To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives, in Congress assembled:—
The undersigned, citizens of the United [S]tates, residing in the county of Middlesex in the state of New Jersey , resp[e]ctfully represent the great inequality now prevailing in the rates of postage on news[p]apers, the smallest being chargeable with the highest rates.
Whereas the principle of size and weigh[t] 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 ra[t]e of 1 cent for 100 miles, and 1 1-2 cents for all greater distances, if without the
sta[t]e in which they are published; your petitioners would urge the importance of redu[c]ing said charges at least ONE HALF on all papers not containing more than 500 square
[I]nches.
Your petitioners represent that, within a [f]ew 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,
whic[h] 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. | |
| Peter Voorhees | Simon Cavis | |
| Chas Frish | William White | |
| Wm G Wisner | Embley C Seery | |
| Daniel Kiel | James Watson | |
| James Bloodgood | Geo H Robbins | |
| [Lewis Bledsoe?] | Jame [Colbe?] | |
| Geor W Franklin | Jesse [Lest?] | |
| Wm Hooper | ||
| John Gould | Wm thorne | |
| John Stuart | Wm H Gordon | |
| Joseph Capner | william Seward | |
| Letchworth Cox | James Stuart | |
| Jackson. Matthews | Charles worth | |
| Joseph [?] | ||
| John Seward | ||
| Wm S Skinner | ||
| James F Breese | ||
| Charles, S Clarke | ||
| Alfred A Miller | ||
| [CIRCULAR?] |
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N.J.
Memorial of Peter Voorhees and thirty other citizens of Middlesex county in the state of New Jersey praying for a reduction of postage in favor of Juvenile newspapers of small dimensions.
Memorial of Peter Voorhees and thirty other citizens of Middlesex county in the state of New Jersey praying for a reduction of postage in favor of Juvenile newspapers of small dimensions.
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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,