Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-01-30
WHOLE NO. 273.

anu tnat the Wonuer VIII onI( o. t0o3 ~
should have been continued so long,
Another objection to this biu-and =
meet it now because / do not dssirs to.
weary the House by participating too much.
in this debate; on objection which. / know.
will be made. because one gentleman has.
already given me notice that he viii raise.
it, end it is a real objection, for Z desire
to be frank in what SAYS that postage
is to be paid upon official correspondence
between the Governmental Depsstnsaas.
and their various subordinate officers ia
the country. But gentlemen viii see that
while we take away the privilege Of sena-
ing official letters free. the expense Of
sending such letters can ba allowed from
the contingent fund; and it will be mo-
more Inconvenience for the various officers
to include postage in their returns than for
any other small item of expenditure. Tor :
which. on sufficient vouchers. they are al 8
lowed.
/ have thus. Mr.. Speaker, briefly and
rapidly given the reasons that justify the
Post Office Committee. as understand. !
in reporting this bill. think the time
has arrived when We should seek in every
possible way to increase the revenues Of
this Government And will state further
that this is not the only bill which that
committee intend to report for increasing
the postal revenues
The Post Office Committee, however,
have not perfected the bills to which I re-
fer. / am not authorized to state details
of what we propose. may. however,
state in general terms that we shall endea-
vor to perfect bill requiring ell printed
matter transmitted outside the mails By
express companies to pay postage. IL 10
great injustice to the government that such
matter be allowed to be carried without
the payment of postage l think we shall
endeavor to frame bill that will prevent
the enormous exactions now made fer car.
rying the mail. The great lines of rail.
roads now have the Government absolute.
y in their power so far as carrying the
mails is concerned, and many Of them re-
fuse to contract with them at any fair rates
for this purpose. or even, when those PM
ces are allowed, to enter into contract With
the Department. insisting on carrying the
mail as it suits them to do.
These are the reforms in our postal sys.
tenn which we believe, if they are effected.
will result in making the Post Office De.
partment almost if not quite self-sustain-
ing, aud without an increase in the present
cheap postage rates. In the last fiscal
year it lacked nearly six millions Of dollars
Of paying expenses, which had 10 be paid
out Of the Treasury. By cutting off the
1 l. he 11a1 Al c. IL.
estimated deficit for the current rear has
been reduced to a little more than three
millions of dollars: but that deficit still
remains. and the people are to be taxed 10
make it up.
Mr.. POTTER. wish TO ask the chairman
Of the Committee on the Post Office and
Post Roads what objection there would bs
to striking ont the second section Of this
bill altogether? / think the bill would
then be in better shape and mors accepsa.
bic to a majority Of the people Of the coyn-
try.
Mr.. CoLrAx. The second section Of The
bill is the section which authorizes all per-
sons now entitled to the frsnking privi-
lege to send all msilsble matter through
the mails without prepayment Of postage.
the same having the name Of the person
sending it written or stamped thereon:
and provides tina. upon all such msilable
matter the postage shall be collected from
the recipient. That is copied from The
system now in uss in regard to soldiers
letters. Members of Congress are allowed
to send letters through the mails without
the prepayment of postage. because. Is !
said before, ninc-tenths Of such letters are
upon the private business of our constitu-
ents. and it is but justice that these who
send such letters. making up most Of the
business which takes rs daily to the De-
partments, and keeps many Of US till after
midnight to reply to them. should pay the
postage on the letters sent to them. By
striking ont this section. members of Con-
gress would be compelled to prepay post
, age on all letters sent to constituents on
their private business. By leaving it II.
we can prepay or not. according a. the let
/, ter is on our business or theirs.
. One word more. said I was not wed
ded to the details Of this particular bill;
but appeal to gentlemen Of tho House to
give us a fair vote upon the bill itself. /
knew how easy it is TO object to various
. features of any important bill and insist on
their amendment. know it IS much easi-
er to suggest objections to measure than
. it is to answer objections. ALI that ask
is. that we may have direct vote upon ths
bill without its being crippled By amend
ments, as fear it will be. If this bill i
voted down. / viii then be ready to 60 fos
the substitute Of my friend freB Nsv York.
Mr.. Duell. think the franki.e Driri-
lege ought to be wiped out By some mes
sure that the House may determine upon.
The gentleman from New York [Mr. Ehss-
man introduced a proposition the etkss
day giving to ell soldiers the privilege Of
sending their letters free of postage. II
this bill is defeated cannot see Why that
should not pass. If members Of Con1rsss
: retain for themselves the franking privilege
ON the ground that i Is for the public SER
vice. and not for our benefit. these men
who have left their homes and their fsmi-
lies. and have gone out to fight the battles
of the country, may we'll claim for them.
selves the same privilege. II we insist
upon retaining this privilege. confess thai
cannot answer why those men who hsvs
abaadoned homes happy with the sunlight
of lose, to peril their lives for their coun-
try should not have the same nriv iloua IN