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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^ies^1 of Parke, Putnam, Clay & Vigo in the state of Indiana, 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 1½ 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.
Wm H. Goods. J. L. Smith
N. Adamson
Joseph Lambert Robert Curran
John Linkwiler T Linkswiler
[Irael?] Jones J Q [Stryker?]
John J. Meacham Willim Vanclave
James S DeMott
Cornelius Sunderland G Houghman
Ephraim Mears Joseph Ralston
M Mo[?]on S. M. Noel
Charles C Grant J. W Vandever
C Satterlee J W Stryker
M. J. Meacham Wm Wilson
Edward Brown Henry Boone
Johnson T White Joseph Selby
Wm C Noel Saml N Baker
Jaob Baker B F Heden
Wm P Cumings
[J. H.?] Hull
Cyrus Nutt. Jno. Wheel[oc?]
S G Anderson M. Simpson
E S Preston B. F. Rawlins
S T, Cooper
P, S, Dicken H. Marshall
Baltzer Kramer William Talbott
Thomas Gibbs David M Feagen
G W Kramer
Berkley Watson James Talbott Jr
C G Miller D. L. Southern
Elias P Layton J. R. M. Allen
William Kennedy Clay C
John B [Evins?] Geo Stanley
C Walls J, S, Freeman
Ananias Landes V N Barnett
John Allbaugh John Sibley
W. C. Larrabee William Naylor
Ths. Morrow D. B. Herrington
[Alleng?] Davis Calvin Gobin
W. H. Thornburgh Saml Ha[yes?]
James Ingle
W M [OLary?] N Cott[?]
Nelson Greene J S [Carto?]
Anthony M. Ost[?]
Wm T Crotzer
<Page 2>
Lewis E SilcottJohn ChesnutSamuel LavertyWilliam CoxFriend C BrownGeorge FallsWm S. MeltonJohn M LavertyJames Barnes
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Indiana
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Petition of ^Citizens of Parke, Putnam, Clay & Vigo counties, in^ [W?]. H. Good[s?] & other citizens of Indiana, praying reduction of postage on small papers.
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February 18, 1848 Referred to the Committee on the on the Post office and Post Roads.
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Come of Post offices & Roads
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R W Thompson
1print “y” changed to handwritten “ies”

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,