Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-03-06


tion
Mr.. Packer. Certainly.
Mr.. Albright. What | wish 10 know is,
whether ali the persons who are supplied with
official stamps, and authorized to Use them ac.
cording TO the gentlcman's statement, were en-
dowed with the frankng privilege prior 10 the
Both of June, 1878!
Mr.. Packer. No, sir. The frankiug privi-
legc was limited to the President, the Vice
President, the chiefs OF the several EXecu-
tive Departments, Senators, Representative,
and Delegates in Congress, and the Secretary OF
the Senate and Clerk Of the House of Representa-
tives, TO cover their correspondence. all printed
matter issued by the authority of Congress, and
all speeches, proceedings, and debates III Con-
gress; such principal officers Of the Executive
Departments, being heads of Bureaus or chief
clerks, as the Postmaster General might by regu-
lation prescribe, 10 cover official communica-
tions only postmastcrs, TO cover official COM
munications to other postmasterS only, and as
SCISSORS and collectors and their assistants and
deputies, for the interchange of official cOmmuni-
Cations only.
And then il was expressly provided, by the
revised act OF 1872, protection against fraud,
and rs a guarantee of the official character Of
the paper correspondence sent, that
No person entitled by law to the frankng privilege
shall exercise sid privilege otherwise than y bIs wT.
ten autograph signature On the Iuatter iraEked.
Thus, Mr.. Speaker, it will he seen that under
the present system it has been found necessary,
in tue operation Of the cXten sivc ard complicated
machinery OF the Government. to scatter the
official stamps almost broadcast, in every quar-
ter, and -1bnIit, sir. if all these thousands OF
officers, and tens of thousands of clerks and
subordinates all over the country, can be and
are entrusted with the custody and use Of these
stamps, (and do not for a moment believe they
make an improper or unaut hoTiz"d use OF them, }
why may we not entruSt the Secretary Ol the
Senate and the Clerk Of the House with the care
and use of the stamp or stamped envelope Tor
public documents as provided for and authorized
by this bill 4!
Several Mem ycrs. Why not give the stamps
TO the members themselves
Mr.. Packer. | will tell the gentlemen why |
would not have thcm furnished directly to the
Senators and members themselves. Every mem
Der receiving them would expose himself to the
charge Of making an improper use Of them, just
as We hear stated now, that the official postage
stamps of the Departments are applied TO private
or unofficial mail matter, aIid jHst rs members
of Congress We're charged, over ana over again,
without the slightest evidence, with making an
Illegal use of their frank under the old system.
The Old charges Of irregularities and abuses
would be revived, and a. it would 5e difficult 10
prove Il negative il might be impossible 10 meet
the charge. These stamps and wrappers are in
tended for the benefit of our constituents and
not ourselves and our best and surost proicc-
tion against all accusations aGG assaults will be,
not to take them into our custody or possession,
but leave them in the hands of the officers desig-
mated, whose duty il Will be 10 attach them only
to such public documents, or printed matter, or
seeds, as may he authorized to DE distributed by
congressional enactment.
In view also Of the objection frequently urged
against the former system of Iranking. whether
well-foundcd not. that other parties could
counterfeit or fraudulently u-e the frank Of Il
Of all
years when the use of engraved fac sin,ilc stamps
or dies was permitted the comr:ittee have placed
around the plan submitted by them such checks
and guards as must. il is believed, cectually
and certainly prevent every attempt to abuse it.
And it may be remarked, in passing. sir, that a
great, If not the major, part Of the opposition Ia
the iranking privilege. grew ont of lis supposed
or alleged abuse FOR the privilege, when proper
ly and honestly aid legally exercised, was un-
dOubtcdy the privilege of the people themselves,
Intended FOR their benefit. IN facilitating their
communications With their agents or representa-
tives upon the questions coming before Congress
affecting their rights and interests, or the vel
fare and prosperity OF the country.
by the second section Of this bill Is provided
That the Secrc:.ry Of The Seu,te aud Clerk of the
HouAc 81 Representatives Cf the United ~.aes shs
.use 10 e preJG:el Tor their sI"ciye Houses, =
~ ecll 'lp s;anlel envelope wrgi e., Of such
form design sIuu l." dircc ed aud II roycd 10y
the Ios:ni er te,ia be used by the said Secre-
-
ed By either Of ihu:n FOR heir 81 ea;iTe LoseS only
upon such Iril.i.d Inattr~ d"arment7 pack
age Of seecs, cuttings roots. end sol"S s at r-said
the Wee President, th' senator. Representatives and
Dceg.ies Cong III. Secretary O: the Senate and
Clerk OF tue H1u-c Representative ~ by theiI
respective written suogra1i ,iguaur.s udoreed bon
the wrhlpcs .n-elOi thereof, dfec. 10 be rent
by mail, ja provided il thc tore Ding section OF this
act.
Thus the matter that may be sent free of
charge Is in the first place, limited to the public
documents published ny direction of Congress,
and to the seeds, &c. furnished by the Agricul-
tural Department., under authority of law, as
before stated, and does not include the official,
much less the private, correspondence of mem
bers In The next place, il can only be sent un-
der special stamp, or stamped envelope, or
wrapper, OfEuch form and design as shat. be APP
proved by the Postmaster General, to be at
tached, or used, only by the proper officer Of the
House.
Ana then. as an additional measure of protec-
ton, and 10 prevent the officers designated, or
any one else, from making an improper un-
authorized use of tn" stamp, it is required that
the person authorized 10 send the package the
Vice President, Senator, Representative, or Dele
gate in Congress, or the Secretary Of the Senate,
or the Clerk Of the Hou6c, shall also indorsc his
signature upoE the wrapper o: envelope, in his
own handwriting.
Again, as a further security against improper
practices, the committee have provided in the
fourth section of the bill
That any person who shall known gy and with IN
tent to defraud the Government Of The United States,
Use, cause TO be used, any OF the said stamp
stamped enveoIes or %rHilefs, herein authorized 10
be prepared and used, for other ITCn" or iH any
other manner than II her"inieioTe 2a;horihed or
who shall counterfeit the signature Of
son herein authorized to udorre his ad;ogial sigma
ture upon the wrappers envelope Aforesaid, VINO
shall willfully utter or use av such dprz-
men with the intent to avoid Ygyment Of Josgge.
shall, conviction thereof be deemed gully 0f mis-
demeanor, and lie punished by Euv of not less than
800 than 81 600, b. I'M soumeEt Lot less
than three months than twelve months, by
both hne and imprisonment, IN lie dlscictor Of the
court.
To meet also the apprehension, OF the very able,
energetic and ylgilaDt head of the Post Office
Department, who has inauCuTated SO many ac-
knowledged improvements, and. with the aid of
his faithful AND intelligent assistants, has sue
ceeded in establishing and maintaining the most
complete, efficient, and admirable postal system
in the world, and recognizing the force of his
objection that there might, al times, be difficulty
in providing immediate means for the cXpcd-
tiOus transmission Of these official documents,
along with the other mail matter, upon few Of
the trunk lines, and particularly those leading
from the city of Washington, the committee
have inserted in the bill provision authorizing
the Postmaster General If the welfare or exgen-
cies of the service shall require, to make rules
and regulations delaying in whole or in part the
transmission of these documents and packages
for any period not exceeding thirty days from
the time of delivery for mailing.
Mr.. Hurlbut. If the gentleman will allow me,
desire to ask him whether the contracts of the
Post Office Department for carrying the mails
have been in any respect reduced by the abolition
of the franking privilege
Mr.. Packer. | am not aware that any of the
rates of compensation have been reduced up to
this time; whether n reduction shall be made
in the future, on this account, cannot be ahsO-
lutcly determined, but shall presently submit
some statistics from which gentlemen can have
no difficulty In drawing their own conclusions.
Mr.. Kasson With the leave OF the gentleman
from Pennsylvania | will answer the gentleman.
No new contracts have been made since the
franilGs privilege was abolished. But the Post
master General i,3f9rmz me that there has been
a reduction in the cost on account Of the mails
being carried by weight,