PETITION FOR CHEAP POSTAGE.
To THE Senate AND House OF Representatives OF THE United States, IN Congress ASSEMBLED: The undersigned, citizens of Ashburnham 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 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. |
| E. Davis | Ashburnham, Ms. |
| George Atkinson | Charles W. Wilder |
| Jonas Corey | J Newton Hastings |
| J. D. Crosby | |
| S A Taylor | Matthias Mead |
| Charles Brown | John Petts |
| Howard Marble | Wm H Cutler |
| Marshall Wetherbee | Geo G Packer |
| Samuel P Bruce | Levi Corey |
| H M Bancroft | Ezekiel Meriam |
| Hartwell Tenney | Silas Ward |
| Charles Foster | |
| George Sawtell | D. W. Russell |
| W. A. [Cudmore?] | Joseph Miller |
| H G Stone | F. B. Stoddard |
| Wm Rice | George Whitney |
| P Walter Searly | Orrin Morton |
| Charles Whitney | Jerh Lawrence |
| Bailey Marble | E. L. Stearns |
| Newton Hayden | Simeon Merritt |
| nathl Pierce Jr | |
| Wyman K Davis | Asher Moore |
| Albert T [Bemis?] | Walter. Whitney |
| Elbridge Stimson | A J Smith |
| Eli Howe | Ebene Gibson |
| Levitt. H. Gibbs | Henry Tuckerman |
| John G Woodward | Philip R. Meriam |
| Benjn H Ruby | Wm P. Ellis |
| Ohio Whitney Jr | A. A. Whitmore |
| Joel Foster | Francis Hinds |
| Chas Osgood | Stephen A Miller |
| Austin [?] | A. A. Walker |
| [?] [Russell?] | |
| Sylvester Winship | Samuel Wheeler |
| Calvin Tolman | Josiah S Wetherbee |
| Charles H Barrett | Joseph P Rice |
| F. J. Barrett | Sawyer Rice |
| Stephen Marble | Leonard Hilton |
| Thomas B. Green | Calvin Ward |
| William Bemis | Timothy Hinds |
| Geo D [Jauquith?] | Ivers Manning |
| Henry A Smith | Lewis S Hinds |
| George P. Rice | Ephm Whitney |
| James Dick | James R. Nason |
| Joseph Barker | |
| Martin B. Lane | John Leathers |
| D. W Jones | D R Marshall |
| John H Billings | C M Proctor |
| Matt OBrien | Stephen Corey |
| Joseph P Bemis | |
| Asa R Lovell | Geo. G Amsden |
| John C. Davis | Edwin Sylvester |
| [?] | Jehiel Watkins |
| [P?]. H. Fletcher | john M Baldwin |
| Augustus Kibling | Reuben Townsend |
| Abram Lane | Samuel Brooks 3d |
| Ivers White | Henry. E. Tottingham |
| Asahel Wheeler | Charles Winchester |
| Elisha White | A C Peaslee |
| Chs A Corey | Lewis McIntire |
| [?] Russell | Ira Gay |
| P. Wood. | Moses Stowell |
| C W Whitney | Daniel Ellis |
| John Conn | Sylvester Wheeler |
| A P Fairbank | J P Wilder |
| O. G Caldwell | J. A. Conn |
| Oliver Davis | Horace Black |
| Addison Howe | Levi Pollard |
| Nathaniel F Cutter | Nathl C Russell |
| William H. Cushing | Leonard Foster |
| Jos. B Hastings | Chas L Petts |
| M W Ray | |
| John Gilson | |
| Alonzo P Davis |
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Mass
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Petition of E. Davis & 136 others of Ashburnham, Mass. praying for uniform & reduced
rates of postage.
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1849. Feb. 12th Referred to the Committee on the Post office & Post Roads
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√
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Mr. 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,