The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1874-04-29
MIDDLEBURG SNYDER COUNTY. Pa, APRIL %, 1874

peTutlilp tO pOStHSe ana tne ScnulDp
out of official mail In this Bureau
it is customary. when the correspon.
deuce renders "A reply important for
the information OF the Office, to in.
close official stamps for return pos
tagc.
In the Patent Office the financial
clerk has custody of tho official
stamps, but is not allowed TO use
them himself A lady clerk has charge
of stamping all the official mail, with
the exception of letters written and
mailed after Office hours, which are
stamped by either the Commissioner,
Assistant Commissioner, or chief
clerk.
In the General Land Office one
clerk has the entire charge of the
official stamps, and for the stamping
of the official mail, they are issued by
him daily to the chief of the Bureau.
who ailiXes them to said mail. The
clerk referred to also furnishes
stamps quarterly to the following
officers, upon their requisition: TO
] II surveyors general 10 registers
of tho local land offices, and 30 re
coivers of the local land offices.
The deputy commissioner Of pen
sions in the Pension Office is the Gus
todian Of The official stamps. They
are issued by him to one clerk in the
Office, whose duty il is to stamp all
official mail. Tie deputy commits
sioner Of pensions also issues official
stamps to l,iO0 examining surgeons
for the payment of postage OF ccrtif
Gates OF examination of pensioners.
II is the custom Of this bureau when
official letters are addressed to per-
sons not Interested in TIE contents
thereof, to inclose official stamps for
return postage.
The franking privilege was limited
to the President, the Vice President,
Senators, Representatives, and Del
cgates in Congress, aud the Secretary
of the Senate and Clerk of the House
of Representatives, to cover their
correspondence, all printed matter
issued by the authority of Congress,
and all speeches, proceedings, and
debates in Congress such principal
officers of the Executive Depart
ments, being heads OF Bureaus or
chief clerks. us the Postmastcr-G Gen
eral might by regulation prescribe,
to cover official communications only;
postmasters, to cover official commu
nicaIions to other postmasters only,
and assessors and collectors aud
their assistants and deputies, for the
interchange of official communica-
tioLs only.
And then it was expressly proyid-
ed, by the revised act of 1872, ns "a
protection against fraud, and n guar
antee of the official character of the
paper OF correspondence sent,
that
No person entitled by law TO the frank,
ing privilege shall exercise said privilege
otherwise than by his written autograph
signature on the matter franked.
Thus, Mr. Speaker, it will be seen
that under the present system it
Las been found necessary, in the
operation Of the extensive and COM
.plicated machinery of The Govern
mcnt, t. scatter these official stamps
almost broadcast. IN every quarter.
and submit, sir, if all these thou
sands of officers, and tens of thou
sands of clerks and subordinatcs all
over the country, can be aud are in
trusted with the custody and Use of
these stamps, (and l do for mo-
ment believe they make mn improper
or unauthorized use of them,) why
may we not trust the Secretary of
the Senate and tho Clerk of the
House with the care and use of the
stamp or stamped envelope for pub
lie documents as provided for aud
authorized by this bill
will tell why would not have
them furnished directly to the Sena-
tors and members themselves Every
member receiving them would expose
himself to the charge of making an
improper use of them, Just as wo
hear il stated now, that the official
postage stamps of tho Departments
arc applied to private OF unofficial
mail matter, and just as members of
Congress were charged, over and
over again, without the slightest evi-
dence of making an illegal use Of
their frank under the old system.
The old charges of irregularities and
abuses would be revived, and as it
would be difficult to prove n mega
tive il might be impossible to meet
tho charge, These stamps or wrap
pers are intended for the benefit of
our constituents and not ofourselves;
and our best and surest protection
against all accusations and assaults
will be, not TO take them into our
custody or possession, but leave them
in the hands of the officers designat
ed, whose duty il will be to attach
them only to such public documents,
or printed matter, or seeds, as may
be authorized to be distributed by
congressional enactment.
In view also of the objection fre.
quently urged against the former sys-
tenn of franking, whether well,found-
ed or not, that other parties could
counterfeit or traudulently use the
frank of member OF Congress, more
especially in former years when the
use of engraved fac. simiie stamps or
dies was permitted, the committee
have placed around the plan submit