The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1874-04-29
SPEECH
SPEECH
HON. JOHN B. PACKER,
In the House of Representatives

The House having under consideration
the bill for the free exchange of
newspaper. between publishers, and
for the free transmission of weekly
newspapers 10y mail and within the
county where published.
Mr.. SPEAKER: In reporting this
bill for the action Of the House. il
certainly cannot be regarded as ne.
cessary that we should enter upon a
general discussion of the franking
privilege as IL existed prior to the 1st
Of July. 1873. for that has been dis
posed ofby Congressional enactment,
aud, with its advantages and disnd-
yantages, it's uses and abuses, what
ever they may have been is now \
thing of the past.
Equally foreign and irrelevant TO
the question now presented for the
consideration Of the House is the
subject to which reference is some
times made in this connection, of the
additional cost of printing, and of
Increased expenditures in the prepar-
alton and publication of the public
Documents for distribution among
the people.
This bill does not provide for eth
er, but is expressly limited in it's
operation, by it's own terms, to pro-
wiling means for the distrihution.
without charge, to citizens of the
United States or persons residing
therein, Of the public documents,
books or publications, and printed
matter published and issued by
authority Of Congress, and of such
! packages of seeds cuttings, roots.
aud scions as may be furnished by the
Agricultural Department under au-
thoity of law. II makes no pro
visions for printing a single docu
ment or book not already published,
aud does not contemplate or require
that any more shall be ordered for
publication leaving that question
for the decision of Congress when it
shall properly arise.
But We have now, sir. in the fold
ing>rooms Of this House, bound, fold.
al, aud ready for distribution, about
one hundred and thirty three thou
sand volumes of the most valuable
hooks printed by the direction ard
under the authority Of Congress. In
the public document room of the
Senate they have about the same
number, making in all about two
hundred and siNty.six thousand vol
umes besides many pamphlets con-
tanning much useful information
upon questions Of national import
ance and of great interest 10 the
public.
That these books belong to the
people there ON be no question.
Their money has paid for them, and
their right t. bave them cannot be
doubted While the letters, almost
without numl e., coming to us from
cir constituents by every mail attest
their anxious desire to have them.
Heretofore, as their representa-
tves, members of Congress have
been charged with the duty, some
what laborious, it is true, but still a
pleasant duty withal, of making a
udicious distribution of the quota OF
these documents apportioned to each
congressional district among those
for whose use, information, and bene,
it they We're printed. Then, how>
ever, the law provided the means for
making this distribution, and of
giving the information 20 highly
plized by many of our citizens, and
which is collated, prepared, and
printed Mt considerable cost to the
public, free Of expense and without
charge to the people for transporta-
ton in their own mails,
Charged simply with the duty Of
distribution. certainly the represen
htive could not be expected to pay
the cost Of sending these publications
either by mail or by express, or other
means Of trarsl ortation, to the con-
Fiituents to whom they belong. As
Sel, and just as reasonably, might
be be asked to furnish the paper upon
tAich they are printed, and to pay
be cost Of printing and binding the
books, or to contribute portion of
be expenses incurred in the preps-
ton Of the different works for pub
cation. 1t is true, the distribution
ia limited number of documents,
ven at our own expense, might not
70 oppressively Onerous, but the
rinciple is the same whether the
nount is small or large, and the
People would not fail torecognize the
Riustice of the burden to which every
hember Of Congress would be sub
ected by repetition Of similar
avors TO any considerable number of
hs constituents.
From n statement ! have before me
the weight Of each of the docu-
aents in the folding-room it appears
bat the postage, at the rates now
Sed by law, would range from about
yenty-fve cents ON the smaller
ooks to about S1.76 upon the largest
nd reaching, for q set Of the Globe
the Forty-second Congress, the
tspectable figure of $7,S2. These
ates of postage, charged upon the
hole number of documents each
ember of the House sent to his
@stituents and actually distribu-
among the people during the
ssions of the Forty second Con-
ress. wonld have amounted to 81
&oC, or the sum of $9765S uor
rrnn rnch. Senator'S postaps