The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1874-04-29

DcncHt, Ill lacllIuunp thclf cOmmu
nications with then agents or repre-
sontativcs upon the questions COM
ing before Congress affecting their
rights and thor interests. or the
welfare and prosperity of the coun
try.
by the second section of this bill
it is provided
That the Secretary Of the Senate md
clerk Of the House Of Representatives Of
the United States shall cause to he pre-.
pared. for their respective Houses. n
special stamp. or stamped envelope or
wrapper, cf such form aud design as shalt
ho directed and approved by the POST
master General TO he used by the said
Secretary and Clerk, or NY such assist
ants ns may he appointed by either OF
them. for their respective Houses, only
upon such printed matter or documents or
packages of seeds. cuttings, roots ana
sciuns ns aforesaid, Ms the Vice President.
the Senators, representative. aud Dele
gates in Congress, the Secretary Of the
Senate and Clerk Of the House II Repre-
scntaliycs may, by their respective writ.
ten autographs signatures, iudorsed u,on
the wrappers or envelopes thereof, dircc,
To he sent by mail, as is provided in tho
ior going seclion Of this act.
Thus the matter that may be sent
free of charge is, in the first place.
limited TO public documents publish
ed by direction of Congress, and to
the seeds, &c, , furnished by the Ag.
ricultural Department, under au-
thority Of law, as before stated. and
does not include the official. much
less the private, correspondence Of
members. In the noyt place, it can
only be sent under Il SPECIAL stsmp.
or stamped cnvclopo or wrapper of
such form aud design as shall be Iii
rected and approved ny the Post,
master General, 10 bo attached, or
used. only by tho proper officer of
the House. And then, MS an addi
honal measure of protection, and to
prevent the officers designated, or
any ono else, from making nm impro
per or unauthorized use of the stamp.
il is required that tho person an
thonzed to send the package, the
Nice-Presidcnt, Senator, Representa-.
tive, or Delegate in Congress, or the
Secretary of the Senate, or the Clork
OF the House, shall also indorsa his
signature upon the wrapper or enyo
lope, III his own handwriting
Again. MS further security against
improper practices, the committee
have provided in the fourth section
of the bill.
That any porson WHO shall knowingly, and wifi,
intent To- dvfraud {. q Government ut tic Jfnitrl
states h'r, tr Cante 60 lc used. any of tho sal 1
clamps, stamp u envelopes, or wrnI. .yors herein
LUia"ri.tltp bu prepared and utrl. for any other
purpose or IN an, other mann'r than n, herein.
h'i'ro authorized, or Who shall ,uuutcr.,, i the
name or signature Of any person her, IN thuri1,l
g. iudorsu his autograph signature upon the wInp
prs or envelopes ai'g, said, or who hall wuIflly
utter or use any such counterfeit Endorsement, ,
Milh the ini"u; o. avoid the payment Of postage,
shall, Oh conviction thereof, be- deemed guilty uf a
inlsiom"aunr, anl be punished by hnr Of not
less than SlOI nor muf, than Al 100 or by I'M.
prisouwoit hot l.s than three months nor more
than twelve months, or nv both Hno ani imprison.
mcht' in the discretion of the court.
To meet also the apprehension of
the very able. energetic, and vigilant
head of the Post Office Department
who has inauguraiud SO many ac
knowlcdged improvements. and. with
the aid of his faithful and intelligent
assistants, has succeeded in cstab-
fishing and maintaining the most
complete, efficient. and admirable
postal SYSTEM in tho world, and ro.
coglllzing the force Of his objection
that there might, at times, be diff
Guilty in providing immediate means
for the expeditions 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 a provision authorizing the Post
master General, if tho welfare or OK
igcncies of the service shall require,
to make rules and regulations delay
ing in whole or in part the transmits
sion of these documents and packa-
gcs for any period not exceeding
thirty days from the time OF delivery
for mailing.
Without troubling the House with
Il reference, at this moment, to the
gross amount Of all the receipts and
Of the Department,
prefer to call attention to what seems
to me more legitimate subject of
inquiry in this connection-the cost
Of the inland transportation Of the
mails.
1t amounted in tho fiscal year end
ing 1873 10 S15,3i0,020 90.
In the estimates for 1875 the
sets down the esti-
mated cost Of this service at SIS
S7S,621, 90.
And the increase Of compensation
on railroad routes, under act of
March 3, 1873, at S535,000 90.
The whole cost then, it will be
seen, of inland transportation of the
mails for the year ended June 80,
lS73--the last year of Tho franking
and including the unusual
Of free matter thrown upon
the mails during the last three months
of its existence--was $l3,635,341,
While the sum appropriated for the
current fiscal year ending on the
30th day of June next, upon the es-
Inmates Of the Department, and in
cluding the $5O0,000 appropriated
for readjustment of pay on railroad
routes under act Of Sd March, 1878,
to Sl5,340,D2D. And the
Congress is now asked to
appropriate for the next fiscal year