The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1872-05-23

Twelve months have now passed
away since We called attention TO the
ftanking privilege - tho great obsta-
ole In the way Of postal improvement.
We showsd that Il enst tiye millions Of
dollars year. of which at least one
half vas fraudulent !; that Il was Inn
possible that pstags oould - mshs
lower while the malls were burdsned
with this fmmenss amount Of matter
for which nothing was paid and that
more petitions had been presented for
its abolition than Cor almost any legis-
lativs sction since tho country was
founded. Aud we expressed the hope
that the Congrsss then In session
would repeal al laws conferring .his
privilege, and would thus render the
postal service self-supporting.
That hope was vain Congress did
nothing Of the kind. For four or five
years such bills have been passed. sach
winter by the House, to be killed In
the Senate; or they have passed the
Senate to be killed IN the House; but
great care hss besn taken 10 have no
joint legislative action for this would
terminals the power Of ffanking. Nor
will there b any such sction till tho
pe0ple earnestly demand u. For four
teen years tho various Postmasters-
Geueral have called the attention Of
Congress to the impossibility OF inn
proving the mail service ~ ioug ~ the
ffanking privilege survived !; but the
statement has bad no effect. On one /
occasion It appeared that . delegate
from Utah had frsnked books home,
the expense Of which to Government
was Lstween Six and seven thousand
dollars. At another time the Post
master Ge6eral reported to Congress
that at least two million and half Of
dollars' worth Of postage annually
passed through the mails under franks
obtained fraudulently or BY counter
fsiting; but Congrsss declined to put
. stop to this great abuse. Every
representative aud senator continues
70 exoreice the privilege.
Thirty-swo years have passed away
slnce franking was repealed In Eng
land. II commenced there In 1858. At
tn 81 time the postal authorities desired
to carry an obnoxious bill through
Parliament; and to make II more &C.
ce ptable, a clause was inserted giving
members of the House of Comm ,ns
the power Of sending aud receiving
mail matter free. When the bill was
reported BY the committee to the
House, 1t was at onos attacked by the
better class Of members, - m unwor-
thy provision. ut IL poor msndi-
cant proviso," said Sir Heneage Finch.
land below the honor Of the House."
Tho Speaker. Sir Harbottle Grim
stone, even refused 70 put the question,
saying. /" he felt ashamed Of It."
But the bill passed. only 10 be killed
10 the Lords. to whom no such privi-
lege was extended. The proposition
was renewed the following year. and
made TO include "Lords' letters - and
II triumphantly paassd both Houses.
Such II the effect OF making national
Legislation favorable to the personal
interests Of the lsgisiatos From thas
day 20 16Sl 10 Eegland. and TO 1874 In
this country, this '.poor mendicant
proviso'' has remained, loading down
1.-The mall bags ss the nations sxpsuse.
II y coutluued in force mot because
tho psople desire It, NOR becsuss II 10
of any uss 70 Govesnment; bat solsly
/ because It conlsD = personal bsnsllt 90
lsgislators. Undsr it, provisions most
amusing articles. and svsn persons,
have been passed frse. On one occa-
sion, In England, nfteen couple ol
hounds were sent 20 the king Of the
Romans; on another, frank covered
4 1.-TWO maid servants - lauadressee b
nv Lord Ambassador Methuen - and
aud on third, "Dr. Crichton, carryiul
with him cow" But there IL u
] rsason "a suPpose that any. singl,
English frank has ever ooat the coun
ny ths six Or ssven thousand dollar
lmpossd ~ she delegate from UtAh.
I Il - - ~ : 4 j. =