The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-15

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were not for the private expresses cutting off
nue. he would be in favor of charging five cents
! for letters under five hundred miles
The amendment of Mr. MEADE was disagreed
! Mr. DUER moved to amend Mr.. GrRRY's pro-
| position, by striking out " five hundred" and IN
| sorting six hundred" miles. He submitted few
! remarks, when his amendment, and that Of MIR
| GERRY, rejected.
! Mr.. PARKER offered an amendment TO the first
! section OF the BILL by striking out and inserting,
on letters not weighing over one Aalf ounce, when
postage Is prepaid, three cents, under three hun
dred miles; when carried over three hundred miles
five cents; when carried 10 California or Oregon,
| ten cents; and Tor each additional halI ounce OF
! fraction OF half ounce, when they go prepaid,
there shall be charged an additional rate. The
rates aforementioned shall be doubled when postage
| s not paid in advance lie said, III the course OF
his remarks that of the seventy millions OF letters
carried in the malls last year, fifty millions were
! not carried over twenty hvc miles.
Mr. THURST0N, the delegate from Oregon,
said that there was an inklng to keep up an odious
distinction with respect 10 letters TO the Pacific
coast. He earnestly opposed the amendment, de.
handing uniform justice to uniform nation and
! The question being taken, Mr.. PARKER's amend
ment was disagreed to.
| Mr.. McKlSSOCk offered an amendment to the
section under ration-providing that printed
circulars and pamphlets shall be charged with let
Ter postage. These, he said, were used in place
of letters. He il favor OF the lowest possible
rate and he believed that three cents prepaid, and
| five cents not, would sustain the Department.
| This would be about equal TO the reduction which
| oak place i'll 1915.
The amendment was adopted.
| Mr. ASHMUN now proposed TO test the sense OF
| the committee between a two and a three cent rate
| His amendment to etrike out the first section
and TO insert two cent uniform rate, prepaid. IL
was, in other respects, identical with what had been
| agreed on by the committee.
| The amendment was disagreed to-ayes 65, noes
| 90.
| Mr. BROWN, of Indiana, moved to strike on.
no frat tin. md tn sprt
| That from and after the thirtieth day of June
1851 letters carried in the mail of the United States
shall be charged with the following rates OF post
age: On all letters not exceeding halt an ounce in
| weight, five cents; and for every additional haf
ounce, or fraction thereof, there shall be charged
the like sum Of five cents additional, and all drop
! letters two cents"
Mr.. BROWN said that this rate would enable
the Department to sustain ITSELF and to keep up thu
postal accommodations in the rural Districts; and
not only this, but he had no doubt the Postmaster
! General would be enabled to establish routes.
! Mr., POTTER was glad that proposition haa
been submitted, by which the sense of the commit
| tee was to be tested between two and five cc.
rate. lie said Yesterday that if the latter slfc'riG
not be raised to sustain the Department He
| a member of the House in 1915, when the gentle
! man from Indiana Mr.. BRowN) predicted that u
reduction OF postage would burden the treasury.
The gentleman, however, acknowledged the other
day that he was disappointed, for the reduction
instead of diminishing the receipts, had increased
tnelIl IN dIteT puylnR all the OK
penses Of the foreign and inland postage. the com
missions, registration, etc, at the reduced rate III
that kingdom, there was still a revenue Of over
million Of dollars. He went for cheap postage az
il would be the means Of largely increasing The
number of letters sent in the mails
Mr. McMULLEN moved to strike out the five
cent and insert six. The bill, he said had uc.
Cupled large portion OF the time OF the House, and
he desired to know whence came the application for
a reduction of postage They did not come from
districts like that which he had the honor, in part
10 represent. They came from the large cities; nd
| nc willing 10 predict notwithstanding the
views Of the learned chairman of the Committee
on the Post Office and Post Roads, that if this bill
pass it will be heavy the Government
/ why not fix the at five cents? Let it operate
I equally all portions OF the country and do not
the treasury for the support OF the Post Office
! Department.
! Mr. HOUSTON raised his solemn protest against
the remark Of the honorable gentleman, that the
memorials on this subject emanatcd from the large
cities the densey populated portions of the
try. lie would answer the gentleman in the Yam
4 kce method, by asking the question--if the large
/ cites of the Union and the densey populated dis
tricts Of country now maintain the postal establish
| ment who las better right than they to ask for
this reduction! The expenses of the Post Office De-
partment borne by them, by the commercial
and manufacturing sections, and they well
afford now to detray the expenses Of the establish
ment in times past.
The amendment Of Mr.. McMvILES was then dis.
! agreed to.
! Mr.. STRONG moved to strike out five cents
| said, that the effect to provide that there
shall be uniform postage OF three cents. A
/ uniform rate of five cents reduction at
! all, for but one-ffth of the correspondence
of the country is that which pays ten cents under
the present law. II, then, the postage be reduced
to uniform rate of five cents, it will only affect
that cass, while four iifhs, which now pay five
cent?, will continue to pay the same amount. There
will be inducement for the larger class Of writer's
10 increase the number of letters. But uniform
| rate otthree cents holds out Inducements. -Four
fitths of the letters transported in the densey
populated portions OF the country, and the short
rohtee, and we know that large number of letters
| written not sent by mail, because they can be
sent at cheaper rates by private conve yances. But
the moment you enable letters to be carried by mail
at the same rate they arc carried by private con.
veyances, you take away the induccInent to en-
ploy the latter mode, especially as the letters can
be sent only in violation OF law This rate of three
cents would thus increase the revenue of the Dc
partmcnt.
The amendment Of Mr.. SraoSe was agreed to-
ayes IS, noes 81.
The question REQUIRED the adoption of MIR
BRowS's amendment, as thus amended, when
Mr., ASHMUN moved to amend by adding that
letters not prepaid, there shall be charged five
cents. There should, he remarked, be something
like penalty TO tiosc who do moi pay in advance,
and bonus 10 those who do.
Mr.. STRONG was opposed to prepayment. The
increase Of the revenue from the postal system dc
pended the large increase Of the correspondence
Of the country Let gentlemen say what they please
about two and five cent postage it will make
great difference IN t1e nulnDer OF letters II
moral obligation is 10 attach TO those VINO do not
pay their postage in advance. We have lrss than
three per cent of the letters mailed returned to the
dead letter Office. Did not any suppose that,
if the amendment should prevail, il would reduce
the number Of letters which go in the mails more
than three ,e: cent II Furnishing the receiver
of the letter, and not The writer II man should
write letter to him. and did not prepay the postage,
lie (NIr. s. must be punished for the mans dc
iauti ii We intend the experiment OF cheap post
age TO succeed must place obstacle in the way
oil every person throwing his letters into the mails
and VIC put an obstacle in the way when we
quire the postage TO be paid in advance.
Mr.. ASHMUN said that he understood that the
gentleman had proposed three cents, and he wished
10 make distinction by charging five cents when
postage was not prepaid.
Mr. AsHMuS's appointment was then agreed TO
ayes rs, noes %.
The question REQUIRED agreeing TO the amend
mcnt OF Mr. BRowS, amended, when, without
preceding further, the committee rose, and, on
motion
The House adjourned.