To the Senate and House of Representatives assembled.
Your petitioner S B Aden, most respectfully represents that he is the publisher and
proprietor of the “Bible Advocate,” a monthly periodical printed and published in
the city of St Louis, State of Missouri, devoted to the dissemination of religious
truth, that as such he is not allowed by the law as it now stands, to exchange, either
with other periodicals, or with news papers without paying full postage. The law in
force, as he is advised by the post office department at Washington, is found in sect.
29 of the act of 1825.
Your petitioner will state to your honorable body, that by virtue of his publication,
the post-office department of the government receives annually some eight hundred
dollars, and it seems a very great hardship that he should be debarred the privilege
of exchanges free of postage, when altogether the sum to the department would be a
mere trifle. The reason of the 29 sect. of the law is not very apparent. why a periodical, should be cut off from the privileges allowed to newspapers, your petitioner cant conceive, and presumes the reason must be found in some peculiarity
in the times when the law passed, different from that now existing. It is the hope
of your petitioner, that your Hon. Body will agree with him that the law should be
altered or abolished, as one which bears hard on
<Page 2>
the poor publisher, and prevents, in a good degree, the dissemination of sound morals
and intelligance.
Hundreds of signatures might have been obtained, to this petition, but if it is right
to change the law, it is only necessary to bring it to the notice of Congress. If
wrong, it will not be done at all.
S. B. A<Page 3>
[ endorsement
]
02/22/1848St Louis mo Feb. 22. 1848Hon. J B Bowlin,
02/22/1848St Louis mo Feb. 22. 1848Hon. J B Bowlin,
I herewith send up a petition for the alteration or abolition of a post office law,
which law is refered to in the petition
Please present said petition, and give your attention to the matter.
Yours RespectfullyS B Aden[ endorsement
]
//My dear Judge:
Sir,
Your obt ServantWillis L. Williams
//My dear Judge:
Mr Aden who writes you this at my suggestion, is the Publisher here of the paper named,
devoted to the propagation of Christian truth, and is well worthy, from my knowledge
of him here, and in Tennessee, to receive your kind attentions, which I hope may be
extended to him, and prove beneficial. It does seem that the law is a pretty hard
one, and I cant see the justice of it. Mr Aden throws himself upon the justice of the Congress whom he addresses.
With high regards to yourself, and Mrs. B. I am,Sir,
Your obt ServantWillis L. Williams
[ endorsement
]
//
//
Mr. Willis L. Williams is a member of the St Louis bar and a gentleman of high Character
Jas B BowlinSt. LOUIS Mo.
FEB 23Hon. J. B. BowlinHouse Rep: USWashington cityD.C.
FEB 23Hon. J. B. BowlinHouse Rep: USWashington cityD.C.
[ docketing
]
Mr Bowlin presented under the rule.
[ docketing
]
The Petition of S. B Aden, praying Congress to so modify the post office law, as to
put Periodicals, in their Exchanges on the same footing as the News Papers, free of
postage.
[ docketing
]
March 16, 1848 Referred to the committee on the Post office and Post Roads
[ docketing
]
Referred to the Committee on post Offices And post roads.
[ docketing
]
J Bowlin
Autograph Document Signed, 4 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,