The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-01-25
A1alrs at Dc State CspasAl.

to Pay Postage on Documents.
The Senate of this State, to- day, have adopted
resolution which ought to be circulated with cleo
trc speed throughout the State II Is TO draw upol
the treasury for the paymen of postage on all docu
ments which Senators may choose to put in the mai
bags, directed to any part of the country-Cali
fornls, or even any section Of the globe. THAI
body have voted themselves the ranking privilege
which may involve the State in an expense OF
many Thousands of dollars annually Il Is well
known what great amount Of expense Is incurred
| Dy memoeis Oh congress, In the enormous abuse
OF the ranking privilege, particularly la the crcu-
lating OF elecu0necring documents pending every
Presidential election. AT Washington, once in
every four years. both parties station committees of
| Congressman, who employ all their time in pre-
| pairing for the mails such speeches, memoirs re-
ports, &c, az il is believed are calculated to ad.
| vance the interests OF their particular favorte
! loading the mails with tons upon tons of printed
matter, which he's to be conveyed to almost every
post office In the UniOn free of postage, and free
| of all charge, to individuals or committees. Not
| only this, but members OF Congress, during cleo
ton contests repair to the ne wspaper offices, and
| there endorse their names upon wrappers thou
sapds upon thousands, to be used in the tree cir
culation OF such political documents as the party
interests may desire. And further, members Of
Congress. who are lawyers. (and two-thrds of
them always are.) before leaving home for wash
ington, leave with their partners clerks, suffi-
cient number of franked envelopes to answer all
purposes, even OF private nature, Wnitc absent.
Ii is well known that the mails are constantly bur-
thened with free matter, for which neither mem
bers of Congress or their constituents pay dollar.
The evil has grown 10 such \ magnitude that the
public voice has long since commenced demanding
Of Congress the abolition of the franking privilege.
knowing all these facts-havng them kept
constantly in vew-the New York State Sc
nate have deliberately voted, IN direct viola
ton of the often repeated opinion of the people,
q tax of several thousand dollars from the
State Treasury, for the purpose OF sending
abroad reports, messages, and other papers. Ii
was alleged during the debate that the masses OF
the people were unnformed as to the doings OF the
Legislature al the capitol-thit the long and heavy
documents emanating from the State Departments,
and the labored reports presented by important
committees, could never reach the masses unless
sent TO them free of expense-that they would
allow them 10 remain in the post offices rather thaa
pay the postage on them-and that they are fire.
quently refused because the intended recipient
could not ascertain, previous to taking them from
the office, the nature of their contents
This vote OF the Senate Is truly astonishing.
Whilst the members are daily prating about the
enormous expense of printing, they deliberately
vote 10 add an item which will swell the amount OF
contingent expense for postage to an alarming de-
gree. One Senator remarked that the postage
would exceed their salary for the session. SO
alarming had the amount OF printing extra NUMBERS
OF reports and documents become, that, some five
or six days since, they adopteda joint rule that not
an extra copy should be printed without the con-
currence of both houses and before that PROPOSE
ton becomes disposed OF, this same body-thesr
Identical wise men-sdopt simple resolution not
concurrent-voting privilege 10 themselves, al
great public cost which no body of State represent
tatives ever before ventured to propose.
But who will obtain these legislative papers
these volumnous documents Will they be sent
to the masses or 10 the political leaders of the
masses! 10 the latter, OF certainty How,
ing this postage from the treasury The only
manner in which intelligence is conveyed 10
them is through the newspapers-mostly the
l<.aaI
or any one else, to sege that, by sending volumes
from the State capitol at the public expense, the
great mass of the people are TO become the reci-
pients of them.
precedent being now fairly established by the
dgnlhed Senate II IS very natural to conclude that
the House will endorse the proposition, and adopt
a similar resolution. And il there is fear that
thirty.two Senators will use large contingent
fund.- tor the purpose OF paying their postage, how
much larger fund will be required TO pay the frank
ing Of one hundred and twenty.eight members Of
the House!
The principal advocates for the measure, in the
Senate, were Messfs. Brandreih, Miller, Stan
| ton. and Owen; It's opponents, Messrs. Johnson,
Carroll, Dart, Crolius, Williams, Cross, and
Morgan.
ALBANY, Jan. %, 1851.
Il Day assigned for Choosing ". s. Senator
Coz. HuWts Fus Souee- 1t. Governor Chuch-
Senators Votrwg 7hsmseirts Posiage-Attack IN
D1st'id Aft0~sy Bivwt- Mi~utUs Compelled
TO Pay Tares, &c, &c.
This morning, Mr.. Wheeler, wing, of franklin
county, an aspiring woolley head, offered a reso-
luton that the Legislature proceed TO the election
OF United States Senator, on the 4h day of Febru-
airy, in place of Daniel 8 Dickinson, whose term
expires on the 4ih of March next The reason why
the time Is not the tine fixed by lawl-ED. HER
AID has not been previously designated, has
been the fears entertained by the Seward section.
that union between The silver grays and the
democrats might be effected. whereby some other
gentleman than Hamilton Fish would be sent to
the United states senate. Ii having been fully
ascertained that no such union will be attempted,
ard that the Seward whg strength prevails IN both
houses, II has been determined to elect his late
eAeeilekcy To the Senate, on the Alb Of February.
Inc season OF parties Was opened last night ~
Va, Governors mansion, Invitations were extend
I'd very generally to members OF the Legislature,
The various public officers and many OF ihs dstln.
guished citizens, and toeribIy iulI attendance
occurred. The Governor was honOred with guess
OF both political parties, and all enjoyed the
Zion, and entered with right go,i will into the
festivities and enjoyment OF the al ght. There
was however, quite falling Cd IN the splendor Of
the p,iy IN comparison with those given BY the
late Governor Fish. During the session Of the Lee
eislaure, while he wis IN ofiics, h. gave soirces
snce in every fortnight, and they were given IN
style OF luxury and magnhCence never eqaaed
by any chief magistrate lie lavished his wealth
with unbcunded protusion, and II was accompanied
with cordially and welcome which gave has
mae nihctnt entertainments zest and relish 70 all
hs guests of every grade, and To every political ene.
my. The loss Of the cx Governor aud his greatly
accomplished lady, is already depiored, aud u -
coDjectured that the vacuum when their dcpAr-
ture from the cIiy has created, Will long remain
vi filed
Lieut. Governor Church and family occupy lode-
iTgs and parlors az the Mansion House, where
their trends are received IA Iuiet aud uuosten-
tatious rural manner, without paTtakng IN any
degree a. the coid and measured iormahiy Of eats
etiquette. since their arrival at the capital, the
hlst week 10 January, they have received the visits
81 May OF the moot Respected citizens and their
LADIES'.
Ike Senate spent another dSy Qhis dsy) in dis
outsing the subject 81 postage. Ga Monday, a
resolution was adopted, charging upon the State
he postage en- all documents which senators may
choose 10 send to their constituents during the
session. This morning. motion was made 10 re-
consider the vote on the resolution, aud upon which
discussion ensued, which c. nsumed nearly The
whole dey. The TACT came out during the discus.
sion, that the amount of postage on documents cent
kNn