PETITION FOR CHEAP POSTAGE.
To THE Senate AND House OF Representatives OF THE United States, IN Congress ASSEMBLED:The undersigned, citizens of Westboro Mass
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 packet 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. ^Names^ |
| H. N. Beers. | Westboro Mass |
| H. B. Beers. | Wm L. P. Boardman |
| A M. Emmons | C. P. Rice |
| M. S. Whittelsey | Moses G. Davis |
| L. G. Holbrook | Baxter Forbes |
| L. W. Holbrook | F [O?] Newton |
| Chas G. Holbrook | |
| Henry Mills | Lyman G Stevens |
| C. B. Mills. | John R. Maltby |
| C P Green | Darius Fay |
| Otis Newton. | Wm H. Sibley |
| Ephm B. Hardy | Lewis Putnam |
| R G Holmes | |
| G. G. Warner | Chas F. Searle |
| J. Edwards Fay. | Josiah Jackson |
| S. M Griggs | Solomon P. Fay |
| Halloway Brigham | Charles E. Kimball |
| John A. Fayesweather | Lincoln Wood |
| John F. Estabrook | Timothy F Hastings 2d |
| James Stowe | Wm J. Eaton |
| Jeremiah Tarbox. | |
| John H Pierce | S. C. Andrews |
| Moses Wood | Lovett Peters |
| Israel G Howe | George E. Fisher |
| Aaron Bemis | [J. N.?] Chamberlain |
| Lewis Briggs | T F Gilmore |
| James A Longley | Geo. E. Sarbone |
| Benjn Boynton | |
| Daniel Chamberlain | Archelaus M. Howe |
| J. Wm Brittan | Sele[u?]cus Warren |
| Seth E. Miller [ |
Chas. A. Small |
| D. Butler | Hiram Tanner |
| Nahum Fisher | D. F. Newton |
| Josiah H Pike | Joseph H Fairbanks |
| Marcus Grant | Jonas A. Howe Jr |
| Payson H Perrin | Chas S. Hardy |
| Saml. Pierce | [?] A Cheever |
| Benjamin Pond | Artemus Beeman |
| B. B. [?] | D. P. Mann |
| M G. Maynard | Orlando Leland |
| Joel Forbash | Cyrus Fay |
| Calvin J. Parker | Saml Richardson |
| Henry H Rising | Noyes Bryant |
| Willard Raymond | George C Boynton |
| Thomas H Fayerweather | George. H. White. |
| Jabez G. Fisher | David P Hardy |
| J D Miller | Horace Bailey |
| Martin Wheeler | Nehemiah Carter |
| Reuben Boynton | Rufus Harris |
| Geo. N. Sibley | Josiah Childs |
| S. Comstock | Asa Haskell |
| Wm L Brown | silas Walker |
| James L Coch[?] | Jas Leach |
| Elisha Parker | Edwd Spaulding |
| James Cochran | Horace E Bellows |
| Joseph N Whitney | Albert J Burnap |
| Char E White | George Whiting |
| Elijah B Burnap | Gills Br[aley?] |
| E. S. Nason | George W Parker |
| Charles Whipple | Luther Bixby |
| Abijah Wood | William Cheever |
| Anson Warren | Joel Warren |
| Otis Brigham | Lambert Whitney |
| J. W. Willard | Nathaniel E Fisher |
| George S [Newton?] | W. M. Libby |
| Theodore F Brigham | John L. Peters. |
| George Walker | S Winslow Pierce |
| Ephraim Forbes | |
| Thomas Morse | Jonathan Forbes |
| Seth Dewing Jr. | Ethan Thayer |
| Jonas Langley | Russel [A?] Forbushe |
| George E. T[?] | Jabez Newton |
| H C Fay | Freeman Fairbanks |
| H. S. Aldrich | James R. Brigham |
| Gardner Cloyes | C. O. Langley |
| Benj: [D?]. Ha[?]y | Ephm Maynard |
| Sanford Adams | E. T. Forbes |
| Chs Y Harrington | H. B. Leach |
| Chs H Pierce | |
| Lyman Rowe |
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Mass.
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Petition of H. N. Beers & 151 others of Westborough, Mass. praying for reduction
& uniform rates of postage
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[Feby. 1st Referred to the?] Committee on the Post office & Post Roads
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February 1 1849 Referred to the Committee on the Post office and Post Roads.
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√
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J. G. Palfrey
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