To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives, in Congress assembled:—
DEC 23
PAID
3 ctsMr John HickmanBattle CreekMich
The undersigned, citizens of the United States, residing in the county ofCalhounin the state ofMichigan, 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 ½ 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. |
| John. E. Hickman | P. H. Whitford |
| Henry. Miller | H. J. Cushman |
| Wm Grisel | J. Wm. Caldwell |
| W Breuster | James Taylor |
| R S Whitcomb | John Mackay |
| J. M. Brown | John L Bolkcom |
| Jeremiah Brown | D Smith |
| S E Smith | James T Sheldon |
| F S Clarke | Orin Williams |
| George McCamby | Wm H. Raymond |
| George C [Paller?] | G. H Raymond |
| M Barney | Wm Weston Jnr |
| T. B Skinner | David Watts |
| Almon Whitcomb | |
| Henry. S. Hinman | Chas Vail |
| Benj F Hinman | B. F. [Graves?] |
| St. Andre D. Bolkcom | S H Coleman |
| W. H. Coleman | S H Brinkerhoff |
| Joseph H Coleman | W. B. Sisson |
| Henry. M. Coleman | S C Mott |
| F. W. Brooks | Jack Simmons |
| M. [?] | Charles [?] |
| G P Burrall Esqr | Charles B Johnson |
| John Woodward | John M Jewell |
| W. Brooks. | [?] Whitcomb |
| W. N. Goff. | H. I. Cannon |
| E. Naylon. | E Elinus Sweet |
| J. B. Knapp. | Rufus Sweet |
| Chas M Leon | P Gilbert |
| James [Andrews?] | C S Gray |
| Henry A Van[?] | V P Collier |
| James Preston | H Marsh |
| Abram Spencer | B. R BushnellM [Driver?] |
| Henry Willis | G. W. Hyatt |
| Wm [Andrews?] | J. F. Stewart |
| George Beadle | H W Church |
| Ambros [Calfins?] | N. Kenyon |
| Daniel Vaughan | W Spalding |
| Justus mars | O E Merrill |
| Jacob Hill | Marril. W. Smart |
| George W Bitterly | G. W. Church |
| T. W. Hall | N. Rathsbone |
| M Wilson | |
| C. C. Teers | Geo McKenzie |
| J Barton | Simeon S. French |
| Stephen Gilbert | James M Clark |
| J A Mack | |
| John Callahan | Wm T Halladay |
| Samuel Cook | James Mills |
| William S Barringer | Jas Halliday |
| S. R. Burlingham | Hermon. Peacock |
| S. W. Leggett | Oliver Seely |
| James Hutchinson | Reuben White |
| W. Brooks Jr | George Clark |
| E. C. Manchester | S. H. Mapes |
| Caleb Manchester | A. Williams |
| E A Beach | L. B. Clapp |
| R Caddington | Elizen Clapp |
| S W McCrea | Wm Starkweather |
| A. Hogle | Wm Mapes |
| Erastus. Hickok | John. Mapes |
| A. Mapes | |
| A W: Clark | Alonzo. Mapes |
| A Hungerford | Charles [Stementt?] |
| A Williams | David Merrill |
| H Dobbins | H. G. O. Davis |
| A R. Cole | Moses Schramlin |
| Gilmond Davis | |
| Wm Hollingshead | Joseph Merrill |
| Ogden Green | Charles. H. Butler. |
| Erastus Fisher | Levi Mosher |
| J. D. Voll | John McCumly |
| Sam W McCamby | David W. Hall |
| J. P. True | William Roe |
| L Stillson | R. S. Ranson |
| G A Clark Jr | O [Patte?] |
| Mathew Gill | Wm Stuart |
| Saml E. Kellogg | |
| J A Jacobs | E. Rawsen |
| John W Smith | [M?] Phillips |
| Hiram Jacobs | Jas W Joyce |
| Marcus Adams | Jacob Hunt |
| N [A?] [Bouy?] | |
| R. Griffin | |
| Richard Newman | |
| James W McCamby | S. C. Merrill |
| Riel Johnson | S. F. Parsons |
| Chas. C. Barton | Eli L. Stittson |
| E[?] [?] | Ephraim Preston |
| Orson [Ingersol?] | [?] |
| Isaac Hickman | A. L. Clark |
| Henry Church | Henry Cantine |
| Jacob [S?] [Robbins?] | F Gage |
| Georg Hickman | lynon Pettee |
| M. Flagler | John Champeon |
| John Caldwell | M. Chadwick |
| orlando Caldwell | B. waren |
| Oliver Barny | T[o?] Barny |
| John knewls | Stephen Barber |
| 191 Names |
<Page 2>
NEW-YORKDEC 23
PAID
3 ctsMr John HickmanBattle CreekMich
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,