Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-01-30

4
Iege.
From the Congressional Globc. Jan. Isl
Mr.. CorrAx l nov Jrmau the prcvi
Gus question on the bill and amendments
Theprerious question was seconded. and
tue main question ordered 20 be put.
Mr.CoIsAx Mr.. Speaker. the previous
question having been sustained. and having
the right as the member who reported the
bill. 10 close the discussion. 1 will endesv-
or to occupy not more than five minutes.
| heard the remarks of the distinguished
exPostmaster General from Kentucky
i(Mr WIcKilFgE very imperfectly VIII re l
sit. One of his arguments which, did
hear however, was this; that it woull be
impossible for this bill to pass both branch
es of Congress. | desire to state to the
gentleman that bill to abolish the frank
ing privilege has frequently passed. the Sen
ate, although such bill had never passed.
the House. At the last session bill
passed. the Senate for that purpose with
only two dissenting votes. one given by
Mr. lIemphill, of Texas. seccssionist. the
other by 1Ir. WILKINSON, Senator from
Minnesota All the other Senators voted
fur the passage of'this bill This. then, is
suAirieut answer to the gentleman's
declaration that it is impossible to pass
this bill through both branches of Con-
gress.
] differ with my frien from New York
| [Nr Pow n Y n refer, e to the il stiuc
tion> which he has novel 1t leaves the
ranking privilege in existence upon the
tons Of public documents, which propose
to charge a very moderate postage. while
it removes il from the correspondence Of
members of Congress. much lighter in
weight. believe that that would be near
ly as bad as the present system. The bill
of the Committee on the Post Office and
Post Road. will tend to repress the exces-
sive printing of public documents; for. sir.
when we come to consider the publication
of book we must also consiier whether
the book is one of such value as to induce
the people to pay postage on it. The in.
structions. if adopted. would increase t.
steal of repress the publication of en-
ermous amounts Of public documents.
| am free to say to the gentleman from
New York. Mr.. RoscoE COMBINE. that
the bill OF the COMMITTEES. will go with
him for the total and radical abolition OF
the franking privilege. The reason why
the committee reported the second and
third sections. was to removes the objection
that is made against the total abolition OF
the frankins privilege; and that objection
was. that we provide no way for the dis
tribution Of public documents throughout
the country. 1t was alleged that members
OF Congress might not be willing to pre-
pay the postage upon those documents,
and hence we prepared the third section
tor the benefit Of the public, aud also ss
revenue measure.
As to the second section, which author
ises members to send letters on the bust
ness OF their constituents without prepay
ment. leaving the recipient to pay postage,
think it would be wise. Some mem
bers receive thirty letters a day Would
it not be requiring too much, after asking
member to travel around from d.
partment to Department, toinsist upon his
preparing the postage npon replies to all of
those letters upon business Of his constitu-
sents? To insist upon that wonll be to d.
minish the revenue, and also to diminishthe
good that the member would do for his con-
stItuents. There would be danger that the
members might omit to transact much bust
ness semitic them ifthey had to perform all
this kind of labor. often pay hack. hire be-
tween the Departments, so distant A.
some Of them are from others. and then.
after writing the result. to prepay the