menu


To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives, in Congress assembled:—
The undersigned, citizens of the United States, residing in the county of Kennebec in the state of Maine , 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.
1. Michael Woodward 40. Joshua Jones
2. Asa Woodward 41. James. L, Meserve
3. Asa C, Thompson 42 Wm. Dill
4 G, M, Atwood 43 Simeon Whitn^e^y
5 Charles Tole 44. Sylvanus R Sawyer
6. B. Shaw Jr, 45 J O P Brown
7. E, [A?], Stevens, 46 Simeon Hopkins
8. John Meader 47 W. E. Jarvis
9. Newell Day 48 C, G, Hamlin
10 [I?]. C. Pray, 49 Seth Sprague
11. William A Stevens 50 H D, Wakefield
12 John H Warren. 51. Moses Hill
13 John [Lansen?] 52 N K, Chadwick
14 Moses Dunston 53 Albert Griffin
15 Rodney Moore 54 A. S. [K?]ing
16 T. W. Townsend 55 Levi Bowe
17 Smith Maxcy 56 John C. Bartlett
18 C, A, Jones 57 Benjamin Johnson
19 I G, Vannah 58 C B Glidden
20 J, [D?], N Goodwin 59 Israel W Woodward
21 H. F. Day 60 W. [A?]. Springer
22 Allen Crowell 61. Samuel Davis
23 Henry McCausland 62 Geor Plaisted
24 H. H. Lennan 63 C G [Dorman?]
25 George. A. McCausland 64 Charles Merritt
26 William H. Goodwin 65 H, R, Rogers
27 George Bran 66 Thos [Dooey?]
28 Samuel N, Williams 67 William Wiles
29 Carl O [Ayrelberg?] 68 Rob, Thompson
30 Lambert Plaisted 69 Henry R French
31 Edwin E Allen 70 J. [H?]. Snow
32 Charles Bridge 71 N. O. Mitchell
33 Robert L Hub[?] 72 Jos. L. Mitchell
34 John Moore 73 H C Winslow
35 James O Cluy 74 Benjamin Dow
36 Isaiah H Hamlin 75 G W [Littlefield?]
37 Rufus Clough 76 Warren Read
38 [G?], W, Cross 77 Albert J Wright
39 E H Ransom 78 Benjn Tobey
<Page 2>
[ docketing ]
Me
[ docketing ]
Memorial of Michael Woodward & 77 others of the county of Kennebec in the state of Maine praying for a reduction of postage
[ docketing ]
February 8, 1848 Referred to the Committee on the Post office and Post Roads.
Presented by H. C. Murphy
[ docketing ]
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,