The Undersigned Inhabitants of the town of Oakfield Fon du lac Co Wis Would respectfully ask your Honourable Body to abolish the present Onerous Postage on Newspapers sent by individuals; and pass a law that Newspapers may be sent from any part of the United States and Territories to any other part of the Same for one cent each: Payable to the office from which it is taken as We had much rather pay for what We get than for what we send

We believe no law was ever passed by Congress regulating Postage as unpopular as the one now asked to be rescinded. And certainly none that operated so injuriously to the West especially to the newly settled portions of the WestThose of us who were here before the passage of the above law were in the constant receipt of Papers from our original places of Residence and elsewhere. But since that time have scarcely received a paper; which every Man Woman and Child feels a great privation.

This fruitful source of intelligence and pleasure is thereby effectually cut off. For truely we of the west know it to be a fact: That as cold water is to the thirsty soul so is good news from a far country” or from one’s native landMany Verrey many of the new settlers are poor and have no other way of obtaining Public intelligence only by means of papers sent from Eastern or Southern friends: And then again the intelligence is reciprocated as those who are able to take the Local Western Papers send them back to their friends East or South and thus “knowledge runs to and fro and is increased and the whole Nation is made wise and happier

We also ask that a law may be passed permitting News papers to be sent from the office of Publication thirty miles to Subscribers by mail free of Postage. As in duty bound your petitioners will ever Pray.