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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 Allegheney in the state of Pennsylvania , 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 1½ 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. 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.
M. M. Knox E Y. Eddington
J. G. Williams N. J. Dorsey
J. Knox R. W. Barnes
Wm Kirts J. L. Read.
D. L. Dempsey C. H. Doering
E E Holmes Nathan Whiting
H P Blackburn
B Simmons Jno L Snyder
Wm M Wright C. C. Best,
W B McCarty William Cox
Saml. Riddle Lewis Nippert
Robt H Jack F. M. [Mul?]finger
Lewis Sales
James Berbidge, jr F. Keffer clk Steamer Pilot No 2
John Auld James Wiggans
Wm B Scaife John Taylor
Robert Flinn J Allison
Robert Finley John W. Cole
W. Hunter W. N. Pilmore
Saml M. Kirr John H. Page
W. Wilkinson
Geo. W. Hubley S C Eawin
T. M. Hudson J. Thompson
R. Hopkins Thos Stephenson
William A. Cook
R. Wood W. Bleakney
J. R Elder Jas T Shannon
J. H. Wright.
Edmund Bostwick Step Culmer
Thos H. Duff Thomas Moss
Philip Stephens Samuel Moss
Thomas Cooper William S Phillips
A Franklin Jacob Folger
Eli Edmunds[on?]
James J. Johnston Robt. W. Riddle
John S. Waterman C B Pusey
John A Irwin R Lytle
S. H Sarber
L. M. Elliott
Wm McCutchin
Shadrach L Davis W. D. Riddle
Isaac King
A W Foster Jas Thomas
J Heron Foster Wm Magill
Jacob Norton Geo. O. Greene.
Geo. Parkin
Joseph Anderson G. M. Miller.
Nathl Callender Mathew Simpson
Henry D. Sellers Silas Vertch
Robert Riddle Jr
Enos Pease Jacob F Wall
John Wilkinson William Beam
E. S. Ainsworth
J M White Jas. B. D. Meed
R. T. White Robt H. Canan
Duncan Keith Irwin
William Bruninger James McDonald
[W D?] Lemon Robert Reid
Saml H. McKenley A W Brooking
R. A. Wilson William Bruninger
Abijah Hays I V. Diller
I. B. Garrard
Anthony D. Wilson Thomas White
W. R. Murphy
Jas M Burchfield William Bleakly
I C McCulloch Jno Poorman
L. Wilcox Jr R Brown
A. [?] jr Daniel Smith
Cyrus Black
James Rankin H. Riddle
Noah Frew
Samuel Neal
D. C. Fralick Wm C. Friend
Chas W. Batchelor J P Kramer
Allen [Th?]amer
Jno H. Mellor W. P. Mase
E Rahn James J Gray
Jno H. Young Jacob Reppert
Fredk Kane
J B. McVay W. H. Smith
M. Whitmore
Rev. W. A. Passavant R. E. Sellers
Thos. H. Lane R. C. Loomis
Geo P Duff Simon Armstrong
Saml Palmer Jas P [Tammy?]
Robt. Moore J. D. Williams
J W Minor Joseph H. Hill
D. Bracklacker Wm C Curry
Jon Kidd
John Fleming Jno McCandlesk
Thomas Kennedy Jr J P Kauffman
C L Maltby John Kennedy
W. A. Hill
Charles Elliott A Pinkbine
Benjn Patton Jno J Gillespie
J. N. Patterson H Kleber
J. H. McClelland Edw. S. Blake
Robert M Cargo A. H. Maeier
William Bell C Curtis
Andrew Leech Jr
John Rodgers Thos Smith
Caleb Lee James Atkinson
John Graff
Abraham Morgan Rees Lloyd
A B Stevenson Robert Robb
Michael Dravo
Nathl Holmes N. [Cohous Jr?]
John K. Holmes W W Wilson
John D Scully
A Pumphrey W. K. VanKirk
F H Eaton Joseph Henderson
W. P. Marshall David W Bell
H. McClelland Edward Richardson
John T Cochran James A. McKnight
Andrew Gamble
Henry Richardson [Thos?] Hemingway
A. F. Marthens. B. G. Fleck
Robert King E Frovillo
Edn [?] J. V. Pa[inter?]
James Steele
M Dalzell
J. Conner Geo H Lee
A Hastings A. J. Lee
William [Naper?] Geo. D. Bruce
J. B. Hatley Joshua Robinson
Charles S. Armstrong E. B. Todd
James [?]long
J B Kennedy.
Jno Gotschal[?] W. C. Lane
J D W. White James Crawford
Jas S. Moorhead R Knox
Wm H Whitney
Thomas McConnell [S?] E Haines
[J?] Kinsey Thos Phillips
F. B. McConnell Charles Patterson
Wm L. Russell Tho Kennedy
Wm B[?]
Saml McMaster P Duff
W. H. McConnell Jos McConnell.
W Hugus Jr Paul Hugus
Edmd Todd W [?]
A F Hill
J. E. Johnston Geo R Riddle
John Thompson
John Slagle John M Bonfield
Willi[?] Barker
Joseph M Bingham William Cooper
W J. Davitt H E Davis
John D McCune Wm C Mcklurg
J Harper R H. Kerr
Jacob McKain Thos Miller
Thos Douglass E C Putnam
James Robb Peter Cavanagh
P. H. Laufman James W. McGeary
Wm McCutchin O. D. McClellan
John William J. Macy Hassy
Edwin Johnson
Wm Annan D. Mercer
W J Leonard W. F. [Kean?]
Robt McElhinny Leonard S Johns
[?] Roberts W. J. Kane
S. T. Clark Wm Rhodes
N. M. Poindexter
J W Errett Joseph Telford
William Telford
H. S[?]ser.
[Isaac?] Kelly Wm [?] Jr
William H.. Lock B McKnight
J James R Mills W. G. Johnston
M. [W?]. Beltzhoover
John F Keepers Wm M Hersh
Thos. Telford
Harman Denny
J. R. Weldin John C Boyd
A Wilkins Thos Palmer
Edward H Louder
John Kallahan [?] Evans
John Mecaskey N. L. Swisshelm
B. H. W. Bahman James W Woodnell
Kay & Co R F Smyth
Geo Albree W R Thomson
Joshua Hanna Wm M Darlington
Wm K. Hart W. A [Mowry?]
J. G Hussey Henry Wybrant
Benj Darlington L. Dickson
Saml Williams. G. J. Lamborn
Joseph R Hughes
H. R Tomes E. Neal
A J Foster John B. Bayard
B. T. C. Morgan C. P. Caughey
R M Kauffman
A Pumphrey John Ross
W. Vankirk Moses F. Eaton
W. T. Haven
Geo. Watson C L Magee
I. Shidle Wm H. Huston
Jno. W. Riddell Saml Fulton
Samuel C Hill
Wm B Curry Robert Quigley.
John D Morgan Edward. H. [D?]ay
Robert Hamilton Robt A Cunningham
James Binney D T Morgan
Gregg & McCandless
John Gill E F Pratt
John Sampson Benj H. Hersey.
Geo. W. Laynes Jas S McCord
J[?] D McCord Joel Mohler
S. W. Stone
Samuel Grey W Payne
W H Laffey
Wm Collingwood G. W. Paull
Henry Higby
Lymon T. Childs Fayette Bunn
Chas C. Paine
J A Fitzsimmons Philip Wilson
David Fitzsimmons N. Childs
John A Roy
J. W. Duncan Jno Fullerton
John Forsyth
R Berghman Albert G. Bell
A. Ewalt Hays & Bailey
Jno Gebhart S Jones
John [Guin?] W. Bryant
W. N. Coo[?]
F. Sellers John D Davis
Robt Martin E. R. Violett
Saml B Robison Wm Jones
G. W. Glasson A. Tindle
Samuel McClen[?]and. Jno. I. Henderson
W. Leonard T Reymer
Henry Wolfe
Andrew Lyons
Caleb Foster
<Page 2>
PAID
CINCINN[?] O. 3
DEC 31[Meth. Bk. Depository?]PittsburghPa
[ docketing ]
Pennsylvania
[ docketing ]
Petition of citizens of Allegheny County penna praying for the reduction and equalization of postage on Juvenile newspapers ^publications^.
[ docketing ]
February 1, 1848
Referred to the Committee on the post Office and post Roads
[ docketing ]
M. Hampton

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