The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-13
THIR TY-FIgsT con GRESs.
SECOND sassIoN. m
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
SATURDAY, Jan. IL, 1851.

4
June aud Juy last. Referred to the Committee
on Indian Affairs, and ordered to he printed.
MIR. DANIEL moved TO 90 into Committee OF
The Whole upon the private calendar. tl
Mr., POTTER moved TO go into Committee Of
the Whole on the special order.
4 Mr. PHELPS asked the above named gentle
men to suspend their motions, (Which request was
granted To enable him To introduce bill granting
IA right of way and public lands to Mi ssouri, to aid
IN constructing railroad from the western line of
the State, near Fort Scott, to point on the road
I leading from st. Louis to Little Rock The bin
was referred to the Committee on Public Lands,
and was ordered TO be printed. ~
4 Mr.. ANDREW JOHNSON asked unanimous
consent to introduce bill, of which previous no.
tiee had been given, but Mr.. DANIEL objected.
! The motion of Mr.. POTTER was decided to
have precedence, and the question being put, it
was decided in the affirmative.
| CHEAP POSTAGE BILL
! Mr. STRONG, chairman in Com t;tee of the
! Whole, stated that the question WAS upon the
amendment proposed by the Committee on Post
Offices and Post Roads. nHsR
| MIR. PHELPS being entitled to the floor, said
that the rates proposed by the committee, would
not have the effect TO reduce mail facilities He
gave statistics TO show that they had never been
so much Increased as within the period following
the year lSiJ when the rates OF postage were re-
duced. He did not alIude to the former practice
OF the Department Of paying to keep up lines of
! MIR. p stated that In 1S47, permanent yearly
appropriation Of S200O00 was made to cover the
expense of the transmission through the mails Of
Government correspondence. The sum arising
under this act has never been called for An
equal sum $3.50, O00l is now due the Department
| from postmasters. lie then went on to state the
history OF the legislation of the last session.
whereby in the attempt to charge the Department
with the salaries paid at the General Post Office,
the whole post Office system, far as receipts and
expenditures were concerned, was thrown upon
the Treasury.
Mr.. BAYLY here explained that it was rot by
any oversight Of the Committee of Way and
| Means, but by the action Of the House
| MIR. PHELPS, resumng, asserted that the cost
of transporting free, the malable matter of the
Executive Departments, and of Congress- exclu-
sive of public documents, was more than double
all the expenses for salaries of the Post Office De-
| partment. Mr.. p. stated that he WAS in favor OF
three cents prepaid upon letters, or FIVE if unpaid
He was opposed to the free circulation of news
papers. About million of dollars is now re-
ceived from that source. One half of this sum
would be cut off fthe proposition for free crcula-
ton within fifty miles of places Of publication
should be adopted Relating to the assertion that
the appropriations for lines of ocean steamers
should be charged to the Post Office Department,
he stated that they were not instituted with spe-
cia reference to the views of the objects Of that
Department. Besides, with some OF them, the
receipts from hostages passed to the credit of the
appropriation bill, out Of which, the expense of
their establishment was betrayed. Mr.. p pro-
ceeded at great length to analyze the propositions
to establish uniform rate Of two or FIVE cents.
lie presented data to show that either of these
rates would diminish the aggregate Of revenue
Experience under the operations Of the act of
lS45, well as that Of Great Britain, satisfied
him that uniform prepaid rate of three cents, or
an unpaid one of five, would produce sufficient
revenue.
Mr. MORSE asked if, in his estimates, he had
taken into consideration the increased expense
that would arise from the employment OF the adj
diuonal number of clerks that would be required
by reason of the enlarged correspondence antici-
pated.
Mr.. PHELPS lhough, the labor saved from
adopting the system of prepayment, would nearly
equal what might be anticipated in that respect
Mr.. BAYLY, asking if he had taken into ac-
count the increase of expense for blanks wrapping
pSper, and Irvine, answered that no more
sHunks were required for bundle Of five hundred
letters than for one. Rt
Mr.. PHELPS added, that he had propositions
for material reduction of expenses Of the Post
Office Department. The first was to abolish the
distinction with reference 10 way and ship letters
the second was the allowance TO post masters upon
fianked letters, and the third wa5 for reduction
upon the amounts paid railroad corporations for
the transportation of the mails
Mr.. MATTESON addressed the committee a,
considerable length. He should at the proper
time suggest such notifications Of the law, as to
save to the department some thirty thousand doll
lars Of expense, arising from the advertising OF
dead letters. MIR. M. was understood as desiring
TO propose such addition of postage upon dead
letters, delivered after they advertised as to
cover the whole expense arising from this source.
This measure, If adopted, would be equal to the
loss which would be incurred by the department
from the free circulation Of newspapers within
forty miles Of their place of publication. For the
sole benefit of post masters (whose lubors would
be increased by the general transmission of news
papers by the mail, he proposed, for newspapers
other than ms above mentioned, yearly rate of
ten cents for weeklics, twenty for semi-weekics.
thirty for tri-weeklies, and fifty for daes By
this plan, post masters would become interested
in increasing The circulation of newspapers Mr.
NJ. commented upon the improperly of charging
the same rate upon newspaper conveyed but
four miles, rs upon one carried three hundred.
So great was the present rate, that stages and ex-
presses resorted To by publishers for the con-
yeyance of their newspapers. Mr.. Nj. discussed
the proposition for tie abolition of the ranking
privilege, which he regarded as a burden to the
representative, but as Of great advantage to the
people lie said many the executive documents
were eagerly sought and highly valued.
MIR. DUNHAM in referring TO the numerous
petitions for cheap postage, expressed himself
willing TO act with reference thereto, II satisfied
that the views therein expressed, arose from
thorough knowledge Of the subject. He conf
mented upon the assertions Of members relating
to the revenue point, and went on ut ,engtb (amid
interuptions) to state the reasons why the opera
tons of the English system were not applicable
to this country. He warned members from the
West and South 10 oppose projects which would
deny TO sparsely populated regions the mail faci-
tiles enjoyed by the East. II the Thanking privi-
lege was abolished, a proposition would be made
and carried, TO charge the amount arising from the
correspondence OF members to the contingent
fund Of the House. He could reasons for
treating the Post Office Department something
distinct and disconnected from other Departments.
Mr.. CROWELL gave notice Of two emend-
ments which he should at the proper time propose.
The first proposed double the usual rites upon
malable matter, carried between the Atlantic and
Pacific COASTS. The second was to abolish the
frnnking privilege, and charge to the contingent
fund of Congress, the portage, arising from
Of members. fr
Mr.. PHELPS, by consent of Mr.. POTTER, who
had the right to close the debate, spoke at consd-
erahle length, relating TO the exorbtant charges Of
railroad corporations for carrying the mails, as
with other modes of conveyance Ifpo