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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 ofMadisonin the state ofIllinois, 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.
W. T. Miller Benjn E. Viall
J. W. Johnson E. Beall
Elias Skillman John Chaney
Henry [Wissord?] Daniel Blodget
Pleasant Hart M. M. Stucky
W B Sackett Frederick Miller
Levi Nutt H J J Mcalley
F Weed Chas W. Hunter
John R Batterton
T. C. Kendall John Sallee
William Jenkins S. C. Robbins
Geo W Easley James Dougherty
Charles Bartlett James Seaton
George. D. S. Fletcher Richard. J. Simmons
I M Wallace M B. Walker
Jesse Walton George. F. Prettow
Chars Cook H. W. Wright, Alton,
Wm. G. [Timsan?] Robert [Depry?]
Chas Plimmer
Wm Weld. M. H. Carroll
J. T. Hutton J. Wesley Ash
J. N. Catts. J D Brown
Jos L. Ash, Aleander Whitaker
Jno Wallace Jms. Gamble
J. M. Morgan
Jackson Wayles I. J. Richmond
N F Cune M. Gornich
H Tillotson J. J. Ash
Geo R Clark John [?]
J. R. Woods T R Wallace
W H Ferdon Asahel Brown
James Smith W. A. Holten
Stuart Smith
Benj. A Harrison J C Woods
James O Burns John Dye
A. G. Holford. H M Hinton
G [Winat?] J Orr
Joseph Bunnass Mark Pierson
G D Sidway Thomas Glenn
E L [Dimmons?] C. T. Stearns
Jas N Stewart N [Challacemlo?]
Jonathan Dow J M Harley
John N. Bailhache Wm Sulivan
H. F. Hawley Harvey Burnett
Wm Outley L I Clawson
A. Nelson John. H. Welch
P. B. Whipple Joseph Cook
C. D. Caldwell W Warren Leverett
Alex. A McReynolds
E Levis
George. G. Pierce Erastus Adkins
Fredrick Sargent Washn Leverett
Hamilton Beall Justus Bulkley
R. L. King Orson L. Barler
Jno W Calvin Saml M. Brown
John Trible Jr.
H. G. Hibbard O. J. Sherman
H. Loomis. E Cunningham
J. B. Smith J. T. Dickson
D. M. Kittinger D. M. Howell
R. M. Wagener Wm T. Kay
James Finley H. G. Miller.
Joseph James J. M. A. Miller
Peter Depry James F Matthew
Jacob Miles Jesse. G. W. Palmer
John Bean H. S. Spaulding
Joseph Chapman Ira Warren
Cornelius Vaughan Benj. F. Long
F. [Hairt?] F M Elwell
J S Elwell
T. H. Moore John R Dodge
Castle Harrison Joseph. Lanphear.
J. B. Randle. C A Moore
R E Lowe L. D. Spear
Wm Owen
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[ docketing ]
Illinois
Petition of a large number of Citizens of Madison County Illinois praying a reduction of News paper postage & paticularly on Juvenile papers of small dimensions
[ docketing ]
Refer to Com. on P. O. & Post Roads
[ docketing ]
March 1, 1848 Referred to the Committee on the1 Post Ooffice & Post Roads.
[ docketing ]
R Smith
1“Post” changed to “the”

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,