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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 Wythe 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 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.
James StClair John W [Bosang?]
Jno C Shannon Albert [Harkrader?]
[Y, K,?] Catlett Wm W Phelps
Casper Yost C. Haller.
R Gannaway
C, L, Dawson David Kyle
M H Heston James G Douglass
W B Wenton James [Trucks?]
[Micheal?] Moyers Marion [Soham?]
John W Foster Fletcher H Yost
John H Hoilman J. D. [Baily?]
William McIntoch Patrick Ingoldsby
Wm A Moyers J A Sanders
Harrison Baylor
Edwd Walker J. A. Brown
Guy Sharets Geo H Shannon
James Seagle E McGavock
James F Earhart E. B. Ward
James H St clair Robt A Bolton
A. S. Hoilman D A StClair
Milton Litton Harold Smyth
Henry Whitman James S Yost
A. J. Huffard W. Alex: Stuart.
Peter yonce Jacob Miller 3d
A J neighbours
Christopher Brown Jefferson Harsh
Eli M Wilson J. B. Hise.
John Lane George Stuart
Jno [?] Jno. W. Truslow
John H Allen David Sexton
Denison Baldwin
Jacob Catron James. H. Hedrick
James Felty George W. Williams
Richard Myers
Jacob Gilbert [J. P.?] Umbarger
Thomas J Williams Joseph Wohlford
Lewis M Yost Jacob Lambert
Abraham Umbarger
John [Umberg?] Joseph Sharitz
John M Cassell [?]
Isaac Kegley
John Henley Henry Simmerman
Jacob Grubb Joseph Fisher
George Crigger William [Harkrader?]
wm J Stevens Henry Umbarger
[1000?]
[?]
720
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NEW-Y[ORK]
DEC 23
PAID
3 ctsMr James St ClairWythevilleVa
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Va
Memorial of James St Clair and 82 other citizens of Wythe county in the State of Virginia praying a reduction of postage in favor of juvenile newspapers of small dimensions.
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Presented by H. C. Murphy
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February 8, 1848 Referred to the Committee on the Post office & Post Roads
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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,