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To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives, in Congress assembled:
The undersigned, citizens of the United States, residing in the county of Franklin in the state of Ohio, respectfully represent the great inequality now prevailing in the rates of postage on newspapers, the smallest being chargeable with the highest rates.
Whereas, the principle of size and weight is now adopted in the laws of the United States as the basis of post-office charges; and, whereas, newspapers not exceeding 1900 square inches are chargeable at the rate of 1 cent for 100 miles, and 11/2 cents for all greater distances, if without the state in which they are published; your petitioners would urge the importance of reducing said charges at least ONE HALF on all papers not containing more than 500 square inches.
Your petitioners represent that, within a few years past, numerous juvenile papers have sprung up in different sections of the United States, for the instruction of the young in science, morals, and religion, which papers are now extensively patronized by children, who[,?] notwithstanding these papers are usually not one quarter the size or weight allowed by law, have to pay on them the same postage that is charged on the largest sheets that pass through the mails. Besid[E?]s the manifest injustice of this regulation, your petitioners represent that many thousands of children and youth are deterred from subscribing to these useful papers solely by the comparatively excessive postage chargeable on the small sheets they desire to obtain.
A reduction, therefore, of postage, in favor of juvenile newspapers of small dimensions, would not only tend greatly to diffuse knowledge and piety, the bulwarks of our national prosperity, but would increase the revenues of the p[o?]st-offi[ce?] department.
For an [I?]mmed[ia?]te and proportionate reduction of postage, therefore, on all newspapers not containing more than 500 square inches, your petitioners respectfully and urgently pray.
NAMES. NAMES.
E. M. Boring Stephen Hoyt James W Scanland
E. H. Field James Barker
M. M. Wright William perigree
Henry Innis H Wright. R. C. Carpenter
Samuel [Dossell?] H Birney
Wm Bishop Joel Slate L A. Brunner
Geo Weaver N. A. Ferris Joel Walling
G Bi[rley?] Charles Sprague B. Andrews
S. M. Hart D. [Pursan?] Jacob. [Hovirfield?]
S Brown Elisha Bennett L E Beach
P. R. Barker C Carter
J. L. Parmelee Ira Carpenter C. Tone
J. N. Taylor Alvin Fuller James Stickney
Thomas Perkins A J Bronn U. H. Hyde
A. Killover H Fuller
C Wiley C Ashbaugh H A Armstrong
Elias [Lewis?] John F. Tone
Miles Penny Robert Vose
P Goble [Laslo Rice?] Lafayette Tone
I. Thompson John [A Bodge?] N Carpenter
Wm Gouil George Carpenter P. Watson
Joseph W Cromwell Jacob S. Fogle Geo. R Snow
James [Pouss?] Jas Brundige Giles S. Prior
Samuel Weaver I. Bush B F Jewett
I. W. Mattoon Isaac Martin T. S Shattuck
[Geo?] Birney Anselm Mattoon John Bicket
Charles Martin Samuel Abbott Joab Hoyt
William M Kelly Jr Nelson H. Hoy[t?]
John C Paine John Snow
Nathan Mason Horace Maynard John Bishop
Wm Lawrence Daniel Richards Samuel Hickma[n?]
A Wiley Jonathan Hill John Stewart
I. A [Hene?]ston Nelson Mcteer William H Skelly
Nathan Hoyt S. D. Wilson David Weaver
Martin S. Slate Chauncey B Leon[ard?] [Jno Scott?]
Allen Bowers Alphas Tolle E. Tuller
John Garner Elias Lewis Jr John Taylor
Uriah Heath [Patk?] Wright James Ferguson
James Mcteer R. K. Nash William. H. Innis
Lewis T Lane Joseph Mock John Webster Jacob Kiner
Alonzo Conant John. P. Little Michal kiner
Harrison Walcutt [Wil?] Hell[?]
Samuel Ranney Solomon Hays
Samuel Smyth
John Robinson Calvin Webster
Washington Mcteer James Otto A. W. Adams
J. R. [OHanna?] F Smith John M Ferguson
[?]a[?] Geoffs Michael McDaniell S Thompson Burton Gardner
134
T [Kellog?] Abner Clapp Joel Pike
[C?]. W Weaver John Soule John T. Blain
B. G. Smith
George. T. Whip James Ruckman Matthew Long.
Wm McClough
Peter Whip Geo Southwell Wm McCloud
Orlando Pike W. B. Jarvis R Dickson
Peter Loop Amaziah Stanley B Comsto[c?]k
N H Hart E A Stanley Hiram [Andner?]
J Semple John Thompson Reuben [Welpy?]
C G White William Goodwin Ozem Gardner
Joseph Noble Richard Rhoad Eber D [Waters?]
Joseph Adams
Chester Johnson
Lewis Walters
Charles H Irvine
Wm S. Johnson
L H. Hammond
William Scott
N. B. The above has been presented to not more than 190 persons, of whom 173 have signed it.E. H. Field
<Page 2>
PAID
[CINCINNATI. O.?]
DEC [?]
[?]Rev. E H. FieldWorthingtonOhio
[ docketing ]
Ohio
Petition of Citizens of Franklin[...?] Co, Ohio—praying for reduction of postage on Newspapers &c
[ docketing ]
January 29, 1848 Referred to the Committee on the Post office and Post Roads.
[ docketing ]
D Duncan

Partially Printed Document Signed, 2 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,