To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives, in Congress assembled:
DEC 31
3Rev J H WilliamsClarks[?]HarrisonVa
The undersigned, citizens of the United States, residing in the county^s^ of Harrison & Lewis in the state of Virginia, 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 th[E?] 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. Besides 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 post-office department.
For an immediate and proportionate reduction of postage, therefore, on all newspapers
not containing more than 500 square inches, your petitioners respectfully and urgently
pray.
| NAMES. | NAMES. |
| Benj Starkey | |
| William Scott | Jesse M. Chidester |
| Julius E Donepen | Jesse Mitchel |
| Jacob [Heel?] | A C Rider |
| James P Smith | Re[?] Foies |
| J. C. Copen | |
| John Williams | Samuel Pruttens |
| Wm Jones | James Carpenter |
| Nathaniel Maxwell | Nathan Davison |
| Elijah morris | Wm Bell |
| Perry Lynch | |
| Wm Philips | Job. Green. |
| A A Reger | |
| R E Cowan | George Arnold |
| Elisha Smallwood | Davis H Rider |
| A Cowan | Peter Wolf |
| Thompson Floyd | William Walker |
| Michael Wolf | |
| Michael Cowan | Alfred C Mathes |
| Hiram Lynch | Jesse Lodge |
| John Morrison | George B Blair |
| Albert G [?]lanigin | John W Miller |
| William Thompson | Abraham Wolf |
| Adam Gain | Simon C Arnold |
| George A. Cowan | Huston Booth |
| George Snider | Jacob Wolf |
| Jesse J Young | Isaac Wolf |
| Marshal Floyd | James Waugh |
| [?] Pritchard | Joseph Walker |
| Jacob Hardway | Hiram Hickman |
| Irvin Pritchard | Henry Bassel |
| Anderson. H. Davis | William B Paugh |
| Stephen Hughes | Daniel Bossel |
| Dennis Carden | Jas Amos |
| Ethelbert D Westfall | Abel Bond |
| Joseph Paugh | Alexander [?] Waugh |
| Thomas Thornhill | [?]. [M?]. Carden |
| Wm F Lane | |
| John Thornhill | Benjamin Jones |
| Robt Goldsmith | Hay Wedd[?] |
| Benjamin Morris | George J Nixon |
| Walter M[c?]Wherter | A [ |
| John Sims | Samuel Clemans |
| William J. Waugh | P Jackson |
| Walter Mcwhorter | |
| J Marcellus McWhorter | Jno Racey |
| Mansfield Mcwhorter | Jas K. Lowther |
| Levi McWhorter | R Paine |
| James Lyons | Eppa. T. Bartlett |
| Charles O Lyons | [?] Daniel Oneal |
| Samuel. R. Lyons | Jas B. Lambert |
| Nathaniel Mitchell | Ge Pritchard |
| Jesse Lowther | Jaob Pritchard |
| A Maxwell |
<Page 2>
PAID
CINC[CINN?]ATI O.DEC 31
3Rev J H WilliamsClarks[?]HarrisonVa
[ docketing
]
virginia
[ docketing
]
Petition of the Citizens of Lewis & Harrison Counties Va for a reduction of the postage
in newpapers
[ docketing
]
R Aug Thompson of Virginia
[ docketing
]
Committee on Post offices a Post Roads
[ docketing
]
January 31, 1848 Referred to the committee on the Post office & Post Roads
[ docketing
]
R A Thompson
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