The Petition of the undersigned merchants and others, citizens of the City of Mobile, respectfully showeth: That for more than a month now last past there has been charged, and is now charged, at the Post-office in this City, ten Cents postage on each single letter brought to this City from the interior on steam boats, and deposited in the Post office here only for delivery; and your Petitioners are informed and believe that such charge is made under and in pursuance of instructions from the Post Master General. Your Petitioners further shew that during the winter and spring of each year many thousands of letters are usually sent from the interior to Mobile, and from Mobile to the interior, on steam boats not employed in Carrying the United States mail, and such letters have been and are carried by such steamboats without any charge on the part of the owners of such boats, and from most of the points to and from which letters are so carried, the letters reach their destination more expeditiously than if they were sent by mail. Your Petitioners further shew that nearly all of the places to and from which letters are so sent are within less than three hundred miles from Mobile by the usual mail routes, and many of them within less than that distance by water.

Your Petitioners further shew that this mode of correspondence is of great advantage and convenience, and almost of indispensible necessity to the commercial intercourse between the City of Mobile and the interior, and has been long and invariably used, without being heretofore subjected to the onerous charge recently enacted. Your Petitioners further show that they regard such charge as unjust, unreasonable and illegal, and that it is highly injurious and oppressive to your Petitioners. Your Petitioners are informed and believe that this subject has been recently brought to the notice of the Post Master General, and that he is unwilling, or considers himself unable to relieve your Petitioners from the said charge.

Wherefore your Petitioners pray that, if there is any Law authorising such charge, such Law may be repealed or modified; and if such charge is not authorised by Law, that it may please your Honorable Bodies to pass such act, or adopt such other measures as, to you may seem proper, to relieve your Petitioners of the grievance complained of in this Petition.

And your Petitioners will every pray &c