PETITION FOR CHEAP POSTAGE.
To THE Senate AND House OF Representatives OF THE United States, IN Congress ASSEMBLED:The undersigned, citizens of Indianapolis and Members of the General Assembly of Indiana
respectfully 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.
Members of General Assembly of the state of Indiana
| G. W. Carr | R. A. Riley | |
| J. R. Withers | ||
| Felix Mills | Samuel orr | |
| H. [?]. Casselberry. | ||
| John D. Johnson | Smith Vawter | |
| John W. Rice | W. M. Dunn | |
| Samuel Decker | Danl Kelso | |
| James Odell | B Goodwin | |
| Benjamin Wolfe | R H Rousseau | |
| W. A. Place | Thomas D. Hankins | |
| J. P. Drake | G. M. Shaw | |
| James R M. Bryant | Matthew Rippey | |
| J. B. Winstandley | ||
| Geo P R nelson | Geo. C. Starbuck | |
| Wm Thompson | ||
| J. C. Huckleberry | G. W. Blakemore | |
| H H Barbour | D. D. Nickolson | |
| Gilderoy Hicks | Thos Dowling | |
| Henry Brady | L Ryan | |
| Au. St [C?]. Vance | D C Donuohue | PM at Bainbridge [Len?] |
| D. M. Dobson | Saml. A. Duval. | |
| R J Gessie | F. W. Hunt. | |
| Arch. Johnston | William Miller | |
| A B Lin[d?] | ||
| James Hill | Jas. S. Frazer | |
| George S. Howell | David Wade | |
| N J James | N K. Edwards | |
| I F. Wood | N. O. Ross | |
| A. J. Harlan | N. A. Hurd | |
| S B Stanton | ||
| Fin. L. Maddox | Abram Chambers | |
| E. A. Webster | Enos. S. Tuttle | |
| W M McCarty | P C Parkes | |
| Samuel H Buskirk | ||
| M A Malott | A M Young | |
| S P Frazer | Wm T Ross | |
| W. A. Rifner | ||
| Delavan Martin | Sat Day | |
| Joseph Robinson | Wm P. Dole | |
| L H. Rousseau | Wm Stewart | |
| Charles G. Warnes | Wm G[ower?] | |
| Thomas M Adams | James M Sleeth | |
| Philip Waters | Goldlove [S?] Orth | |
| John S. Davis | ||
| J. D. Cassatt | Wm. G. Montgomery | |
| Aaron Houghton | D P Holloway | |
| A. D. Hamrick | F. [Hardin?] | |
| F. P. Randall | Joseph Coats | |
| Wm Hendricks Jr | Cyrus [Taber?] | |
| A. B. Conduitt | J. S. Har[v?]ey | |
| E G English | ||
| M R Green | E. R. James | |
| C. C. Graham | Smith. Miller | |
| J. I. Morrison | ||
| J G Read | Jas H Henry | |
| John G Meacham | ||
| S Meredith |
Citizens of Indianapolis
| Lewis Bollmann | W. Robson | |
| J. T. Morrison | Wm D Wygant | |
| C C Campbell | ||
| O [S?] Smith | A Koontz | |
| Isaac Smith | C. Davisson | |
| P Daggy | Henry Ohr | |
| H. S. Lane | ||
| H. H. R Douglass | John Harkness. | |
| Clement E. Babb. | Robert P Gray | |
| A. H. Myers | I. H. Hazen | |
| James. B. Ray | Lucian Barbour | for 3 cts postage |
| Benja Hubbs | D. Maguire | |
| Andrew Wilson | James B Tyler | |
| E. J. Peck. | A Harris | |
| John Col[vin?] | S Tufts | |
| Thomas Eaglesfield | S G [Johnson?] | |
| James Elliott | Wm D Shepherd | |
| D. S. Ward | Saml S. Crowe | |
| James G. Jordan | Elijah S Williams | |
| Nicholas McCarty | David Leach | |
| Bates | ||
| D. S. Gooding | ||
| [?] | ||
| James M Ray | [Do?] | " |
| J P McChesney | [Do?] | " |
| J Vigers | Lyonsport | " |
| Jno. S Pattersson | " | " |
| Isaac N Phipps | Indianapolis | |
| S. Yandy | Do | |
| John M Brainwell | ||
| J Crawford | George Norwood | |
| D. W. Noble | Sanford Morris | |
| E. H. Hood | Josiah Lynn | |
| Edwin May | T. Bullard | |
| P. D. Gurley | ||
| James [?] | J. P. Chapman | |
| J S. Brown | M. Rech | |
| Royal Mayhew | N. Lister | |
| C B Davis. | Mahlon Seybold | |
| S J Patterson | James K[?]lin | |
| A. G. Willan | T L Allen | |
| Jas W. Yandes | W. H. McLaughlin | |
| H. S. Kellogg | C S Ramsay |
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Indiana
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Petition of 102 members of Indiana Legislature and 73 citizens of Indiana, praying
a reduction of the rates of Postage & the abolition of the Franking privelege
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January 31, 1849 Referred to the Committee on the Post office and Post Roads.
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√
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C B Smith
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