PETITION
To the Congress of the United States.
The undersigned citizens 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 11/2 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.
Thos Southard A. M. C. Wood
G T Sutton James F Clinton
Lewis W [?] Chair Isaiah Toomis
Thomas Buggs E H Brown
H B Strang Edwin Briggs
Henry Lent James Briggs
Wm Durrin Charles D Raymond
J S Seymour James Regua
Dominic Andrews Joseph P Gallaghur
W N Conklin. Charles K. Carpenter
Abraham N Griffin [L-?]Jesup
Elijah ^L^ Hyatt Maris J Lent
James Oakley James Johnson
John ^S^ [Cocalett?] James P Covert
Isaac Seymour Isaac Burgess
Tillinghast Bennett Cyrus Jordan
P Flagler Jacob S Past
Isaac P Gardner James S Past
George Craft David Mandevill
John R Shaw William Mantross
J B Spock Hiram Briggs
Wright Travis Nathaniel McClain
Aaron Travis Joshua Tompkins
Stephn Brown Isaac Haight
David W Travis E D Fuller
Jacob Losee J. [?]. [Ba?]
Charles Coleman James [depeu?]
Everitt Lint P. Stewart
D M Halliday Frost Horton
Aaron Tompkins David McCay jr
Hawley Green David Mc Cay
John Bodine P G Hutchings
Philitus Raymond Stephen Sherwood
Floyd Frost Cortland Baxter
Josiah H Travis Joseph Harris

<Page 2>
J. S. Wright William Hays1
John H Linbarger Henry Briggs2
Wm Burrhus Stephen J Kent3
T A Whitney George W Clark4
Saml W Hurd Noah Underhill
Enoch Benedict Nehemiah L Jacobs
Joseph S Coleman Joshua [Dinks?]
David H Kuler Charles Foster
William Boice Horatio Giffin
E. H. Mabie Jacob Oakley
Jas S. Carpenter Samuel E. Queen
E M [Laner?]. John Williams
Jeremiah Malice H. G. Lapham
Niles F. Vought John V Smith
Caleb Ward James Brown
Asa Robison J B Hague
A. P. Buel Wm [H Mute?]
Albert Wells Charles Curry
Noah H. Wells Peter States5
Calvin Frost David Parmer6
Peleg Mead7 James G Cuningham8
Hen^r^y Green9 Mason Tier10
Wm Tunstall11 Silvenus Curry12
John Tunstell13 Abner Brondage14
William Richards15 [Evert?] A Wessells
Henry Romen16 Samuel Wessells
William Knopp17 Wm H Ten Bush18
Frederick [Nope?] Garner Noyes19
Christan. V. Queen John W [Looren?]20
John Wm Mabie Bennet Gilbert21
[?] Mondale William Boardman22
Wm Fitch Edward B Finch23
Joseph Miller Robert S Armstrong24
Isaac Tompkins Henry Betts25
Jacob Gardener

<Page 3>
Mr Morgan L Cronk ^Esq^ Leonard Hill
Cornelius M. Curry Reubon Ward
Isaac Lent Nicholess Gillman
John M Curry Thomas Delamater
John Dellamarter
Henry B Lent Edward Lyons
Peter Meandigo Isaac H. Lent
Barney Davids George. W. Vermilyra
Niles Frost Edward Demke
Jos T Rikeman Wm H Lyons
Corns Rikeman Solomon Briggs
Charles [V?] James Brown
John Willets Francis Brown
Jas L Smith Henry Christian
Caleb W Paulding Samuel H Selleck
Joseph Schneider [Beverly?] Garrison
[Clay?] A [McArd?] Danl C Colwell
William H French James Washburn
Michel Keenen Alexander Fitches
Stales W Lent Daniel M. Hyatt
James Mcard Chas Y. Ward
Jonathan Smith T. Denike
John Porter N D Anderson
Gershom Bowne Nathaniel Lent
Samuel S Oakley Milton DuBois
M Raynar
Lorenzo D Curry Samuel W George
Saml H Malier James Heleker
Elias C Ingersoll Jn Thomas L Wallers
James [?] John E [Angus?]
Morris Duane Samuel Cury
Coffin S. Brown. Joshua Nelson Jnr
Stephen Williams. Hermon Dunning
John Fopper. John G Oakley
Jothan S [Corhlin?] Abram R Decker
Nathanel Bealle [Sorrondold?] Crawford

<Page 4>
John W Pattison Tollman S Baker
Alexander Vail C. H Fountain
Joseph Ingersoll Geo. W. Raymond
Truman Minor Charles H Clark
Leonard Wood Willitt Denike.
William Bordan C. Crawford Jnr
Isaa Denike William Royce
Thomas Nelson. F P Clark
J. B. Dykman Robinson Lent
Lewis B Cox James Denike
Chas H. Williams E Hopkins
Philemon D Smith Jeremiah. F. Mead
Jacob. S. Odell J. S. [Convurs?]
N Hall
James Locke J H McDonald
G W Harwood A Young
James Weeks Seth H Mead
Abm H. Lord [Isaac?] [Ross?]
W. H Russell C A G Depuy
Wm C Ambrose Edward Wells
N W Colee Wm B. Corwin
Hosea Fountain.
[Garard?] Fice Morris Lent
Daniel Darrow Amos Fuller
Alexander Brown Morris Clenton
James Davis Stephen Curry
John B [Winnert?] Lenard Smith
N B Lent
David Babcock John H Conklin26
Mathew Messels Joseph Conklin
George [Cussell?] Dell. H. Houghs
George Murden George Birdsall
John Benedict William Conklin
Saml Halsted Walter Palmer
Ebenezer Bennett Mr James Cronk

<Page 5>
[ docketing ]
New York
[ docketing ]
Petition of ^Citizes of Peekskill^ Thos Suthard Gilbert T. Fulton Elijah T. Hyatt & others Citizens of Peekskill ^Westr Co N.Y^ in the subject of the reduction of newspaper Postage.
[ docketing ]
R Presented by Wm Nelson
^March 13, 1848^
& Referred to the Committee on ^the^ Post office & Post road.
[ docketing ]
Nelson
1“William Hays” written over “William Hays Esq
2“Henry Briggs” written over “Henry Briggs Esqr”
3“Stephen J Kent” written over “Stephen J Kent”
4“George W Clark” written over “George W Clark”
5“Peter States” written over “Peter States”
6“David Parmer” written over “David Parmer”
7“Peleg Mead” written over “Peleg Mead”
8“James G Cuningham” written over “James G Cunningham”
9“Henry Green” written over “Henry Green”
10“Mason Tier” written over “Mason Tier”
11“Wm Tunstall” written over “Wm Tunstall”
12“Silvenus Curry” written over “Silvenus Curry”
13“John Tunstell” written over “John Tunstall”
14“Abner Brondage” written over “Abner Brondage”
15“William Richards” written over “William Richards”
16“Henry Romen” written over “Henry”
17“William Knopp” written over “William Knopp”
18“Wm Heter Bush” written over “Wm Heter Bush”
19“Garner Noyes” written over “Garner Noyes”
20“John W” written over “John W Looren”
21“Bennet Gilbert” written over “Bennet Gilbert”
22“William Boardman” written over “William Boardman”
23“Edward B Finch” written over “Edward B Finch”
24“Robert S Armstrong” written over “Robert S Armstrong”
25Henry Betts” written over “Henry Betts”
26“John H Conklin” written over “John H Conklin”

Printed Document Signed, 5 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,