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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 Pike 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 1 1-2 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. 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.
Ed. P. Cook. Charles Titman
Robert S Howell Jacob Warner
Mason D Custard Joseph C Steward
William Dickison Abram Nyce
Daniel Litts Levi Ladlee Jn
Cyrus Custard [John?] Eylenberg
Nicholas Schoonover John Eylenberg Jn
Jacob Bensley Peter D[ecker?]
Honteter Berg Jno, Westbrook
John T Titman Isaac Vangorden
John Labar James Hattan
Peter Shoomaker Cyrus Kitchel
Wm Brooks
Joseph Shotwell
James Dickisson John Brookes
Joseph Runyan Wm Lattimore
John D Heller J H. Brodhead
John Dickison
Barnabas Mooney Ephraim Drake
Abraham Gariss
George Eaton
M, W, Dingman
Charles Smith Wm Lattimore Jr
Nathan Emery
James S, Smith
Jas H Emery.
James Steward Oliver P. Emery
Jacob Arnst Aaron Bergst[?]
Wm Arnst John [Y?] Linderman
M. Dimmick Saml Ayres
Wm Custard Francis Hornbeck
Ezekel Schoonover Albert B Linderman.
Nicholas Schoonover [Jr?]
Ira Schoonover Henry R Linderman
Jonathan Schoonover
Michael Heller Wm [?] jun
Charles Lattimore
Joseph [Puterbock?] Daniel Benson
W F Brodhead Jacob. Hornbeck Jr,
Edward Lowel.
E B Eld[re?]d Isaac Dickerson
Jesse [Williams?]
Owen Hughes Thomas Preston
A, S, Stoll John Rosencrance
James Walker Wm Hise[?]
Cobus Vangorden Peter Crone
In total Names 78.
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NEW-YORK
DEC 23
PAID
3 cts.Rev E. P. CookDelawarePikePenn
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Pa
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Memorial of Ed. P. Cook and 77 other citizens of Pike Co. Pennsylvania for a reduction of postage.
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February 8, 1848 Referred to the committee on the Post office Post Rds
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Presented by H. C. Murphy
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Murphy

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,