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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 St Clair in the state of Illinois, 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.
1 Samuel Moore 20 Wm Penn
2 Samuel Welch 21 E. Jones
3 Ellis Oglesby 22 Henry Mace
4 W. W. Rutherford
5 William Bell 23 J Virgin
6 Alfred C Jones
7 G W Powel 24 James Ogle
8 James H Cox
9 [Zacchus?] B Scott 25 John Hilt
10 Joel J Hunt 26 Wm [Peter?]
11 Isaac Scott 27 John [Scism?]
12 James Ogle 28 Wiley [Mace?]
13 M L Jones
14 James Mace 29 Robert L Ogle
15 Joseph [S?] Messing 30 Jesse Hart
31 P. Rutherford
16 John Mace 32 Samuel [Walkitt?]
17 Jabez Moore 33 J. Denton
18 Louis Taylor 34 N. Denton
19 Jackson Wilson 35 Jackson Wilson
36 Wm L Scholdfield
37 Samuel Delong 51 Wm. Goodfellow
38 Whitefield Scott
39 Martin Stites 52 Charles Alexander
40 Julius Thomas 53 L. Stanly
41 John Scott 54 C. Obriant
42 Philip Scott 55 J. Grummond
43 James. A. Pierce 56 Madison Ely
44 Danil G Pierce 57 Edmond Melvin
45 William Wastfield 58 John Melvin
46 Robert C Miller 59 Jessee Elliott
47 Geo, W. Peeples 60 James Melvin
48 C. W. Thomas 61 Zadock Darrow
49 Joseph Engle
50 Daniel Beers
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PAID
CINCINN[A]TI. [O.]
DEC 31
3Mr Samuel [Moore?]Rock SpringSt ClairIll
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Returned from Lebanon Ills
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Illinois
Petition of Saml Moore & 60 other Citizens of St Clair Co Ills praying a reduction of Postage on Juvenile Newspapers of small dimensions
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refer to the Com on P. O. & P Roads
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February 9. 1848 Referred to the Committee on the Post office & Post Roads
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R Smith

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,