To the Honorable, the Senate & House of Representatives, in Congress Assembled.
The undersigned citizens of the United States, residing in the county of Edgar, 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; &, whereas, newspapers, not exceeding 1,900 square inches are chargeable at the rate of 1 cent for 100 miles, & 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 [these?] 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 favour of juvenile newspapers of small dimensions would tend greatly to diffuse knowledge and piety, the bulwarks of our national prosperity.
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.
John MayoJoseph WelchFrederic StockSilas Durham
[Names?]
Henry Seever Elisha Hoult John Mack
Henry Nevill Jr John Hornly
John Starr Andrew McRobert
John Gist Collins Jolliff
James Cook Benj Perry Sen
Truman Blackman Thos P Collins
John Welton Enoch Hoult
A A Hannah Christian Arnold
Felix Landers of Moultrie County Ill
J W Collom E. French
A. B. Paine Wm Smick
Jas Gordon L. S. Wood
F. C. Sutherland Thomas Wynn
G W Longnecker W P Smith
J. A. Connely G Minor
J H Connely Elijah [?]
Edward [Yeo?] A[?] Wheeler
J Q Russell Jacob Brothers
M M Dill Robert Pain
J, M, McCorky Hollinsworth [Haines?]
Rufus, Preble O Bailey
T. Jefferson McCorky Levi Littlefield
[...?] Joseph Wood Robert J Scott
Geo Webster Allen McClain
george Cook
W. [?] Havens Isaac Wilkin
Wm Hoodward Henry Wilkin
Josiah Woodward E V Stanfield
David Naylor
David Bailey W L Thompson
D, McClain [?] P French
Rollin Whitcomb Anthony Killgore
James P. Norbeck Elias Walls

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Illinois
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Mr Ficklin of Ills
Petition for the reduction of Postage from a large number of Citizens of Edgar Co Ills.
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Citizens of Edgar County
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March 9, 1848 Referred to the Committee on the Post office and Post Roads.
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P. O. P. R
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Ficklin

Handwritten 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,