The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-02-22

account OF the transportation OF the immense amounts
OF Tree matter sent through The mails TO return 10 the old
rates OF letter postage.
Mr.. UNDERWOOD. | regret very much to be The
instrument OF consuming the time OF the Senate aud par
hcuIary Ia carrying on what am AFRAID may be very
unayailing warfare IN behalf of what conceive to be
Jisce to portion OF the press OF this country Now
sir, my Trends bill, II came from his hands, met my
appreciation much better than 1t does with the amend
nehls tlat nave been made TO II. BY the amendments
The aenate have already made they have destroyed that
symmetry thai ] believed the bill In some measure to
possess al The time came from the hands OF the commit
tee My effort is to make the bill more lust than il will
be unless my amendment prevails The chairman nf the
committee complains that il my amendment is adopted it
VIII produce fractions IN the settlement of accounts
should have been glad il he had thought of that when the
senator from Maine offered amendment which will
produce great many more fractions than mine will.
When this hrst amendment offered by the gentleman
from Maine proposed, believe nobody raised an OBJ
lecuon to IT,. II reduced the postage down TO fourhs
instead OF halves but nobody opened his mouth
against It, Neither the chairman any else
planned But now, when oier to Introduce another
clause, II is objected to upon the of keeping
counts, and THAI my amendment will produce confusion
in the department There be difficulty in that
way SIR BECAUSE instead OF paying by the quarter it
Will be but hall me they will pay advance Tor
months. That is the only effect it will have; that
there be substantial objection the amendment
that account.
But my friend talks of determinations He thinks
they odious; and so do l. But he allowed discrim
naton to be made here the other day without opening
his mouth; and that discrimination has induced me to
propose the amendment now offer. That discrimination
was to give advantage to all your large pictorial pa
pers the little press in this country. Here we have
an amendment offered without obection-adopted with
cut word OF remark being made against it--by which
all the large pcloras made Tor circulation and weigh
ing high three ounces, are TO be circulated upon the
same terms precisely with the little village papers. Is
there justice IN that 1t is discrimination made upon
the most direct and plain principles OF injustice, and
such strike body upon the very presentation Of
the case Tue Senate made that amendment and what
do proposes Merely TO get clear as far cam OF that
a
shed only week. and not weighing halt OF three
ounces, shall then be circulated through the mails al half
the fixed by my friends bill do not touch the dis
tances which he has regulated. merely ask that, for
going the distances which the bill specifies these
papers, weighing only half of three ounces, shall pay
only half what the three papers required
pay that you will find 1t is precisely as in reference
to the weight which you send through the mail 1t
places the two upon an exact equality; Tor the distance
remaining the same ball The weight pays only one
half the price, This odlous discrlmnation-the effect
OF which have already pointed out--has been made
is useless TO repeat that these large papers will have
advantage in extending their subscription list, upon the
ground that they furnish much matter 10 the reader
and IL costs postage. Every can see the OPP
Grafton OF il in that respect and my amendment is sim
ply to put these little papers upon the same footing with
the large papes, requiring them TO pay but hall where
they half the weight My amendment does not
touch my friends bill, make alteration in solitary
particular, except IN relation to weekies winch weigh
less than and half and II requires that they
shall pay but half the price OF those weighing three
ounces. p.
The senator has advered to the fact that the House
wanted to exempt this local circulation OF newspapers
from all taxation whatever Now, II my amendment d-
mnishes the price upon these village papersthis local
cHcualon-u comes nearer, TO some extent, 10 ine
wishes OF the House. and will therefore make the bill
paatable TO the House Instead OF this being
objection, IT wall the bill 10 harmonze more with
their views. | dislike to consume the time IN speak ing
upon matter OF this sort, which am sure every senator
must comprehensive is perfectly PLAIN as the proyso
worded, and perfectly analogous to the provIso
adopted upon motion OF the senator from Maine, tMr
HAMLIE] and 80 harmonious in principle with tha only
making another discrimpaon and that sustained by jus
tice. So will leave il 70 the Senate
Mr.. CHASE. think that If | can have the attention
OF the from Kentucky for moment, We can
make an arrangement upon the subject which will
all the purpose By Inserting the three ounces, m
stead of two. think the whole difficulty has been clea
ted II We follow that rate through the bill we shall
ind that we shall cucumber the mail with very great
weights, and violate the great principle which lies al The
foundation OF the bll-that weight should determine the
price. Now, if reconsider the motion OF the senator
from Maine. and substitute two ounces Tor three, one OF
the objects which the senator from Kentucky aims at Will
be accomplished Then, # in the 7,h line OF The bill we
strike out quarterly, and insert ha yearly" SO that
the postage regular numbers OF newspapers published
weekly within the distance OF fifty miles, shall be >
cents per hall year, shall then attain The object at
which The senator from Kentucky aims. But think
this amendment should be adopted and II he viii with
draw his amendment, will make this motion
Mr. UNDERWOOD. will withdraw the amend
ment temporarily, to zee if that can be attained
Mr. CHASE / then move in the first place TO strike
out the word quarterly" in the 7h ne and 10 insert
!" hall. W arly." ....... ia.
Mr.. RUSk hope tha, amendment will not be adopt
ed The postage hive cents per quarter ior papers
moi carried over nifty miles This is itself reduction OF h
tytwo cents per year newspapers carried less than hy
miles The amendment proposes that II shall be hve
cents half yearly, which reduces the postage Just one
half on these newspapers But II does not stop there
The bill provides that papers published sent week. shali
be charged double these rates papers published III.
weekly three times these rates. and u published oiteher
than that five times these rates. so that you reach The
daily pagers and reduce the postage upon them by THIS
amendment. 40 far the circulation within hy miles rs
concerned &c -,
Mr. CHASE. II this amendment is adopted, It viii
atec, only those newspapers which circulate within an
area of 6i,y miles Ii will reduc the postage upon those
newspapers to ten cents year The Object as undsf
sta nd IT, in proposing any postage within that distance rs
10 cover the expense delivery and thus amendment VIII
certainly be in favor of the local press whose propreors,
we know have great ifhcuy maintaining Their papers
To relieve them degree from the competition OF
the city press TO me, ~ very meriionous ana
worthy object and II we can attain that oy thls Simple
provision IN the BILL and leave all the other rates unai
eced seems il ought to be done. IS true 'ba'
the papers pu slished semweekly VIII be double hose
rates they circulate whn this distance but all papers
circulating beyond this distance will be so Tar unaffected
by this amendment Those rates are estimated by the
quarter, and there IS no reduction N them ne Wnoe
reduction applies newspapers which circulate w'thln
fifty miles hope that at any rate we shall OBTAIN tne
sense of the Senate by vote
Mr. SEWARD VIII il be in order TO move to strike
out the second section and substitute the second sec
ton in the bill from the House,
The PRESIDENT II will be in order when the
section has been perfected
MIR. SEWARD. / will state then, that thus amend
neni OF the committee seems to me radically defecVe w
principe and ask the Senate TO notice how Vuch m
erior il 10 the simple system OF newspaper postage
b,rh ia prouosed IN the bill from the House