The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-03-17
EXPLANATION OF THE PASSAGE Or TIE
'a 2 INCREASED NEWSPAPER POST
.CIAI EL AGE LAW. s.1k@4sA y
Senator Ha,n1in and Gen. Garfield Re.
+ sponsible for the Ooutrage.

WASHINGTON. D. G.. March IA
closer examination of the manner in which
the expressmen's job tby which postage
on transient newspapers is doubled) be-
cause Law shows that Hannibal Hamlin
was the instrument used In the senate to
accomplish this purpose. 1t does not af-
frmatiyely appear that Hamlin knew the
scope of his amendment. The poor mans
postage was doubled in one of the heated
night sessions few days after the frank
ing privilege was restored. Very few con-
gressmen evidently knew that any change
was made. and many who were advised
OF the increase Of postage supposed, and
were SO told, that it was only to apply to
packages of merchandise, and in no sense
to transient newspapers. When this
amendment was added, Postmaster -Gener-
al Jewell was himself in the senate cham
Der, and supposed, as did everybody who
knew anything about it, that the increase
applied only to merchandise.
HAMLIN TO BLAME.
The way it came about was this: SEN
ator Hamlin, without previous notice, said
he had an amendment to offer, which was
this: That Sec. Of the act approved
June %, 1874, making appropriations for
the service of the post office department
for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1875,
and tor other purposes, be and the same is
hereby amended as follows: Insert the
word ounce in lieu of the words, two
eunces. Sec. was not read. The i'm
preston among senators who knew any
thing about it was that this amendment
only doubled the postage on samples and
merchandise. Had the section been read,
the fact would haye appeared.
HAMLIN's SPEECH.
Hamhn further said: Z.
This is an appropriation bill. The
amendment which IS before the senate is
to replehish your treasury, and think, at
this period of time, when the revenues Of
your post office department are running so
low, the amendment which [ offer is one
that should commend itself to the iudg
ment OF every senator here. In 1872, we
passed law fixing the rate of postag.
upon what was called transient matter
the third class The question has beeu
submitted to the post office department
in relation to change Of that law, and /
have here an express recommendation oil
the postmaster general in favor of the
amendment, which / submit. / have d
full knowledge of this law. l was men,
ber of the post Office committee when the
plan OF transmitting other than mailable
matter proper throug h the mail was adopt
ed. 1t fixed the rate of postage upon each
2 ounces, 1t has been carried up to
pounds. 1t was an experiment. l do not
seek to change that experiment, but du
RI ~ a to NJ
which, if the statements from the post Of
fee department be correct, will give
you $2,OO0.o00 of revenue in the
coming year. 1t will operate as no hard
ship whatever upon persons whom we de
sign to benefit by allowing merchandise t.
60 through the mails. We support the
mail department proper upon postage at
cents per ounce. This will still allow mer
chandise samples to 60 through our mails
| tor cent an ounce-at such low rates thai
any person who desires to avail himself o
the transmission of the mails for such q
purpose will have no reason to complain Of
our increasing the rate. The post master
general tells US that it should be done. Mr.
Bangs, whom regard as one of the very
best officers in that department (he il
careful; he understands his business ha
| made the statement that it will give to Vi
$2,OO6,OO0 of revenue if we adopt tn,
amendment.
| BANGS LETTER
referred only to samples of merchandise
and stated simply that the same amour
Of merchandise should 60 through tn
mails under the increased postage as now
the amount of revenue would be increase'
$2,O0O,OOO. The only communicable
from the post master general was brie
J note calling attention to the letters Q
Bangs. The amendment was then ADOPT
ed in the senate without further explans
ton.
IN THE HOUSE.
The only proceedings in the house upo
the amendment were these: The cler
read the text of the amendment, and Nj
Garfield said: This is change of pos
age in regard to certain kind of merchal
disc, and meets the concurrence of th
committee on appropriations" II
D amendment was concurred in. Ramse
/, subsequently tried to get further ament
ment for the express companies reducir
e the 4-pound limit to pounds, but failet
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