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PETITION FOR CHEAP POSTAGE.
To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, in Congress assembled:
The undersigned, citizens of Albany city & vicinityrespectfully petition Congress to pass a law, establishing
1. A uniform rate of Two Cents postage on letters weighing half an ounce, and two cents for every additional half ounce, prepaid, and double that rate if not prepaid. Drop letters one cent,
2. Newspapers, periodicals, and all printed matter, one cent per sheet; but newspapers of the smaller size half a cent., to be prepaid, except newspapers and periodicals sent from the office of publication.
3. To reduce the postage on letters and newspapers by mail packets and steamers, to a rate which will bring it within the means of every class of citizens to maintain frequent intercourse with their friends in other countries, without feeling the postage to be a burdensome tax.
4. To adopt measures that in all large towns and cities there shall be a free delivery of letters and newspapers, and also for the reception and conveyance of letters to the post-office for the mails free of any expense.
5. To abolish the franking privilege entirely, that postage may be paid on every thing sent by the mails. Postage of members of Congress to be paid as their other expenses, and postmasters to be remunerated for the loss of the franking privilege and the temporary diminution of their income, by an increase of their commissions.
NAMES. PLACE OF RESIDENCE.
Lewis Benedict Jr Alexander H. Green^Albany city^
. . . J R [Westbrook?]
Jacob M. Settle Albany
S. W. Britton Troy
R. G. Blanchard Albany
William Conger Bern Alb. Co
James McKoun Albany
Jno. J. Olmsted. Do
Theodore [Trudey?].
Thos Helm Guilderland
Geo. H. Cogswell Albany
Ch. L. Austin do
John N. Parker do
[O?] D James do
A. Marvin do
Geo. H. Herbert do
E. A. Benedict do
Minor King do
Alex. H Green do
F. R. Westbrook Kingston Ulster Co
James Heffernan Albany
[Hale?] Kingsley Albany
S H H Parsons do
A J Hastings Albany
L D Holstein Albany
James Buchanan Albany
Nelson Scovel Albany
John D Henson do
C W [Bendt?] do
H H Hickcox do
O. H. Chittenden Rensselaerville
M. S. Dayton "dodo
Jonas Wickes Albany
Laurence Van Deusen Jr Do
Nicholas Sigsbee Jr Albany
C Gallup do
W. Aberle Do
H. Blanchard do
Cole H Denio West Troy
H. V Hickcox Albany
Patrick Mahan Albany
Jno. Shaver do
L. A. King do
Jos Clark do
Charles Harrison Albany
William Harrison Do
Wm H Greene Do
Chas S Greene Do
Daniel Lathrop Do
Ervin S. King "
Wm Van Ness U.S.A. "
H Pohlman Do
J C Wellington
J. S. Vernon Do
Alex C Purcy Co
A. S. Rousseau. Do
S. W. Britton. "
Philip Fredenrich "
Frederick W. Paulus Albany
Edmund. L. Judson Albany
Wm Appleton Albany
John A Laisdell do
Adam Stewart do
Dyer Lathrop do
J. Rathbone do
Eli Perry do
S. S. Eaton do
Stillman Hazeltine Albany
John B Stackhouse do
Amos Adams Do
A. Blanchard "
W. F. Slanson do
D. Webster Albany
T W. Gibb. Do
A D L Whipple Albany
Saml L. Stafford. Albany.
[?] Albany.
William Bay Albany
Thomas S. Goodwin Albany
L S Van Vranken Watervliet.
Jacob Groot Do
H. S. Crounse. Albany.
W. Harris. Do
Theodore. Fondey. Albany.
W. Strong Albany.
A. D. Robinson Albany
William Pearcey Do
T. H. Griffin Do
Charles J Hare Philadelphia
L Stuart. Rose Albany
Wm D. Robertson Albany
M. G. Wing Albany
S. Palmer Albany
A. J. Colvin "
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N Y
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John I Slingerland
A Petition of L Benedict jr and 91 citizens of Albany N.Y. praying for the passage for a law establishing a cheap and uniform rate of postage
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January 22, 1849 Referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.
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Slingerland

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,