The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-18

ried IN the mails" lie said that II cost the Gov
eminent hundreds of thousands. Almost every
postmaster, members of Congress, and newspaper
editors, exempt from payment; the latter on
their newspaper exchanged. He offered tho amend
lncnt to show what ne would do If he had the
power, although he did not anticipate that II
would be agreed 10.
Mr.. BROWN, of Indiana, was understood TO say
that he in favor of Curtailing the irahklng
privilege; but he was satisfied, from the expression
Of the committee yesterday, that they would MAKE
no chan &c in relation TO the subject. Inc PROPOSE
ton which he had offered presented the question
Shall VIC have uniform rate OF I'VE cent?, ana the
Post Office Department sustain Itself, or union
rate OF three cents, and million and nan q 'o'
lars appropriated out OF the treasury
The amendment Of Mr. EyASs Wa disagreed 80.
MIR. CARTIER offered a pro torlna ans hNht,h''
to answer the remark of the gentleman Ii0m Ton
nccticut that members had used the ranking prl-
ylege for corrupt purposes. IL ~ ho~tNeI; PR
yege which il exercised for the benent OF the peo-
pie and really Is burden on the representative,
and there is not a member bat who has realized
this truth But is il wise to pcrpetuate, not the
abuses but the privilege ITSELF IL - eXerclsed IN
disseminating among the masses the history Of lh1
legislation OF Congress and bring II 20 the door OF
the constituent IL Is the only gfatuity and PRIV
lege which is unoxceptionable IN Congress: why
abolish It, Because, IN every step winch Is taken
in reducing the postage TO three cents, u 10 more
plainly revealed that the Department is TO become
bankrupt. Postnasters are to dispense new sala.
red Offices in the oities; and million and bali OF
dollars voted in contemplation oil deficiency IN the
testify, that if the Thanking privilege be continued,
il must be at the expense OF the sovency OF the De-
partment Arguments would be used that the frank
ing privilege must be abolished, or the mail routes
be curtailed lie would extend rather than curtni
the privilege, far as the TRANSMISSION OF matter
connected with the official department OF the Go
vernment was concerned
Mr.. enable was willing to vote Tor a postage
of three cents on short routes and hvc cents on
long. If uniform rate of three cents should be
agreed ON, he could not vote for the bill. Gentle
men, he repeated, were willing to eApend large
sums Of money river and harbor improvements,
vote lands TO benefit foreigners, and TO COLOMBO
the coast of Africa with free negroes by establish
ing the Ebony line. but they are unwilling to bene-
tit large portion OF our own people by providing
increased mail facilities.
The amendment of Mr.. BRowN, Of Indiana, "a
substitute Tor the bill was disagreed to-ayes ",
noes 81.
Mr.. PUTNAM offered an amendment that, for
the purpose of insuring competent and faithful
postmasters, under the reduced rates OF postage,
the Postmaster General be authorized and empow-
cred to increase their rates of compensation to a
just and equitable amount, and that he rescnd and
modify such order when the commissions shall be
sufficient for their services.
MIR. STANTON, of Tennessee, rose 10 say that
the gentleman from North Carolina, MIR. VEEA-
BLE,) on several occasions, had shown himself ex
tremely anxious to lug into the debate, inoppor-
timely IA he thought, the proposition pending be-
fore the House for the establishment OF n line OF
mail steamers 10 Africa he did not intend 10 say
more present than that il the gentleman Is eager
for the fight, he (Mr. 50 should avail himself of
the first occasion to move to take up that measure;
and if the gentleman disposed TO meet the
question fairly, he (Mr. VI should assist him in
taking it up, and he would challenge the gentle
man to the conflict.
The amendment of Mr.. PUTNAM disagreed
TO.
There were no amendments made to the bill this
morning.
On motion Of Mr. POTTER, the committee rose,
when he moved the previous question.
Mr. A ed tbat tba nnHtb he ,lif,nr
amendments be laid upon the table; and, on the
question being taken. it was decided in the mega
tive-yeas oil, nays l39.
The question was then stated on agreeing to the
amendment reported from the Committee of the
Whole on the state of the Union, striking out the
first section of the original bill (providing for
postage OF three cents If prepaid, on letters, and
i've cent? if not prepaid) and inserting the fol
lowing;
That letters carried in the mail Of the United
States shall be charged with postage follows:
ounce, three cents and for each additional half
ounce or fraction of half an ounce, three cents.
Prorided That no post office nowin existence shall
be discontinued nor shall the mail service, on 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 propided further That it shall be the
duty of the Postmaster General to establish new
post Offices, and place the mail service mil
routes established, or that may hereafter be estab
iished, in the same manner as though this act had
| compensation of the postmasters shall not be di-
minished III consequence Of the passage OF this act
! The above amendment was concurred in-yeas
| l2I, nays s3-as fellows;
YEAS -Messrs. Alexander, Allen Aston, An
drews, Ashmun, Bcale Bell, Bennett, Bingham,
Bokee, Booth, Brock, Briggs, Brsbin, Brooks,
Buel, Butler, r. c Cabell, j. Gable, J. p. Cald
well, Calvin, Campbell, Casey, Chandler, Clarke,
Cleveland, Cole, Conger, Corwin, Crowell, Banner,
Deberry Dickey, Doty, Duncan, Durkee, Eliot. AL
exander Evans. Nathan Evans, Fitch Fowler,
Gerry, Giddinga, Gilbert, Gilmore, Gott, Could,
Grinnell, Holloway, Hammond, Hampton Har-
Ian, Hay, Henry, Hoagland Holmes, Houston,
Howard, Howe, Hunter, William T Jackson,
James l.. Johnson, Julian, Kaufman, James G..
King, John A. King, Preston King, Letter, Lit
tleheld, Horace Mann, Marshall, Matteson. Nc
Donald, McGaughey, FINS T.. Mclean, Meacham,
D. F. Miller, Moore, Morehead, Morris, Neaon,
Ogle, Odds, Otis, Peck Phoenix, Pitman, Potter,
Putnam, Reed, Reynolds, Risley, Rockwell, Root,
Rose, Ross, Rumsey, j., saokett, sawtelle,
Schcnck Schermerhorn, Schoolcraft, Seldom, Sill
vester, Spalding, Sprague, Stetson, Taylor, James
Thompson, John b Thompson, Thurman, Tuck
Underhill Vinton, Walden, Waldo, Wallace,
Wentworth, Whittesey, Wright, and Young-l2l
NAGs-Messrs, Albertson, Ashe, Averett Bay,
Bayly, Bocock, Bowdon, Bowie, Boyd, a G Brown,
w J. Brown, Billiard, Burrows, Burt, Cartier,
Clingman, w. r. w Cobb, Cocock Daniel, Dim
mick, Disney, Ducr, Durham, Edmundson, Ewing,
Featherston, Freddy, Fuller, Gentry, German,
Hall, Hamilton, Harason Isham G.. Harris, Samp
son w Harris, Thomas l.. Harris, Raymond, Hill
lard, Holiday, Inge, j. w. Jackson, Andrew
Johnson, Robert w. Johnson, Jones, Kerr, La
Sere, job Mann, Mason, McCcrnand Mcdowell
McKissock, McIanahan, Robert NJ AIcLane, Nc
Mullen, Mcqueen, Meade, John X Miller, Mill.
son, Morrison, Morton, Orr, Outlaw, Parker, Peas
lee, Penn, Phelps Powell, Robbins, jr., Robinson
Savage, shepperd, stany, Frederick p. stanton
Sweetser, Thomas. Jacob Thompson, Toombs
Van Dyke, Vcnable. Watkins. Wclborn, White
and WIams-S3.
The second, third, fourth, and fifth sections were
amended by the committee, and these, together
with two additional sections, were agreed to by the
House, and are "a follows, namely:
SEC. ,. Ind be IL further enacted, There shall
be charged upon each newspaper, pamphlet, peri
odical Magazine, book, and every other description
OF printed matter, which shall be unconnected with
any manuscript or written matter, and which it
may be lawful to transmit through the mail, Of no
greater weight than two ounces one cent; and for
each additional ounce fraction of an ounce, one
cent. Bound books not weighing thirty
ounces, shall be deemed mailabe matter under the
provisions Of this section: Prouided, That ncwspa-
pers delivered in the State where printed shall be
chargeable with only one half the foregoing rates