The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-02-23

bui il i an exercise of good thing for the benebt OF our
consluens-the individuals VINO, ~ la, a.s esu upon
10 nav The money Ii TO me wise, therefore, 10 con
nue it, Ii has existed nom Tue ouhdailoh OF e gov
eminent up The present hour and suspect Il VIII con-
name MS long as the government continues ! suppose
,hs,,he uyiiege exists In every delberave Assem-
bv IN the world Ii exists certainly the Parliament OF
Great Britain The members of Parliament think, are
confined TO twelve franks per day Of letters sent,
and some fifteen OF letters received That s rule,
al least do not know what may be a. the present
But there still another objection 10 this thing We
are looking at this matter practically. Strike out this
provision, and your bill fails The whole matter OF
cheap postage is gone You cannot get II through the
other House | trust the amendment will not be car
ried.
MIR DOWNS | hope, Mr. President that this amend
ment will not be adopted shall certainly vote against
it. A, the same time, say that il was consulting
my own convenience, and my own ease, and ny own
grathcation should vote for It very cheeruly be,
cause every member OF Congress knows that II would
upon shall vote against il, because think il is
Of those reforms which the people do not demand and
would be dissatisfied to adopted, because it is for
their benefit that the ranking privilege is allowed and
not for the particular benefit Of members of Congress
Nor do see any reason, Mr. President, why members
of the Congress Of the United States should be placed in
different position in this respect from every other egsla
tive body. Even in our State legislatures, although
we have no Thanking privilege it is thought matter SO
reasonable and proper because OF the public position OF
the members OF those bodies, that their mail expenses
should be betrayed the public expense that every
where DONE 50 far as have any knowledge II so in
my own State, and am told by gentlemen around me
that it ID so in theirs
And do no, see any objection to sending abroad this
printed matter. Gentlemen should recoect that we live
in republic and that the action of the government de-
ponds upon the people. great deal is said about edu
cation and giving the people information Now, think
we should aim to give them all the information possible
am aware that the printing system has been abused.
We print too much. But am not prepared 10 say that
shall stop it, because these very documents which
send abroad dhuse valuable information among the peo
pie of the country which they could not otherwise get
II has been the practice of the government 10 distribute
this information Perhaps it has gone too far. Still J.,
for one, am not prepared 10 put an end 10 il,
Ii is said by the senator from Mississippi [Mr DAvIsl
that ought to stop the sending OF documents because
we cannot send them to everybody True, we cannot
but send them TO great many, and these dlvduas
TO whom we send them often circulate and dfuse the IN
formation therein contained to others There is no pub
lie benefit of this kind that will apply to every single in
dividua in the United States equally and because we
cannot apply it equally is why we should cease
10 apply il at all The who do not receive the pub
lie documents may be benefited by the information con
tanned in them, because it is dfused throughout the
country have always considered il OF the duties
OF public any legislative body to give the people all
possible information to what is going here, and the
reasons for the policy pursuing. This plan of
sending out documents is OF the means we have OF
doing IL You often hear the remark that long and la.
bored speeches are made hereto the annoyance the
by Of persons that have TO listen to thembut yet you
go into the country and ask these people who take them
up and read and deliberate upon them they will tell you
that they valuable and useful TO Them and that they
would not like to dispense with this source OF niorma
ton.
Now I, for one am not prepared 10 pu, an end 10 all
this business at Gentlemen may talk about the
expense but you cannot expect 10 carry the govern
men without expenses and this is but nconsderable
portion OF them II is an expense, too OF which, be-
leve, the people have never complained; and | see no
necessity for aboishing it, order 10 carry out the great
object OF this bill am sure the Senate is not prepared
to abolish this Thanking privilege the exercise of which
IS SO important and so necessary.
Mr. HAMLlN. will detain the Senate but a
minute shall vote for the amendment which my col
league has offered and shall do with great cheerful
ness. shall do 1t simply for the that believe il
right. knew OF no reason by which you can justify
the Post Office Department in taxing the people who sup
port il to pay for the free matter which is distributed
through the country. know Of good which
will justify you in calling upon one class OF the com
munlty-the postage paying classic support system
for the purpose Of dhgsing free matter throughout the
country. The only right rule, in my judgment, is TO
have everything that goes into the mail pay postage As
view this amendment, think IT will check the
distribution OF great deal OF useless matter That
which is worth sending worth paying for and IS
of sufficient public Importance TO send through the
country, and the government are disposed 10 say that i
shall 90 through The mails free, then the government
should pay for It's distribution; and if gentlemen are
disposed 10 say tina, is oil importance enough TO pay
and let the government pay II, | Will JON with then
the mails unless it shall contribute the of The
government shall therefore vote upon this occasion
have often done before upon all substantial reforms
in relation to this department. and think shall vote
right
Mr. BADGER. | was about TO suggest that have
nearly arrived at the hour when the Senate is IN the hab
oil AdlOurnlng as lnIs question, WHICH mas peer
sprung upon us by motion oil the senator from Maine
[Mr. BRADBuRY,l is entirely a new one Laughter ]
a very important to ourselves, TO the whole
printing press OF the country, and 10 constituents
and the Senate have not probably made up the
minds upon the subject, think we had better take
night 10 think upon II, especially when consider ha
we have full days of the session left aud besides this
business know OF nothing OF Importance that have
TO consider, except the geperal appropriation bill II
therefore, it will meet the appreciation OF the Senate
move TO adjourn.
The motion TO adjourn was lost
Mr. PEARCE | understood The senator from Maine
IMr HAMIINl TO say that he thought everything tina
must pass through the mails should be paid for. Now
| would like to know whether the SENATOR carrying on
that principle, would require all the printed matter
should be paid for by the proprleors of newspapers
understand that in the four principal cities Of The United
States the newspapers that received exchanges by
other newspaper offices amount to fifty thousand week
none oil which pay any postage, while the newspapers
which 20 to individual subscribers who pay for them
amount only 10 about twenys six thousand that two
thirds Of the newspapers that 20 through the mail the
four principal cities OF the Union 90 free Now, II there
il no reason why the matter which we receive should
to Free suppose the senator, carrying out his
principle, would take away from the newspapers the
privilege OF free exchange. would like 10 know how
that will be- because think the Senate has generally
duced the charges upon newspaper matter and suppose
they would scarcely venture TO charge the newspaper
tabishmens generally with the postage on all exchange
papers.
Mr.. BRADBURY. | shall detsin the Senate but a
moment in reply remark OF the senator from Doulsi-
He regards the OF documents and speeches
TO be very important OF disseminating valuable
information II the documents and speeches OF real