To The Hon The Senate and House of Representatives
Editor Cincinnati Commercial
The petitioner respectfully represents that the Law of congress directing the List
of uncalled for Letters in postoffices to be advertised in the newspaper having the
largest circulation, is entirely disregarded by the deputy postmaster at Cincinnati
Ohio, and the Postmaster General refuses to correct the abuse
This proceeding has been a source of great injury to the Cincinnati Commercial, which newspaper has more than double the circulation near the Cincinnati postoffice of any other paper; and the said newspaper
is still injured and will continue to be injured by the disregard of Law, unless your
Hon body interfere, not only in the amount of Advertising the dead letters (some $1500
per annum) but in its general business, as it is the general opinion of the public
that the paper having the largest circulation is selected for this purpose, consequently
individuals select such medium for their advertising as does the postmaster for his
Your petitioner therefore asks your Hon. body to cause your wise law to be carried
into effect at Cincinnati, as it is in other cities & places, by an amendment preventing combinations of two or more papers, as now exists at Cincinnati, who agree
with postmasters to publish their Letter Lists at the price the law allows to one, that one having the highest circulation
Your petitioner refers to accompanying papers to show the procedure and combination
at Cincinnati to keep the Letter List from the Cincinnati Commercial, which, by law
of Congress, is justly entitled to it. They are marked A, B, C, D, & E, and sworn
to, as correct copies. Your petitioner asks for justice, and relies implicitly on
the sense of justice over awake in your Counsels for speedy correction of abuses
L. G. CurtissEditor Cincinnati Commercial
<Page 2>
[ enclosure
]
08/24/1847George Crawford to Unknown
08/24/1847George Crawford to Unknown
A
(Copy)
Notice To Publishers
Postoffice Cincinnati Aug 24th 1847Notice To Publishers
Publishers of daily papers are requested to furnish me, on or before the 26th inst, at 12 m., a statement of their circulation within the city and vicinity, including that portion
of country usually supplied by carriers from the several offices, with a view to the
publication of the list of Letters
Each statement must give the average circulation from the first day of January 1847
to the 1st inst, and show that the circulation is regular, and that no additions have been made
to it with special reference to procuring this job
(signed)
George Crawford P.M.[ enclosure
]
08/26/1847J. W. S. Browne & Co. to George Crawford
Pub. Cin. Coml.
08/26/1847J. W. S. Browne & Co. to George Crawford
B
Commercial office Statement
Cincinnati Aug 26th 1847Mr George CrawfordSirWe are willing to do the advertising of the Letter List of your office at the terms
offered by law. We therefore comply with your request to furnish a statement of our
Circulation. From January 1rst 1847 to August 1rst 1847, the average circulation of copies daily of the Cincinnati Commercial, was Three Thousand seven Hundred & fifty seven (3757) said circulation being regular and confined to that portion of country usually
supplied by carriers, and without counting the copies sent by mailThe present circulation, August 26th 1847, of the Cincinnati Commercial is Four Thousand and forty six, daily, said circulation being regular and confined to that portion of country usually supplied
by carriers, without counting copies sent by mail. No additions have been made to the circulation of
the daily Commercial with special reference to obtaining the post office printing
signed
J. W. S. Browne & CoPub. Cin. Coml.
(Sworn to)
<Page 3>
<Page 4>
[ enclosure
]
[08]/XX/[1847]Gerard, Day & Co. to George Crawford
Pub Daily Enquirer
[08]/XX/[1847]Gerard, Day & Co. to George Crawford
C
(Copy)
Combination Statement
To Geo Crawford Esq P.M. CincinnatiSir,Combination Statement
We propose to publish the List of Letters remaining in the Cincinnati Postoffice
agreeably to the regulations of the department jointly with the Daily Times and Peoples Paper, in the Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, charging
but the legal price (two cents per name) for all three publications as per agreement between ourselves and the publishers of the Times
and Peoples PaperThe Cincinnati Enquirer has had an avarage circulation since the first of January
1847 of upwords of 1400 copies, daily; during that time it has reached 1488It has at this time 1392
Very Respectfully Your Obt Servants(signed)
Gerard, Day & CoPub Daily Enquirer
[ enclosure
]
08/25/1847C. W. Starbuck to George Crawford
08/25/1847C. W. Starbuck to George Crawford
D
Cincinnati Daily Times office Aug 25th 1847George Crawford, P.M.The following statement of the circulation of the Daily Times (morning and Evening
edition) is made in answer to your call of yesterday with a view to the publication
of the [...?] List of dead Letters and in accordance with the terms therein
The highest number during the seven months Ending August 1rst was 3,429 and the lowest 3,021The highest circulation was in January, February, March, April & May; & the smallest
in July and July, the dull season of the yearThe average number during the seven months was 3,300
I propose to publish the List in connection with the “Enquirer,” both charging the
legal rate, two cents per name, or letter, thus circulating the List of letters in
the three Editions at the stipulated price by law
(Signed)
C. W. Starbuck<Page 5>
<Page 6>
[ enclosure
]
08/27/1847George Crawford to J. W. S. Browne & Co.
08/27/1847George Crawford to J. W. S. Browne & Co.
E
Copy)
Postmasters Decision!
P.O. Cincinnati Aug 27th 1847Messrs J. W. S. Browne & CoGent,Postmasters Decision!
The proposition of the proprietors of the Cincinnati Enquirer to publish the list
of Letters in connection with the proprietor of the daily Times (&c) has been accepted
by me
Very Respectfully(Signed)
Geo Crawford P.M.[ certification
]
01/03/1848Attestation of L. G. Curtiss
01/03/1848Attestation of L. G. Curtiss
I L. G. Curtiss doth depose and say that the foregoing and attatched Documents, marked
A, B, C, D & E, are Correct Copies of the original Papers in possession of the parties
in Cincinatti Ohio. To the best of My Knowledge and Bilief
L. G. CurtissDistrict of Columbia
County of Washington Viz
Subscribed and Sworn to before the Subscriber a justice of the Peace this 3d day of January 1848
S. C. [Donn?] JrCounty of Washington Viz
Subscribed and Sworn to before the Subscriber a justice of the Peace this 3d day of January 1848
<Page 7>
[ docketing
]
L G Curtiss.
[ docketing
]
Root
[ docketing
]
Petition of L. G. Curtiss Editor of the Cincinnati Commercial newspaper, representing the manner in which he
has been illegally refused the printing of the advertisement of ^the^ letter list from the Post office at Cincinnati Ohio; & praying for such legislation
as will prevent a fraudulent combination of ^several^ newspapers against a newspaper having a larger circulation than either of them.
[ docketing
]
Janury 4, 1848 Referred to the Committee on Post offices & Post Roads
[ docketing
]
22.
[ docketing
]
Com. on Post Offices & Post roads.
Mr. Schenck, Jan. 4, 1848.
Mr. Schenck, Jan. 4, 1848.
Handwritten Document Signed, 7 page(s), RG 233, Entry 367: Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, Thirtieth Congress, 1847-1849, Records of Legislative Proceedings, Petitions and Memorials, Resolutions of State Legislatures, and Related Documents Which Were Referred to Committees, 1847-1849, NAB,