beale Bell, Bennett Bingham, Bokee Booth Breck
Briggs Brisbn, Brooks, Buell. Butler, E c. Cabel Cable
Caldwell Calvin, Campbell, Casey Chandler Clarke,
Cleveland Cole, Conger Corwin Crowe Danner Deberry'
Nathan Evans, Fitch, Fowler, Gerry, Gddngs Gilbert,
Gilmore Gott, Gould, Grinnel, Holloway, Hammond Hamp.
on Harlan, Hay Henry, Hoasand, Holiness Houston How
ard Howe, Hunter, Andrew Johnson, James L. Johnson
King, Letter Lttlefeld Horace Manu. Marshall Maeson,
EMcDonald, McGaughey, F. E. Mclean, Meaeham, Daniel
r. Miller, Moore, Morehead Norris Nelson Ople Odds
Gus reek, Pheuix Pitman, Potter, Putnam Reed Rev
nolos hsey Rockwell Root Rose, Ross Rumsey, Sack
sawtelie, Schenck, Schermerhorn Schoolcra Seldom
son, j. b. Thompson, Thurman, Tuck Underhill Vinton
and Young-I2l. " "'s"'
NAYsnMe''rs Albertson, A,he, Averett, Bay, Bayly