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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 ofLivingstonin the state ofNew York, 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 1 1-2 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.
NAMES. NAMES.
F. G. Hibbard J. N. Myrick
Henry D. Clark G G Hill
Henry A. Kipp
Geo. [D?] S S H Gould
J. L. Edson [Wook?]
Nathaniel Dann John P Casey
S. T. Bancroft Z Johnson
E. G. Waite O. Burroughs
James A Bennett Francis H Gilbert
George W Snow S. F. Hill.
H. A. Patterson W Shader
S. Sutherland
Chas C. Goss. H Watkins
C. A. Simonds John Martin
L. Hoyt George Sylvester
S. S. [Rapler?] John Humphry Jr ^[son?]^
A. P. T. [Kress?] Samuel Burpee
Daniel D. Denham Jas L. Alverson
Gardner D. Mercer J. W. Mirner.
Asa Porter Daniel F Humphrey Lima
Charles. B. Mitchell G N Mitchell
Henry C. Grout Dean Casey
G. Draper Maffitt Welch Lima
[Jones?] Yorks Henry G Becker
Alfred Wright. Joseph Ellis
Michael Milan
Edgar. K. Clark W. B. Hall
Albert Merick Austin Lewis
A. L. Hoyt [Pteter?][Singleston?]
Carlos A Ellis R C Welch
Philip T Phillips George Mercer
Daniel. Denham Erastus W. Brookins
Theodore D Yorks Russell Beckwith
Anthony Yorks W. F. Griffin
Orson Warner
Jno. H. Baker Myron T. Yorks
M. R. Pierce Morris W Townsend
E. A. Whaley F. B. Casey
John Van Nest C F. [Bond?]
Alen Sylvester John Bull
E. Hudson
Santa Anna Gen. Taylor
John Cory
<Page 2>
PAID
CINCINNATI. O.
DEC 29
3
[ docketing ]
New York
Petition of citizens of Livingston Co New York praying for a reduction of postage on newspapers.
[ docketing ]
March 20, 1848 Referred to the Committee on the Post Office & Post Roads.
[ docketing ]
Murphy
[ docketing ]
Henry Bacon
[Boom?]
Books [Chead?]
Petition
Manhattan
Bennett
Lima
D D Day D D
Petition
One moat Lima N T
Lima
Otis Beckwith
Lima
Brighton

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,