The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-16
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.


missoners, to examine and provide for the pay
lnent of claims against the United States growing
| out of the acquisition of California.
| REDUCTION AND MODIFICATION OF THE RATES
POSTAGE.
On motion of Mr.. POTTER, the House resolved
itself into Committee OF the Whole on the state OF
the Union-Mr BURT in the chair--and resumed
the consideration Of the bill to reduce and modify
! the rates of postage,
Mr.. BURT was called to preside.
| The CHAIRMAN stated the question SO be on
| agreeing To the following amendment, which was
pending when the House adjourned yesterday,
namely;
s'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, three cents; and for every additional half
ounce, or fraction thereof there shall be charged
the like sum OF three cents additional and all drop
letters two cents
| There shall be charged upon each unpaid letter
weighing not more than half ounce, five cents; and
for each additional half ounce, or fraction OF half
an ounce, when unpaid, the sum OF five cents.
! ''Prouded, That post Office in existence
shall be discontinued shall the mail service
any mail route in any of the States or Territories
| be discontinued or diminished, in consequence OF
any diminution OF the revenues that may result
from this act Ind proUided further, That II shall
be the duty OF the Postmaster General tosestablish
new post offices, and place the mail service on
mail routes established, that may hereafter be
established, IN the same manner as though this act
had not been passed. And provided further, That
TIE compensation of the postmasters shall not be
diminished in consequence of the passage of this
act"
The question being taken, the amendment was
disagreed to-ayes =, noes not counted.
| The CHAIRMAN Is a further division insisted
on.
A VOICE: There's no division at all. Laughter.
Mr.. BROWN, of Indiana, offered an amendment
proposing to charge three cents for letters conveyed
under three hundred miles, and over that distance
five cents.
MIR. FOWLER moved to amend by charging
three cents for all distances; and, after some
marks by him, the proposition was reJected-ayes
MIR. DIMMICK offered an amendment, which
! was rejected-ayes 49, noes notcounted-that there
shall be charged on letter carried under tive hun
dred miles three cent?; over five and not over one
| thousand miles, five cents; over 4 thousand, ten
| cents.
| Mr. POTTER moved to strike out all after the
acting clause in the first section, and insert:
That letters carried in the mai! 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 or fraction of half ounce, three cents.
Provided. That post office now in existence shall
be discontinued; shall the mail service, any
mail route in any of the States or Territories, be
discontinued or diminished in consequence of any
| dmnution of the revenues that may result from
this act And provided further, That it shall be the
! duty of the Postmaster General to establish new
post offices, and place the mail service mail
routes established that may hereafter be estab.
lished, in the same manner though this act had
not been passed And provided further, That the
compensation OF the postmasters shall not be d.
unfinished in consequence OF the passage OF this act
MIR. FEATIIERSTON moved to amend by add
ing:
masters any route established by law, shall GER
tiiy, under oath to the Postmaster General that
increase of service, or higher grade OF service Is
! necessary such route for the conveyance OF the
mail without delay or detention, it shall be his duty
| to increase raise the grade of service on such
route according to the testimony of the postmastcs
| fhnrpA II la,i ,kFtth ha N.rtIn anf
After few words OF debate, the amendment OF
! Mr. FEATHERsToN was disagreed to.
! Mr.. KAUFMAN moved to amend the amend.
! ment of Mr.. PoTTER--that rate of three cents
shall be applicable to postage under three hundred
miles He expressed the hope that, if this should be
adopted, five cents be charged for all distances
disagreed to.
Mr.. MEADE moved to amend, by making
uniform rate of five cents We are ALL he said,
! aiming at the same object and he submitted whe-
Their 1t would not be better to feel way down 10
reduced rates. Five cents, he thought, would be
sufficient fall at this time
The amendment disagreed to-ayes 90,
noes rs.
Mr.. SACkETT offered an amendment--on let
tiers conveyed less than five hundred miles three
cents; all over, five cents This was disag reed to.
And the substitute Of Mr.. Porter, originally
offered, adopted-ayes 81, noes 70.
Mr.. MEADE offered an amendment; that it shall
be the duty of the Postmaster General to establish
n post office on any established route at any place
! desired by the inhabitants of the neighborhood on
the application OF twelve or more persons; provided
there be no post office within four miles OF the
proposed.
Mr.. FEATIIERSTON offered an amendment;
but it and that of Mr.. MEADE we're disagreed to.
The first sccton having been disposed of without
further amendment than that offered by Mr.. PoT--
TER, the committee proceeded 10 the consideration
of the second section of the bill
| MIR. POTTER offered a substitute for il, that
on each newspaper, pamphlet periodical maya
zine, book and every other description of printed
matter which shall be unconnected with any man
| uscript or written matter, and which it may be
lawful to transmit through the mails, of no greater
i weight than two ounces, there shall be paid
cent; and for each additional ounce fraction of
an ounce, one cent. Bound books not weighing
over thirty ounces, shall be deemed mailable mat
ter under the provslon5 OF this section; provided
that newspapers delivered i'll the State where print
ed shall be chargeabe with only one half the fore
! going rates
adding proviso that no postage shall be charged
on newspapers mailed and delivered in the county
where published, nor within thirty miles of their
place Of publication
Mr.. STANTON, of kentucky, offered an amend
ment to the original section in regard TO the circu
latlon OF newspapers; and
Mr.. MATTESON submitted one, graduating
the postage daily, semi weekly, tri weekly,
and weekly newspapers, and reducing the present
rates
These propositions were disagreed to-
Mr.. TAYLOR offered anendment-that no
postage shall be charged on newPpa pers circulating
in the county where published, or within fifty miles
OF thelr place OF publication.
Mr.. HOUSTON proposed to amend by striking
out the word county and inserting Congressional
district"
Both of these gentlemen submitted remarks in
advocacy Of their amendments.
! MIR. POTTER believed that it was the settled de-
termination Of the committee that spapers shall
circulate free within the county within thirty
Inies of their place Of publication, within the
Congressional district. lie had said the other day
that he was opposed to this. II was wrong in Con
gress t9 give to any man monopoly 70 dissent
nate political other matter. There
sense in providing that one hall cent shall be
charged on newspapers published in the State, and
one cent out Of it,
! Mr.. HoUsToN's amendment disagreed to,
! was also ono submitted by Mr. DUNcAS, to reduce
the postage proposed one half on papers nine hun
bred and fifty square inches in size.
! The amendment Of Mr.. TAYLOR was amended,
! on motion of Mr.. RUGsEy, that ne wspapers shall
circulate within thirty miles of their place Of pub
/ LEGATION; and in this form il was agreed to-aycs
! 50, noes 81.
4 Mr.. CHA NDLER offered amendment, which
] aprced tO-aycB rs. noes eD-tO deduct liity