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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 Fairfield in the state of Connecticut , 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.
John A Weed C E Bennett
Chas Isaacs J F Bennett
D. A. Betts Edward B Smith
A. Hill S. E. Olmstead
John Burrall Aaron Whitlock
J A Tindall Matthew Reed Jr.
Chas E, Disbrow
Joseph St John Oscar S Brown
Nathan [D?]. Beers [Increas?]. Allen
Isaac Selleck Reuben A st John
Levi clark Charles G Stone
Joseph W, Hubbell G, R, Meeker
Stephen Raymond
Moses. S, Aldrich Edwin Price
A B Olmstead Edgar A Jennings
Edmond Price Wm Sturges
Jesse Newcomb
Saml R Bunting Charles Thomas
Wm [C?] Haight
John F Wright Andrew Hendix
Roberts Ells Wm H Seymour
Dimon Finch G. D. Jennings
D. M. Elwood J. A, Roberts
Stiles Curtis Chas C Betts
George [Nash?] George Weeks,
N E Wilcox Clark Brown
Darius St John L S Benedict
Calvin Betts W. E. Bissell.
Willard [?] Wm W Barrett
E. W. Stuart. Geo: [?] Daskam
[Waters?] F. Bussing. W, E, Beers
Henry Selleck Saml Stevens
Andrew Selleck Clark Bradley
Dimon Fanton Theodore Lyneburg
Charles Olmstead Daniel H Crossman
Joseph P Hunford [Jun?] Hiram Fitch
George B Fitch Noah S Day [2d?]
David W Benedict John S. Samuels.
Edward Maris Uriah Seymour
Sturges B Staples Seth Seymour
George Meeker
Lyman Knapp George M Seymour
[Alfred?] Knapp Robert A. Coffin
H T Joyce H. Taylor
P. L Cunningham Lewis Tuttle
J M. [Carter?] I Camp Jr
Thos B Butler Daniel N Moody
Wm C. Street. John B Brady
Charles N Clock Geo W [Truth?]
Sund R P Camp A B Brady
Wm St John
J. A. Van Sandt fredk St John
C, g, Gruman A. F. Taylor
C. Y Quintard Stephen Olmstead
Geo. E. Hurlbutt Wm A James
Charles Marvin Marcus [Brown?]
E Edson Raymond William A Hoyt
Selleck Youngs James H Allen
Gershom Raymond R H [Bucknam?]
[T?] R S Bucknam Chas Lockwood
Wm H Benedict Wm B. Swan
William G. [Lineburgh?] I. H, Campbell
Banks Smith Noah Wood Jr
George A St John Robert Flynn
Saml G. Blackman Edward L Hendricks
Charles Smith Stephen G. Ferris
Joseph Shepherd William Dasham.
Justus S [Dickerman?]
Wm B Hendrick John, V. Varick,
James Reed
Charles Saunders
NAMES. NAMES.
Matthew Wilcox John H Knapp
Burr Nash L H [Webb?]
Lewis Wilcox Thomas Guyer
L D, Stevens Samuel Waters
Dillason Allen T. Y. Crowe
George Hodges A B Wilcox
Hanford Wilcox L D. Wheeler
Ebenezer Wilmert [A, S.?] Day.
Henry Bouton Wm Hand.
S W Raymond Henry More
Moses Byxbee Philip Brush
John Mc Quhae Joseph. Bouton Jr
George W Lockwood Sands Reed
Elijah Denney Nathaniel Hoyt
Harry D Fox John R Reed
A B [Bradly?] George Hoyt
Wm [Baylor?]
Ira Gregory Noah Selleck
G [W?] Barnum
John Elwood Wm L. Quintard
Isaac [Denison?] Wm Wicks
Elbridge Purinton William R Finch
Joseph E. Corker Charles Mallory
Jas C Newkirk A A Waterbury
Sherman Cole David Platt
Orris S Ferry Lewis J Curtis
W. T. [?] Aaron [Amblen?]
Thomas Riley James Mallory
Chas Olmstead Elbert Curtis
Charles O Banks E [?] Bennett
George H Kenworthy Daniel Hareford
Alexander Smith Henry Selleck
Wm [C?] Lewis Avory B Raymond
G W Young A E Beard
Stepn Hayes John H, Smith
Francis E. Quintard. George Day
Legar Syens I Shaw
Henry. Wardell Geo, W, Smith
James M Reed George Benedict
A Dickerman F Bradley
Philip H Jones
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Memorial of John A. Weed and 211 other citizens of the county of Fairfield in the state of New York ^Connecticut^ 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