The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-07-21
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gress a right to Frank to their constit-
uents any speech or speeches they may
wish ? IF so, after one has been plainly
addressed, regularly franked, atc., has
any Post Master authority, and is it his
duty to retain any such document 10 his
Office for non-payment of postage before
il reaches its destination, and then in
form the person addressed that a LET
TER has been detained in his Office for
non-payment of postage. and as soon as
sufficient postage stamps would be sent
and prepay a reply, it should be for
warded x. Y. q.
~ Although the above inquiry is
not addressed to US, we will undertake
a reply.
First, members Of Congress hare a
right to frank all "such publications or
books as have been or may be published
procured or purchased, by order of either
House of Congress, or joint resolution of
the two Houses, and legally ranked"
IN reply to the second question, we
would say that if any Post Master has
been guilty of "~retaining" or OBTAINING
any such matter, thus illegally franked"
by a member of Congress, while TN
transitu, such Post Master has been
guilty of an net of gross malfeasance,
and is unworthy of holding his Office.
So much for the rights of Members of
Congress, and the duties of. Post Mas
ters in the premises, as we understand
them.
While this question "is before the
House," We may be permitted to refer
to another matter, which, although not
within the purview of the interrogator-
les of x. Y. q, may yet have some pos
sible relation to questions which he
would Ike to ask, provided honest an
swers could be given without convictiDg
the Republican member of Congress
from this District of an outrageous vio-
lation of law and abuse of his franking
privilege.
Will the honest reader believe that
Mr.. Bliss has practised sending to his
friends Congressional Speeches in pack
ages of 20 or 80, each speech being
Lfanked, but only the outside copies di
rected, thus contemplating that his
friend would direct them aud distribute
through the United States Mails? In
credible as it may appear, this high
banded fraud and violation of law he
has on more than one occasion attempt
ed to practice. That it as a palpable vi
~olation of law, one may see by referring
to the "Regulations" of P. O. Depart
ment, p. II, Sec. 1875, which says:
1.-THE personal privilege of f,anking
travels with the person possessing it.,
AND CAN BE xERcIsE IN U ONE PLACE
AT THE s4ME TIME"
The Justice and ne cessity for this reg
ulation are obvious to any one. In the
absence of such provision, Dir. Bliss,
and his Republicans colleagues could1eu-
ter the market in competition with the
Post Ofics Department, aud give away
or sell more franks than the government
could stamps, and thus bring the De-
partment to the very condition of Bank
ruptcy which it is their ambition and
labor to bring it into. The Post Master
here arrested this fraud. Speeches that
were deposited in his office, directed by
persons hero, aud intended to be re-
mailed here, were detained, and the par
ties to whom they were addressed noti-
fed that "letters" 1.-THE envelope being
sealed) we're in this cfice which would &c
forwarded on receipt of the necessary
stamps. The fraud was equally an out.
rage upon the persons to whom the doc.
uments were directed, and upon the De.
partment, but the Post Master had nc
discretion in the premises. The law
clearly directed him in his duty, and:hs
performed it.